favorite Japanese proverbs, sayings or phrases

5 comments

1. 無茶苦茶 *muchakucha*: The characters are “no tea, bitter tea” but the meaning is … “unreasonable”. (generally the corruption 滅茶苦茶 *mechakucha* is more common in the modern day but I like the old version better. It’s seems very Japanese to use such an understated metaphor as such a strong statement. Also could have been very British. Something going on with island nations that makes them love tea and understatement.)

   石の上にも三年 *ishino uenimo sannen*: Shortened form of “if you sit upon a stone for 3 years it will become warm”, meaning perserverance brings about accomplishments. Similar to the less poetic 継続は力なり *danzoku wa chikara nari*. There’s also 七転八起 *shichitenhakki* (fall seven times, get up eight) with a similar meaning, and which is good but… to me just feels overused, probably because someone asks about it in r/translator about 3 times a week for their proposed tattoo. I don’t think I’ve actually encountered it more than a handful of times in the wild though so maybe that just reddit corrupting my brain.

   井の中の蛙、大海を知らず *inonakano kawazu, taikai o shirazu* The frog in the well knows not the wide sea.

   (I feel like I’ve heard it with the more common *kaeru* for frog, but the dictionary has the expression with the more obscure reading.)

   桜花爛漫 *ōkaranman*: Often translated ‘a riot of cherry blossoms’; the parts are simply 桜花: cherry blossoms and 爛漫: full bloom, the intended image is cherry trees as far as the eye can see all in peak 花見 *hanami* conditions. I particularly like this one just for the way the kanji look, but there’s also just something about their being a yojijukugo just for that meaning. It’s getting close to that time when it’s actually a useful phrase too.

2. **Temae Miso (手前味噌 – self-flattery)**
   It’s an old but useful expression when I want to praise myself in a humble way.
   For example, “手前味噌ですが、悪くない資料ができたと思います
   (Temaemiso desuga, warukunai shiryou ga dekita to omoimasu)” —
   “It’s a bit self-flattering, but I think the document I made is not too bad.”

3. (I do not speak English so I use DeepL to translate)

   This is not my favorite term, but it should be interesting to you guys.

   Although not a common word, there is a Buddhist term called 不悪口. When broken down by the meaning of the kanji, it means 不(not), 悪(evel), 口(mouth). In other words, it represents a commandment not to abuse others.

   This word is pronounced “Fu-Akku”. (Oops, to be precise, the final u is a vowel that may not be pronounced.)

4. I like *neko ni koban* (I hope I got that write, my Japanese is terrible. I use the English translation of it sometimes to confuse and amuse my coworkers.

5. I always thought this one was funny when I accidentally stumbled upon it.

   豆腐の角に頭をぶつけて死ね

   My understanding is that because it’s such a ridiculous request it’s not really saying you want the person to actually die but more of an expression of frustration for someone being unreasonable or thick