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Japanese Idioms
The Japanese language is filled with idioms of all sorts, from classical references from ancient Chinese to modern colloquialisms used by college students and young salaryman. Whether you are traveling to Japan for fun or on business, or are living there, you'll find idioms indispensible to understanding and using the daily language. Browse below to find the ones you want or simply explore the many possible ways to express yourself in Japanese.
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手いらず
手入れ
[ていれ, teire] arrest (lit.: obtaining, getting in hand)
手が開いている
[てがあいている, te ga aite iru] be free; be uninvolved in anything
手が空けば口が空く
[てがあけばくちがあく, te ga akeba kuchi ga aku] if a person does not work, he will not eat; work not, eat not
手が足らない
[てがたらない, te ga taranai] be shorthanded
手が長い
[てがながい, te ga nagai] be a compulsive thief
手がよい
[てがよい, te ga yoi] write neatly, cleanly
手厳しい
[てきびしい, te kibishii] severe; harsh; hard
てこずる
[てこずる, tekozuru] have trouble with; have trouble controlling; have a hard time with
手数をかける
[てすうをかける, tesuu o kakeru] make trouble for
手出しする
[てだしする, tedashi suru] touch s.b.; get s.b.; grab s.b.
鉄面皮
[てつめんぴ, tetsumenpi] thick-skinned (lit.: iron face skin)
手に合わぬ
[てにあわぬ, te ni awanu] get out of hand
手に取る
[てにとる, te ni toru] pick up
手にはいたものだ
[てにはいたものだ, te ni haitta mono da] be at home; be adept
手の切れるような
[てのきれるような, te no kireru you na] crisp, sharp enough to cut
手の組んだ
[てのくんだ, te no kunda] complicated, intricate
手前味噌をあげる
[てまえみそをあげる, temae miso o ageru] praise oneself, blow one’s own horn
手も足も出ない
[てもあしもでない, te mo ashi mo denai] be at one’s wit’s end
手も足も踏む所知らず
[てもあしもふむところしらず, te mo ashi mo fumu tokoro shirazu] be in ecstasy; be in heaven
手を打つ
[てをうつ, te o utsu] strike a bargain
手を組む
[てをくむ, te o kumu] join forces
手を濡らさずに取る
[てをぬらさずにとる, te o nurasazu ni toru] get something without any particular effort
手を引く
[てをひく, te o hiku] wash one’s hands of; pull out of
手を分ける
[てをわける, te o wakeru] form groups; divide into groups
天に昇る心地
[てんにのぼるここち, ten ni noboru kokochi] be transported with joy
天罰
てんばつ, tenbatsu] poetic justice, justice of heaven