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Japanese Proverbs
The Japanese language is filled with proverbs of all sorts, many from classical references from ancient Chinese to modern versions of English proverbs, all used in every aspect of the language. Whether you are traveling to Japan for fun or on business, or are living there, you'll find proverbs 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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歳月人を待たず
[さいげつひとをまたず, saigetsu hito o matazu] years and months do not wait for man, time and tide wait for no man
才子多病
[さいしたびょう, saishi tabyou] talented people have poor health
酒と朝寝は貧乏の近道
[さけとあさねはびんぼうのちかみち, sake to asane wa binbou no chikamichi] wine and rising late are shortcuts to poverty
酒は狂水
[さけはきょうすい, sake wa kyousui] wine is lunatic water
酒は百薬の長、百毒の長
[さけはひゃくやくのちょう、ひゃくどくのちょう, sake wa hyakuyaku no chou, hyakudoku no chou] win is the best or all medicine and the worst of all poisons
酒は本心を表す
[さけはほんしんをあらわす, sake wa honshin o arawasu] wine reveals a person’s true spirit
酒は礼の始まって、乱に終わる
[さけはれいのはじまって、らんにおわる, sake ha rei no hajimatte ran ni owaru] win begins with formalities and ends with chaos
鞘ばしらより口ばしら
[さやばしらよりくちばしら, syabashira yori kuchi-bashira] the mouth is stronger than the sword
猿に木登るを教える
[さるにきのぼるをおしえる, saru ni ki noborou o oshieru] do something absolutely useless, to (lit.: teach a monkey to climb a tree)
猿にも衣装
[さるにもいしょう, saru ni mo ishou] do not judge by appearances (lit.: even a monkey can be dressed up)
猿の尻笑い
[さるのしりわらい, saru no shiri warai] monkeys laugh at buttocks of other monkeys (ridiculing in others a trait they themselves have)
猿の水練
[さるのすいれん, saru no suiren] do something unnatural, to (lit.: swimming of monkeys)
猿も木から落ちる
[さるもきからおちる, saru mo ki kara ochiru] everyone makes mistakes; nobody is perfect (lit.: even monkeys fall from trees)
三度目には芽が出る
[さんどめにはめがでる, sandome niwa me ga deru] third time pays for all (lit.: on the third time, buds come out)
三度目の正直
[さんどめのしょうじき, sandome no shoujiki] third time is a charm; third time pays for all; all things thrive at thrice (Lit.: truth the third time)
三人連れ喧嘩のもと
[さんにんづれけんかのもと, sanninzure kenka no moto] three persons toegether is the source of a quarrel
三人寄れば苦界
[さんにんよればくがい, sannin yoreba, kugai] three people together make for bitter times
三人寄れば文殊の知恵
[さんにんよればもんじゅのちえ, sannin yoreba Monju no chie] two heads are better than one (lit.: three people equal the wisdom of Monjusuri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom)