QuotedTale
Japanese proverbs are called kotowaza (ことわざ). Each one below is a real saying used in Japan, with the Japanese text, how to say it in romaji, what the words literally say, and what it actually means.
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Famous Japanese Proverbs
The kotowaza almost every Japanese person knows. Start here if you want the classics.
- 七転び八起き (nana korobi ya oki)
Literally: Fall down seven times, get up eight.
Meaning: However many times you fail, get back up and keep going. - 猿も木から落ちる (saru mo ki kara ochiru)
Literally: Even monkeys fall from trees.
Meaning: Even experts make mistakes, so do not get careless. - 井の中の蛙大海を知らず (i no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu)
Literally: A frog in a well does not know the great sea.
Meaning: People who have seen little think their small world is everything. - 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず (nito o ou mono wa itto o mo ezu)
Literally: One who chases two rabbits catches not even one.
Meaning: Chase two goals at once and you may get neither. Focus. - 花より団子 (hana yori dango)
Literally: Dumplings rather than flowers.
Meaning: Useful things matter more than pretty ones. Also said of someone who cares more about the food than the view. - 出る杭は打たれる (deru kui wa utareru)
Literally: The stake that sticks out gets hammered down.
Meaning: People who stand out often get criticised. - 一期一会 (ichigo ichie)
Literally: One time, one meeting.
Meaning: This moment with this person will never happen again, so treasure it. - 猫に小判 (neko ni koban)
Literally: Gold coins to a cat.
Meaning: A precious thing is wasted on someone who cannot see its value. - 石の上にも三年 (ishi no ue ni mo sannen)
Literally: Three years on a stone.
Meaning: Sit on a cold stone long enough and even it gets warm. Patience pays off. - 塵も積もれば山となる (chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru)
Literally: Even dust, when piled up, becomes a mountain.
Meaning: Small efforts and small savings add up to something big. - 覆水盆に返らず (fukusui bon ni kaerazu)
Literally: Spilled water does not return to the tray.
Meaning: What is done cannot be undone. - 十人十色 (junin toiro)
Literally: Ten people, ten colours.
Meaning: Everyone has different tastes and ideas, and that is fine. - 急がば回れ (isogaba maware)
Literally: If you are in a hurry, take the long way round.
Meaning: The slow, safe route is often the fastest in the end. - 光陰矢の如し (koin ya no gotoshi)
Literally: Time is like an arrow.
Meaning: Time flies, so do not waste it. - 良薬は口に苦し (ryoyaku wa kuchi ni nigashi)
Literally: Good medicine is bitter in the mouth.
Meaning: Honest advice is hard to hear but it does you good.
Japanese Proverbs About Life
For the days you need a calm, wise line about how life works.
- 明日は明日の風が吹く (ashita wa ashita no kaze ga fuku)
Literally: Tomorrow, tomorrow's wind will blow.
Meaning: Do not worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. - 人間万事塞翁が馬 (ningen banji saio ga uma)
Literally: In life, everything is like the old man's horse.
Meaning: Good luck can turn bad and bad luck can turn good, so do not judge too fast. - 一寸先は闇 (issun saki wa yami)
Literally: One inch ahead is darkness.
Meaning: Nobody knows what will happen next. - 苦あれば楽あり (ku areba raku ari)
Literally: Where there is pain, there is pleasure.
Meaning: Hard times are followed by good times. - 雨降って地固まる (ame futte ji katamaru)
Literally: After the rain, the ground hardens.
Meaning: Trouble, like a fight, often leaves things stronger than before. - 住めば都 (sumeba miyako)
Literally: Wherever you live becomes the capital.
Meaning: Any place feels like home once you get used to it. - 知らぬが仏 (shiranu ga hotoke)
Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. Some things are better left unknown. - 笑う門には福来る (warau kado ni wa fuku kitaru)
Literally: Good fortune comes to the gate of those who laugh.
Meaning: Happy homes and cheerful people attract good luck. - 身から出た錆 (mi kara deta sabi)
Literally: Rust that comes from the body itself.
Meaning: Your trouble is your own fault. You reap what you sow. - 人の噂も七十五日 (hito no uwasa mo shichijugonichi)
Literally: Even people's gossip lasts only seventy-five days.
Meaning: Rumours die down on their own. Wait it out. - 案ずるより産むが易し (anzuru yori umu ga yasushi)
Literally: Giving birth is easier than worrying about it.
Meaning: Things are usually easier to do than you feared. - 思い立ったが吉日 (omoitatta ga kichijitsu)
Literally: The day you decide is the lucky day.
Meaning: Do not wait for the perfect day. Start now.
Japanese Proverbs About Love
Sweet, funny and honest lines about love and couples, good for a partner or a crush.
- あばたもえくぼ (abata mo ekubo)
Literally: Even pockmarks look like dimples.
Meaning: When you are in love, even their flaws look cute. - 割れ鍋に綴じ蓋 (warenabe ni tojibuta)
Literally: A mended lid for a cracked pot.
Meaning: There is someone out there for everyone. - 縁は異なもの味なもの (en wa i na mono aji na mono)
Literally: Fate between people is strange and delightful.
Meaning: You never know who you will end up with, and that is the fun of it. - 恋は思案の外 (koi wa shian no hoka)
Literally: Love is outside of reason.
Meaning: You cannot think or plan your way into or out of love. - 惚れて通えば千里も一里 (horete kayoeba senri mo ichiri)
Literally: When you go to see the one you love, a thousand ri feels like one.
Meaning: No distance is too far for someone in love. - 焼け木杭に火が付く (yakebokkui ni hi ga tsuku)
Literally: A charred stake catches fire again.
Meaning: Old flames easily get back together. - 惚れた病に薬なし (horeta yamai ni kusuri nashi)
Literally: There is no medicine for lovesickness.
Meaning: When you are lovesick, nothing anyone says or does will cure it. - 蓼食う虫も好き好き (tade ku mushi mo sukizuki)
Literally: Some insects even like to eat bitter smartweed.
Meaning: There is no accounting for taste. Everyone likes someone. - 惚れた欲目 (horeta yokume)
Literally: The partial eye of one in love.
Meaning: Love makes you see the best in someone. - 以心伝心 (ishin denshin)
Literally: From heart to heart.
Meaning: Understanding each other without saying a word. - 目は口ほどに物を言う (me wa kuchi hodo ni mono o iu)
Literally: The eyes say as much as the mouth.
Meaning: A look can tell you what someone feels. - 秋風が立つ (akikaze ga tatsu)
Literally: An autumn wind starts to blow.
Meaning: Love is cooling off between two people. - 夫婦喧嘩は犬も食わない (fufu genka wa inu mo kuwanai)
Literally: Even a dog will not eat a couple's quarrel.
Meaning: Stay out of a couple's fight. They will make up anyway.
Wise Japanese Sayings
Kotowaza that sound like advice from a wise grandparent.
- 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (no aru taka wa tsume o kakusu)
Literally: The clever hawk hides its claws.
Meaning: Truly skilled people do not show off. - 三人寄れば文殊の知恵 (sannin yoreba Monju no chie)
Literally: Three people together have the wisdom of Monju.
Meaning: Three ordinary heads together can be as wise as a genius. Monju is the Buddhist figure of wisdom. - 人の振り見て我が振り直せ (hito no furi mite waga furi naose)
Literally: Watch how others act and fix how you act.
Meaning: Learn from other people's mistakes and good habits. - 口は災いの元 (kuchi wa wazawai no moto)
Literally: The mouth is the source of disaster.
Meaning: Careless words cause trouble. Think before you speak. - 灯台下暗し (todai moto kurashi)
Literally: It is dark at the foot of the lighthouse.
Meaning: What is closest to you is often the hardest to see. - 聞くは一時の恥、聞かぬは一生の恥 (kiku wa ittoki no haji, kikanu wa issho no haji)
Literally: To ask is a moment's shame, not to ask is a lifetime's shame.
Meaning: Do not be shy to ask a question. - 百聞は一見に如かず (hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu)
Literally: Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once.
Meaning: Seeing for yourself beats any amount of hearing about it. - 転ばぬ先の杖 (korobanu saki no tsue)
Literally: A walking stick before you fall.
Meaning: Prepare before trouble comes, not after. - 亀の甲より年の功 (kame no ko yori toshi no ko)
Literally: Years of experience over a turtle's shell.
Meaning: Respect the wisdom that comes with age. - 実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かな (minoru hodo kobe o tareru inaho kana)
Literally: The more the rice ripens, the lower it bows its head.
Meaning: The wiser and more successful people get, the more humble they become. - 毒を以て毒を制す (doku o motte doku o seisu)
Literally: Use poison to control poison.
Meaning: Sometimes you fight a bad thing with something equally strong. - 勝って兜の緒を締めよ (katte kabuto no o o shimeyo)
Literally: After you win, tighten the strings of your helmet.
Meaning: Do not relax after a win. Stay careful. - 三つ子の魂百まで (mitsugo no tamashii hyaku made)
Literally: The soul of a three-year-old lasts to a hundred.
Meaning: The character we form as small children stays with us for life. - 船頭多くして船山に上る (sendo oku shite fune yama ni noboru)
Literally: With too many captains, the ship climbs a mountain.
Meaning: Too many cooks spoil the broth. - 言わぬが花 (iwanu ga hana)
Literally: Not saying is the flower.
Meaning: Some things are better left unsaid.
Japanese Proverbs About Perseverance
For exams, gym days, new jobs and anyone who wants to quit but should not.
- 継続は力なり (keizoku wa chikara nari)
Literally: Continuing is power.
Meaning: Keep at it every day and you will get strong. - 千里の道も一歩から (senri no michi mo ippo kara)
Literally: Even a thousand-ri road starts with one step.
Meaning: Every big goal starts with a small first step. - 雨垂れ石を穿つ (amadare ishi o ugatsu)
Literally: Raindrops wear a hole in stone.
Meaning: Small, steady effort can beat even hard problems. - 為せば成る (naseba naru)
Literally: If you do it, it will be done.
Meaning: If you really try, you can achieve it. - 失敗は成功のもと (shippai wa seiko no moto)
Literally: Failure is the source of success.
Meaning: Every failure teaches you something you need to win. - 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず (koketsu ni irazunba koji o ezu)
Literally: If you do not enter the tiger's cave, you cannot catch its cub.
Meaning: No risk, no reward. - 好きこそ物の上手なれ (suki koso mono no jozu nare)
Literally: Liking a thing is what makes you good at it.
Meaning: You get best at what you love doing. - 習うより慣れろ (narau yori narero)
Literally: Get used to it rather than learn it.
Meaning: Practice teaches more than lessons. - 大器晩成 (taiki bansei)
Literally: Great vessels take long to finish.
Meaning: Great talent often shows up late. Do not give up on late bloomers. - 初心忘るべからず (shoshin wasuru bekarazu)
Literally: Do not forget your beginner's spirit.
Meaning: Stay humble and eager, like you were on day one. - 待てば海路の日和あり (mateba kairo no hiyori ari)
Literally: If you wait, there will be fair weather for the sea route.
Meaning: Be patient and your chance will come. - 転んでもただでは起きない (koronde mo tada de wa okinai)
Literally: Even when they fall, they do not get up empty-handed.
Meaning: Some people turn every failure into a gain. - 艱難汝を玉にす (kannan nanji o tama ni su)
Literally: Hardship makes you a jewel.
Meaning: Tough times shape you into a better person. - 蒔かぬ種は生えぬ (makanu tane wa haenu)
Literally: Seeds you do not sow will not sprout.
Meaning: No effort, no result.
Japanese Proverbs About Strength and Courage
For when you need to be brave, stand your ground or keep your cool under pressure.
- 柔よく剛を制す (ju yoku go o seisu)
Literally: The soft controls the hard.
Meaning: Flexible beats forceful. The idea behind judo. - 一寸の虫にも五分の魂 (issun no mushi ni mo gobu no tamashii)
Literally: Even a one-inch insect has a half-inch soul.
Meaning: Even the smallest, weakest person has pride and spirit. Never look down on anyone. - 窮鼠猫を噛む (kyuso neko o kamu)
Literally: A cornered rat bites the cat.
Meaning: Push someone too far and even the weak will fight back hard. - 精神一到何事か成らざらん (seishin itto nanigoto ka narazaran)
Literally: With the mind focused on one thing, what cannot be done?
Meaning: Where there is a will, there is a way. - 心頭を滅却すれば火もまた涼し (shinto o mekkyaku sureba hi mo mata suzushi)
Literally: Clear the mind and even fire feels cool.
Meaning: A calm, strong mind can bear any hardship. Famous as the last words of the monk Kaisen when his temple was burned. - 背水の陣 (haisui no jin)
Literally: A battle line with its back to the river.
Meaning: Giving everything because there is no way back. - 初志貫徹 (shoshi kantetsu)
Literally: Carry your first wish all the way through.
Meaning: Stick to the goal you set at the start until you reach it. - 武士は食わねど高楊枝 (bushi wa kuwanedo takayoji)
Literally: A samurai who has not eaten still picks his teeth.
Meaning: Keep your dignity even when times are hard. Today it is also used for putting on a brave face. - 知恵と力は重荷にならぬ (chie to chikara wa omoni ni naranu)
Literally: Wisdom and strength are never a heavy load.
Meaning: Skills and knowledge are worth having because you can carry them anywhere.
Japanese Proverbs About Friendship and Family
For best friends, siblings, parents and the people who feel like family.
- 類は友を呼ぶ (rui wa tomo o yobu)
Literally: Like calls to like.
Meaning: Birds of a feather flock together. - 朱に交われば赤くなる (shu ni majiwareba akaku naru)
Literally: Mix with vermilion and you turn red.
Meaning: You become like the friends you keep, so choose them well. - 竹馬の友 (chikuba no tomo)
Literally: A bamboo-horse friend.
Meaning: A friend from childhood, from the days you played on stilts together. - 同じ釜の飯を食う (onaji kama no meshi o ku)
Literally: To eat rice from the same pot.
Meaning: To share hard times and daily life, which makes people close. - 親しき仲にも礼儀あり (shitashiki naka ni mo reigi ari)
Literally: Even between close friends there is courtesy.
Meaning: Be polite even with the people closest to you. - 遠くの親類より近くの他人 (toku no shinrui yori chikaku no tanin)
Literally: A stranger nearby is better than a relative far away.
Meaning: A good neighbour helps more than family who live far off. - 魚心あれば水心 (uogokoro areba mizugokoro)
Literally: If the fish has a heart, the water has a heart.
Meaning: Be kind to others and they will be kind back. - 情けは人の為ならず (nasake wa hito no tame narazu)
Literally: Kindness is not just for others.
Meaning: Kindness you show comes back to you one day. - 旅は道連れ世は情け (tabi wa michizure yo wa nasake)
Literally: On a journey, a companion; in life, kindness.
Meaning: Travel is better with company and life is better with kindness. - 袖振り合うも多生の縁 (sode furiau mo tasho no en)
Literally: Even brushing sleeves is fate from past lives.
Meaning: Every meeting, even a small one, happens for a reason. - 八方美人 (happo bijin)
Literally: A beauty from all eight directions.
Meaning: Someone who tries to please everyone and so is no one's true friend. - 可愛い子には旅をさせよ (kawaii ko ni wa tabi o saseyo)
Literally: Send your beloved child on a journey.
Meaning: If you love your children, let them face the world and grow. - 鳶が鷹を生む (tonbi ga taka o umu)
Literally: A kite gives birth to a hawk.
Meaning: Ordinary parents can raise an extraordinary child. - 親の心子知らず (oya no kokoro ko shirazu)
Literally: The child does not know the parent's heart.
Meaning: Children do not see how much their parents worry for them.
Japanese Proverbs About Nature
Cherry blossoms, willows, rain and autumn. Lovely for travel and season captions.
- 柳に風 (yanagi ni kaze)
Literally: Wind on a willow.
Meaning: Bend with trouble and let it pass instead of fighting it. - 花は桜木、人は武士 (hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi)
Literally: Among flowers, the cherry blossom; among men, the warrior.
Meaning: The finest of each kind. Like the blossom, the samurai was admired for living and falling with grace. - 月に叢雲、花に風 (tsuki ni murakumo, hana ni kaze)
Literally: Clouds over the moon, wind on the blossoms.
Meaning: Good times rarely last long without something spoiling them. - 秋の日は釣瓶落とし (aki no hi wa tsurube otoshi)
Literally: The autumn sun drops like a well bucket.
Meaning: In autumn, night falls very fast. - 雨後の筍 (ugo no takenoko)
Literally: Bamboo shoots after the rain.
Meaning: Many similar things popping up at the same time. - 暑さ寒さも彼岸まで (atsusa samusa mo higan made)
Literally: Heat and cold last only until the equinox.
Meaning: Every hard season ends. - 木を見て森を見ず (ki o mite mori o mizu)
Literally: Seeing the trees but not the forest.
Meaning: Getting lost in the details and missing the big picture. - 春宵一刻値千金 (shunsho ikkoku atai senkin)
Literally: One moment of a spring night is worth a thousand gold coins.
Meaning: Some beautiful moments are priceless. - 花鳥風月 (kacho fugetsu)
Literally: Flower, bird, wind, moon.
Meaning: The beauty of nature, and learning about yourself through it. - 立つ鳥跡を濁さず (tatsu tori ato o nigosazu)
Literally: A bird that leaves does not muddy the water.
Meaning: Leave a place clean and on good terms.
Japanese Proverbs About Death and Impermanence
Quiet, honest lines about loss and how short life is. Many come from Buddhism. Good for a tribute, a remembrance post or simply thinking about what matters.
- 朝に紅顔ありて夕べに白骨となる (ashita ni kogan arite yube ni hakkotsu to naru)
Literally: Rosy cheeks in the morning, white bones by evening.
Meaning: Life can end at any moment, even for the young and healthy. - 生者必滅 (shoja hitsumetsu)
Literally: All who live must perish.
Meaning: Everything that is born will one day die. A Buddhist teaching. - 盛者必衰 (josha hissui)
Literally: The prosperous must decline.
Meaning: No power or success lasts forever. From the opening of The Tale of the Heike. - 老少不定 (rosho fujo)
Literally: Old and young, not fixed.
Meaning: Death does not wait for old age. Nobody knows who goes first. - 会うは別れの始め (au wa wakare no hajime)
Literally: Meeting is the beginning of parting.
Meaning: Every meeting ends in goodbye one day, so treasure the time together. - 散る桜残る桜も散る桜 (chiru sakura nokoru sakura mo chiru sakura)
Literally: Falling blossoms, and the blossoms that remain will also fall.
Meaning: We all go in the end. What matters is how we bloom. Often credited to the monk Ryokan. - 命あっての物種 (inochi atte no monodane)
Literally: Life is the seed of all things.
Meaning: Nothing matters if you are not alive. Do not take foolish risks. - 死んで花実が咲くものか (shinde hanami ga saku mono ka)
Literally: Will flowers and fruit bloom after you die?
Meaning: Good things can only happen while you live, so do not give up on life. - 虎は死して皮を留め人は死して名を残す (tora wa shishite kawa o todome, hito wa shishite na o nokosu)
Literally: A tiger leaves its skin when it dies, a person leaves their name.
Meaning: Live so that people remember you well. - 人は一代名は末代 (hito wa ichidai na wa matsudai)
Literally: A person lasts one lifetime, a name lasts for all time.
Meaning: Your life is short but your reputation lives on, so guard it. - 死人に口なし (shinin ni kuchi nashi)
Literally: The dead have no mouths.
Meaning: Dead men tell no tales. The dead cannot defend themselves.
Funny Japanese Proverbs
Odd, funny and very Japanese. Send these to the friend who always has an excuse.
- 河童の川流れ (kappa no kawa nagare)
Literally: A kappa swept away by the river.
Meaning: Even a pro fails sometimes. A kappa is a river spirit and a great swimmer. - 猫の手も借りたい (neko no te mo karitai)
Literally: I would even borrow a cat's paws.
Meaning: I am so busy I would take help from anyone. - 犬も歩けば棒に当たる (inu mo arukeba bo ni ataru)
Literally: Even a dog that walks around bumps into a stick.
Meaning: Go out and do things, and you will run into luck or trouble. - 馬の耳に念仏 (uma no mimi ni nenbutsu)
Literally: A Buddhist prayer in a horse's ear.
Meaning: Talking to someone who will not listen. - 月とすっぽん (tsuki to suppon)
Literally: The moon and a soft-shell turtle.
Meaning: Two things that look a bit alike but are worlds apart. - 棚からぼた餅 (tana kara botamochi)
Literally: A rice cake falling off the shelf.
Meaning: Good luck that falls into your lap. - 鴨が葱を背負って来る (kamo ga negi o shotte kuru)
Literally: A duck comes carrying spring onions on its back.
Meaning: An easy target walks right up to you, bringing what you need. - 馬鹿は死ななきゃ治らない (baka wa shinanakya naoranai)
Literally: Stupidity is not cured until death.
Meaning: Some people never learn. - 馬鹿は風邪を引かない (baka wa kaze o hikanai)
Literally: Fools do not catch colds.
Meaning: A cheeky way to tease a friend who never gets sick. - 烏の行水 (karasu no gyozui)
Literally: A crow's bath.
Meaning: A very quick bath or shower. - 暖簾に腕押し (noren ni udeoshi)
Literally: Pushing against a shop curtain.
Meaning: All effort and no result, like arguing with someone who does not care. - 鬼の居ぬ間に洗濯 (oni no inu ma ni sentaku)
Literally: Doing the laundry while the demon is out.
Meaning: When the boss is away, everyone relaxes. - ただより高いものはない (tada yori takai mono wa nai)
Literally: Nothing is more expensive than free.
Meaning: Free things often cost you more later. - 喉元過ぎれば熱さを忘れる (nodomoto sugireba atsusa o wasureru)
Literally: Once it passes the throat, you forget how hot it was.
Meaning: People forget pain and lessons once the trouble is over.
Short Japanese Quotes
Two to four words in Japanese. Good for a bio, a tattoo idea (check with a native speaker first) or a short caption.
- 負けるが勝ち (makeru ga kachi)
Literally: Losing is winning.
Meaning: Sometimes giving in is the smarter win. - 水に流す (mizu ni nagasu)
Literally: Let it flow with the water.
Meaning: Forgive and forget. - 因果応報 (inga oho)
Literally: Cause and effect, deed and reward.
Meaning: What goes around comes around. - 自業自得 (jigo jitoku)
Literally: Your own deeds, your own result.
Meaning: You get what you earned, good or bad. - 日日是好日 (nichinichi kore kojitsu)
Literally: Every day is a good day.
Meaning: Live each day fully, whatever it brings. A Zen saying. - 三日坊主 (mikka bozu)
Literally: A three-day monk.
Meaning: Someone who quits a new habit after a few days. - 酔生夢死 (suisei mushi)
Literally: Live drunk, die dreaming.
Meaning: To drift through life without doing anything worthwhile. - 藪から棒 (yabu kara bo)
Literally: A stick out of the bushes.
Meaning: Out of the blue, totally unexpected. - 温故知新 (onko chishin)
Literally: Revisit the old to know the new.
Meaning: Learn from the past to understand today. - 油断大敵 (yudan taiteki)
Literally: Carelessness is a great enemy.
Meaning: The moment you relax is when things go wrong.
Japanese Proverbs With English and Hindi Twins
Many kotowaza have a close twin in English or Hindi. Fun to share with a friend learning Japanese.
- 壁に耳あり障子に目あり (kabe ni mimi ari, shoji ni me ari)
Literally: Walls have ears, paper doors have eyes.
English twin: Walls have ears.
Hindi twin: दीवारों के भी कान होते हैं। - 火のない所に煙は立たぬ (hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanu)
Literally: Smoke does not rise where there is no fire.
English twin: There is no smoke without fire.
Hindi twin: बिना आग के धुआँ नहीं उठता। - 豚に真珠 (buta ni shinju)
Literally: Pearls to a pig.
English twin: Casting pearls before swine.
Hindi twin: भैंस के आगे बीन बजाना। - 蛙の子は蛙 (kaeru no ko wa kaeru)
Literally: A frog's child is a frog.
English twin: Like father, like son.
Hindi twin: जैसा बाप, वैसा बेटा। - 目糞鼻糞を笑う (mekuso hanakuso o warau)
Literally: Eye gunk laughs at nose gunk.
English twin: The pot calling the kettle black.
Hindi twin: छाज तो बोले सो बोले, छलनी भी बोले जिसमें बहत्तर छेद। - 泣きっ面に蜂 (nakittsura ni hachi)
Literally: A bee sting on a crying face.
English twin: Misfortunes never come singly.
Hindi twin: कंगाली में आटा गीला। - 捕らぬ狸の皮算用 (toranu tanuki no kawazanyo)
Literally: Counting the skins of raccoon dogs you have not caught.
English twin: Do not count your chickens before they hatch.
Hindi twin: ख़याली पुलाव पकाना। - 一石二鳥 (isseki nicho)
Literally: One stone, two birds.
English twin: Kill two birds with one stone.
Hindi twin: एक पंथ दो काज। - 後悔先に立たず (kokai saki ni tatazu)
Literally: Regret never comes first.
English twin: It is no use crying over spilt milk.
Hindi twin: अब पछताए होत क्या, जब चिड़िया चुग गई खेत। - 見ぬが花 (minu ga hana)
Literally: Not seeing is the flower.
English twin: Distance lends enchantment to the view.
Hindi twin: दूर के ढोल सुहावने। - 安物買いの銭失い (yasumonogai no zeni ushinai)
Literally: Buying cheap things loses money.
English twin: Buy cheap, buy twice.
Hindi twin: महँगा रोए एक बार, सस्ता रोए बार-बार। - 郷に入っては郷に従え (go ni itte wa go ni shitagae)
Literally: When you enter a village, follow its ways.
English twin: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Hindi twin: जैसा देश, वैसा भेष। - 弘法にも筆の誤り (Kobo ni mo fude no ayamari)
Literally: Even Kobo, the great monk and calligrapher, slips with his brush.
English twin: Even Homer nods.
How to Use Kotowaza
Use a kotowaza to sum up a moment, not to start a talk. Japanese speakers drop one in after the story, like "well, even monkeys fall from trees" after a friend's mistake.
Short four-character sayings like 一期一会 or 十人十色 are called yojijukugo. Many came from old Chinese texts but are everyday Japanese now.
Some lines can sound rude if aimed at a person. Calling someone 猫に小判 or 馬の耳に念仏 says they are clueless, so keep those for jokes with close friends. For a caption or tattoo, copy the Japanese text exactly as written here, since one wrong character changes the meaning.
Like old sayings from other cultures too? Read our Chinese proverbs, Irish proverbs and African proverbs, or grab a one-liner from our short quotes.
What are Japanese proverbs called?
Japanese proverbs are called kotowaza (ことわざ, also written 諺). Four-character sayings like 一期一会 are a related group called yojijukugo.
What is the most famous Japanese proverb?
七転び八起き (nana korobi ya oki), fall down seven times, get up eight, is the best known outside Japan. Inside Japan, 猿も木から落ちる (even monkeys fall from trees) is just as common.
What is a Japanese proverb about never giving up?
七転び八起き says fall seven times, get up eight. 石の上にも三年 (three years on a stone) and 継続は力なり (continuing is power) also mean keep going.
What does 'even monkeys fall from trees' mean?
It means even experts make mistakes. You say it when a skilled person slips up, to be kind or to tease them a little.
What is a Japanese proverb about strength?
柔よく剛を制す (ju yoku go o seisu) means the soft controls the hard, so flexible beats forceful. 継続は力なり (continuing is power) says steady effort is its own strength.
What is a Japanese saying about death?
会うは別れの始め (meeting is the beginning of parting) and 生者必滅 (all who live must perish) both come from Buddhism. They remind you that life is short, so treasure people while you can.
Is 'love is blind' a Japanese proverb?
Not originally. 恋は盲目 (love is blind) and 隣の芝生は青い (the neighbour's lawn is green) are translations of English sayings. They are used in Japan today, but they are not native kotowaza, so we left them out.
What is a Japanese saying about life?
明日は明日の風が吹く (tomorrow's wind will blow tomorrow) tells you not to worry about the future. 一期一会 (one time, one meeting) reminds you to treasure each moment.
Are Japanese proverbs still used today?
Yes. Kotowaza show up in daily talk, TV, school lessons and business speeches, and children learn them early, often through karuta card games.
Can I use a Japanese proverb as a tattoo?
You can, but copy the Japanese text exactly and ask a native speaker to check it first. Short ones like 一期一会 or 七転び八起き are popular choices.
Read also130 Chinese Proverbs and Sayings With Pinyin and Meanings
Read also120 Irish Proverbs, Sayings and Blessings With Meanings
Read also197 Short Quotes: Inspirational, Life, Love and Bio Lines
