Japanese idioms
If you have spent any time on this website, you may be aware that I have a bit of a ‘thing’ for Japan. That ‘thing’ being a dream to learn the language and spend a year there as an English teacher. (Or as a wealthy visitor if I ever have that much money!) That is where the Japanese idioms come in.
My intention to visit in April 2021 was scuppered by the pandemic. Between living vicariously through my Virtual Fuji Climb, my weekly Japanese lessons with Noriko-San, as well as reading through some historical texts, it has felt as close as I am going to get this year.
While practising my language skills I have come across some useful sayings, that you can use in your everyday life.
Whether you are learning another language, or just want to sound a bit clever, here are 5 Japanese idioms for you to use.
You cannot have a fight alone
The English equivalent of this phrase would probably be ‘it takes two to tango’. The phrase roughly translates to ‘you cannot fight without a partner’.
I personally know people who could start arguments in an empty room, so it is possible that people may not necessarily agree with this idiom!
However, within their culture, Japanese people, as a general rule, like to avoid a fight. People are encouraged to walk away rather than engage in conflict, therefore this saying would suggest that if you do not engage, the other person has no reason to continue their ‘fight’.
The ground becomes firm after the rain
The rained on ground, hardens.
I am currently working my way through an online mentoring program. It is one of those slightly over-enthusiastic American ones, that requires you to jump about all over the place and scream a lot.
This course contains a lot of interesting information, but it is quite exhausting and makes me glad it is online rather than my having to attend it!
The sceptic in me wonders whether the fact that the participants are at home is going to have an impact on the inevitable up-selling that will happen at the end of the course (Called it! I can upgrade to a ‘Master Class for a few thousand pounds!)
Despite being an overall con of a course, one of the useful points that was made is that ‘you do not have problems, you have learning opportunities’; That every trial is designed to make you stronger.
Even monkeys fall from trees
It doesn’t matter how good you are at something, sometimes you will make a mistake. What does a monkey do when it falls out of a tree? It climbs back up.
Failure is always an option, there is no growth without it. No one is perfect and mistakes are inevitable.
Every day is a school day, and it is up to you to take the lesson from everything that happens to you
If you chase after two hares, you will not catch even one
I have previously written on the subject of ‘the myth of multitasking‘. In that piece, I discuss how trying to do more than one thing at once divides your attention.
The odds of you succeeding are reduced if you try to do too much. This idiom reminds us of the importance of focus, and where you should place it.
Fall seven times, rise eight
This is another phrase that I have used on the blog before.
You cannot fail if you do not give up. If you persevere you cannot be defeated.
Over to you
Are you learning another language? Have you thought about learning a few popular sayings to help you? What proverb resonates most with you?
Let us know in the comments.