Nihon-no-kotowaza
Japanese Proverbs and Idioms

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On Being Wise:
  　言わぬが花　 Literal: Not-speaking is the flower.
Iwanu ga hana Meaning: some things are better left unsaid;
Silence is golden

  　薮をつついて蛇を出す　 Literal: Poke around in a bush and a snake will come out.
yabu hebi da -- that'll teach you to keep quiet, or
yabu hebi ni naru -- you will make work for yourself.
Yabu wo tsutsuite hebi wo dasu Meaning: Let sleeping dogs lie.

  　馬鹿は死ななきゃ治らない　 Literal: a fool is only cured by dying.
Baka wa shinanakya naoranai Meaning: Once a fool, always a fool.

  　親馬鹿　 Literal: parent fool.
Oya-baka Meaning: a parent who believes everything their child does is wonderful.

  　馬鹿も一芸　 Literal: even a fool has one talent.
Baka mo ichi-gei Meaning: even a fool is good at something.

  　猫に小判　 Literal: a gold coin to a cat.
Neko ni koban Meaning: don't offer things to a person incapable of appreciating them.

  　豚に真珠　 Literal: a pearl to a pig.
Buta ni shinji Meaning: don't offer things to a person incapable of appreciating them.

  　馬の耳に念仏　 Literal: a sutra (Buddhist prayer) in a horse's ear.
Uma no mimi ni nembutsu Meaning: a wasted effort

  　女三人寄れば姦しい　 Literal: if three women visit, noisy (kashimashii is made up of three small kanji for woman).
Onna sannin yoreba kashimashii Meaning: wherever three women gather it is noisy.

  　仏の顔も三度　 Literal: Buddha's face too three times.
Hotoke no kao mo san do Meaning: To try the patience of a saint, even a Buddha's face will loose it's composure if asked something too many times.

  　屁と火事はもとから騒ぐ　 Literal: Fart and fire, from the origin, make a fuss.
He to kaji wa moto kara sawagu Meaning: It is often the originator who complains loudest.

  　良薬口に苦し　 Literal: Good medicine tastes bitter in the mouth.
Ryooyaku kuchi ni nigashi Meaning: Good advice is often unpleasant and difficult to accept. Sometimes the bitter truth is the best medicine.

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On the Quality of Life:
  　井の中の蛙大海をしらず　 Literal: a frog in a well doesn't know the ocean.
I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu Meaning: a country person, or encourage someone to get a wider perspective.

  　住めば都　 Literal: If residing, capital/metropolis.
Sumeba miyako Meaning: Wherever you live, you come to love it.

  　猫のひたいのような　 Literal: like a cat's forehead.
Neko no hitai no you na Meaning: when referring to a very small room.

  　十人十色　 Literal: ten people, ten colours.
Juu-nin to-iro Meaning: Everyone has their own tastes;
Different strokes for different folks'.

  　出る釘は打たれる　 Literal: the nail which sticks out will get hammered.
Deru kugi wa utareru Meaning: encourage conformity,
OK to be different but not too different.

  　となりの芝生は青い　 Literal: the neighbour's lawn is green.
Tonari no shibafu wa aoi Meaning: the grass is always greener on the other side.

  　郷に入っては、郷に従え　 Literal: Entering the village, obey the village.
Gou ni itte wa, gou ni shitagae Meaning: When in Rome, do as the Romans.

  　蓼食う虫も好き好き　 Literal: knotweed eating insect also various tastes.
Tade kuu mushi mo suki-zuki Meaning: There is even an insect which likes to eat knotweed, there's no accounting for tastes.
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Take Advantage of Opportunities:
  　さばを読む　 Literal: to read the mackerel.
Saba wo yomu Meaning: to manipulate figures to one's advantage.

  　捕らぬ狸の皮算用　 Literal: count the skins of racoons which haven't been caught.
Toranu tanuki no kawa zan'you Meaning: don't count your chickens before they've hatched.

  　一石二鳥　 Literal: one stone, two birds.
Isseki ni chou Meaning: Kill two birds with one stone.

  　脳ある鷹は爪を隠す　 Literal: the hawk with talent hides its talons.
Nou aru taka wa tsume wo kakusu Meaning: a wise person keeps some talents in reserve; the person who knows most often says least.

  　頭隠して、尻隠さず　 Literal: cover/hide your head, and not cover your bottom.
Atama kakushite, shiri kakusazu Meaning: Be careful not to expose your weak point while attempting to protect yourself.

  　光陰矢のごとし　 Literal: time, like an arrow.
Kouin ya no gotoshi Meaning: Time flies; time and tide wait for no man; life is short.

  　地震、雷、火事、親父　 Literal: Earthquakes, Thunder, Fires, Fathers.
Jishin, Kaminari, Kaji, Oyaji Meaning: compares the traditional Japanese father with other things to be feared.

  　三人寄れば文珠の知恵　 Literal: if three people gather, Monju'sa (buddhist god of wisdom) wisdom.
San nin yoreba Monju no chie Meaning: Two heads are better than one.
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Encouragement and Support:
  　七転び八起き　 Literal: seven falls, eight getting up.
Nana korobi, ya oki Meaning: an encouragement to keep going no matter how tough it is.

  　猿も木から落ちる　 Literal: even monkees fall from trees.
Saru mo ki kara ochiru Meaning: even an expert can make mistakes; or a warning that "pride comes before a fall.

  　河童も川流れ　 Literal: even a excellent swimmer can get carried away by the river.
Kappa mo kawa nagare Meaning: anyone can make mistakes.

  　こうぼうも筆の誤り　 Literal: even Koubou (Buddhist priest famous for his calligraphy) made mistakes with his brush.
Koubou mo fude no ayamari Meaning: even experts can make mistakes; or (pride leads to a fall).

  　急がば回れ　 Literal: If hurried, go around.
Isogaba maware Meaning: In a hurry it is often faster to take a roundabout route.

  　雨降って地固まる　 Literal: rained on ground hardens.
Ame futte ji katamaru Meaning: adversity builds character.

  　花より団子　 Literal: dumplings rather than flowers.
Hana yori dango Meaning: To have more interest in the practical than the aesthetic.

  　　塵も積もれば山となる　 Literal: piled-up specks of dust become a mountain
Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru Meaning: Many small efforts combined bring great success. Little things add up.

  　　石の上にも三年　 Literal: Sitting on a stone for three years.
Ishi no ue nimo sannen Meaning: One who endures wins in the end from perseverence is a virtue. If you sit on your cold rock for 3 years it eventually warm-up and you are more secure in your position.
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Good Luck and Bad Luck:
  　泣き面に蜂　 Literal: a bee to a crying face.
Nakitsura ni hachi Meaning: misfortunes seldom come alone; when it rains, it pours.

  　屁をひって尻窄め　 Literal: breaking wind, closing buttocks.
He wo hitte shiri tsubome Meaning: no use shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

  　覆水盆に返らず　 Literal: overturned water doesn't return to the tray.
Fuku sui bon ni kaerazu Meaning: What's done is done; no use crying over spilt milk.

  　落花枝に帰らず　 Literal: fallen blossom doesn't return to the branch.
Rakka eda ni kaerazu Meaning: what's done is done; do not cry over spilled milk.

  　破鏡再び照らさず　 Literal: a broken mirror can not be made to shine.
Hakyou futatabi terasazu Meaning: what's done is done; do not cry over spilled milk.

  　人間万事塞翁が馬　 Literal: humans everything Saiou horse.
Ningen banji saiou ga uma Meaning: All human affairs are like Saiou's horse; what at first appears to be good luck turns out to be bad luck and vise versa.
From a Chinese folk tale about an old man called Sai. One day his horse ran away. His neighbours commiserated with him over his misfortune, but Sai said "How do you know this is not really good luck?". A few days later the horse returned, bringing another horse with it. His neighbours congratulated him on his good luck, the old man said "How do you know this is really good luck?" Some while later Sai's son while riding the horse falls and breaks his leg. This was good fortune when all the men of the village are ordered to join the Emperor's army. Sai's son doesn't have to go since he has a broken leg.
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