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【No. 1963】Kuchibashiru (口走る - Blurting Out)

Sep 10, 2021 20:17
Kuchibashiru

To say something unconsciously is called kuchibashiru (口走る) in Japanese.

Since kuchi (口) means "mouth" and bashiru/hashiru (走る) means "to run," the literal meaning of kuchibashiru is "one's mouth runs."

This idiom is usually used when you say something you should not have said.

For example, you can say kare no himitsu wo kuchibashitta (彼の秘密を口走った - "I blurted out his secret").

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the etymology of this idiom on the Internet. Perhaps the word hashiru (走る) is used to describe that the mouth moves quickly on its own.
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【No. 1961】Tamasaka (たまさか - "By Chance")

Sep 8, 2021 21:44
Tamasaka

In yesterday's post, I introduced the Japanese adverb, tamatama (たまたま), which means "by chance."

To mean the same thing as tamasaka, you can also use another adverb, tamasaka (たまさか).

It is thought that tamasaka was created by combining two terms: tama (たま), which means "chance/rare," and saka (さか), which is a suffix expressing a state.

Tamasaka has an archaic and elegant sound compared to tamatama.

This term is not often used in our daily lives, but it can give a cool and elegant impression if you use it in letters or speech.
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【No. 1960】Tamatama (たまたま - "By Chance")

Sep 7, 2021 19:40
Tamatama

The Japanese adverb tamatama (たまたま) means that something happens by chance.

Tamatama is often used in our daily lives, however, it is necessary to be careful about its accent.

If you want to mean "by chance," pronounce only the first character ta (た) a little lower, and pronounce the rest part matama (またま) at a constant height.

In contrast, if you pronounce only the first character ta a little higher, and pronounce the rest part matama at a constant height, it becomes a slang term that means "testes."

This is because tama (たま) also means "ball."
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【No. 1959】Naite Kurasu mo Isshō, Waratte Kurasu mo Isshō (泣いて暮らすも一生、笑って暮らすも一生 - Leading a Happy Life)

Sep 6, 2021 18:09
Naite Kurasu mo Isshō, Waratte Kurasu mo Isshō

Which is more common for you, a situation of laughing or crying?

In Japan, there is the proverb, naite kurasu mo isshō, waratte kurasu mo isshō (泣いて暮らすも一生、笑って暮らすも一生).

Since naite (泣いて) means "crying," kurasu (暮らす) means "to live," and isshō (一生) means "life," the literal meaning of naite kurasu mo isshō (泣いて暮らすも一生) is "to live while crying is also a life."

In addition, since waratte (笑って) means "laughing," the literal meaning of waratte kurasu mo isshō is "to live while laughing is also a life."

That is to say, this proverb means that whether you cry or laugh, you have only one life to live, so you should live your life while laughing.
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【No. 1958】Yabuisha no Genkan (藪医者の玄関 - Deception)

Sep 5, 2021 10:00
Yabuisha no Genkan

In yesterday's post, I introduced the term yabuisha (藪医者), which means a "bad doctor."

There is an idiom, yabuisha no genkan (藪医者の玄関), which uses yabuisha.

Since genkan (玄関) means "entrance," the literal meaning of yabuisha no genkan is "bad doctor's entrance."

The worse a doctor is, the more he/she tries to make a splendid entrance to the hospitals to deceive their patients.

For this reason, yabuisha no genkan came to be used as a metaphor for something that looks great but is shabby on the inside.
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【No. 1957】Yabuisha (藪医者 - Bad Doctor)

Sep 4, 2021 16:16
Yabuisha

A doctor who often makes mistakes in treatment or diagnosis is called yabuisha (藪医者) in Japanese.

Since yabu (藪) means "shrub," and isha (医者) means "doctor," the literal meaning of yabuisha (藪医者) is a "shrub doctor."

There are several theories about the etymology of yabuisha.

A theory says that it came from the word yabu (野巫), which means a rural doctor who can perform only dubious treatment using divination. Another theory says that it came from the proverb yabu wo tsutsuite hebi wo dasu (藪をつついて蛇を出す - meaning "to do unnecessary things and make it worse").
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【No. 1956】Anzuru yori Umu ga Yasushi (案ずるより産むが易し - Fear Often Exaggerates Danger)

Sep 3, 2021 08:13
Anzuru yori Umu ga Yasushi

Today, I will get a COVID-19 vaccine.

I am nervous because of the possibility of adverse reactions, but I believe in the proverb, anzuru yori umu ga yasushi (案ずるより産むが易し).

Since anzuru (案ずる) means "to worry," yori (より) means "more than," umu (産む) means "to give birth," and yasushi (易し) means "easy," the literal meaning of anzuru yori umu ga yasushi is "It is easier to give birth than to worry about it."

Pregnant women tend to worry about giving birth, but after the birth, they are often calm as if nothing happened.

For this reason, this proverb means that people worry too much before doing something, but it is often not a big deal.
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【No. 1955】Mono wa Tameshi (物は試し - You Never Know Unless You Try)

Sep 2, 2021 11:12
Mono wa Tameshi

Unless you actually try something, you never know what the result will be.

To express this fact, you can use the proverb mono wa tameshi (物は試し).

Since mono (物) means "thing" and tameshi (試し) means "try," mono wa tameshi literally means "things are tries."

In other words, this proverb says that you should not just think about it, you should try it.

You can say just something like mono wa tameshi da (物は試しだ - "let's give it a try").

In English, it can be translated as "You never know unless you try" or "Let's give it a try."
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【No. 1954】Remote Disaster Drill (リモート防災訓練)

Sep 1, 2021 10:35
Remote Disaster Drill

Today, September 1st, is Bousai no Hi (防災の日 - Disaster Prevention Day).

To deepen our awareness and understanding of natural disasters, disaster drills are often held on this day.

For example, assuming that a major earthquake or fire has occurred, students take disaster prevention actions such as hiding under desks and gathering in the schoolyard.

However, due to COVID-19, most of these events have been canceled this year.

Then, I received an invitation from my university to participate in a "remote disaster drill."

It consisted of just watching a total of about eight minutes of YouTube videos.

I doubt if this can be called a disaster drill.
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【No. 1953】Kiyō Binbō (器用貧乏 - Jack of All Trades and Master of None)

Aug 31, 2021 18:20
Kiyō Binbō

There is the word kiyō (器用), which means "dexterity."

In addition, there is the word binbō (貧乏), which means "poverty."

Combining these two words, we get the four-character idiom, kiyō binbō (器用貧乏).

Kiyō binbō is used to describe a person who can do various things with dexterity but is unable to accomplish anything significant and is half-hearted.

Here, the latter word binbō means something like "not having anything remarkable," derived from the meaning of "not having money (poverty)."

Note that this idiom sometimes has a positive nuance but usually carries a negative connotation.
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【No. 1952】Omae Hyaku made Washa Kuju-ku made (お前百までわしゃ九十九まで - Till Death Do Us Part) Part 2

Aug 30, 2021 08:37
Omae Hyaku made Washa Kuju-ku made Part 2

In this proverb, the husband is a hundred years old, whereas the wife is ninety-nine years old. There are two theories about the gap of one year.

One is that this is the wife's wish that her husband would not die before her.

The other is that the couple has an age gap of one year, and the wife wishes to meet her end with her husband at the same time.

Incidentally, this proverb was created around 1800, and Japanese people could only live to be 40-50 years old at this age.

Thus, taking into account modern life expectancy, this proverb might be omae ni-hyaku made washa hyaku kuju-ku made (お前二百までわしゃ百九十九まで - literally means "You live until two hundred, and I live until one hundred and ninety-nine").
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【No. 1951】Omae Hyaku made Washa Kuju-ku made (お前百までわしゃ九十九まで - Till Death Do Us Part) Part 1

Aug 29, 2021 11:10
Omae Hyaku made Washa Kuju-ku made Part 1

Married couples always hope to enjoy a long life together.

To express this fact, you can use the proverb omae hyaku made washa kuju-ku made (お前百までわしゃ九十九まで).

Since omae (お前) is a second person pronoun, hyaku (百) means "hundred," made (まで) means "until," washa/washi (わしゃ/わし) is a first person pronoun, kuju-ku (九十九) means "ninety-nine," the literal meaning of this proverb is "You live until a hundred, and I live until ninety-nine."

This expression is written from the wife's point of view, so omae and washa refer to the husband and the wife, respectively.

Continue to Part 2.
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【No. 1950】Shi ni Mono Gurui (死に物狂い - For Life)

Aug 28, 2021 17:03
Shi ni Mono Gurui

When you work on something seriously so hard that you don't even fear death, it can be described as shi ni mono gurui (死に物狂い) in Japanese.

Shi (死) means "death," mono (物) means "thing," and gurui/kurui (狂い) means "crazy."

This phrase was coined by adding the word shi to the idiom mono gurui (物狂い), which means to lose one's mind over something.

For example, you can say shi ni mono gurui de hataraita (死に物狂いで働いた - meaning "I worked for life.")
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【No. 1949】Tarō ni mo Jirō ni mo Tarinu (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ - Neither One Thing Nor The Other)

Aug 27, 2021 10:46
Jirō ni mo Tarō ni mo Tarinu

To describe a halfway and useless thing, you can use the following interesting phrase:

Tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ).

The Japanese male name, Tarō (太郎), is often used for the first son, and is also used as an honorific for the most superior thing.

Jirō (次郎), containing the kanji 次 (meaning "second/next"), is also a Japanese male name, and is often used for the second son.

In addition, tarinu (足りぬ) means "not enough."

Therefore, the literal meaning of tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu is "something is not good enough neither Taro nor Jiro."

Since something that can neither be first nor second is halfway, this phrase came to have the current meaning.
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【No. 1948】Benkei no Tachi Ōjō (弁慶の立ち往生 - Getting Stuck)

Aug 26, 2021 09:05
Benkei no Tachi Ōjō

Two years ago, I introduced the term tachi ōjō (立ち往生), which means "to get stuck" or "to be stranded."

Since tachi (立ち) means "to stand," and ōjō (往生) is a Buddhist term that means "to die" or "to die and reborn in the land of Buddha," the literal meaning of tachi ōjō is "to die while standing." From this, it has also come to mean "to get stuck."

To tell the truth, the term tachi ōjō was derived from an anecdote about Musashibo Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶), a monk in the late Heian period (around the 12th century).

It is said that Benkei was hit with many arrows from the enemies to protect his master, Minamoto no Yoshitune (源義経), and died standing up.

Therefore, we sometimes add Benkei no (弁慶の) to tachi ōjō and say Benkei no tachi ōjō (弁慶の立ち往生).
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【No. 1947】Netto Benkei (ネット弁慶 - Keyboard Warrior)

Aug 25, 2021 17:25
Netto Benkei

In my post two days ago, I introduced the term uchi Benkei (内弁慶), which means a person who is bossy inside the house but quiet outside.

There is an Internet slang term, netto Benkei (ネット弁慶), which was derived from uchi Benkei.

Netto (ネット/Net) is an abbreviation for "Internet," and Benkei (弁慶) is used as a synonym for a person who is strong and bossy.

(For more on Benkei, please check my post two days ago.)

That is to say, netto Benkei means a person who is bossy on the Internet but is quiet in the real world.
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【No. 1946】Uchi Benkei no Soto Jizō (内弁慶の外地蔵 - A Lion at Home and a Mouse Abroad)

Aug 24, 2021 09:27
Uchi Benkei no Soto Jizō

In yesterday's post, I introduced the term uchi Benkei (内弁慶), which means a person who is bossy inside the house but quiet outside.

If you want to emphasize the change in attitude between inside and outside one's home, you can say uchi Benkei no soto jizō (内弁慶の外地蔵) by adding soto Jizō (外地蔵).

Soto (外) means "outside."

In addition, Jizō (地蔵) is an abbreviation for Jizō Bosatsu (地蔵菩薩), one of the most popular Buddhist bodhisattvas, and you can find their stone statues all over Japan.

Since Jizō has a vast and compassionate mind, it can also be used as a synonym for a quiet or generous person.

In other words, soto Jizō means a person who becomes quiet like Jizō.

Note that this phrase contains an insulting nuance.
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【No. 1945】Uchi Benkei (内弁慶 - A Lion at Home and a Mouse Abroad)

Aug 23, 2021 08:28
Uchi Benkei

A person who is strong and domineering inside the house, but cowardly outside, is called uchi Benkei (内弁慶) in Japanese.

Uchi (内) means "inside."

In addition, Benkei (弁慶) refers to Musashibo Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶), a monk in the late Heian period (around the 12th century). He had a large body and monstrous strength, and his name is used as a synonym for a strong man.

That is to say, uchi Benkei means a person who is strong like Musashibo Benkei only inside the house.

In English, it can be expressed as "(a man who is) a lion at home and a mouse abroad."
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【No. 1944】Dai wa Shō wo Kaneru (大は小を兼ねる - The More, the Merrier)

Aug 22, 2021 03:58
Dai wa Shō wo Kaneru

Which do you like better, big things or small things?

If you prefer big things, you may have the thought that dai wa shō wo kaneru (大は小を兼ねる).

Since dai (大) means "big," shō (小) means "small," and kaneru (兼ねる) means "can be a substitute," dai wa shō wo kaneru literally means "big things can be a substitute for small things."

In other words, big things can be used for many more purposes than small things.

This proverb came from the old Chinese book, 春秋繁露 (Luxuriant Dew of the Spring and Autumn Annals).

However, of course, this rule is not always true.
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【No. 1943】Oyabaka Kobaka (親馬鹿子馬鹿 - A Doting Parent and Spoiled Child)

Aug 21, 2021 16:49
Oyabaka Kobaka

When a parent loves his/her child so much that he/her is unaware of the child's foolish behavior, such a parent is called oyabaka (親馬鹿/親ばか).

Since oya (親) means "parent" and baka (馬鹿/ばか) means "idiot," oyabaka literally means "an idiot parent."

When referring to both the oyabaka parent and the child who act foolishly, you can say oyabaka kobaka (親馬鹿子馬鹿) by adding kobaka (子馬鹿).

Since ko (子) means "child," oyabaka kobaka literally means "an idiot parent and child."