Oni no Inu Ma ni Sentaku (鬼の居ぬ間に洗濯 – When the Cat Is Away, the Mice Will Play)
Oni no Inu Ma ni Sentaku 鬼の居ぬ間に洗濯 While there are no scary or annoying people around, you can forget about
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Learning English and Japanese
For everyone learning English/Japanese
Essay
Uwasa wo Sureba Kage ga Sasu (噂をすれば影がさす – Speak of the Devil and He Shall Appear)
Uwasa wo Sureba Kage ga Sasu 噂をすれば影がさす When you are talking about someone, that person unexpectedly shows up. ある人の噂をしていると、思いがけず当人がやってくるものです。 The
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Umisen Yamasen (海千山千 – Experienced and Cunning)
Umisen Yamasen 海千山千 The four-character idiom umisen yamasen (海千山千) describes someone who has many years of experience, knows everything good
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Heta no Yokozuki (下手の横好き – Loving Something You Are Bad at)
Heta no Yokozuki 下手の横好き The Japanese phrase heta no yokozuki (下手の横好き) describes someone who is enthusiastic about something even though
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Heta na Teppō mo Kazu Ucha Ataru (下手な鉄砲も数撃ちゃ当たる – Even a Blind Squirrel Finds a Nut Once in a While)
Heta na Teppō mo Kazu Ucha Ataru 下手な鉄砲も数撃ちゃ当たる The Japanese proverb heta na teppo mo kazu ucha ataru (下手な鉄砲も数撃ちゃ当たる) describes
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Kao wo Tateru (顔を立てる – Saving Face)
Kao wo Tateru 顔を立てる To act in a way that preserves someone’s honor or dignity is described as the Japanese
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Nanakusa no Sekku (七草の節句 – The Festival of Seven Herbs)
Nanakusa no Sekku 七草の節句 Today, January 7, is Nanakusa no Sekku (七草の節句). 今日、1月7日は七草の節句です。 Since nana (七) means “seven,” kusa (草)
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Kokon Tōzai Gēmu (古今東西ゲーム)
Kokon Tōzai Gēmu 古今東西ゲーム Yesterday, I introduced the four-character idiom kokon tōzai (古今東西), which means “all times and places.” 昨日は、ありとあらゆる時間と場所を意味する「古今東西」という四字熟語を紹介しました。
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Kokon Tōzai (古今東西 – All Ages and Countries)
Kokon Tōzai 古今東西 When describing all times and places, you can use the four-character idiom kokon tōzai (古今東西). ありとあらゆる時間と場所を表したいとき、「古今東西」という四字熟語を使うことができます。 Since
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