Japanese proverbs – Lessons for life

Japanese sayings and idioms are full of ancient wisdom. Japanese proverbs are called ことわざ (kotowaza) and can be constructed as simple sayings or deeper, philosophical phrases.

Traditional Japanese culture has always been related to agriculture, so many proverbs reflect customs and practices related to it. Some proverbs refer to the game of Go and many others to Buddhism. There are four-character expressions called yojijukugo (四字熟語) from Chinese philosophy that are also considered popular phrases or proverbs that express a moral thought, advice or teaching. Normally only the beginning of the proverb is quoted to make it easier to speak.

And to have these ancient Japanese proverbs and the wisdom of Japanese culture close to you, we bring you these products designed by RoYuMi. Share your love for Japanese culture!

By clicking on the proverb you will be able to see the different products that we have at your disposal with said proverb!

I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu井の中の蛙大海を知らず

This proverb literally means “A frog in a well knows nothing of the sea.” It refers to someone who sees the world through their limited perspective. They are quick to judge and think big of themselves. It is used to remind someone that there are things greater than them in the world.

Mizu ni nagasu水に流す 

As the expression in English says “water under the bridge” and literally means “the water keeps running” It is used to advise someone to forgive and forget, and let things go.

Kuchi wa wazawai no moto口は災いの元

It literally means “The mouth is the source of disaster.” Sometimes when we speak our mouth tends to get us into trouble. This saying is a reminder to remind us that it is better to think before speaking or that sometimes, it is better not to say anything at all.

Jigoujitoku自業自得

A four-character saying (yojijukugo) that literally means “Self-employment, self-profit” Depending on how this phrase is used, it could mean something more positive like “you get what you give” or “hard work pays off.” However, most of the time, it is used negatively to mean “what goes around comes around” because karma exists.

Naseba Naru為せば成る

Naseba Naru means “if you want to get results, you must take action” or a more poetic version “Where there is a will, there is a way”.

Kaeru no ko wa kaeru蛙の子は蛙

Its literal meaning is “son of a frog is a frog” and would be the equivalent of “De tal palo tal astilla” in Spanish.

Saru mo ki kara ochiru猿も木から落ちる

This four-character saying literally means “even monkeys fall from trees” and is used to say that even experts sometimes make mistakes.

Tade kuu mushi mo sukizukiたで食う虫も好き好き

This Japanese proverb acknowledges the reality that people have different tastes. It is also used to warn people not to judge others based on their own taste. “Tade” is a bitter-tasting plant, however some insects prefer it.

Derukui wa utareru出る杭は打たれる

This saying is unique in Japan culturally speaking as it is a collectivist, group country, which means that people are expected to work together for the good of all. This saying means “When you stand out, you are likely to be criticized.” Those who try to be different in Japan often meet with a lot of resistance. Literally means “the nail that sticks out, you have to cut it”

Shiranu ga hotoke知らぬが仏

It may seem confusing at first but in this sentence Buddha represents nirvana, the state of enlightenment. To be in a state of enlightenment, you must abandon earthly concerns and be at peace. So “not knowing is peaceful” or “ignorance is pleasant”

Hana yori dango花より団子

Basically, it’s someone who would prefer a practical gift to a beautiful one. Someone who is more pragmatic than superficial. It literally means “dango instead of flowers.” Dango are dumplings made from rice flour. And it is that you can eat a ball of dough or dango and not be hungry anymore. The flowers are for viewing only.

Anzuru yori umu ga yasushi案ずるより産むが易し

It basically means “don’t worry”. It’s easy to worry about the future, but often what worries us so much is easier than we think.

Kachou fuugetsu 花鳥 風月

It literally means “The beauties of nature” In this proverb, each of the kanji represents a beautiful aspect of nature: 花: “Flower”, 鳥: “Bird”, 風: “Wind”, 月: *Moon” and together, it represents the beauty of everything that surrounds us. It serves as a reminder to enjoy the outdoors.

Nito wo oumono wa itto wo mo ezu二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず

Its literal meaning is “Those who chase two hares will not even catch one.” If you’re trying to manage a lot of things, you’re likely to fail at all of them. This proverb tells you to better focus on one thing that you are passionate about, then you will get what you really want.

Minu ga hana見ぬが花

This proverb literally means “Not seeing is a flower” or “Reality is never as good as your imagination” The idea is that you can imagine how beautiful the flower will be when it blooms, but often your imagination increases the beauty of this flower and reality does not compare.

Neko ni koban猫に小判

“Gold coins for a cat” is its literal meaning and refers to giving something of value to someone who does not appreciate it. The Spanish equivalent would be “throwing pearls to pigs”. I prefer the image of giving gold to a cat. No animal seems more indifferent than a cat.

Sake wa honshin wo arawasu酒は本心を表す

It literally means “The sake shows true feelings”. The word 本心 (honshin) means “true heart” or “true feelings”. So this phrase means that what is said while drinking is often what a person really feels.

Itai doushin異体同心

It is literally “Two bodies same heart” When a couple gets married, it is often said that “two become one”. It could be used to say that someone is your soulmate or to describe the union of love.

Ishindenshin以心伝心

Its literal translation is “Heart to Heart” It is sharing the emotions of your true heart to connect with another person.

Iso no awabi no kataomoi磯の鮑の片思い

Its literal translation is “Unrequited Love for the Rocky Coast Abalone” Abalone are a type of sea snail and they are extremely rare. There is a Japanese song about a man who dives into the sea in search of abalone in a one-sided romance, so this phrase came to mean “unrequited love”.

Koi to seki to wa kakusarenu恋とせきとは隠されぬ

It literally means “Love and cough cannot be hidden”. Like when you’re sick and you can’t hold back your cough, love can’t be hidden. It’s always obvious when someone is in love!

Horeta yamai ni kusuri nashi惚れた病に薬なし

“There is no medicine to fall in love.”

Horeta means “to fall in love”. Yamai means “disease”. And kusuri nashi means “there is no medicine” or “there is no cure”. This phrase means that there is nothing that can fix the disease of love.

Now you can have these ancient Japanese proverbs and wisdom always close to you with these products designed by RoYuMi. Share your love for Japanese culture!