Japanese Proverbs and Sayings (Kotowaza): 50 Famous Ones With Meanings

Japanese proverbs and sayings: ことわざ (kotowaza)

Among the best-known Japanese proverbs are 七転び八起き (ななころびやおき, nanakorobiyaoki, “not giving up”), 猿も木から落ちる (さるもきからおちる, sarumokikaraochiru, “even monkeys fall from trees”) and 一期一会 (いちごいちえ, ichigoichie, “once-in-a-lifetime encounter”). A Japanese proverb is a ことわざ (kotowaza, “proverb”), a short, set saying that passes on a lesson, and this guide explains more than 50 famous proverbs and idioms by theme, with an English saying that matches where one exists.

ことわざ is usually written in kana, but you will also see it as 諺. Most proverbs themselves are written in kanji, so they are a good way to meet characters in use. If kanji are new to you, What is Kanji? is the place to start.

Ten Japanese proverbs to learn first

If you only learn a few, start with these. They are well known, and each has a picture that is easy to remember. The list is a starting set chosen for that, not an official ranking.

What is a kotowaza? Proverbs, idioms and four-character idioms

Kotobank, the Japanese reference site, defines ことわざ as short words handed down from long ago that carry a lesson or a note of satire, a fixed form of speech passed on by word of mouth among ordinary people. Two other names for the same thing are 俚諺 (りげん, rigen, “proverb”) and 俗諺 (ぞくげん, zokugen, “proverb”), and 格言 (かくげん, kakugen, “saying”) is a close neighbour.

Four words come up again and again, and they are easy to mix up:

Japanese Wikipedia makes the point about the first two: a 慣用句 is a piece of a sentence, while a ことわざ usually stands alone as a sentence or carries the meaning of one. The Japanese Wikipedia article on 四字熟語 says that the category includes both idioms made in China (many from classics and Buddhist texts) and idioms made in Japan, and that it is hard to define sharply.

In JMdict, each entry is also tagged, and the tags used here are "proverb" (for sayings), "id" (for idioms, with a figurative meaning) and "yoji" (for four-character idioms). This guide mixes all three, because that is how people search for them and how Japanese people meet them.

Japanese proverbs about patience and perseverance

These are the sayings Japanese learners hear most when they feel slow. Each one is about patience, in a different picture.

• 石の上にも三年 (いしのうえにもさんねん, ishinōenimosannen, “perseverance prevails”). The image is a cold 石, a stone, which will turn warm if you sit on it for three years. Use it for work, study or any long effort where results come late. Read the three years as a figure of speech, not a deadline. The English match is "perseverance pays off", and the dictionary's own is "perseverance prevails".
• 急がば回れ (いそがばまわれ, isogabamaware, “more haste, less speed”). The safe, longer route can beat a risky shortcut. Skipping the basics feels quicker but costs time later. English: "more haste, less speed", or "slow and steady wins the race".
• 果報は寝て待て (かほうはねてまて, kahōhanetemate, “good things come to those who wait”). Literally, wait for good fortune lying down. It does not tell you to be lazy: it says some things cannot be forced, so do your part and then be patient.
• 千里の道も一歩から (せんりのみちもいっぽから, senrinomichimoippokara, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”). A very long road starts with one step. This one is almost word for word the English saying, so it is easy to remember. It suits any large goal, from learning kana to passing a JLPT level.
• 塵も積もれば山となる (ちりもつもればやまとなる, chirimotsumorebayamatonaru, “many a little makes a mickle”). Tiny things add up. English: "every little helps", or "many a little makes a mickle". It is the best proverb for daily practice: ten minutes a day is dust, and a year of it is a mountain. How to Learn Japanese: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners puts that into a plan.
• 大器晩成 (たいきばんせい, taikibansei, “great talents mature late”). A four-character idiom for people who bloom late. It is a comfort to anyone who starts something new as an adult.

Japanese proverbs about mistakes and failure

Japanese has many sayings for the idea that everyone makes mistakes, even experts. The pictures differ, and they are a fun way to remember the idea.

• 猿も木から落ちる (さるもきからおちる, sarumokikaraochiru, “even monkeys fall from trees”). A 猿, a monkey, is at home in a tree and still sometimes falls. The English match is "even Homer sometimes nods", or simply "anyone can make a mistake".
• 弘法も筆の誤り (こうぼうもふでのあやまり, kōbōmofudenoayamari, “anyone can make a mistake”). Kōbō is Kūkai, a Heian-period calligrapher who is called one of the three brush masters. The story goes that when he wrote the placard for the Ōtenmon gate, he left a dot out of one character, then threw his brush up at the board to add it. Japanese Wikipedia says the proverb itself appears only in the middle of the Edo period, about 900 years after the time of the legend, and that in the older tale he left the dot out on purpose and fixed it with a supernatural feat. It was not a mistake at first.
• 河童の川流れ (かっぱのかわながれ, kappanokawanagare, “anyone can make a mistake”). A 河童 (かっぱ, kappa, “kappa”), the mythical water-dwelling creature of Japanese folklore, is meant to be at home in the river, and yet it is swept away. Same idea as the monkey and the calligrapher: skill is not a guarantee. The dictionary gives "anyone can make a mistake" for all three.
• 七転び八起き (ななころびやおき, nanakorobiyaoki, “not giving up”). Falling seven times, getting up eight. The numbers suggest that you get up once more than you fall. One explanation, given in Japanese Wikipedia, links the saying to Buddhism and to the tumbling doll that reached Japan from China in the Muromachi period and later became the 達磨 (だるま, daruma, “daruma”), the round, red doll in the shape of Bodhidharma. It is a common explanation, not a settled one, but a doll that stands back up when it is knocked over is a good picture for the saying. The dictionary lists a second sense: the ups and downs of life.
• 失敗は成功のもと (しっぱいはせいこうのもと, shippaihaseikōnomoto, “failure teaches success”). A mistake is a step towards success, because you learn from it. It is the one to remember when a practice answer goes wrong.
• 雨降って地固まる (あめふってじかたまる, amefuttejikatamaru, “adversity strengthens the foundations”). Soft earth firms up after rain. The dictionary gives the meanings "adversity strengthens the foundations" and "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". It is often said of a relationship that grows stronger after a quarrel, though Japanese speakers may use it for any trouble that leaves things better.
• 覆水盆に返らず (ふくすいぼんにかえらず, fukusuibonnikaerazu, “what's done is done”). Water that has spilt from a tray cannot go back in. English: "it is no use crying over spilt milk". The dictionary gives that same English line for the next saying below.
• 後悔先に立たず (こうかいさきにたたず, kōkaisakinitatazu, “it is no use crying over spilt milk”). Regret does not come first: you only feel it after the act, when it can no longer help. So think before you act.
• 泣きっ面に蜂 (なきつらにはち, nakitsuranihachi, “making matters worse”). Bees to a tearful face: trouble on top of trouble. The English match is "adding insult to injury".
• 転ばぬ先の杖 (ころばぬさきのつえ, korobanusakinotsue, “prevention is better than cure”). A walking stick before you trip. English: "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", "look before you leap" or "a stitch in time saves nine".

Japanese proverbs about learning and effort

Proverbs about study are the ones language learners quote to each other. They are also practical.

• 習うより慣れろ (ならうよりなれろ, narauyorinarero, “experience is the best teacher”). Get used to it, rather than learn it. The dictionary lists "you learn best by doing" and "experience is the best teacher" as English equivalents. For a language, it means that talking and reading beat studying about talking and reading.
• 好きこそ物の上手なれ (すきこそもののじょうずなれ, sukikosomononojōzunare, “what one likes, one will do well”). You get good at what you love. Pick the topics, shows and songs you enjoy, and Japanese will come faster.
• 百聞は一見に如かず (ひゃくぶんはいっけんにしかず, hyakubunhaikkennishikazu, “seeing is believing”). Hearing about something a hundred times is not worth seeing it once. English: "seeing is believing", and the dictionary adds "a picture is worth a thousand words". People say it to push someone to go and look at the real thing.
• 論より証拠 (ろんよりしょうこ, ronyorishōko, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”). Proof beats argument. English: "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". Show the result and the talking can stop.
• 三つ子の魂百まで (みつごのたましいひゃくまで, mitsugonotamashiihyakumade, “a leopard cannot change its spots”). What you are at three, you are at a hundred. English: "the child is father to the man". It is about habits and character that form early.
• 案ずるより産むが易し (あんずるよりうむがやすし, anzuruyoriumugayasushi, “it is easier to do something than worry about it”). Doing a thing is often easier than worrying about it. The dictionary also notes the original picture: it is easier to give birth than to worry about it. Say it to a nervous beginner about to speak their first Japanese sentence.
• 初心忘るべからず (しょしんわするべからず, shoshinwasurubekarazu, “we were all beginners once”). Do not forget your first resolve. The dictionary lists "never lose your humility" and "don't forget where you came from". It is a reminder to keep the seriousness you had at the start.

Japanese proverbs about people and society

These sayings are about how people differ, how they meet and how they get on, and some are the ones Japanese speakers reach for in daily life.

• 十人十色 (じゅうにんといろ, jūnintoiro, “several men, several minds”). Ten people, ten colours: everyone has their own tastes and ideas. A four-character idiom, and a handy reply when someone asks why people disagree. In English: "different strokes for different folks".
• 一期一会 (いちごいちえ, ichigoichie, “once-in-a-lifetime encounter”). One lifetime, one meeting. Japanese Wikipedia says the idea is attributed to the tea master Sen no Rikyū, who left no writings of his own: his student Yamanoue Sōji recorded a teaching of his about treating each tea gathering as if it were a once-in-a-lifetime meeting. The four-character form was taken up by the daimyo Ii Naosuke in his tea text, the 茶湯一会集, which he finished around 1858. The word 一期 is a Buddhist term for one lifetime, from birth to death. Today the phrase is used far beyond 茶道 (さどう, sadō, “tea ceremony”): a trip, a conversation, a chance meeting.
• 以心伝心 (いしんでんしん, ishindenshin, “telepathy”). Heart to heart: understanding without words. It is a four-character idiom and is often said of close friends, family or teammates who know each other so well that nothing needs saying. The dictionary lists a second sense, from Zen Buddhism: the silent transmission of the central teachings from teacher to disciple.
• 類は友を呼ぶ (るいはともをよぶ, ruihatomowoyobu, “birds of a feather flock together”). Similar people end up together. The English saying is the same.
• 郷に入っては郷に従え (ごうにいってはごうにしたがえ, gōniittehagōnishitagae, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”). In a village, follow the village. The English saying fits closely, and it is good advice for visitors to Japan.
• 出る杭は打たれる (でるくいはうたれる, derukuihautareru, “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down”). A stake that sticks out gets hit. The dictionary gives two readings: people who stand out get punished, and people who excel get disliked. It is often quoted when people talk about not wanting to stand out at school or work. How strongly that applies today is something Japanese people themselves disagree on.
• 三人寄れば文殊の知恵 (さんにんよればもんじゅのちえ, sanninyorebamonjunochie, “three heads are better than two”). 文殊 (もんじゅ, monju, “Manjushri”) is the bodhisattva of wisdom in Buddhism, so the saying says that three ordinary people together have great wisdom. The English match is "two heads are better than one", and the dictionary's own is "three heads are better than two".
• 縁の下の力持ち (えんのしたのちからもち, ennoshitanochikaramochi, “unsung hero”). A strong person under the veranda floor: someone who does a thankless task that holds everything up. English: "unsung hero".
• 目は口ほどに物を言う (めはくちほどにものをいう, mehakuchihodonimonowoiu, “one can say more with a look than with ten thousand words”). The eyes say as much as the mouth. The dictionary also gives "one can say more with a look than with ten thousand words".
• 口は災いの元 (くちはわざわいのもと, kuchihawazawainomoto, “words can lead to disaster”). The mouth is the source of trouble. The dictionary adds "the more you open your mouth the more likely you are to put your foot in it".
• 知らぬが仏 (しらぬがほとけ, shiranugahotoke, “ignorance is bliss”). Not knowing is Buddha: you stay calm because you do not know the bad news. The English saying is the same.
• 住めば都 (すめばみやこ, sumebamiyako, “you can get used to living anywhere”). If you live there, it becomes the capital. Any place feels like home once you are used to it. English: "home is where you make it".
• 能ある鷹は爪を隠す (のうあるたかはつめをかくす, nōarutakahatsumewokakusu, “a wise man keeps some of his talents in reserve”). A skilled hawk hides its claws. Truly able people do not show off. It can be a compliment to a quiet person with real skill.

Japanese proverbs with animals and everyday things

Animals and food turn up in many proverbs. These are some of the funniest, and the pictures stick in the memory.

• 井の中の蛙大海を知らず (いのなかのかわず、たいかいをしらず, inonakanokawazu、taikaiwoshirazu, “the frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean”). A frog in a well has never seen the sea, so it thinks the well is the whole world. It is said of someone with a narrow view. The short form 井の中の蛙 is also used for such a person, and the dictionary describes it as someone ignorant of the real world. The English "big fish in a small pond" is a different picture: that one is about status, and the Japanese one is about not knowing the wider world.

• 猫に小判 (ねこにこばん, nekonikoban, “casting pearls before swine”). Giving a gold coin to a cat. A cat has no use for money, so a valuable thing wasted on someone who cannot value it. English: "casting pearls before swine". The dictionary has a second version of the same idea: 豚に真珠 (ぶたにしんじゅ, butanishinju, “casting pearls before swine”).

• 馬の耳に念仏 (うまのみみにねんぶつ, umanomimininenbutsu, “preaching to the deaf”). Chanting the Buddhist prayer called the nenbutsu into a horse's ear. Advice that goes in one ear and out the other. English: "preaching to the deaf", or talking to a brick wall.

• 花より団子 (はなよりだんご, hanayoridango, “function over aesthetics”). The dictionary meaning is "function over aesthetics": dumplings rather than flowers. Kotobank links the saying to 花見 (はなみ, hanami, “cherry blossom viewing”), where food and drink can matter more than the blossoms, and gives an early use in a haikai verse from around 1532, 花よりもだんごとたれか岩つつじ. The word 団子 (だんご, dango, “dango”) is the sweet rice dumpling.

• 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず (にとをおうものはいっとをもえず, nitowōumonohaittowomoezu, “if you run after two hares you will catch neither”). Chase two hares and you will catch neither. Unlike most sayings here, this one came into Japanese from the West: Japanese Wikipedia says it goes back to ancient Rome, and dates its earliest known use in Japan to a book translated from English in 1877. The English saying is almost identical. A good one for a learner who starts five courses at once.

• 月とすっぽん (つきとすっぽん, tsukitosuppon, “two things that are superficially similar but completely different”). The moon and a soft-shelled turtle: two things that look alike on the surface but are completely different. It is usually said when one thing is far better than the other. English: "chalk and cheese", or "night and day".

• 灯台下暗し (とうだいもとくらし, tōdaimotokurashi, “it is darkest under the lamp post”). It is darkest under the lamp post. What is close to you is the hardest to see.

• 鬼に金棒 (おににかなぼう, oninikanabō, “making something strong even stronger”). Giving an iron club to an ogre, who is strong already. Use it when a strong person or team gets something extra.

Japanese proverbs about luck and fortune

Luck has its own set of sayings, and many of them are about good things arriving from unexpected places.

• 棚から牡丹餅 (たなからぼたもち, tanakarabotamochi, “sudden windfall”). A 牡丹餅 (ぼたもち, botamochi, “adzuki bean-covered mochi”), a sweet rice cake covered in azuki beans, drops from a shelf right into your lap. A windfall you did not work for. In English: "a sudden windfall" or "a stroke of luck".
• 残り物には福がある (のこりものにはふくがある, nokorimononihafukugāru, “there is unexpected good in what others have left behind”). There is fortune in leftovers. The last item on the table, the one nobody picked, may be the lucky one. There is no close English saying. The dictionary lists "last but not least", but that is only a loose match.
• 笑う門には福来る (わらうかどにはふくきたる, waraukadonihafukukitaru, “laugh and grow fat”). Fortune comes to the house that laughs. The idea is that a cheerful home attracts happiness. There is no exact English match; the dictionary lists "laugh and grow fat" as a rough parallel.
• 災い転じて福となす (わざわいてんじてふくとなす, wazawaitenjitefukutonasu, “to turn misfortune into fortune (esp. through one's own efforts)”). Turning a disaster into good fortune, especially through your own effort. It is for someone who makes the best of a bad situation.
• 人間万事塞翁が馬 (にんげんばんじさいおうがうま, ningenbanjisaiōgauma, “inscrutable are the ways of heaven”). The dictionary lists two readings of 人間 here, にんげんばんじ and じんかんばんじ. The story comes from China: the Huainanzi, as Japanese Wikipedia notes. An old man near a border fortress loses his horse, and the neighbours console him, but he says it may bring good. The horse returns with a fine second horse. His son breaks his leg falling from it. Later a war comes and the young men are called up, and the son is spared because of his leg. The lesson is that good and bad fortune turn into each other, so do not despair or celebrate too early. There is no neat English match.
• 犬も歩けば棒に当たる (いぬもあるけばぼうにあたる, inumoarukebabōniataru, “good luck may come unexpectedly”). A dog that walks about bumps into a stick. The dictionary gives it two opposite senses: bad things happen to those who attempt things, and good luck may come unexpectedly. Kotobank says most current examples use the lucky sense, though some people use the first. It is also the proverb that starts the Edo version of the いろはかるた (irohakaruta, “iroha karuta”), the card game in which each proverb begins with a different kana, with this one for い.
• 捨てる神あれば拾う神あり (すてるかみあればひろうかみあり, suterukamiarebahirōkamiari, “when one door is shut, another is open”). If one god throws you away, another picks you up. When one door shuts another opens: do not give up, someone will help.

More four-character idioms (四字熟語)

Four-character idioms are a different kind of saying, and they are very common in Japanese writing. Here are ten more, with the dictionary's meaning of each.

三日坊主 is the one many language learners recognise in themselves. The dictionary's literal gloss is "monk for three days": it describes a person who starts something and drops it within days. The cure is to practise a little every day, and 塵も積もれば山となる is the proverb for that.

How to learn and use Japanese proverbs

Do not try to learn forty at once. Pick the five that fit you, learn them with their picture, and use them when the moment comes.

• Learn the picture. A monkey falling from a tree is easier to remember than "everyone makes mistakes". The pictures are the point of a proverb.
• Learn the kanji. Most proverbs are written in kanji, and the characters repeat across many of them: 石, 猿, 花, 人, 一, 十. Each one has its own page in the site's kanji section.
• Do not force them into a conversation. Japanese speakers do use proverbs, and a well-timed one can sound witty, but they can also sound old-fashioned or preachy, and how often people use each one depends on age and setting. Use a proverb when it truly fits, and a short one such as 七転び八起き is the safest.
• Do not translate word by word and hope. A proverb means what it means, and the literal English will often sound strange. Learn the meaning with the picture.

Questions about Japanese proverbs and sayings

What is the most famous Japanese proverb?

There is no official ranking, but 一期一会, 七転び八起き and 猿も木から落ちる are among the best known. 一期一会 is about a once-in-a-lifetime meeting, 七転び八起き is about getting up again after every fall, and 猿も木から落ちる says that even experts make mistakes.

What are some good Japanese quotes?

Traditional proverbs are the safest Japanese quotes, because they belong to everyone and need no author. 七転び八起き, 千里の道も一歩から and 塵も積もれば山となる are good ones for study and effort. Be careful with lists that give a quote to a named person: many of them are not sourced.

How do you say what the f * ck in Japanese?

There is no exact Japanese match, but a plain ええっ (ē, “Eh?”) or まさか (masaka, “by no means”) covers the surprise. The dictionary also lists えっ as "huh?". It is best not to learn crude phrases before you can judge when they are rude, and tone and setting matter a great deal, so keep these for friends.

What are some cool Japanese phrases?

Cool Japanese phrases often come from four-character idioms and proverbs such as 一期一会, 以心伝心 and 七転び八起き. For an everyday "cool", the word is かっこいい (kakkoii, “attractive”). And 頑張って (がんばって, ganbatte, “do your best”) is the phrase you hear when someone wants you to keep going.

What does "I suki you" mean?

"I suki you" means "I like you": it looks like the English "I" and "you" wrapped around the Japanese word 好き (すき, suki, “liking”), "suki". 好き means liking something, and, as the dictionary's second sense shows, it can also mean liking someone romantically. It is not proper Japanese as it stands, so drop the English words to say it properly. I Love You in Japanese explains how people really say it.

What are some hilarious Japanese sayings?

The silliest pictures are 馬の耳に念仏, 猫に小判 and 月とすっぽん. They are about chanting prayers into a horse's ear, giving a gold coin to a cat, and comparing the moon with a soft-shelled turtle. 棚から牡丹餅 (a rice cake falling from a shelf) is a funny way to say a windfall.

What is a popular Japanese saying?

十人十色 is a popular saying about how people differ. It means ten people, ten colours, and it is a gentle way to say that everyone has their own taste. Other sayings that people often quote are 一石二鳥, "two birds with one stone", and 三日坊主, for someone who gives up quickly.

What are some basic Japanese phrases?

The basic phrases are ありがとう (arigatō, “thank you”), すみません (sumimasen, “excuse me”), お願いします (おねがいします, onegaishimasu, “please”), はい (hai, “yes”) and いいえ (iie, “no”). They are not proverbs, but they carry you through most days in Japan. Thank You in Japanese and Please in Japanese cover the first and third in depth.

What are some cute Japanese phrases?

Cute Japanese phrases are mostly everyday words: かわいい (kawaii, “cute”), 大好き (だいすき, daisuki, “liking very much”) and ふわふわ (fuwafuwa, “soft”), which describes something fluffy or soft. They are not proverbs, but they are what people say about pets, sweets and friends.

What are 100 common Japanese phrases?

Common Japanese phrases fall into a few groups: greetings, thanks, apologies, polite requests and yes or no. The site's greetings quiz and the phrase sets behind it are grouped that way, and Hello in Japanese, Thank You in Japanese and Sorry in Japanese cover the first groups in depth. There is no single official list of 100.

How do I say "I'm sorry" in Japan?

The two main ways to say sorry are ごめんなさい (gomennasai, “I'm sorry”) and すみません. ごめんなさい is a plain apology, while すみません also means "excuse me" and can even mean "thank you" (the dictionary lists that second sense). Sorry in Japanese explains when to use each.

Sources

• Readings and meanings: JMdict (EDRDG, CC BY-SA 4.0). Every proverb and idiom in this guide is a JMdict entry, and the meanings and English equivalents given as the dictionary's own come from it.
• What a ことわざ is: Kotobank, 諺; the difference from an idiom: Kotobank, 慣用句; Japanese Wikipedia, ことわざ.
• Four-character idioms and their sources: Japanese Wikipedia, 四字熟語.
• Origins and stories: Japanese Wikipedia, 一期一会 and 茶湯一会集; 弘法も筆の誤り; 七転び八起き; 人間万事塞翁が馬; いろはかるた; 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず.
• Kotobank, 花より団子 (the flower-viewing link and the early verse) and 犬も歩けば棒に当たる (its two meanings and current use).
• Reviewed independently; the points about how people use proverbs today, 雨降って地固まる, 出る杭は打たれる, 月とすっぽん and the phrases in the FAQ are waiting for a native speaker's check.