花より団子
Romaji: Hana yori dango.
Translation: Dumplings over flowers.
Meaning: To prefer substance over form, as in to prefer to be given functional, useful items (such as dumplings) instead of merely decorative items (such as flowers).
井の中の蛙 大海を知らず
Romaji: I no naka no kawazu taikai-o shirazu.
Translation: A frog in a well does not know the great sea.
Meaning: People make judgments based on their own limited experiences, with no knowledge of the world outside of those experiences.
虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず
Romaji: Koketsu ni hairazunba koji o ezu.
Translation: If you do not enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub.
Meaning: No risk, no reward. If you don’t try, you won’t succeed. You have to go for it in order to get it!
為せば成る
為さねば成らぬ何事も
成らぬは人の為さぬなりけり
naseba naru
nasaneba naranu nanigoto mo
naranu wa hito no nasanu nari keri
If you try, you may succeed.
If you don’t try, you will not succeed. This is true for of all things.
Not succeeding is the result of not trying.
- Uesugi Youzan (上杉鷹山) -
七転び八起き
Nanakorobi yaoki
Literally: Fall seven times and stand up eight
Meaning: When life knocks you down, stand back up; What matters is not the bad that happened, but what one does after.
猿も木から落ちる
Romaji: Saru mo ki kara ochiru.
Translation: Even monkeys fall from trees.
Meaning: Nobody’s perfect. Anyone can make a mistake.
二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず
Romaji: Nito o oumono wa itto o mo ezu.
Translation: One who chases after 2 rabbits will not even catch one.
Meaning: If you try to do two things at once, you will fail at both.
多芸は無芸
Reading: たげいはむげい (tagei wa mugei)
Translation: “many skills is no skill”
Meaning: a Jack of all trades is a master of none.
苦あれば楽あり
Ku areba raku ari.
Translation: There are hardships and there are delights.
English equivalent: After rain comes fair weather; No pain, no gain;
沈む瀬あれば浮かぶ瀬あり
Reading: しずむせあればうかぶせあり (shizumu se areba ukabu se ari)
Translation: “if the current sinks, it will rise (again)”
Meaning: Life has its ups and downs.
起きて半畳，寝て一畳
Reading: おきてはんじょう、ねていちじょう (okite hanjou, nete ichijou)
Translation: “(man needs just) half a tatami mat when awake, one tatami mat when asleep.”
Meaning: You need not be rich to live a satisfied life.
案ずるより産むが易し。
Anzuru yori umu ga yasashii.
Literally: Giving birth to a baby is easier than worrying about it.
Meaning: Stressing out about something is usually worse than the thing you’re stressing out about. And it certainly doesn’t help.
見ぬが花。
Minu ga hana.
Literally: Not seeing is a flower.
Meaning: Reality can't compete with imagination.
一期一会 Ichi-go ichi-e.
Once-in-a-lifetime meeting
Meaning: the encounters in life are temporary and therefore you must keep in mind to treat people with an attitude that will leave no regrets.
蓼食う虫も好き好き
Romaji: Tade kuu mushi mo suki zuki.
Translation: There are even bugs that eat knotweed.
Meaning: Everyone has their own likes/tastes. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
猫に小判
Romaji: Neko ni koban.
Translation: Gold coins to a cat.
Meaning: Casting pearls before swine / Giving something of value to someone who can’t appreciate it.
能ある鷹は爪を隠す
Nou aru taka wa tsume-o kakusu.
Translation: The smart hawk hides its talons.
Meaning: One should hide his best abilities until time comes to show them.
盛年重ねて来らず
Reading: せいねんかさねてきたらず (seinen kasanete kitarazu)
Translation: “the prime of your life does not come twice”
Meaning: You’re only young once.
猫を追うより皿を引け
Reading: ねこをおうよりさらをひけ (neko o ou yori sara o hike)
Translation: “rather than chase the cat, take away the plate”
Meaning: Attack problems at their root.
頭隠して尻隠さず
Reading: あたまかくしてしりかくさず (atama kakushite siri kakusazu)
Translation: “hiding your head but not your butt”
Meaning: Failing to completely cover up your bad deeds.
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