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Kotowaza, idioms, and proverb-like expressions

Japanese Proverbs Dictionary

Search Japanese proverbs by kanji, kana, romaji, meaning, topic, situation, or a familiar English proverb equivalent.

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Public Corpus

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What It Is

What Is Kotowaza?

Kotowaza (諺) are fixed Japanese sayings and proverbs that compress advice, observation, or a life lesson into a short expression.

Understanding kotowaza helps readers catch the figurative meaning, tone, and point behind an expression rather than only its word-for-word gloss.

01

Search from what you saw

Start with kanji, kana, romaji, meaning keywords, or a familiar proverb.

02

Get the practical meaning

Each entry explains the literal image, real sense, and when the proverb fits.

03

Compare by locale

Equivalent proverbs are reviewed per language so the comparison matches the page you are reading.

Latest Review

Recently Updated Entries

See the entries most recently reviewed or updated in the public corpus, then continue to the detail pages for meaning, nuance, and locale-specific equivalents.

悪縁契り深し

akuen chigiri fukashi

Published May 12, 2026

Hubungan yang tidak diinginkan atau berbahaya berakar kuat dan sulit diputuskan.

煽りを食う

aori o kuu

Published May 12, 2026

Menderita dampak negatif atau kerugian akibat peristiwa yang disebabkan pihak lain atau faktor eksternal.

伐性の斧

bassei no ono

Published May 11, 2026

Metafora untuk godaan atau keburukan yang menghancurkan bakat alami atau sifat baik seseorang.

白虹日を貫く

hakko hi o tsuranuku

Published May 11, 2026

Pertanda alam yang menandakan perang, bencana, atau bahaya besar bagi seorang penguasa.

火の消えた回り灯篭

hi no kieta mawaridouro

Published May 11, 2026

Metafora untuk sesuatu yang tadinya ramai tiba-tiba kehilangan vitalitasnya dan menjadi sunyi atau sepi.

色は思案の外

iro wa shian no hoka

Published May 11, 2026

Perasaan cinta romantis dapat membuat seseorang bertindak di luar nalar dan logika.

提灯持ちは先に立て

chochin mochi wa saki ni tate

Published May 10, 2026

Pemimpin harus mengambil inisiatif dan memberikan contoh secara langsung.

大隠は朝市に隠る

daiin wa choshi ni kakuru

Published May 10, 2026

Pertapa sejati tidak perlu mengasingkan diri ke gunung, tetapi tetap tenang meski di tengah keramaian kota.

ああ言えばこう言う

aa ieba kou iu

Updated May 8, 2026

Selalu punya jawaban atau alasan alih-alih mendengarkan ucapan orang lain.

痘痕もえくぼ

abata mo ekubo

Updated May 8, 2026

Cinta itu buta; kekurangan seseorang tampak sebagai kelebihan di mata orang yang mencintainya.

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APPENDIX A.

Questions About Kotowaza

These short answers explain how kotowaza work as Japanese proverbs and why they do not always map neatly across languages.

01

What is a kotowaza?

A kotowaza (諺) is a fixed Japanese proverb or saying that compresses advice, observation, or a life lesson into a short expression.

02

What is yojijukugo, and is it the same as kotowaza?

Yojijukugo means a four-kanji expression. Some, such as 一石二鳥, also work as kotowaza because they express a general lesson or observation. But many others, such as 試行錯誤, are simply compact expressions with a set meaning rather than proverbs.

03

How is a kotowaza different from a regular idiom?

A kotowaza usually carries a broader lesson or judgment, while an idiom often works more as a set phrase inside an ordinary sentence.

04

Why do many kotowaza sound non-literal?

They often use vivid images from animals, nature, or daily life so the figurative meaning becomes memorable.

05

Does the literal image matter?

Yes, because it helps explain the proverb’s logic, but the practical meaning is what matters most when deciding how it is used.

06

Does every kotowaza have an exact proverb equivalent in another language?

No. Many only match at the level of message, while imagery, tone, and cultural framing still differ.

07

Are kotowaza still used in modern Japanese?

Some are still widely recognized and used, but how natural they sound depends on context, tone, and who is speaking.