Proverb / Kotowaza
危ない事は怪我の内
Doing something dangerous is equivalent to being injured, even if you avoid harm this time.
Doing dangerous things is [already] within the scope of injury
Quick Answer
Doing something dangerous is equivalent to being injured, even if you avoid harm this time.
- Literal Image
- Doing dangerous things is [already] within the scope of injury
- How to Use It
- Used to warn someone against taking unnecessary risks or to emphasize that a 'near miss' should be treated as a serious lesson.
Meaning
This proverb warns that taking unnecessary risks is as bad as actually getting hurt. Even if you escape injury by luck, the act of putting yourself in danger is a problem in itself. It serves as an admonition to avoid dangerous situations entirely rather than relying on luck.
Literal Image
Doing dangerous things is [already] within the scope of injury
How to Use It
Used to warn someone against taking unnecessary risks or to emphasize that a 'near miss' should be treated as a serious lesson.
Tone
Cautionary and advisory.
Examples
幸い転ばなかったが、危ない事は怪我の内というから、ヘルメットはちゃんと着けなさい。
Fortunately you didn't fall, but they say doing dangerous things is the same as being injured, so wear your helmet properly.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary consists of words like 'abunai' and 'kega', but the grammatical structure and the idiomatic use of 'uchi' (within/among) require N3-level understanding.
危ない
あぶない / abunai
dangerous; risky
事
こと / koto
thing; act; matter
怪我
けが / kega
injury
内
うち / uchi
within; inside; among
Usage Profile
Usage note: This is a direct warning; ensure the context warrants an admonition of recklessness.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to describe an actual injury that has already occurred; it is used to highlight the danger of the act itself, especially when one is lucky enough to be unhurt.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
This expression stems from the perspective that even if you are lucky enough not to be injured, taking dangerous actions is fundamentally problematic and should be treated with the same weight as an actual injury.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.