This file contains the collected (and corrected) Nihon-no-kotowaza 1 - 10 posted to nihongo@mitvma.mit.edu during January 1994. -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#1 ----------------------------- Time for a new thread ... Japanese proverbs and sayings (Nihon-no-kotowaza). Apart from cultural interest, there's often some interesting point about the language used. Anyway, I've been collecting them for a while, so here goes ... ,,,,,,,,,, ; ; ; ; ; ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ; ,,,,, ; ; ; ;, ,,,,,,,,,, '''; ,;' ';, ';,;'';'';,, '''';''', '; ;;' ; ,;, ,; ;, ,; ; '; '''''''''' ,; ; ,; ;, ; ; ; ; ' ,,,,,,,,,, ,;'; ,; ; ';' ,,, ; ;' ; ; ; ; ,,;' ; ,;'; ; ,;, ,;' ;' ;,,,,,,,,; ' ''' ''' '' ''' ; ; ''''';'''';''''' ,' ,' ,' ; ,, ,'; ;,;'' ' ; ; ; ; , ; ';,,,;' (Iwanu ga hana) Literally: not-speaking is the flower (-nu is a negative ending, like -nai) Meaning: some things are better left unsaid; Silence is golden -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#2 ----------------------------- ,,,,,,,,,,, ; , , ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ; ; ;''';''';''''' ,; ; ; ; ;'''';'''' ;,,,;,,,;,,,, ; ''''';'''' ;'''; ; ,, ;,,,,;,,,, ; ; ; ; ; ; ;' ,; ;,;'' ; ; ;'''''''''''' ; ; ,;'';,; ; '''''''''''; ; ;,,, ;,,;' ; ,'''';,, ,; ; ,; ;, ;, ;, ; ;' ; ; , ;,' ; ,; ';, ,;' ; , ' ' ' ',;' '' ,,;''' ';,,;' ' '''' ,;' ';,,,;' ; ; ; ,,,;,,, ';, ,,,;,,, ';, ''''';''''' ,; '' ,; '' ,,,,,;,,,,,, , ';, ; ; ; ; ', '; ,,;,, ;' ; ;' ; ,''''''';, ,,;;'' ; '' ,,,,; '' ,,,,; ; '' '; ,,' ; ,;';, ; ,;';, ';,, ;, '''' '''' ''''''' ; ,, ; ';, ; '; ;' , ; '' ,,,;,,, ';, ; , ,, ;' ,,,;, ;' ,; '' ; ';, '; '''''' '' ; ,,,,,,, ; ; ; ;, , ,;''' '; ;' ; ; ; ,; ;'''''''; ; '' ,,,,; '; ,; ' ,; ; ; ,,;' ; ,;';, ';' ,; ;,,,,,,,; '''' '''' (Baka wa shinanakya naoranai) Literally: a fool is only cured by dying (-nakya is a negative conditional like -nakereba) Meaning: Once a fool, always a fool Incidentally I've had several comments on how nice the ascii-fication is. Thanks, but I can't take the credit, it was kbanner with the -s option. kbanner2.tar.gz can be found on aiai.ed.ac.uk [192.41.105.5] -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#3 ----------------------------- That reminded me of another `baka' phrase: ; ,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,, ; ';'''';' ; ; ; ; ;''';''';''''' '; ;' ;''''; ;'''';'''' ;,,,;,,,;,,,, '''';''' ;,,,,; ;,,,,;,,,, ; ; ; ; ,,,,;,,, ; ; ; ; ;'''''''''''' ; ;, ';';'' '''''''''''; ; ;,,, ;,,;' ;' ; ', ,; ; , ,; ;, ;, ;, ; ;' ; ; , '' ; ,; ',,; ' ' ' ',;' '' ,,;''' ';,,;' (Oya-baka) Literally: parent fool Meaning: a doting parent, one who believes that everything their child does is wonderful. This is not usually intended as an insult, or at least not a strong one. NB: this isn't really a `kotowaza' (proverb) but interesting anyway :-) -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#4 ----------------------------- ; ; ; ; ; ,,;';';,, ; ,,;';';,, '''';'''';'''' ,;' ; '; ;''''';''''''; ,;' ; '; ; ; ,; ;' '; ; ; ; ,; ;' '; ,,,,,;,,,,;,,,,, ; ;' ; ; ; ; ; ;' ; ; ; ; ,;' ;' '''''';''''''' ; ,;' ;' ;' ; ''' ,,;'' ; ''' ,,;'' ,;' ; ; ; ; ; ,, ; ; ,,,;,,, ''';''' ; '; ;'''''''' ,,,,;'''' ; ; ; ; ,,,,,,,;,,,,,,,,, , '',,,,,,, ; ,, ; ; ;''''''''' ,;, '; ; ; ; ,;'''',,;'' ''';''' ; ; ;, , ,,;,,;,,;,, '' ,;'; ; ; ''';''' ;' ;, ,; ; ; ; ,;' ; ,,;''; ; ,;' ';, ,; ;,,;,,,;,, ;, '' ''''''''',,;' ';,,, ; ,,; ''''''''' ; ';, ; ; ; ;'';''' ;''''; ; '' ,,,,,,,,;,,,,,,, '' ; ; ; ;' ; ,,,,;,,,,; ; ; ,,,,,,, ,;'';, ; ; ; ,;''' '; ; ; ;'; ; ; ; ';,,,; ;' '; ;,,,,; ,,;' ,; ,;' '' '''' ,,;' (I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu) Literally: a frog in a well doesn't know the ocean (-zu is a negative ending, like -nai) Meaning: either to suggest that someone is parochial/provincial, or to encourage someone to get a wider perspective. Usually abbreviated to `i no naka no kawazu' -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#5 ----------------------------- ; ';, ; , , ; ; ; ; ,,,,,, ;' ,,,,;,,,, ; ; ,; ; ''';'';' ; ,; ;' ; ';,;'';'';,, ; ''''';'''' ; ,' ; ,; ,'; ; ,;, ; ;, ; ; '''';'''''; ', ; '''';'''' ,; '; ;' ; ; ; ,;,,,, ; ; ; ; ; ';' ,; ; ,'''';,, ''; ; ; ; ; ; ',,;''; ,,; ;,' ; ,; ';, ;''''; ; ,,; ; ''''''''''' ''' ' '''' ;,,,,; ; (Sumeba miyako) Literally: If residing, capital/metropolis (-eba is a conditional; miyako is kun-yomi for the `to' in Kyoto) Meaning: Wherever you live, you come to love it. -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#6 ----------------------------- , ,, , , , ; ; '; '; ';,, ' ' ,,,;,,, ,,,;,,,, ';,,;''''', '' ; ; ; ; ; ,,;'';, ,; ';, ; ; ; ; , ; ''' , '; ';, ;,,;,,; ;,;'' '; ; ,, '; ;, ; , ; ;, ';' ,; ' ;,,;, ; , ; ''' ,;'' ' ';,,;' |> From: MMCVEY@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU |> |> Regarding Japanese sayings, my favorite is YABU HEBI which is the |> equivalent to "Let sleeping dogs lie" but refers to the inadvisability |> of poking a stick into a bush for fear of rousing snakes. Do I have that |> correct? |> |> Michael McVey in Tucson |> mmcvey@ccit.arizona.edu Yes, that's right (yabu=bush, hebi=snake). For example when someone says "Gosh this room is untidy" and gets told "OK, clean it up then". In full: ``Yabu wo tsutsuite hebi wo dasu'' (Poke around in a bush and a snake will come out). Usage: `yabu hebi da' (ie: that'll teach you, you should have keep quiet), or `yabu hebi ni naru' (ie: watch out, you'll only make work for yourself). -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#7 ----------------------------- ;, , , ; ; ; ,,,,,;,,,,,,, ,; ; ,,,,;'''' ;, ; ''''';'''' ; ,, ';, ; ; ,;'''',,;'' ,'''''''';, ; ; '' ,;'; ; ; ,'''';,, ,;' ; ';,, ;,' ; ,; ';, ;, ''''''' ' '''' ''''''''' ,,,, ; ; ,,,,,, '''';'''' ,,,;,,, ,, ,,,, ,,,;,,, ; ';, ,,,,,,,,, ,,; ' '''' ; , , ; ; ; ,,,, ; ; ; ; , ; ; ; ; , '';, ,; ;,,; ,;' ',,; ''''''' (Saba wo yomu) Literally: to read the mackerel Meaning: to manipulate figures to one's advantage -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#8 ----------------------------- ,,,,,,,,,, ; ,,,,,,,,,,,, ,;,,,,,, ; ; ,,,,;'''' ,;' ,' ;,,,,,,,,; ; ,, '' ;'''';''''; ; ; ,;'''',,;'' ,,,,,,,,,, ;,,,,;,,,,; ;,,,,,,,,; '' ,;'; ; ; ; ; ; ,;' ; ;'''''''''; ; ; ;, ;' ; '''''''''' ''''''''' '''''''''''''''',;' ,,; , ; ,,,,,,,,, ,; ,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,;,,,,,,, ,;' ; ; ,;' ; ,;'';, ,;''''';, ; ; ; ,;' '; ; ; ';,,,; ,'';, ; ;,' ';,,,,,,, ,; ;, ; ,;' ' ,,;' ''''''' (Me wo sankaku ni suru) Literally: to make triangle eyes Meaning: to `look daggers' at someone Usage: also `me wo sankaku ni shite okoru' to be really angry Note: this isn't really a `kotowaza' (proverb), but it is an interesting idiom. -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#9 ----------------------------- Similar to the last one ... ,,,,,,,,,, ; ; ; ; ; ,,,,;'''' '''''';''''''' ;' ;,,,,,,,,; ; ,, ;''''''''; ;' ; ; ,;'''',,;'' ;''''''''; ,; ,,, ;,,,,,,,,; '' ,;'; ;''''''''; ;,' ; ; ; ,;' ; '''''''''' ;' ; , ; ; ;, '''';'''''';'''' ,; ; ,;' '''''''''' ''''''''' ,,;' ';,, ' ''' ; , ; ,,,,,,,,, ; ,; ,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,;,,,,,,, ,;' ''''';''''; ; ; ,;' ,, ; ; ; ,;'';, ,;''''';, ';,; ; ; ; ; ,;' '; ,;, ; ; ; ';,,,; ,'';, ; ,; '; ; , ;,' ';,,,,,,, ,; ;, ; ,;' ,,;' ',,;' ' ,,;' ''''''' (Me wo manmaru ni suru) Literally: make ones eyes perfect circles Meaning: to be very surprised Note: this one isn't really a `kotowaza' either. Also kanji would not normally be used for such a colloquial phrase. -------------------------- Nihon-no-kotowaza#10 ----------------------------- , ; ; ; ',' ''';''';''' ,,;';';,, ,', ' ' ,;' ; '; ' ; ;''';'''; ,; ;' '; ;; ; ; ; ; ;' ; ,' ; ;''';'''; ; ,;' ;' ; ; ; ; ''' ,,;'' ,,;' ;,,,;,,,; , , ; '''';' ;, ,,,,;,,, ; , ,,;';';,, ,;' ;';, ; ,,,,, ; ';, ,;' ; '; ,; ; '' ,; ; ;, ,; ;' '; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;' ; ; ,; ;' '; ,; ' ; ,;' ;' ';, ,,; ,; ;, ';' ''' ,,;'' ''''' ' '''''' ; ';,, ; ; ''' ,,,;,,, ';, ;''''' ,,,,,,,,, ,; '' ; '; ; ; ; ; ;' ; ,''''';,, ,;' '' ,,,,; ; ,; '';, ,,;' ; ,;';, ''''' '''' '''' (Neko no hitai no you na) Literally: like a cat's forehead Meaning: very small (particularly of a room or flat, ie: opposite of `hiroi') eg: `neko no hitai no you na apaato' `Odeko' is another word for forehead, but `neko no odeko' doesn't work! +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tim Duncan, AI Applications Institute, University of Edinburgh, | | 80 South Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1HN, Scotland, United Kingdom. | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Tel: +44 31 650 2747 Email: timd@ed.ac.uk FAX: +44 31 650 6513 | +------------------------------------------------------------------+