The 5 most-used idioms you must know in Japanese!
Daily Online Japanese Learning: Idioms
- 開いた口が塞がらない aita kuchi ga fusagara nai is used to express shock, disappointment or as a response to any sort of unpredictable context. English-equivalent expressions would be “I’m shocked/ I’m speechless”
Example:
「このコロナの間にパーティーに行ってた？開いた口が塞がらない」
Kono korona no aidani pa-ti- ni itteta?! Aita kuchi ga fusagara nai.
“Did you go to a party in the middle of this Corona pandemic??? I’m speechless.”
- 足並みをそろえる ashinami wo soroeru means to be at the same pace. This idion can usually be seen in classrooms or learning platforms to express harmony or synchronization.
Example:
「この問題はみんなで足並みを揃えて解きましょう」
Kono mondai ha minna de ashinami wo soroete tokimashou.
“Let’s try solving this problem together with everyone.”
- 弱肉強食 jakuniku kyoushoku describes the law of jungle in the natural world. The literal meaning is “the weak is the meat and the strong eats”.
Example:
「この世界は弱肉強食の法則に従っています。」
Kono sekai wa jakuniku kyoushoku no housoku ni shitagatte imasu.
“ This world goes by the law of jungle”
- 一期一会 ichigo ichie means to cherish every moment and encounter in life, as they are a one-time thing. The literal meaning stands for “one life, one encounter”
Example:
「君との出会いは一期一会だ」
Kimi tono deai wa ichigoichie da.
“My encounter with you is once in lifetime”
- 悪因悪果 akuin akka is the exact translation of the English proverb ‘you reap what you saw’. This is a proverb perfect for giving a reference to karma. There will always be consequences of what you do, as akuin akka translates to “bad cause bad effect”
Example:
「事業が失敗したのは悪因悪果の結果だ」
Jigyou ga shippai shitanowa akuin akka no kekka da.
“The unsuccessful business was the result of bad cause bad effect”
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