| Idiom | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一工面二働 | いちくめんにはたらき | In order to be successful in this world, the first step is to devise, and the second step is to take action. |
| 一姫二太郎 | いちひめにたろう | It's good to have a girl first and boy next. |
| 井戸端会議 | いどばたかいぎ | socializing with neighbors |
| 運命共同体 | うんめいきょうどうたい | communities bound together by a common destiny |
| 得手不得手 | えてふえて | strong and weak points |
| 小田原評定 | おだわらひょうじょう | inconclusive discussion |
| 御手並拝見 | おてなみはいけん | let's see what you've got |
| 御役所仕事 | おやくしょしごと | red tape |
| 温良恭倹譲 | おんりょうきょうけんじょう | cordial, obedient, respectful, modest, and moderate |
| 顔見世興行 | かおみせこうぎょう | a show with an all‐star cast |
| 火事場泥棒 | かじばどろぼう | looter |
| 希代不思議 | きたいふしぎ | very rare things |
| 希望的観測 | きぼうてきかんそく | wishful thinking |
| 奇妙奇天烈 | きみょうきてれつ | very strange |
| 喧嘩両成敗 | けんかりょうせいばい | It takes two to tango |
| 言行不一致 | げんこうふいっち | inconsistency between one's words and actions |
| 光陰如流水 | こういんりゅうすいのごとし | time flies like an arrow |
| 五十歩百歩 | ごじっぽひゃっぽ | That's six of one and half a dozen of the other. |
| 御都合主義 | ごつごうしゅぎ | opportunism |
| 三方一両損 | さんぼういちりょうぞん | sharing the pain among three parties |
| 自転車操業 | じてんしゃそうぎょう | rob Peter to pay Paul |
| 四万六千日 | しまんろくせんにち | If you visit the temple on July 10, it corresponds that you have visited the temple 46,000 days which is about 126 years. |
| 白無垢鉄火 | しろむくてっか | looks elegant but inside is bad. |
| 人生足別離 | じんせいはべつりにたる | You will leave one day. |
| 前古未曽有 | ぜんこみぞう | unprecedented |
| 治国平天下 | ちこくへいてんか | govern the states and bring peace to the land |
| 出来合夫婦 | できあいふうふ | a couple united by mutual consent （without the intervention of a go-between） |
| 出来不出来 | できふでき | success or failure |
| 手持無沙汰 | てもちぶさた | have nothing to do |
| 十重二十重 | とえはたえ | a thick wall of spectators |
| 日常茶飯事 | にちじょうさはんじ | daily routine |
| 日日是好日 | にちにちこれこうじつ | every day is a good day |
| 二万五千日 | にまんごせんにち | Visit Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto or Nagasaki on July 10th. If you visit on this day, you will have the same benefit as visiting 25,000 days. |
| 糠味噌女房 | ぬかみそにょうぼう | housewifely woman |
| 白髪三千丈 | はくはつさんぜんじょう | worried about something. |
| 万物光輝生 | ばんぶつこうきをしょうず | All things give off the brilliance of life |
| 日和見主義 | ひよりみしゅぎ | opportunism |
| 非理法権天 | ひりほうけんてん | right triumphs over wrong |
| 武芸十八般 | ぶけいじゅうはっぱん | 18 skills of martial arts |
| 風呂敷残業 | ふろしきざんぎょう | overtime work at home without pay |
| 本来無一物 | ほんらいむいちもつ | all things are essentially nothingness |
| 摩訶不思議 | まかふしぎ | mysterious |
| 三十一文字 | みそひともじ | a song of 31 syllables |
| 水急不月流 | みずきゅうにしてつきをながさず | the moon was still in the stream |
| 妙言無古今 | みょうげんにこきんなし | wise saying is always wise. |
| 見様見真似 | みようみまね | following somebody's example |
| 無心得良悟 | むしんりょうごをう | Only when you are disinterested in things can you understand things. |
| 明月流素光 | めいげつそこうをながす | The bright moon is high in the sky, and the shadow of the moon casts white light on the ground. |
| 八重十文字 | やえじゅうもんじ | Tie a string in multiple layers vertically and horizontally. |
| 四畳半趣味 | よじょうはんしゅみ | enjoying food, drink and entertainment in a small room |
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