| 合縁奇縁 | あいえんきえん | predetermination |
| 愛別離苦 | あいべつりく | the anguish of parting from one's loved ones |
| 曖昧模糊 | あいまいもこ | obscure |
| 青息吐息 | あおいきといき | be in great distress |
| 悪口雑言 | あっこうぞうごん | curse |
| 暗中模索 | あんちゅうもさく | grope in the dark |
| 安分守己 | あんぶんしゅき | To live with the whole body in mind. |
| 異口同音 | いくどうおん | with one voice |
| 異国情緒 | いこくじょうちょ | exotic mood |
| 為虎添翼 | いこてんよく | Adding wings to a tiger. |
| 石部金吉 | いしべきんきち | man of incorruptible character |
| 以心伝心 | いしんでんしん | telepathy |
| 一意専心 | いちいせんしん | wholeheartedly |
| 一期一会 | いちごいちえ | Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity |
| 一言居士 | いちげんこじ | a person who has something to say on anything and everything |
| 一日千秋 | いちじつせんしゅう | wait impatiently |
| 一念発起 | いちねんほっき | the determination to accomplish something |
| 一望千里 | いちぼうせんり | sweeping view of the eye |
| 一蓮托生 | いちれんたくしょう | be in the same boat |
| 一騎当千 | いっきとうせん | a mighty warrior |
| 一刻千金 | いっこくせんきん | every moment is precious |
| 一心不乱 | いっしんふらん | really into it |
| 一世風靡 | いっせいふうび | ruling the times |
| 意味深長 | いみしんちょう | expressive |
| 右往左往 | うおうさおう | go this way and that |
| 雨奇晴好 | うきせいこう | scenery being beautiful in both rainy and sunny weather |
| 雲散霧消 | うさんむしょう | disperse like mist |
| 海千山千 | うみせんやません | a sly old fox |
| 雲外蒼天 | うんがいそうてん | When you make efforts and overcome your difficulties, you can see the clear blue sky at last. |
| 雲蒸竜変 | うんじょうりゅうへん | A hero is a product of the times. |
| 雲中白鶴 | うんちゅうはっかく | A beautiful and elegant lady like a white crane in the white clouds of blue sky. |
| 栄枯盛衰 | えいこせいすい | prosperity and decline |
| 傍目八目 | おかめはちもく | bystander's vantage point |
| 温厚篤実 | おんこうとくじつ | having a gentle and sincere personality |
| 温故知新 | おんこちしん | developing new ideas based on study of the past |
| 海闊天空 | かいかつてんくう | Heart and mind is wide like a sea and also clear like sky. |
| 快刀乱麻 | かいとうらんま | act decisively to solve a complicated problem |
| 臥薪嘗胆 | がしんしょうたん | endure a long and hard struggle |
| 花鳥風月 | かちょうふうげつ | the beauties of nature |
| 我田引水 | がでんいんすい | Every miller draws water to his own mill |
| 画竜点睛 | がりょうてんせい | the finishing stroke |
| 汗牛充棟 | かんぎゅうじゅうとう | a great number of books |
| 勧善懲悪 | かんぜんちょうあく | rewarding good and punishing evil |
| 艱難辛苦 | かんなんしんく | hardships |
| 疑心暗鬼 | ぎしんあんき | a doubt gnaw at |
| 喜怒哀楽 | きどあいらく | be a person of moods |
| 牛飲馬食 | ぎゅういんばしょく | drink like a fish and eat like a wolf |
| 九夏三伏 | きゅうかさんぷく | The most hottest day of summer season, 90 days from May to August. |
| 九牛一毛 | きゅうぎゅうのいちもう | a drop in the bucket |
| 九死一生 | きゅうしいっしょう | narrow escape from the jaw of death |
| 恐悦至極 | きょうえつしごく | extremely delighted |
| 行住坐臥 | ぎょうじゅうざが | usually |
| 曲学阿世 | きょくがくあせい | prostitution of learning, twisting the truth and truckling to the times |
| 玉石混淆 | ぎょくせきこんこう | mixture of the good and bad |
| 魚目燕石 | ぎょもくえんせき | Almost indistinguishable faked items such as the eye ball of fish and the stone jwel from Mt Enzan in China. So confusing which is genuine or imitation. |
| 議論百出 | ぎろんひゃくしゅつ | Heated discussion which came out one hundred different opinions. |
| 金科玉条 | きんかぎょくじょう | golden rule |
| 空前絶後 | くうぜんぜつご | the first and probably the last |
| 空理空論 | くうりくうろん | an empty, impractical theory |
| 苦学力行 | くがくりっこう | strenuous pursuit of learning under difficulties |
| 群雄割拠 | ぐんゆうかっきょ | rivalry between warlords |
| 鯨飲馬食 | げいいんばしょく | drinking like a fish and eat like a horse |
| 鶏口牛後 | けいこうぎゅうご | better to be the beak of a rooster than the rump of a bull |
| 月下氷人 | げっかひょうじん | matchmaker |
| 言行一致 | げんこういっち | behavior consistent with one's words |
| 乾坤一擲 | けんこんいってき | stake everything one has |
| 捲土重来 | けんどちょうらい | regain/recoup lost ground |
| 堅忍不抜 | けんにんふばつ | perseverance |
| 行雲流水 | こううんりゅうすい | A cloud moving across the sky and a river running through the land |
| 厚顔無恥 | こうがんむち | impudent |
| 虎頭蛇尾 | こうとだび | weak ending |
| 公明正大 | こうめいせいだい | fairness |
| 呉越同舟 | ごえつどうしゅう | bitter enemies in the same boat |
| 五臓六腑 | ごぞうろっぷ | the bowels |
| 言語道断 | ごんごどうだん | outrageous |
| 才気煥発 | さいきかんぱつ | brilliant |
| 在在所所 | ざいざいしょしょ | hither and thither |
| 再三再四 | さいさんさいし | repeatedly |
| 才色兼備 | さいしょくけんび | a lady gifted with both wits and beauty |
| 三寒四温 | さんかんしおん | alternation of three cold and four warm days |
| 三々五々 | さんさんごご | in groups of twos and threes |
| 三者三様 | さんしゃさんよう | each of the three is different from the other two |
| 山紫水明 | さんしすいめい | a place famous for its natural beauty |
| 三千世界 | さんぜんせかい | the whole world |
| 山川草木 | さんせんそうもく | natural scenery |
| 三位一体 | さんみいったい | Trinity |
| 四苦八苦 | しくはっく | be in great trouble |
| 質実剛健 | しちじつごうけん | sincere and sturdy |
| 疾風勁草 | しっぷうけいそう | You can tell a person's ability when he is facing a difficulty |
| 疾風迅雷 | しっぷうじんらい | as quick as lightning |
| 四面楚歌 | しめんそか | With enemies on all sides. |
| 自由闊達 | じゆうかったつ | free and easy |
| 主客転倒 | しゅかくてんとう | putting the cart before the horse. |
| 取捨選択 | しゅしゃせんたく | selection |
| 種種雑多 | しゅじゅざった | various opinions |
| 首尾一貫 | しゅびいっかん | consistent |
| 白河夜船 | しらかわよぶね | be fast asleep |
| 芝蘭玉樹 | しらんぎょくじゅ | Excellent human resources |
| 事理明白 | じりめいはく | facts being beyond dispute |
| 神出鬼没 | しんしゅつきぼつ | appears and disappears like a phantom |
| 周章狼狽 | しゅうしょうろうばい | bewilderment |
| 十人十色 | じゅうにんといろ | No snowflakes fall in the same spot. |
| 小心翼翼 | しょうしんよくよく | cautiously |
| 針小棒大 | しんしょうぼうだい | exaggeration |
| 人生行路 | じんせいこうろ | journey of life |
| 森羅万象 | しんらばんしょう | all things in nature |
| 随処為主 | ずいしょいしゅ | Always be independent and act regardless of the environment or circumstances. |
| 水清無魚 | すいせいむぎょ | being too morally upright will not earn you friends |
| 水天一碧 | すいてんいっぺき | Sky of blue and ocean of blue mixed with at the horizon. |
| 星河一天 | せいがいってん | Countless stars are shining all over the sky. |
| 星火燎原 | せいかりょうげん | a single spark can start a prairie fire |
| 晴耕雨読 | せいこううどく | work in the field in fine weather and stay at home reading when it is wet |
| 生生流転 | せいせいるてん | all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth |
| 是々非々 | ぜぜひひ | free and unbiased |
| 是非善悪 | ぜひぜんあく | rights and wrongs |
| 千客万来 | せんきゃくばんらい | have a great number of visitors |
| 千差万別 | せんさばんべつ | vary widely |
| 千載一遇 | せんざいいちぐう | a rare opportunity |
| 千変万化 | せんぺんばんか | change endlessly |
| 荘厳美麗 | そうごんびれい | majestic and splendid |
| 大同小異 | だいどうしょうい | nearly alike |
| 大同団結 | だいどうだんけつ | unite for a common purpose |
| 単刀直入 | たんとうちょくにゅう | be straightforward |
| 断簡零墨 | だんかんれいぼく | Small sentences written on the memo sheet with a brush pen. |
| 知行合一 | ちこうごういつ | awareness comes only through practice |
| 池魚籠鳥 | ちぎょろうちょう | have many constraints and regulations |
| 朝改暮変 | ちょうかいぼへん | Sudden shift of orders without any principle and explanations. |
| 跳梁跋扈 | ちょうりょうばっこ | being rampant |
| 朝令暮改 | ちょうれいぼかい | inconsistent behavior |
| 猪突猛進 | ちょとつもうしん | rush recklessly |
| 適材適所 | てきざいてきしょ | the right man in the right place |
| 天衣無縫 | てんいむほう | be flawlessly composed |
| 天下布武 | てんかふぶ | unify the nation by force |
| 電光石火 | でんこうせっか | quick as lightning |
| 当意即妙 | とういそくみょう | quickly make a witty reply |
| 同工異曲 | どうこういきょく | be practically the same |
| 東奔西走 | とうほんせいそう | run around everywhere |
| 桃李成蹊 | とうりせいけい | Lots of people gather under a man of virtue |
| 独立独歩 | どくりつどっぽ | self-reliance |
| 独立不羈 | どくりつふき | acting according to one's own beliefs |
| 図南鵬翼 | となんほうよく | The analogy of planning big projects and overseas |
| 南船北馬 | ないせんほくば | constant travelling |
| 内憂外患 | ないゆうがいかん | troubles at home and abroad |
| 肉山脯林 | にくざんほりん | Big dining party with lots of meats like a mountain and dried meat like a bush. |
| 破顔一笑 | はがんいっしょう | break into a broad smile |
| 白砂青松 | はくしゃせいしょう | beautiful stretch of sandy beach |
| 白兎赤烏 | はくとせきう | White rabbit live on moon.” which means month, and “ Tree legged red crow live on sun.” which means date. That is Month & Date. |
| 馬耳東風 | ばじとうふう | in one ear and out the other |
| 八面玲瓏 | はちめんれいろう | beautiful from all sides |
| 八面六臂 | はちめんろっぴ | Versatile, competent in many fields |
| 罵詈雑言 | ばりぞうごん | F-word |
| 万紫千紅 | ばんしせんこう | all sorts of flowers rioting in all their glory. |
| 万事如意 | ばんじにょい | have all one's wishes |
| 半死半生 | はんしはんしょう | more dead than alive |
| 万事万端 | ばんじばんたん | everything |
| 万物流転 | ばんぶつるてん | everything is constantly changing |
| 万里一空 | ばんりいっくう | We're all under the same sky. |
| 万里同風 | ばんりどうふう | The world is peaceful. |
| 美意延年 | びいえんねん | If you feel good without having any worries, you can live longer. |
| 美辞麗句 | びじれいく | string together all sorts of flowery words |
| 眉目秀麗 | びもくしゅうれい | handsome |
| 百折不撓 | ひゃくせつふとう | indefatigability |
| 百家争鳴 | ひゃっかそうめい | free and lively discussion by scholars and controversialists |
| 百下百全 | ひゃっかひゃくぜん | complete |
| 百花繚乱 | ひゃっかりょうらん | multitude of flowers |
| 表裏一体 | ひょうりいったい | two sides of the same coin |
| 風光明媚 | ふうこうめいび | scenic |
| 夫唱婦随 | ふしょうふずい | the wife following the lead set by her husband |
| 不撓不屈 | ふとうふくつ | unyielding |
| 舞文弄法 | ぶぶんろうほう | Interpret the terms of the law for one's own purpose |
| 無礼千万 | ぶれいせんばん | extremely rude |
| 付和雷同 | ふわらいどう | follow blindly |
| 粉骨砕身 | ふんこつさいしん | do one's best |
| 文人墨客 | ぶんじんぼっかく | writers and artists |
| 平穏無事 | へいおんぶじ | peaceful |
| 平身低頭 | へいしんていとう | go down on one's knees |
| 本末転倒 | ほんまつてんとう | put the cart before the horse |
| 無芸大食 | むげいたいしょく | has no virtues other than his sound appetite |
| 無知蒙昧 | むちもうまい | unenlightened |
| 無味乾燥 | むみかんそう | dull |
| 無明長夜 | むみょうじょうや | the long night of spiritual darkness |
| 無理算段 | むりさんだん | strain one's credit |
| 明鏡止水 | めいきょうしすい | a mind as serene as a polished mirror |
| 面従腹背 | めんじゅうふくはい | pretending to obey but secretly betraying |
| 面目躍如 | めんもくやくじょ | demonstrative of one's worth |
| 夜郎自大 | やろうじだい | being a big fish in a small pond |
| 有名無実 | ゆうめいむじつ | nominal |
| 羊質虎皮 | ようしつこひ | showy without real worth |
| 羊頭狗肉 | ようとうくにく | cries wine and sells vinegar. |
| 夜目遠目 | よめとおめ | woman looks much more beautiful when seen from afar, in the dark, or hatted. |
| 離合集散 | りごうしゅうさん | alliance and rupture |
| 理路整然 | りろせいぜん | logically consistent |
| 竜騰虎闘 | りゅうとうことう | people with the same power fight with all their might. |
| 竜頭蛇尾 | りゅうとうだび | anticlimax |
| 竜吟虎嘯 | りゅうぎんこしょう | Those who have the same thoughts and opinions can communicate with each other. |
| 魯魚章草 | ろぎょしょうそう | miswriting a word |
| 老成円熟 | ろうせいえんじゅく | Experienced skill of the old veteran who can cool decision with maturity. |
| 六道輪廻 | ろくどうりんね | endless circle of transmigration in the six posthumous worlds |
| 和魂洋才 | わこんようさい | Japanese spirit combined with Western learning |
| 和風慶雲 | わふうけいうん | A gentle blowing windy and fresh cloud. |