Proverb: 猫に小判 Give a Cat a Gold Coin

猫に小判 Cast Pearls to a Swine

 

猫に小判

Japanese ねこ に こばん neko ni koban Literal Give money to a cat English Equivalent To cast pearls before swine Notes 猫に neko ni (give) to a cat [に shows direction]; A 小判 koban was an oval gold coin used during the Edo period; 豚に真珠 buta ni shinju Pearls to a pig, from the Bible, is also used often and means basically the same thing.

 

宝石に興味のない人にダイヤモンドを上げても、猫に小判だ。
houseki ni kyoumi no nai hito ni daiyamondo o agetemo, neko ni koban da.
For someone who has no interest in precious stones, even giving him a diamond would be casting pearls before swine.

 

宝石 houseki—precious stones, gems
興味のない人 kyoumi no nai hito—a person not interested in...
ダイヤモンド daiyamondo—diamond
上げても agete mo—even if (you give him a diamond)

Proverb: 猿も木から落ちる Even Monkeys Fall from Trees

猿も木から落ちる Even Monkeys fall from Trees

猿も木から落ちる

Japanese さるも　き　から　おちる saru mo ki kara ochiru Literal Even monkeys fall from trees. English Equivalent Everyone makes mistakes. Notes One of the most famous Japanese proverbs out there! 猿も saru mo - Even a Monkey 木から ki kara - from a tree 落ちる ochiru - to fall

The example sentence (not to be taken too seriously), is more for intermediates:

猿も木から落ちるというけど、あんなに賢い国語の先生が、「一」という字を間違えたな んて信じられない。
saru mo ki kara ochiru to iu kedo, anna ni kashikoi kokugo no sensei ga, ichi to iu ji o machigaeta nante shijirarenai
As they say, "Even monkeys fall from trees," but for such a brilliant Japanese teacher to mess up such a character is hard to believe.

 

猿も saru mo - Even a Monkey
木から ki kara - from a tree
落ちる ochiru - to fall
という to iu - is like a quotation marker
けど kedo - but
あんなに annani- for such a
賢い kashikoi - wise; bright; clever
国語の先生 kokugo no sensei - teacher of Japanese
一 ichi - one; indisputedly the easiest of all kanji
という to iu - is like a quotation marker
字 ji - character; here meaning Chinese characters
間違えた machigaeta -　made a mistake
なんて nante -　such as but with a negative emphasis
信じられない shinjirarenai - I can't believe it

塵も積もれば Even Dust when Pilled...

塵も積もれば、山となる Even Dust, When Piled up, Will Become a Mountain.

 

塵も積もれば、山となる

Japanese ちりもつもれば、やまとなる chiri mo tsumoreba, yama to naru Literal Even dust when pile up, becomes a mountain. English Equivalent Many a little makes a mickle. [mickle (noun) a large amount] Notes 塵も chiri mo Dust too The も (also, too) is better expressed as 'even' in English 積もれば tsumoreba If piled up Conditional (-eba) form of 積もる tsumoru accumulate; pile up

 

毎日、英単語をひとつずつおぼえよう。ちりも積もれば、山となるというからね。
mainichi, eitango o hitotsu zutsu oboeyou. chiri mo tsumoreba, yama to naru to iu kara ne.
Learn one English word each day. As they say, even dust when piled up becomes a mountain.

 

毎日 mainichi—sudden; unexpected
英単語 eitango—earthquake
を o—people [The 々shows repetition of the previous kanji: 人人; Note the sound change on the second 'hito']
ひとつずつ hitotsu zutsu—Use する with 右往左往
おぼえよう oboeyou—Volitional form of 覚える oboeru meaning "Let's learn"; memorize, learn
というからね to iu kara ne—'As they say'

右往左往 Run about in Confusion

右往左往 Running around like a chicken with its head cut off

 

右往左往

Japanese うおうさおう u ou sa ou Literal go right and left English Equivalent Running around like a chicken with its head cut off; go in all directions Notes Learning this 四字熟語 is a great way to remember the on readings of right and left. I don't know about you, but learning みぎ and ひだり seemed easy compared to remembering which was う and which was さ. If you can remember 'right' goes first, saying this fun word will help clear up the confusion. u (right) ou sa (left) ou 右折 u setsu--a right turn (often heard by car navigation systems) 左折 sa setsu--a left turn

 

突然の地震で人々は右往左往した。
totsuzen no jishin de hitobito wa uousaou shita.
A sudden earthquake caused the people to go in all directions.

 

突然の totsuzen no—sudden; unexpected
地震 jishin—earthquake
人々hito bito—people [The 々shows repetition of the previous kanji: 人人; Note the sound change on the second 'hito']
した shita—Use する with 右往左往

有頂天 Ecstasy

有頂天 Ecstasy

 

有頂天

Japanese うちょうてん u chou ten Literal Have (reached) the highest heaven English Equivalent On cloud nine; ecstasy; in raptures; be elated  Notes 有頂天 is a translation of the sanskrit word for the highest heaven in Buddhism. A 2005 star-studded comedy movie directed by 三谷幸喜 Mitani Koki was titled THE有頂天ホテル. OK, it isn't a FOUR character 四字熟語! But it is still useful!

 

一億円の宝くじをあてた人は有頂天になった。
ichi oku en no takarakuji o ateta hito wa uchouten ni natta.
The person who won the hundred million yen lottery was in ecstasy.

 

一億 ichi oku—100,000,000
宝くじ takara kuji—lottery
あてた ateta—hit the mark (for the lotter) [当ててみて atete mite Take a guess]
あてた人 ateta hito—the person who won (the lottery)
になった ni natta—になる

私利私欲 Greed

私利私欲 Greed; Self-Interest

 

私利私欲

Japanese しりしよく shi ri shi yoku Literal Self-interest and selfish desire English Equivalent Motivated by greed Notes 私 is the "I, me" pronoun watashi. Other common examples of using the し reading are: 私立学校 shiritsu gakkou Private school 私有 shi yuu Private ownership 私有地 shi yuu chi Private land 私的感情 shi teki kan jou Personal feelings

 

私利私欲に駆られる。
shirishiyoku ni karareru.
To be driven by greed.

 

駆られる karareru—be driven by...; be carried away by (one's feelings); succumb to (curiosity); be assailed by (fears) [ from Kodansha's 新和英大辞典]

自画自賛 Singing one's own Praises

自画自賛 Singing One's Own Praises

 

自画自賛

Japanese じがじさん ji ga ji san Literal One's own picture; praising oneself English Equivalent Singing one's own Praises Tooting one's own Horn Notes The 自 as you may guess adds the meaning of 'oneself.' You may know it from the common 自分 jibun 'oneself' and 自由 jiyuu 'freedom'

 

自画自賛に聞こえるかもしれませんが、ぼくは本当に歌がうまいよ。
jigajisan ni kikoeru kamoshiremasen ga, boku wa hontou ni uta ga umai yo
It may sound like I'm bragging, but I'm really good at singing.

 

に聞こえる ni kikoeru—sounds like... [太くに見える futoku ni mieru - to look (appear) fat]
かもしれません kamoshiremasen—may; might; possibly
が ga—but
ぼく boku—I (usually used with males)
本当に hontou ni—really; truly (adv)
歌 uta—song [in this case singing in general]
うまい umai—good at; skillful; cleaver [can also be used with food or drink to mean 'delicious']

豪華絢爛　magnificent; luxurious and splendid

豪華絢爛 Magnificent; Luxurious and Splendid

豪華絢爛

Japanese 豪華絢爛 gou ka ken ran Literal 豪華 gouka splendid 絢爛 kenran gorgeousness; ornateness English Equivalent Magnificent; Luxurious and Splendid Notes If you want to impress your host while visiting someone's house, 豪華絢爛 is a good word to use. It is also used for 'deluxe edition' of a book: 豪華版 goukaban This is also used idiomatically to say something is more than you expected. これは豪華版だ！ That (a meal) is quite something!

 

豪華絢爛な城。
goukakenran na shiro.
An elegant castle.

城 shiro—castle

 

彼女の結婚式は豪華絢爛だった。
kanojo no kekkonshiki wa goukakenran datta.
Her wedding was really splendid.

彼女 kanojo—she
結婚式 kekkon shiki—wedding ceremony [～式 ceremony]

 

豊臣秀吉の茶室は豪華絢爛だったと伝えられる。
toyotomi hideyoshi no chashitsu wa goukakenran datta to tsutaerareru.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's tea room is said to be have been exquisite

豊臣秀吉 toyotomi hideyoshi—Toyotomi Hideyoshi; a powerful daimyo during the sengoku period.
茶室 cha shitsu—room for the tea ceremony; tea house
と伝えられる to tsutaerareru—It is said...