There are many expressions which use body parts in Japanese. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
鼻が高い
This phrase literally translates to "one's nose is high." However, it's not a reference to the story of Pinocchio, where a long nose indicates lies. Instead, this idiom is a positive feeling of being proud.
When someone is proud, that person might lift his or her head, inadvertently causing their nose to point upwards. This physical gesture is recognized as a sign of pride or satisfaction.
The phrase can be compared to the English expression "to hold one's head up high" which signifies pride or confidence. But don't confuse it with "to look down one's nose at" which can denote a sense of superiority or disdain.
鼻が高い means “to be proud of” or "to take pride in"
For example, when you get a good grade on your test:
テストの点が良くて、私は鼻が高いです。
My grade on the test was excellent and I’m proud of myself.
Vocabulary
And even if it isn’t about yourself, you can feel pride. Like, if you have a younger brother who is good at sports:
私の弟は、スポーツ万能なので、鼻が高いです。
My brother is an all-around sports player and I’m proud of him.
Vocabulary
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顔が広い
This literally means “one’s face is large”. But it doesn’t actually mean having a big face.
You might use this expression to describe someone who is sociable, well-connected, and possesses good networking skills. It's akin to the English expression "having a wide circle of acquaintances" or being "well-connected."
Thus, 顔が広い is used to describe someone who "knows many people" or "has many connections" across various fields and social groups. It is generally considered a compliment, reflecting the person's sociability, influence, and ability to maintain a broad range of relationships.
顔が広い means “to know many people” or "be well-connected."
田中さんは、顔が広いので、どこに行っても挨拶ばかりしている。
Tanaka-san knows a lot of people and he is always being greeted everywhere he goes.
Vocabulary
This might suggest he's sociable, but being 顔が広い (well-connected) and 社交的 (sociable) are distinct concepts.
A sociable person might not have a wide circle of friends or acquaintances, whereas someone 顔が広い knows many people, often from casual work interactions. This term applies even if these connections are superficial.
For example, if someone has numerous friends on online social networks, they could be considered 顔が広い.
Conversely, 社交的 refers to an outgoing and communicative individual. It's less about the number of connections and more about the person's social behavior and temperament.社交的
Here is an example sentence with 社交的:
彼女はとても社交的で、どんなパーティーでもすぐに友達を作ることができます。
She is very sociable and can make friends easily at any party.
