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Idioms IV: Yojijukugo

第378課: Idioms IV: 四字熟語

四字熟語 literally means "four character compound word". Technically, the term refers to all words made up of four characters. In a narrow-sense, the word refers to four character set expressions. That is what we will be discussing. For academic punctuality, the term "四字成語" is preferred because it means "four character set phrase". However, most people refer to them as "四字熟語". Due to their origin, most can also be called "四字漢語".

What is an Idiom?

Japanese people will easily tell you that the following is a set phrase.

弁慶の泣き所

弁慶べんけい means "strong man" and 泣き所 means "place where one cries". Together, the phrase refers to the shin. If you are kicked in the shin, even if you are a strong man, you are going to cry.

Idioms are rated by "idiomaticity"--how idiomatic something is. Every Japanese person knows 四面楚歌(しめんそか) (to be surrounded by enemies on all four sides) and 波瀾万丈(はらんばんじょう) (stormy and full of drama). Phrases like 大学教育 (college education) are non-idiomatic. The idiomatic ones, though, are important to entrance exams in Japan, and they're often used in showing off to other people.

Again, the term normally refers to such words that deviate from a literal direct translation. Some compounds create a problem. For example, many idioms in Japanese have been introduced through direct translation.

A 四字熟語	教室崩壊	きょうしつほうかい	Destruction of the classroom
A Generic Idiom	氷山の一角	ひょうざんのいっかく	Tip of the iceberg
Idiom of the Body	鼻の差で	はなのさで	By a nose

To the English speaker, these expressions are no doubt idiomatic. As for the typical 四字熟語, they are not 'deviant' from the original definition. Most 四字熟語 come from Buddhist texts/Chinese literature.

It is to note that non-idiomatic (four character) expressions can over time obtain an idiomatic usage. 一時停止, which means "suspension", can now describe a guy stopping traffic because he won't go.

The 6 Sources

From modern society-- 官官接待"bureaucrats entertaining bureaucrats using public funds".
Made in Japan, many are reading with 訓読み--手練手管（てれんてくだ） "art of coaxing".
From Chinese literature--臥薪嘗胆（がしんしょうたん） "enduring unspeakable hardships for the sake of vengeance".
Buddhist terminology--四苦八苦 "the four and eight kinds of suffering"
The insertion of 之 which has been used in neo-classical and Chinese-style Japanese literature in place of の. These phrases are arguably not 四字熟語
From 訓読, the process of reading 漢文. So, they're Classical Japanese sentences fit to Chinese syntax and pronunciation. These phrases are often considered anachronistic. As such, they tend to not be in dictionaries.

At times, 四字熟語 originating from Chinese have deviated in meaning. 七転八倒（しちてんばっとう） means "writhing in agony" in Japanese and "very confused" in Chinese. There is also obvious significant phonetic deviation.

Analysis of 64 四字熟語

You aren't required to memorize them all, but they are great practice. There isn't a particular ordering of the idioms.

一刀両断（いっとうりょうだん）
One-sword-both (sides)-cut into
1. To cut in two with a single blow
2. To take drastic measures

色即是空（しきそくぜくう）
Rupa-in other words-there is-vanity
1. All is vanity
Note: 色 (rupa) means all things have shape

手前味噌（てまえみそ）
My-miso
1. Self-flattery
Note: 手前 is used with its humble first person pronoun definition.

付和雷同
ふわらいどう
Attach-peace-thunder-same
1. To follow people blindly.

暖衣飽食（だんいほうしょく）
Warm-clothes-tired of-eating
1. Well-fed and well-dressed
2. Being blessed materially
Note: May also be written as 煖衣飽食.

一期一会（いちごいちえ）
One-time-one-meet
1. Once in a lifetime (encounter)
Note: Of Japanese in origin

美人薄命（びじんはくめい）
Beauty-person-thin-life
1. A beautiful woman is destined to die young
2. Beauty and fortune seldom go together
3. The beautiful die young

月下氷人（げっかひょうじん）
Moon-under-ice-person
1. Matchmaker; go-between

唯我独尊（ゆいがどくそん）
Only-self-alone-honor
1. Self-righteousness
2. Holy am I alone

二股膏薬（ふたまたごうやく）
Two-sides-salve
1. Double-dealer
2. Moving back and forth between two sides in a conflict
Also read as ふたまこうやく, and it is Japanese in origin.

一石二鳥（いっせきにちょう）
One-stone-two-birds
1. Killing two birds with one stone
Note: Originally an English expression.

呉越同舟（ごえつどうしゅう）
Go-Etsu-same-boat
1. Bitter enemies in the same boat by fate
Note: From a Chinese story where Go and Etsu were old rivals that toppled the vessel when they had to be together, which in turn made them have to save each other.

順風満帆（じゅんぷうまんぱん）
Gentle-wind-full-sails
1. Smooth sailing; everything going smoothly

悪因悪果（あくいんあっか）
Evil-cause-evil-result
1. You reap what you sow
Note: Originally from Buddhist scriptures.

弱肉強食（じゃくにくきょうしょく）
Weak-meat-strong-eat
1. Survival of the fittest
2. Laws of the Jungle

寂滅為楽（じゃくめついらく）
Loneliness-destroy-to do-happiness
1. Freedom from one's desires
2. Nirvana is true bliss
Note: Originally from Buddhist scriptures

色恋沙汰（いろこいざた）
Sensual-love-affair
1. Love affair
2. Romantic entanglement

酔生夢死（すいせいむし）
Drunken-life-dream-death
1. Idling one's life away
2. Dreaming away one's life accomplishes nothing significant

十人十色（じゅうにんといろ）
Ten-people-ten-colors
1. To each his own
2. So many people, so many minds
3. Everyone has his own interests and ideas

朝三暮四（ちょうさんぼし）
Morning-three-evening-four
1. Being preoccupied with immediate superficial differences without realizing that there is no difference in substance
Note: From a story where a monkey feeder would feed a monkey three horse chestnuts in the morning and four in the evening and switched it around because he got mad.

異体同心
いたいどうしん
Different-body-different-mind
1. Being of one mind; acting in one accord/perfect harmony

会者定離
えしゃじょうり
Meeting-person-always-separates
1. Those who meet must part
Note: Originated from Buddhist scriptures

生者必滅
しょうじゃひつめつ
Living-people-certainly-die
1. All living things must die
Note: Originated from Buddhist scriptures

我田引水
がでんいんすい
Own-field-draw-water
1. Self-seeking
2. Feathering one's own nest
3. Drawing water for one's own field
Originated from the rich agrarian society of old China and Japan.

五里夢中
ごりむちゅう
Five-ri (2.44 miles)-fog-inside
1. Totally at a loss; in a fog

古色蒼然
こしょくそうぜん
Old-color-blue-is
1. Antique-looking
2. With the patina of age

羊頭狗肉
ようとうくにく
Sheep-head-dog-meat
1. Crying wine and selling vinegar; using a better name to sell inferior goods
2. Extravagant advertisement

黒風白雨（こくふうはくう）
Black-wind-white-rain
1. Sudden rain shower in a dust storm

高山流水（こうざんりゅうすい）
Tall-mountain-running-water
1. Beauty of nature
2. Beautifully played music
3. Tall mountains and rushing water

花鳥風月
かちょうふうげつ
Flower-bird-wind-moon
1. The beauties of nature

三々五々（さんさんごご）
Three-three-five-five
1. In small groups

一望千里（いちぼうせんり）
One-hope-thousand-ri
1. Sweeping expanse

五風十雨（ごふうじゅうう）
Five-wind-ten-rain
1. Halcyon weather/times

九死一生（きゅうしいっしょう）
Nine-deaths-one-life
1. Narrow escape from death

五十知命（ごじゅうちめい）
Fifty-wisdom-life
1. At 50 one comes to know the will of Heaven
Note: This is a Confucius saying.

朝雲暮雨（ちょううんぼう）
Morning-clouds-evening-rain
Sexual liaison

三千世界（さんぜんせかい）
Three-thousand-worlds
1. The whole universe

一文半銭（いちもんはんせん）
One-mon-half-sen
1. Meager sum of money

一文不通（いちもんふつう）
One-sentence-block
Totally illiterate

一陽来復（いちようらいふく）
One-sun-return
The return of spring

一利一害（いちりいちがい）
One-profit-one gain
1. Advantage and its disadvantage

一挙一動（いっきょいちどう）
One-action-one-move
1. One's every move

一死報国（いっしほうこく）
One-death-patriotism
1. Dying for one's country

浅学非才（せんがくひさい）
Shallow-learning-no-ability
1. Lack of learning and ability

円満具足（えんまんぐそく）
Satisfactory-completeness
1. Complete, tranquil, and in harmony

再三再四（さいさんさいし）
Re-three-re-four
1. Repeatedly

人心一新（じんしんいっしん）
Person-heart-one-new
1. Complete change in public sentiment

一心同体（いっしんどうたい）
One-heart-same-body
1. One in body and soul

一路平安（いちろへいあん）
One-road-security
Bon voyage

一路順風（いちろじゅんぷう）
One-road-gentle-wind
1. Everything going well

心機一転（しんきいってん）
Heart-move-turn
Change in attitude

意気投合（いきとうごう）
Spirit-congeniality
1. Find a kindred spirit

才子多病（さいしたびょう）
Genius-child-many-diseases
1. Talented people tend to be delicate
2. Men of genius tend to be of delicate health

九牛一毛（きゅうぎゅういちもう）
Nine-cows-one-hair
1. A drop in the ocean

一衣帯水（いちいたいすい）
One-clothes-obi-water
1. Being separated by a narrow stretch of water

清風明月（せいふうめいげつ）
Pure-wind-bright-moon
1. Refreshing breeze and the bright moon

純一無雑（じゅんいちむざつ）
Pure-one-no-disarray
1. Pure in heart

下意上達（かいじょうたつ）
Lower idea-advance
1. Conveyance of lower class opinions to the powers that be

急転直下（きゅうてんちょっか）
Sudden-change-directly-under
1. Suddenly and precipitately

悠々自適（ゆうゆうじてき）
Leisure-leisure-self-capable
1. Otium cum dignitate
2. Living a life of leisure and dignity

海千山千（うみせんやません）
Ocean-thousand-mountain-thousand
1. A sly old dog of much worldly wisdom
Note: Japanese in origin

乾坤一擲（けんこんいってき）
Universe-one-off away
1. Play for all or nothing

厚顔無恥（こうがんむち）
Heavy-face-no-shame
1. Brazen and unscrupulous; shameless

傍目八目
おかめはちもく
Side-eye-eight-eyes
1. A bystander's vantage point
2. Onlookers of a game see more than the actual players do

Additional 四字熟語