Answers

(1) C

蜿蜿長蛇（えんえんちょうだ）

e.g. 駅前(えきまえ)のラーメン屋は、いつも開店前(かいてんまえん)から、蜿蜿長蛇(えんえんちょうだ)の列(れつ)ができています。

(There is always a long line at the ramen shop in front of the station before it opens.)

(2) A

竜頭蛇尾（りゅうとうだび）

e.g. 去年(きょねん)は、毎日(まいにち)運動(うんどう)するつもりでしたが、竜頭蛇尾(りゅうとうだび)に終(お)わってしまいました。

(Last year, I had intended to do exercises every day, but in the end, my effort petered out.)

(3) D

画蛇添足（がだてんそく）

e.g. この文(ぶん)は、画蛇添足(がだてんそく)が多すぎて、わかりにくいです。

(This sentence is difficult to understand because it has too many unnecessary additions.)

(4) B

已己巳己（いこみき）

e.g. ラマとアルパカは已己巳己のようです。

(Llama and alpaca are similar to each other.)

References:

・四字熟語辞典online

・Wikipedia

・コトバンク

・goo辞書

by Etsuko Sisley, Sept 2024, edited by Joseph Willis

ことわざと四字熟語（よじじゅくご）（クイズ）

Proverbs & Four-Kanji Character Idioms

Let’s learn some 四字熟語 (よじじゅくご = four-kanji character idiomatic phrases)!  Can you guess which kanji character to choose to complete each phrase?

All images: Irasutoya

Answers

(1) D

右往左往（うおうさおう）

e.g. となりの家が火事(かじ)になったので、みんな、右往左往(うおうさおう)しました。

(Because the house next door caught fire, everybody ran around in a panic.)

(2) C

一日千秋（いちじつせんしゅう）

e.g. 冬休みに日本へ旅行(りょこう)するので、一日千秋(いちじつせんしゅう)の思いで待っています。

(Since I'll be taking a trip to Japan during winter break, every moment waiting feels like an eternity.)

(3) B

異口同音（いくどうおん）

e.g. クラスメイトは、「日本語はおもしろい」と異口同音(いくどうおん)に言いました。

(All classmates unanimously said, “Japanese is fun”.)

(4) A

一心同体（いっしんどうたい）

e.g. 私たちは、一心同体でがんばったから、オリンピックで金(きん)メダルがとれました！

(We worked together as one and won a gold medal!)

References:

・故事・ことわざ研究会　編. (2023).『早引き　四字熟語辞典』. ナツメ社

・Wikipedia

貰えるものは夏も小袖

もらえるものはなつもこそで・Moraeru mono wa natsu mo kosode
Greedy people would even get warm underwear in summer.

My mother used to use it, but I did not know the meaning of this kotowaza, so I looked it up. Even though “kosode” sounds like a small kimono, it means a warm underwear-type kimono. So, it means “I will get anything if it is free, even warm underwear in summer.” My mother often uses the latter half “Natsu mo kosode” by itself.

竜頭蛇尾

りゅうとうだび・ryūtō dabi
Dragon Head, Snake Tail

The kanjis mean “dragon”, “head”, “snake”, and “tail”. It means something starts fiercely like a dragon, but it ends weakly like a snake, in an anticlimax. People use this phrase to caution others to pace themselves in prolonged efforts (a race, a project, studying) so that they finish strongly.

逆鱗に触れる

げきりんにふれる・gekirin ni fureru
To touch a reversed scale

逆 means reversed or opposite, 鱗 is a fish scale, and 触れる means to touch. A dragon is usually tame and friendly, but it has a scale which grows a reversed way around its neck, and when something or someone touches the scale, it hurts the dragon and makes it very angry.

Situation: A and B saw the section manager get very angry with Mr. Yamada.

A: ＿＿さんにすごくってたね。

B: うん、あんなにしいがるなんて何かさんがしたことが逆鱗に触れたんだろうね。

A: Section manager was very angry at Mr. Yamada.

B: Yeah, somthing Mr. Yamada has done must have touched manager’s reversed scale, since she's usually very nice.

(Editor's Note: That's similar to "rubbing someone the wrong way" in English! I usually see the reversed scale being used in reference to angering one's senior.)

Well, how were the phrases with a dragon? I heard people call the dragon of 2024 tumultuous because it began with earthquakes and big accidents. I hope it will calm down soon.

by Etsuko Sisley, Fall 2023, edited by Joseph Willis

ことわざと数　（クイズ）

This time we have kotowaza each with a pair of numbers in them. How many expressions do you know? Choose a pair of numbers for each phrase. The answer will be at the end of the article!

Answers:
1.  (二・三)   二束三文（にそくさんもん・Nisoku Sanmon）
"Dirt Cheap". It literally means that something is sold for “3-mon” for “two bunches”. “Mon” is an old currency. “1-mon” is about 30 cents in today’s money.

2.  (一・一)　一期一会（いちごいちえ・Ichigo Ichie）
”Ichigo” means “one time”, and “ichie” means “one meeting”. In the tea ceremony, this phrase is used to appreciate any given meeting, since the weather, the temperature, people’s physical and mental condition, and the people gathered will never be exacty the same twice.

3. (七・八)　七転び八起き（ななころびやおき・Nanakorobi Yaoki）
It means “Fall down 7 times, get up 8". It sounds painful, but it also means "always rising after a fall". It describes the determination to never give up, even in the face of life's changing fortunes.

4. (十・十)　十人十色（じゅうにんといろ・Jūnin Toiro）
”Ten people, ten colors.” An English equivalent would be "Different strokes for different folks". Everyone has their own preferences.

5. (三・四)　三寒四温（さんかんしおん・Sankan Shion）
"Three cold (days) and four warm (days).” It describes gradually warming weather. People say this phrase while waiting for Spring.

No time to prep? Do you want to do something different in class? Do you need a mini project?  Then how about a 15-second Kotowaza Video Project? The idea is simple. Students pick a Japanese proverb, either from this list or of their own choice, and create 15-second Japanese Proverb videos.  All they have to do is visually explain or express the concept of the kotowaza within the 15-second time frame and share them with classmates.

The idea was inspired from the “New York Times 15 seconds Vocabulary Video Challenge”
New York Times 15 seconds Vocabulary Video examples can be found on Youtube.

Objective: Engage students in a creative and enjoyable activity while reinforcing Japanese language skills through the exploration and presentation of kotowaza.

Sample Schedule
・Class 1: Form pairs or groups and have students choose a kotowaza, either from the provided list or of their own choice.  Guide them in planning their 15-second video concept.
・Class 2 : Allow students to shoot, edit, and make necessary adjustments to their videos. This could also be assigned as homework.
・Class 3 (Optional):  Provide an opportunity for students to share their videos in class. Alternatively, videos can be shared asynchronously on platforms like Canvas.

Comments and Interaction:
・Encourage students to write comments while watching the videos, promoting language practice.
・For instance, simply writing presenters' names serves as a good review for katakana. Practicing katakana may be dull, but it becomes enjoyable when you write your friends' names. Comments like 'おもしろかったです' reinforce the structure of adjective + past tense structures. (Not おもしろいでした！ ）

Adaptability
・The 15-second video format is versatile and can be applied to various activities. For example, in an Extensive Reading Program, students can create book recommendation commercials (CMs).

Encouragement
・Emphasize the importance of positive feedback to create a supportive learning environment.
・Teachers can play a crucial role in fostering creativity and language development.

二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず。

にとをおうものはいっとをもえず
Ni to wo ou mono wa itto wo mo ezu.

The person who chases two rabbits catches neither.

This is the most famous proverb with a rabbit in it. It warns that if you divide your attention among too many tasks, you will accomplish none.

うさぎに祭文

うさぎにさいもん・usagi ni saimon

Saimon to a rabbit

“Saimon” are ceremonial chants or phrases used to pray to kami and buddhas during festivals, and are difficult to understand. A rabbit will not understand the chants as much as you try, so this is a metaphor for ineffective efforts. There is a similar proverb 馬の耳に念仏（うまのみみに　ねんぶつ）"A prayer in a horse's ears", which means that no matter how earnest the prayers spoken in its ears, a horse will not understand them.

うさぎの上り坂

うさぎののぼりざか・usagi no noborizaka

A rabbit uphill

This is said of a situation that plays into someone's strengths, since a rabbit is good at running

uphill though it is tough for other animals.

by Etsuko Sisley, Fall 2022

ことわざと茄子

Hello! This time, we will look at proverbs which have an eggplant, “nasu” or “nasubi”, in it since eggplant is in season right now. 

親の意見となすびの花は千に一つも無駄が無い。

おやのいけんと なすびのはなは せんにひとつも むだがない。
Oya no iken to nasubi no hana wa sen ni hitotsu mo muda ga nai.

Advice from parents and eggplant flowers never go wasted.

虎の子

とらのこ・Tora no ko

Tiger cub

It is used for something important and precious. It is often used in money expressions such as 虎の子の１０万円（とらのこの　じゅうまんえん）“the 1000 yen I've been saving.”

虎の巻

とらのまき・Tora no maki

Tiger scroll

It means a hidden and protected document. Nowadays, it can mean reference books such as Cliff Notes, strategy guides, or a book of trade secrets.

虎口を脱する

ここうをだっする・Kokō o dassuru

Escaping from the tiger’s mouth

You can imagine the scene, right? It means “a narrow escape.”

虎穴に入らずんば、虎子を得ず。
こけつにいらずんば、こじをえず。
Koketsu ni irazunba, koji o ezu.

If you do not go into a tiger’s den, you will not get a tiger cub.

This proverb means that you must risk something to procure success.