The 15 most common Japanese proverbs
The top 3 according to 0 votes from people: Even monkeys fall from trees · Fall seven times, get up eight · Three years on a stone. (Updated Mar 4, 2024.)
Famous kotowaza used in everyday Japanese, with their meaning and the closest English equivalent. Chosen from standard dictionaries and proverb collections.
Automatically translated (original in 日本語). See the original
Top 15
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1
Even monkeys fall from trees
Even experts make mistakes.
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2
Fall seven times, get up eight
Never give up, however many times you fail.
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3
Three years on a stone
Patience and perseverance pay off in the end (even a cold stone warms up after three years).
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4
Dumplings rather than flowers
Choosing practical benefits over beauty (eating sweets at the cherry-blossom party instead of looking at the blossoms).
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5
Gold coins to a cat
Giving something valuable to someone who can't appreciate it. English: pearls before swine.
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6
If in a hurry, go around
When in a hurry, the safe, sure route is quicker. English: more haste, less speed.
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7
Even dust piles up into a mountain
Small things add up to something big.
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8
Ten people, ten colours
Everyone has different tastes and opinions.
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9
The frog in the well knows nothing of the great ocean
Someone with a narrow view who doesn't know the wider world.
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10
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down
Those who stand out get criticized or envied.
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11
Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once
Seeing for yourself beats hearing about it. English: seeing is believing.
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12
He who chases two hares catches neither
Try to do two things at once and you'll fail at both.
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13
Giving birth is easier than worrying about it
Things are usually easier once you actually do them.
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14
Even a dog that walks around bumps into a stick
If you go out and do things, you'll run into bad luck, or good luck.
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15
Spilt water doesn't return to the tray
What's done can't be undone. English: no use crying over spilt milk.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 15… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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16
One time, one meeting
Treasure every encounter, as it will never happen again; from the tea ceremony.
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