101 Common Japanese Idioms in Plain English

By Clay Boutwell and Yumi Boutwell

Discover 101 useful Japanese idioms.

Ever wondered what it means when your mouth is 'heavy,' how to 'use people with your chin,' or what 'grinding sesame' signifies in Japanese? Uncover the meanings behind these fascinating idioms and many more.

While this book is immensely beneficial even for beginners, hiragana and a basic understanding of Japanese sentence structure are required.

Once one zooms beyond the basics of a language, idiomatic expressions, proverbs, and slang can provide the spice to keep motivation up and progress going forward. This book will introduce 101 of the most common Japanese idioms.

We are including, at no extra charge, sound files for all the examples found in this book. Use these files to practice your pronunciation and listening.

In addition, we are also including a free Anki deck with sound of all the idioms found in the collection. Anki is a free flashcard software that will help you quickly remember these idioms.

In this edition, we've eliminated all Rōmaji (Roman letters) and limited Furigana (the small Hiragana over Kanji) to its first occurrence in each lesson. This approach may challenge beginners, but it's our way of ensuring your success in Japanese - consider it 'tough love. Our goal is your success in mastering Japanese. Early reliance on Rōmaji and Furigana can impede long-term progress.
We advocate for learning vocabulary in its proper context as the most effective method. Every idiom is followed by an example sentence and a paragraph or two explaining the context and usage.
To further support your learning journey, we're offering an exceptional collection of bonus materials:

300+ Sound Files

Anki Flashcard Deck

ePub and PDF versions of the book

An older version with romaji (not recommended but provided!)

For each idiom, we provide three accompanying sound files. All sound files have been recorded by native Japanese voice actors and actresses. The first sound file is the idiom itself. The second is the example sentence. The third sound file has the idiom, an English translation, the idiom repeated slowly, and the example sentence with translation. Try to mimic the Japanese speakers in sound and presentation. The download link for the complimentary sound files is located on the book's last page.

Don't wait any longer to enrich your Japanese vocabulary. Give your Japanese vocabulary a boost with 101 Common Japanese Idioms now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kotoba Inc
• Release date: Jul 4, 2022
• ISBN: 1463588801

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

Once one delves beyond the basics of a language, idiomatic expressions, proverbs, and slang add the spice that keeps motivation alive and progress moving forward. This book introduces 101 of the most common Japanese idioms.

Included at no extra charge are sound files for all the examples in this book. Use these files to practice your pronunciation and listening skills.

Additionally, we are providing a free Anki deck with the sound of all the idioms found in this collection. Anki is a free flashcard software that aids in quickly memorizing these idioms.

With this edition, we have eliminated all rōmaji (Roman letters) and limited furigana (the small hiragana over kanji) to only the first time the kanji appears in each lesson. For beginners, this may seem daunting, but consider it tough love. We aim for your success in Japanese, and relying too early on rōmaji and even furigana can be a stumbling block in the long run.

We believe the best way to learn vocabulary is by studying words within their proper context. Therefore, every idiom is followed by an example sentence and a paragraph or two explaining the context and usage.

Each idiom is accompanied by three sound files, recorded by native voice actors and actresses. The first sound file is the idiom itself, the second is the example sentence, and the third sound file includes the idiom, an English translation, the idiom repeated slowly, and the example sentence with translation. Mimic the Japanese speakers in both sound and presentation.

Please visit our TheJapanesePage.com (free) website and TheJapanShop.com webstore for more materials to learn Japanese. Become a Makoto+ member to receive our monthly magazine for learners and exclusive weekly lessons at www.MakotoPlus.com.

Please download the sound files (link provided on the last page). We hope this book alone will be helpful, but the sound files—in our opinion—greatly enhance its value.

Lastly, we welcome your feedback. If you have any suggestions to improve this book, please let us know.

Let's get started!

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Clay & Yumi Boutwell

[e-mail]

http://www.TheJapanShop.com

http://www.TheJapanesePage.com

https://www.MakotoPlus.com

Idiom 1

あいづちを打うつ

To throw in an appropriate word or sound of agreement (during a conversation)

 info When talking with someone, to show you are engaged in the conversation, you may nod or say things like That's right or You don't say! Examples of あいづち in Japanese are 「はい」,「うん」, 「へえ」, 「なるほど」.

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

あの人ひとの話はなしは面白おもしろくなかったけれど、一応いちおうあいづちを打うちながら聞きいていた。

That person's talk was not interesting, but I listened while throwing in the occasional uh huh and yes.

VOCABULARY:

あの人that person

話 talk; story

面白くなかったwasn't interesting [past negative of 面白おもしろい; present negative is 面白おもしろくない; past is 面白おもしろかった]

けれど but; however [sounds more casual thanが]

一応 more or less; somewhat; tentatively

～ながら while (nodding) [(masu-stem + ながら) → while doing~]

聞いていた was listening [past of 聞きいている (is listening), which is the continuous form of 聞きく(to listen; to hear); continuous form is the te-form verb + いる/いた which indicates 1) continuous action(~ing) or 2) continuous state/condition]

In Japan, active listening is highly valued, and あいづち is an essential part of social etiquette, reflecting attentiveness and respect towards the speaker.

Idiom 2

あけすけに言いう

say something frankly; openly; without reserve; blunt

 info This idiom is used when someone says something in a blunt manner.

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

あの人ひとは、なんでもあけすけに言いう。

That person is blunt about anything.

VOCABULARY:

あの人that person

は(topic marker)

なんでもanything [なん (fromなに) + でも (any); Example: いつでもany time, だれでもanybody, どこでもanywhere, etc.;なにbecomes なん sometimes (not always) when combined with other words; Example: なんですか？ (What is it?)]

あけすけにbluntly; frankly; openly; without reserve [あけすけ (blunt; unreserved); あけ (from あけるto open) + すけ (from すけるtransparent) + にa particle, sort of adverb-maker here, making あけすけ (na-adjective) into an adverb; example: きれい➝きれいに(する)]

言う says [言いう (to say; to tell)]



A name tag with black text Description automatically generated

Idiom 3

口くちが重おもい

be slow to speak; tongue-tied

 info This is used when someone speaks only a little or is very quiet.

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

佐藤さとうさんは、口くちが重おもいので、デート中ちゅうなにも話はなしませんでした。

Because Satou is someone who is slow to speak, she didn't say anything during her date.

VOCABULARY:

佐藤 Satou (a person’s name)

さん a suffix used for Mr, Ms, Mrs, etc.

は (topic marker)

口が重い slow to speak; tongue-tied [口くち (mouth) + が (subject marker) + 重おもい (heavy)]

ので therefore; because

デート中 during a date [デート (date) + 中 (during); example: 勉強中べんきょうちゅう (while studying)]

なにも nothing; not at all [used with negative endings]

話しませんでした didn’t speak [past and negative of 話はなしますwhich is polite of 話はなす (to talk)]

口が重い could be appreciated in contexts where discretion and thoughtfulness before speaking are valued.

Idiom 4

口くちを割わる

confess; spill the beans; tell

 info Very often this is used to get someone to confess a crime, but it can be used with any information, ideas, or secrets. A