Japanese proverbs — Lessons for life
Japanese sayings and idioms are full of ancient wisdom. Japanese proverbs are called ことわざ (kotowaza) and can be constructed as simple sayings or deeper, philosophical phrases.
Traditional Japanese culture has always been related to agriculture, so many proverbs reflect customs and practices related to it. Some proverbs refer to the game of Go and many others to Buddhism. There are four-character expressions called yojijukugo (四字熟語) from Chinese philosophy that are also considered popular phrases or proverbs that express a moral thought, advice or teaching. Normally only the beginning of the proverb is quoted to make it easier to speak.
I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu井の中の蛙大海を知らず
This proverb literally means “A frog in a well knows nothing of the sea.” It refers to someone who sees the world through their limited perspective. They are quick to judge and think big of themselves. It is used to remind someone that there are things greater than them in the world.
Mizu ni nagasu水に流す
As the expression in English says “water under the bridge” and literally means “the water keeps running” It is used to advise someone to forgive and forget, and let things go.
Kuchi wa wazawai no moto口は災いの元
It literally means “The mouth is the source of disaster.” Sometimes when we speak our mouth tends to get us into trouble. This saying is a reminder to remind us that it is better to think before speaking or that sometimes, it is better not to say anything at all.
Jigoujitoku自業自得
A four-character saying (yojijukugo) that literally means “Self-employment, self-profit” Depending on how this phrase is used, it could mean something more positive like “you get what you give” or “hard work pays off.” However, most of the time, it is used negatively to mean “what goes around comes around” because karma exists.
Naseba Naru為せば成る
Naseba Naru means “if you want to get results, you must take action” or a more poetic version “Where there is a will, there is a way”.
Kaeru no ko wa kaeru蛙の子は蛙
Its literal meaning is “son of a frog is a frog” and would be the equivalent of “De tal palo tal astilla” in Spanish.
Saru mo ki kara ochiru猿も木から落ちる
This four-character saying literally means “even monkeys fall from trees” and is used to say that even experts sometimes make mistakes.