Japanese proverbs related to time and different periods. Japanese proverbs and sayings

The Japanese are a nation inhabiting the country of Japan. The total number of Japanese in the world is more than 130 million people. Of these, 127 million live in Japan itself and 1.5 million in Brazil. They speak Japanese.
The traditional religion of the Japanese is Shintoism. Some Japanese profess Buddhism, which remained the state religion of the Japanese until 1868. Shintoism was significantly influenced by Buddhism.
On this page you can find ancient Japanese folk proverbs about love, about life, about nature, about family, about work with translation, the most frequently used proverbs in Japan.

• An eggplant will not grow on a melon stem.


• Spoiling a child is the same as abandoning him.


• Misfortune never comes alone.


• Without polishing, a diamond does not shine.


• The slacker is talkative.


• Take an umbrella before you get wet.


• More useless than writing numbers on flowing water.


• Useless as a lantern during the day.


• Heartless children are trashing their father's house.


• Remember gratitude no less than resentment.


• The shine of gold is brighter than the shine of Buddha.


• Close to smart children, they read without studying.


• Those close in spirit are drawn to each other.


• You don't cut off a flea's head with an axe.


• God lives in an honest heart.


• Wealth and nobility acquired through dishonest means disappear like a cloud.


• A rich man is like an ashtray: the fuller, the dirtier.


• Skill is more important than strength.


• Great luck will cause many small troubles.


• You can't live more than one life.


• Great misfortunes come from small causes.


• Great talent matures late.


• A big actor needs a big stage.


• The brothers quarrel among themselves, but defend themselves from strangers.


• They do not cross the ford following the instructions of a baby carried on their back.


• Give up the buddhas, don't worry about the gods.


• He blinded Buddha, but forgot to breathe his soul.


• If you sleep in a boat with the sails spread, you won’t see the shore.


• In big things, small shortcomings are not thought through.


• In the upbringing of children, the mother has seven shares, and the father three.


• In a village without birds, even a bat is a bird.


• Happiness comes to a house where there is laughter.


• In a fight, both sides are to blame.


• In friendship, too, know the boundaries.


• There are seven failures and seven successes in life.


• Everything in life is changeable.


• In excess, medicine is poison.


• IN beautiful dress and the groom is good.


• In rags, even a courtier will be mistaken for a beggar; in silks, even a groom will pass for a prince.


• In shallow waters the waves are louder.


• There are no shortcuts to science.


• Ignorance is bliss.


• The thief is not given keys to keep.


• Defeat is the key to victory.


• In the dark, even dog droppings don’t get dirty.


• In joy there is a seed of sorrow, in sorrow there is a seed of joy.


• Different places have their own customs.


• The one who screams loudest will win the argument.


• In fear, the devil will be a ghost.


• They do not interfere in a marital quarrel.


• It is difficult for the mind to function in the body of a giant.


• IN Hard time you don’t know either the parents or the children.


• An arrow is not shot at a smiling face.


• It's important to start.


• They don't spit up.


• Great self-interest appears to be selflessness.


• Great talents mature slowly.


• A loyal vassal does not serve two masters.


• Fun taken to extremes gives rise to sorrow.


• The branches that provide coolness are not cut down.


• The wind and the cherry blossom cannot be good friends.


• A branch is not more perfect than a tree.


• A drunkard in the evening is a lazy person in the morning.


• Things look like their owners.


• The item for sale is decorated with flowers.


• She looks like a goddess, but at heart she's a witch.


• Seeing someone else's shortcomings, correct yours.


• The owner of the golden mountain is also greedy.


• To a lover, the road of a thousand ri seems short.


• First - care, then - medicine.


• In times of peace, do not forget about the danger of war.


• There is no time to warm your hands during a fire.


• The water takes the form of a vessel, and the man gets it from his friends.


• You can't put out a fire with water from afar.


• The age of a man is his spirit, the age of a woman is her face.


• Devils always hover around good deeds.


• The ox clings to the ox, and the horse to the horse.


• Will will pass through rock.


• A crow imitating a cormorant will drown.


• Upbringing is more important than origin.


• Fighters are not lent to the enemy.


• No outpost can stop time.


• Time waits for no man.


• Everything starts with one.


• Everything that blooms will inevitably fade.


• The universe is the temporary home of all things.


• He lost his temper and ruined the business.


• Meeting is the beginning of separation.


• Every thing has its time.


• Yesterday there was deep water, and today there is shallow water.


• I fed the dog, and he bit.


• A horse's endurance is learned along the way, a person's character is learned over time.


• He straightened the bull's horns and twisted his neck.


• Tall trees are more likely to be broken by the wind.


• Arrogant people do not prosper for long.


• The fortuneteller does not know his fate.


• Where stupidity reigns, reason is forced to hide.


• Where there is sorrow, there is joy.


• Where there is good, there is evil.


• Where people grieve, you grieve too.


• Where there is no sense of duty and human eyes, everything is possible.


• Where might is right, right is powerless.


• Where there is happiness, there are many devils.


• It is better for the general of a defeated army not to talk about battles.


• You can’t line up heroes in a row.


• The wind will not break a flexible willow.


• The eyes are as eloquent as the lips.


• The one who eats puffer fish soup is stupid, and the one who doesn’t eat it is also stupid. (*fugu is a poisonous fish)


• Your anger is your enemy.


• Rot the tree while it is young.


• It's easy to say, hard to do.


• Talking about the future is making the mice under the floor laugh.


• Talk about a needle like a club.


• A hungry dog ​​is not afraid of a stick.


• It is not difficult to prepare food for a hungry person.


• A hungry tiger is not assigned to guard a pig.


• When chasing a deer, you don’t notice the mountains.


• Pride leads to defeat, but modesty is rewarded.


• Grief, like a torn dress, should be left at home.


• The master is the boat, and the servants are the water: the water holds the boat on itself, but can also capsize.


• States perish, but mountains and rivers remain.


• Even a greyhound horse in old age is no better than a nag.


• Even from skillful hands, water leaks.


• Even between close friends there should be distance.


• Even to become a thief you need to study for ten years.


• Even the excellent is surpassed.


• Even parents and children are strangers in money matters.


• Even when suffering from thirst, do not drink secretly from someone else's source.


• Even a fool can have talent.


• Even the devil is good at eighteen.


• They give in order to receive.


• There are no two truths.


• The day on which you conceived it is a happy day.


• Money will quarrel between parents and children.


• Money clings to money.


• Trees are planted by ancestors, and their shade is used by descendants.


• Fighting sparrows are not afraid of humans.


• Children of celebrities are rarely famous.


• Buy cheap - lose money.


• The good fame came out of the gate, but the bad fame has already run for a thousand years.


• Good done in secret is rewarded openly.


• A kind heart is better than a beautiful face.


• Argument is stronger than violence.


• A house with strong foundations will never fall into disrepair.


• At home he is brave, but among strangers he is a coward.


• Dragon and tiger do not get along together.


• Firewood is not used to extinguish fire.


• A friend who helps in trouble is a true friend.


• Friends in misfortune feel sorry for each other.


• No medicine can cure a fool.


• Fools always gather in crowds.


• A bad person tries to justify his mistake, a good one tries to correct it.


• If people at the top have a conscience, the bottom will live in peace.


• If the seller's compliments are skillful, then the product is bad.


• If you love your son, send him to travel.


• If you don't take care of the distant future, it will be bad in the near future.


• If you hit the dirt, the splashes will hit you.


• If we were to take shelter, it would be under a large tree.


• If handled skillfully, both a fool and dull scissors can be useful.


• If you want to kill a commander, kill his horse first.


• He who thirsts for water does not choose.


• A pathetic apology after a blunder.


• The heat has passed and the shadow is forgotten.


• To desire a lot is to desire nothing.


• Wife and tatami, the newer the better.


• If a woman wants to, she will pass through the rock.


• Life experience is the father of wisdom, memory is its mother.


• You can't live life if you don't maneuver.


• Living life is difficult, but dying is easy.


• vouch for money, never for a person.


• Excessive modesty hides pride.


• Vouch for yourself, never for others.


• After good comes bad, after bad comes good.


• Beyond this bottom there is another bottom.


• Worries are poison to health.


• Tomorrow's wind will blow tomorrow.


• A hunted bird is forced into a person's bosom.


• An ant decided to move Mount Fuji.


• Illness doesn't bother a busy person.


• The evil done to others will come back to you.


• Evil cannot defeat good.


• Famous things are not always as good as they say.


• The one who knows does not speak, and the one who speaks does not know.


• And Buddha endures only up to three times.


• In both singing and dancing, you need to know when to stop.


• Both good and evil are in your heart.


• And to hell you can get used to it.


• And the stone can let it slip.


• And Confucius was not always lucky.


• And the wise man is wrong once out of a thousand times.


• And the ants can destroy the dam.


• And pearls have scratches.


• And the hunter can fall into a trap.


• And a simple matter can be confused.


• And a rare guest gets bored on the third day.


• And the falcon flies, and the fly flies.


• And stupid parents have smart children.


• And the devil's horns break.


• The player is bad, but he loves to play.


• Of the vices, the greatest is debauchery; of the virtues, the highest is filial duty.


• Make a profit out of a loss.


• Excessive politeness turns into flattery.


• Treason is always covered up by fidelity.


• Sometimes death is mercy.


• Sometimes the devil cries.


• Sometimes running away means winning.


• Look for shellfish in a dry field.


• Sincerity is a precious human quality.


• True knowledge is not apparent.


• He is looking for something sweet, and the pie is lying on the shelf.


• Everyone is more precious to themselves.


• Like water from a frog.


• Like a crowd of blind people feeling an elephant.


• As soon as the trouble is over, dress up.


• The same soul at three years old is the same at one hundred years old.


• As is the master, so are the servants.


• Like the father, like the son.


• As are the poems, so is the song.


• The eve of the holiday is better than the holiday itself.


• Quality is more important than quantity.


• When a madman runs, the sane ones run after him.


• When they talk about the future, the devils laugh.


• When the coffin is closed, the deeds will be assessed.


• When a clam fights with a snipe, the fisherman wins.


• When you have money, the devil will serve you.


• When your heart is light, your walk is light.


• When there are many helmsmen, the ship hits the reef.


• When you get drunk, you forget about thirst.


• When violence enters the courtyard, justice leaves.


• If you drink poison, then drink to the bottom.


• Quantity makes devils strong.


• The ear is ripening - it bows its head; a man gets rich - he lifts his head.


• Those who are not destined cannot be saved.


• The end of chatter is the beginning of action.


• When money runs out, so does love.


• Mistakes a horse for a deer.


• Beauty is a sword that cuts down life.


• Beauty does not come with happiness.


• A crooked branch is crooked and a shadow.


• Meekness often breaks strength.


• There are no large fish in the swamp.


• Major betrayal feels like devotion.


• He who is poor is stupid.


• Whoever is in power, God does not question him.


• Anyone who is stupid at forty will not become smart.


• Whoever is hungry, malt is tasty.


• He who goes ahead subjugates others.


• He who lies steals.


• He who loves people lives long.


• He who makes excuses incriminates himself.


• He who can swim can also drown.


• Those who drink do not know about the dangers of wine, those who do not drink do not know about its benefits.


• Those who were born under the roar of cannonade are not afraid of gun salvos.


• He who has not obeyed himself cannot command.


• He who is too smart has no friends.


• He who is patient does not succumb to poverty.


• He who is in a hurry will not become a master.


• Anyone who begs for three days will never get out of the habit.


• He who feels shame also feels duty.


• The marten brags while the ferret is away.


• The merchant is the enemy of the merchant.


• What is bought is cheaper than what is given.


• What is easily found is easily lost.


• It's easy to follow etiquette when you're full.


• The goose flew in the tail, but took the lead.


• An extra thing is an extra worry.


• Let the boatman steer the boat.


• Lying is the first step to theft.


• The lotus grows in the swamp, but it is white.


• A horse is recognized by riding, a person by communication.


• It is better to be the enemy of a good person than the friend of a bad one.


• Better a cake than a flower.


• Better fifty sen now than a hundred later.


• It's better to crash precious stone than to survive with tiles.


• The best God is the one we worship.


• Loves to stir up tea.


• Love and hate are one thing.


• The love of a silent firefly is hotter than the love of a chattering cicada.


• You won't be full of love.


• People are the same everywhere.


• People who talk a lot know little.


• I seem to people to be on horseback, but to myself I seem to be on foot.


• People tend to worship power.


• Small fish are crowded where the big ones are.


• Jacks of all trades are masters of no art.


• Mastery is learned in comparison with mediocrity.


• Metal is tested by fire, man by wine.


• The bag of desire has no bottom.


• You can't be young twice.


• The sea is large because it does not disdain small rivers.


• Sea robbers accuse mountain robbers of crimes.


• He takes revenge on the guy from Edo, and beats his grandfather in Nagasaki.


• For a wise man, it is not water, but a loved one who serves as a mirror.


• Rice with tea is good on an empty stomach.


• You can't hang a door on every mouth.


• They don't complain about the gift.


• On the snow and even frost.


• Do not raise your hand to a dog that is wagging its tail.


• A patched lid will also work for a cracked cauldron.


• Forced relationships do not last long.


• You must be able to speak and hear.


• A true warrior is one who has mercy.


• A bow that is drawn will sooner or later weaken.


• Start climbing up from the bottom.


• Don't be afraid to bend a little, you'll straighten up straighter.


• If you don't bend, you won't straighten up.


• There is no need for someone who works all the time.


• The title is not important, the upbringing is important.


• The one who does not know is calm.


• Not all people are evil devils.


• Do not do evil - you will not be in eternal fear.


• Don't trust the person who praises you.


• Do not detain the one leaving, do not drive away the one who has arrived.


• Doesn't even know the first letter of the alphabet.


• A seed that is not sown will not sprout.


• Do not despise the enemy if he seems weak; do not be afraid of the enemy if he seems strong.


• Don't make a decision after hearing only one side.


• It's not scary to retreat, it's scary not to continue the fight.


• Don't judge people by their appearance.


• The sky is silent, people speak for it.


• You cannot become an elder from the very beginning.


• Necessity is the mother of invention.


• A non-drinker does not know how tasty water is for a hangover.


• Adversity will turn you into a gem.


• There is no enemy more dangerous than a fool.


• There are no children who are not like their parents.


• No illusions - no disappointments.


• There's no place like home.


• There is no light without shadow.


• There is no such difficult situation from which there would be no way out.


• Failure is the basis of success.


• Ill-gotten gains are not good for future use.


• Neither old nor young know when their time will come.


• The lower classes are learning from the current government.


• Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow.


• No one stumbles while lying in bed.


• Nobody feels their own weight.


• Pour new wine into new wineskins.


• The night traveler will not be delayed by the sunset.


• Well, he got the happiness - the size of a small shell!


• Need will come - eat the last seeds.


• He was needed - he was made into a tiger, but the need passed - he was turned into a mouse.


• You need it like a fan in winter.


• It is needed like the hilt of a kitchen knife.


• Ask the sailors about the sea.


• A person is judged more accurately after death.


• There is no arguing about customs.


• A monkey and with a crown on his head is a monkey.


• The monkey falls from the tree.


• Having burned yourself with soup, you blow on the salad.


• Education is what remains after you forget everything.


• Look at yourself three times a day.


• You can't put out fire with fire.


• He escaped the fire, but ended up in the water.


• The fire burns brighter before it goes out.


• One God forgot - another will help.


• One general has succeeded, but the bones of thousands of soldiers rot.


• One rotten peach will spoil a hundred good ones.


• One dog yelps, and thousands will start howling after it.


• One swallow does not make a summer.


• One leg is sore and the other is swollen.


• One victory is not worth much.


• For all the work I got one tiredness.


• Kill two birds with one stone.


• One effort - two successes.


• You can’t immediately draw a circle with one hand and a square with the other.


• If you borrow a shed, you'll lose your entire house.


• The wait is always long.


• The ocean does not neglect small rivers.


• A fallen chrysanthemum will not return to the bush.


• You won't hear the truth from a harlot.


• Great intelligence is not far from stupidity.


• There is no use for the former strength.


• There is no cure for falling in love.


• You can escape from everything except death.


• There is no cure for stupidity.


• Blind devotion is not far from infidelity.


• What remains from a tiger is the skin, but from a person - a name.


• Treat poison with poison.


• Return good for evil.


• Give the keys to the thief for safekeeping.


• Differs like the Moon from a turtle. (i.e. not different at all)


• When you make a mistake, don’t be ashamed to correct yourself.


• The hairdresser does not do his own hair.


• The pen (with which one writes) is mightier than the sword.


• Strangers come to feast, our own people come to grieve.


• The writer does not recognize the writer.


• They cry not when there are no children, but when they are there.


• You can't get spit back.


• A bad craftsman blames the tools.


• A bad speaker is verbose.


• A bad owner grows weeds, a good owner grows rice, a smart owner cultivates the soil, a far-sighted owner trains a worker.


• Dance when everyone else is dancing.


• They recognize their owner by their belongings.


• The protruding pile is hit.


• All actions are judged by one act.


• The stories are always better than the reality.


• Devils live next door to the temple.


• Victory goes to the one who endures half an hour more than his opponent.


• Victory or defeat depends on chance.


• Once you win, tighten the helmet straps.


• If you're lucky, horse manure will turn into miso.


• Suspicion breeds ghosts.


• Once you have thought, make up your mind, but once you have decided, don’t think.


• Rise and decline are the order of the day.


• Fire and fighting are fun not in your own home.


• Late repentance will not correct what you have done.


• As long as there is life, there is hope.


• While we are alive, we do not value him, but when he is dead, we regret him.


• Conquer some with the help of others.


• If he falls in love, he will seem handsome to anyone.


• Sometimes one moment is more valuable than a treasure.


• After high tide there is always low tide.


• What is lost always seems bigger.


• The need for food is stronger than love.


• You can recognize the revered temple by its gates.


• Poets, without leaving home, know about the beauty of nature.


• Truthful speeches are not beautiful, beautiful speeches not truthful.


• The righteous do not dream.


• Celebration - after work.


• The object and the shadow sympathize with each other.


• The fortune teller does not know his own destiny.


• Habit becomes character.


• The time will come - and the bitter will turn into sweet.


• The diligence of a new employee is enough for twenty days.


• The time comes, and the mulberry garden turns into the sea.


• The cause and the patch can be stuck anywhere.


• Causes in the father, effects in the children.


• When trouble comes, rely on yourself.


• Having walked fifty steps, do not laugh at someone who has walked a hundred.


• You can't put spilled water back into a bucket.


• Even the sword is powerless against mercy.


• There is no weapon against reasonable arguments.


• Running water does not spoil.


• The past is a mirror of the present.


• The past is in the past, and the present is today.


• Forgive others, but don't forgive yourself.


• A straight person like straight bamboo is rare.


• Dust accumulates and forms mountains.


• Let them no longer praise, as long as they don’t scold.


• A running mill has no time to freeze.


• Rejoice, too, if others rejoice.


• A raging sparrow is not afraid of a person.


• Can swallows and sparrows know the thoughts of a stork?


• Revelry destroys a person.


• Discord in the home breeds poverty.


• You won't call a dog by waving a stick.


• A difference of one step becomes a difference of a thousand ri.


• Getting up early is equal to three virtues.


• Wounds from the sword heal, wounds from the tongue remain.


• Debauchery deprives you of both money and strength.


• Hair is disheveled at the hairdresser.


• They grow like bamboo shoots after rain.


• The child is behind her, and she is looking for him.


• A child born during the day is like his father, and a child born at night is like his mother.


• The speeches of the great are not for ordinary ears.


• The speech of Buddha, but the heart of a snake.


• I drew a tiger, but it turned out to be a mongrel.


• Rice cakes don't grow on trees.


• Parents love children more than children love parents.


• Parents work, children enjoy life, grandchildren beg.


• They give birth to the body, but not the character.


• The mouth is the cause of both our illnesses and our misfortunes.


• You can’t shake a sleeve that isn’t there.


• The rosy apple praises itself.


• You won't go to hell with money.


• With money comes worries.


• You can't get off a departing ship.


• He is rude to his subordinates, and crawls along the ground in front of his superiors.


• With those who are silent, keep your ears open.


• Once it comes out of your mouth, it will spread all over the world.


• Sake is the first of a hundred medicines.


• He himself is in rags, but his heart is in brocade.


• If you don't respect yourself, who will respect you?


• They correct their behavior based on the behavior of others.


• His reluctant brother.


• They don't notice their baldness for three years.


• Do everything you can, and only then rely on fate.


• Fashionable now, unsuitable tomorrow.


• Check seven times before you doubt a person (first impressions can be deceiving).


• You can't catch a hare sitting on a stump.


• Strong attachment can turn into strong hatred.


• He who is strong in evil is also strong in good deeds.


• The strong growl, the powerless squeal.


• A strong falcon hides its claws.


• To say “I hate” is to say “I love”.


• Modesty is the adornment of wisdom.


• While observing other people's manners, correct yours.


• The gilding came off, and what remained was the wooden Buddha.


• A blind snake is not afraid of anything.


• A blind person does not need glasses or a flashlight.


• Too much is just as bad as too little.


• Words cannot be taxed.


• The servant, like the falcon, needs to be fed.


• It happens that after a fire they become rich.


• What happens twice can happen a third time.


• Death does not choose time.


• First a person drinks sake, then sake drinks a person.


• Treat an old man like your father.


• Collect in a pinch, scatter in a handful (measure income with expenses).


• A falcon is against sparrows, and a mouse is against a cat.


• Doubts give birth to truth.


• When people grow old, they become children again.


• It is not difficult to grow old, but it is not easy to gain intelligence.


• Compassion is the beginning of humanity.


• The mountain shook with a roar, and gave birth to one mouse.


• A crab in a hurry will not get into its hole.


• You will trip not over a mountain, but over an anthill.


• A fair person treats himself strictly and treats others leniently.


• You can't cover up a quarrel with a hat.


• Try to win even when you fail.


• The old proverb will not deceive.


• Old rivers never dry up.


• A hundred days' preaching is undone by one ugly act.


• A sharpened sword is only good for the kitchen.


• A person’s suffering is not noticeable from the outside.


• People suffering from the same disease sympathize with each other.


• An arrow at flight cannot pierce even thin silk.


• In an effort to straighten the branches, do not dry out the root.


• The walls listen, the bottles speak.


• Similar things add up.


• Happiness comes through cheerful gates.


• Happiness and unhappiness live close together.


• Talented people are sickly, and beautiful women have an unhappy fate.


• Talents are not inherited.


• The tiger protects its skin, the man's name.


• Only by throwing yourself into the water can you swim to a new place.


• The protruding nail is hammered in.


• Three daughters are ruin.


• You need a cane before you fall.


• It is difficult to say what is in the soul of a person who constantly laughs.


• Anyone is susceptible to vanity, just like rashes.


• A godly man has a lot of troubles.


• For others, everything seems better.


• Others have redder flowers.


• He who has a cheerful disposition will pass through iron.


• He who has a wound on his leg is afraid of even a head of reeds.


• The observer from the outside has eight eyes.


• Pepper grains are small and hot.


• Locusts have 5 abilities, but no talents. (runs, but not fast; flies, but not high; crawls, but only on the ground; swims, but not for long; digs, but shallow)


• A person's appearance is deceiving.


• The runner does not choose the road.


• An opportunity is easy to take advantage of and easy to miss.


• The person who left becomes more alien every day.


• A person bitten by a snake is afraid of the rope.


• Smiling doesn't hurt anyone.


• Dying is easy, living is difficult.


• A fallen leaf brings back the arrival of autumn.


• The missing fish seems big.


• Diligence is the mother of success.


• Success gives birth to new success.


• Give way to fools and madmen.


• If you lose, you win.


• It’s too late for a drowned person to call a boat.


• A drowning man clutches at straws.


• Scientists talk about books, a butcher talks about pigs.


• Learning is like pushing a cart up a hill.


• It's never too late to learn.


• Pinch yourself and find out if it hurts someone else.


• A false friend is more dangerous than an open enemy.


• Whether a bow is good depends on the hand that strings it.


• The good and bad in a person depends on the environment.


• Good medicine tastes bitter.


• Good meat doesn't smell.


• Any tool is good for a good craftsman.


• A good merchant does not lay out all the goods at once.


• Good work, good rest.


• If you want to know yourself, ask others.


• If you want to get to know a person, get to know his friends.


• A person is supported by his mind, like a bird by his wings.


• A man is still a boy at fifty years old.


• A person does what he loves well.


• If you curse a person, you yourself will end up in two pits.


• Every person can find a green hill where they can leave their ashes.


• You understand human good and evil with the help of friends.


• Instead of doing poetry, cultivate rice fields.


• How more beautiful rose, the longer its spines.


• Rather than wait, it’s better to let them wait for you.


• The more carefully they hide, the sooner it becomes known.


• You can’t scrub a black walnut white in three years.


• Honesty is the best policy.


• The source is clean and the stream is clean.


• Read a sermon to Buddha.


• Excessive obedience is not yet devotion.


• What is expensive is good, what is cheap is rotten.


• Both faces and hearts - no two are alike.


• What's on the mind is on the face.


• Why bother about something that can’t be turned back?


• What comes from the heart reaches the heart.


• How to evaluate the skin of an unkilled badger?


• What's scary is also interesting


• What to release a tiger into the jungle.


• It takes two to fight.


• To understand parental love, you need to raise your own children.


• Strangers will stroke you more painfully than your parents will hit you.


• You can endure the suffering of others for at least three years.


• To swim, you have to throw yourself into the river.


• You can't stop the flow with a sixth.


• An egoist is always dissatisfied.


• Etiquette must be observed even in friendship.

Hello dear readers! We continue to gain wisdom through Japanese proverbs and sayings. Today we will analyze Japanese proverbs about love and relationships.

愛してその悪を知り、憎みてその善を知る (aishite sono aku wo shiri nikumite sono zen wo shiru) - “Loving, know and vices, hating, know and good.” The meaning conveyed by this proverb: “When you love someone, you must certainly see and acknowledge all the flaws and shortcomings of your partner. And when you hate someone, you still need to be able to find something good in a person, something for which you can respect him. In reality, of course, it is difficult to always follow this rule, but you should at least try.

会うは別れの始め (au wa wakare no hajime) - “Meeting is the beginning of parting” In this world, almost everything has a limit, has an end and a beginning. From the moment you meet someone, the countdown begins, the extreme point of which will be separation. And this will not necessarily happen through the fault of one of these two people; many things are possible: force majeure circumstances, death, accident and much more.

愛は憎しみの始めなり (ai wa nukushimi no hajime nari) - “Love will be the beginning of hatred.” The Japanese version of our proverb: “From love to hate there is one step.” And indeed the line between love and hate is sometimes very thin. Sometimes just one word or a rash act is enough to nullify everything that has been built over the years.

恋に師匠なし (koi ni shishou nashi) – No one teaches love (literally “In love there are no teachers”) Love and falling in love arise naturally in a person and do not need teachers for this.

恋の道には女が賢しい (koi ni wa onnna ga sakashii) – A woman is more intelligent in love front(literally: “On the path of love, a woman is more intelligent”) A woman was created to bring love and comfort into this world and that is why she is more skillful in matters of love than men. She better understands how to improve the atmosphere in the family, as well as how to smooth out differences.

The poor have no time to save.
Without ordinary people there are no great ones.
Patients with the same disease sympathize with each other.
Great luck causes many small troubles.
Great talents mature late.
It happens that a leaf sinks, but a stone floats.
There are three-year old people and hundred-year-old children.
I was young - I didn’t know, I became old - I forgot.
There was a time when nightingales sang for her too.
At ten years old - a miracle, at twenty - a genius, and after thirty - an ordinary person.
In the game, the one who makes the first mistake always loses.
In an argument, the one who shouts the loudest wins.
Politeness is also necessary between best friends.
The wind blows, but the mountains do not move.
What is most visible is what you are trying to hide.
Wine is the best of medicines and the worst of poisons.
First - care, then - medicine.
In the whole block, only my husband doesn’t know.
A crow that imitates a cormorant will drown.
Upbringing is more important than origin.
Time waits for no one.
Choose a wife from those who are lower, and friends from those who are higher.
If a nail comes out, the hammer will hammer it back.
It is better for the general of a defeated army not to talk about battles.
The eyes speak as much as the lips.
Stupidity begins with honesty.
Keep your head cold, your feet warm - you will live a long time.
Hot passion cools down quickly.
Even if you sleep in a room with a thousand mats, you will only take one.
Even if it costs a pair of shoes, look for a thrifty wife.
Even if you become the enemy of a good person, do not become the friend of a bad person.
Even a piece of paper has two sides.
The day before the holiday is more fun than the holiday itself.
You heat it up for ten days and it cools down in a day.
Children of celebrities are rarely famous.
For a brave general there are no cowardly soldiers.
Virtue is not an orphan; it will always have neighbors.
Evidence is better than reasoning.
Fools walk around in droves.
If you believe everything you read, don't read it.
If you love your son, let him wander.
If the fish wants it, the water will give way.
If you despise yourself, eventually people will despise you.
If you want to kill a commander, kill his horse first.
If you want to know the greatest truth, start with the alphabet.
If your foot itches, don't scratch your shoe.
The greedy hawk will lose its talons.
Life - long road with a heavy bag over his shoulders.
Making money is like digging the ground with a needle. Spending them is like pouring water into sand.
Famous things are not always as good as they say.
Knowledge without wisdom is a load of books on the back of a donkey.
You need an umbrella before you get wet.
And the monkey falls from the tree.
And that side has another side.
If you're going to fight, leave your best hat at home.
Silver brocade does not make a good mop.
Excessive politeness is impoliteness.
Sometimes one hour is enough to gain a reputation for a thousand years.
A person's true self is revealed when he is drunk.
When there is a lot of work, you can’t get sick.
When money runs out, so does love.
There are no large fish in the swamp.
Major betrayal feels like devotion.
A rat driven into a corner bites a cat.
Anyone who begs for three days will never get out of the habit.
Easily promised - quickly forgotten.
It is better to be the enemy of a good person than the friend of a bad one.
It's better to be the head of a chicken than the ass of an ox.
Better one day in this world than a thousand in the next.
It’s better to write it down once than to re-read it ten times.
It's better to lie a little than to be unhappy.
Any woman seems beautiful in the dark, from afar or under a paper umbrella.
People with big heads are lucky.
A boy living near a Buddhist temple reads sutras without studying.
Many years, many grievances.
Many flowers, few fruits.
Wisdom and dignity are like two wheels of one cart.
A man's heart is as changeable as the autumn sky.
Flies flock to anything that smells bad.
It's easy to start; it's hard to continue.
There was no case of a naked man losing anything.
Don't pray, but work.
Do not open your heart to a woman, even if she gave birth to seven children.
Don't take the cat's sadness for the mouse seriously.
Even the prayers of an ant reach the sky.
The sky is silent - people speak for it.
A non-drinker does not know how tasty water is for a hangover.
No illusions - no disappointments.
There is no treasure like children.
There is no sword that can withstand kindness.
There is nothing to wear on Sunday for a man who wears his best kimono all the time.
No one stumbles while lying in bed.
Nothing dries faster than tears.
To talk about the future is to make the devils laugh.
One god forgot - another will help.
Once in your life you need to climb Mount Fuji. But only a fool gets in there the second time.
One joy can drive away a hundred sorrows.
One dog barks in vain - the rest will take it seriously.
Insults often begin with praise.
Cut off your own head with your own sword.
The first stage of a thief is a liar.
Victory goes to the one who endures half an hour more than his opponent.
Victories teach little, but defeats teach a lot.
Once you have thought, make up your mind, but once you have decided, don’t think.
After a ship sank, everyone knows how it could have been saved.
The middleman needs a thousand pairs of sandals.
The need for food is stronger than love.
You can recognize the revered temple by its gates.
Truthful words are rarely pleasant.
The object and the shadow sympathize with each other.
The diligence of a new employee is enough for twenty days.
Curse not the person, but his sin.
Let everyone drive away their own wasps.
Let them no longer praise, as long as they don’t scold.
The path from poverty to wealth is difficult, but the way back is easy.
Fifty today is better than a hundred tomorrow.
Can swallows and sparrows know the thoughts of a stork?
Early maturity - early decrepitude.
A child who died early is always smart and beautiful.
A child born during the day is like his father, and a child born at night is like his mother.
The speeches of the great are not for ordinary ears.
You can't eat the rice cake in the picture.
Parents work, children enjoy life, grandchildren beg.
If you don't respect yourself, others won't respect you.
A samurai picks his teeth with a toothpick, even if he has not eaten.
Once you surrender, you are a traitor forever.
Do everything you can, and leave the rest to fate.
To say “I hate” is to say “I love”.
The gnashing of dried sardine teeth. (About powerless anger)
Too much is worse than too little.
Eat first, fall in love later.
A fish that gets off the hook immediately becomes bigger.
There is only enough gossip for seventy-five days.
Fate helps the courageous.
Happiness comes to a home where laughter is heard.
Talented people don't live long.
Patience is bitter, but its fruits are sweet.
The course of the waters and the future of human beings are equally uncertain.
Tigers die and leave their skins behind; people die and leave their names.
Only one who knows his own shortcomings can tolerate them in others.
I spent labor and gained fatigue.
It is difficult to say what is in the soul of a person who constantly laughs.
It is difficult to compete with the virtues of the dead.
A godly man has a lot of troubles.
Every woman should have two things: a mirror and chastity.
The day has eyes, the night has ears.
Good medicine often tastes bad.
If you stole money, you will go to jail; If you steal the country, they will make you king.
A person dying of hunger is indifferent to the beauty of Fuji.
If you fall seven times, get up eight.
Control the barbarians with the help of the barbarians.
Give way to fools and madmen.
In the morning - rosy face, in the evening - white bones.
Character cannot be changed.
Boasting begins where wisdom ends.
Good is not necessarily beautiful.
A good merchant does not lay out all the goods at once.
I would like to take it - give it first.
Even though the eyelashes are nearby, they are not visible.
Whether you laugh or cry, you won’t live more than one life.
If you want to shoot a general, shoot his horse first.
The man in the coffin is then only the truth in the world.
A person does what he loves well.
Better than strangers are relatives.
In three years, an unnecessary thing will come in handy.
No matter what you do, without patience there is no success.
What has been connected can be divided.
To become a millionaire, you need to go to bed early and get up early.
You can endure the suffering of others for at least three years.
An egg is never square, a street woman is sincere.
[Powers] are better underused than overused.

Japan is a country with a very unique culture and etiquette. For a Russian and even a European, there will be a lot of outlandish things in their behavior. Workaholism, respect for elders, modesty in communication - all this is expressed in folk art: haiku poems, fairy tales, proverbs. Japanese customs are presented in a very holistic way.

Appearance and character of the Japanese

For example, in the Land of the Rising Sun there is a popular expression: “He who feels shame also feels duty.” These words contain not only the characteristics of the Japanese. It is known that for a long time in Japan great attention was paid to appearance man, his clothes. It could be used to very clearly determine social status. And the higher he was, the stricter the requirements were. Samurai could not expose their bodies, which caused certain difficulties. For example, they visited the bathhouse, covering their faces so as not to be identified. This is an example of a case where a sense of duty is associated with shame and increased demands.

Customs and proverbs: Japanese etiquette requirements

Courtesy and respect are one of the most characteristic manifestations of Japanese nature. For example, even the modern exchange process business cards in Japan is very different from how it would happen in Europe. Business cards are passed with both hands at the same time. At the same time, you cannot immediately put the paper in your pocket: you need to study it for some time and show interest in what is written. Folk requirements, customs, instructions are reflected in many proverbs. Japanese customs are very strict: “Etiquette must be observed even in friendship,” says folk teaching.

Japanese in comparison with biblical teaching

Winged expressions from the Land of the Rising Sun sometimes convey wisdom that is similar to the teachings of other peoples. For example, the following words: “Where people grieve, grieve you too.” They are in many ways similar to the phrase from the Bible: “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” In fact, this elementary truth greatly facilitates communication with people and understanding. To do this, you don’t need to graduate from psychology departments - just turn to ancient sources: be it Japanese wisdom or biblical commandments.

Man and his environment

Japanese sayings and proverbs have absorbed folk wisdom, helping for centuries ordinary people in their practical life. Another teaching largely reflects the truth, which is currently being experimentally proven by psychologists. “The good and bad in a person depends on the environment”, “If you want to know a person, get to know his friends,” say the proverbs. Japanese sayings, which have existed for centuries, try to confirm modern experiments.

Psychological experiment

For example, psychologists conducted an experiment: students were told to solve mathematical problems. Moreover, one group consisted only of nationally and socially similar people, and in the other class there were representatives of various Asian countries who, as is known, have good mathematical abilities. All other things being equal, those students who solved problems in a society of their own kind showed better results. The influence of the environment on a person is so great.

And if such results were shown in a short-term problem-solving experiment, how enormous the influence of friends and loved ones can be on a person!

The Japanese: a nation of workaholics

As has been said, the Japanese are known for their hard work that goes beyond all imaginable boundaries. “Diligence is the mother of success,” says the wisdom of the Land of the Rising Sun. This is very significant in modern life Japan. For employees of Japanese companies, their own career. Their priority is the prosperity of the organization in which they work. To avoid health problems for subordinates, managers strictly ensure that employees leave work on time. Also in Japan you cannot miss your required vacation. This lifestyle Japanese proverbs also reflect this. Nothing changes with a transfer to another company - the traditions on the island are the same everywhere.

Getting to know the proverbs of a particular country enriches our understanding of the people who created them. The proverbs capture with extraordinary expressiveness and spontaneity national characteristics people. At the same time, they clearly express the common features that unite and bring together the most diverse peoples.

Proverbs and sayings occupy an important place in the linguistic creativity of the Japanese people. They form an organic part of his spiritual culture. Anyone who wants to get to know Japan and its people better cannot ignore his proverbs and sayings. A significant part of them is constantly in use, they are widely used both in everyday conversation and in public speeches, in the press, and literature.

Japanese politicians often turn to proverbs and sayings both in their official speeches and in conversations with government and public figures in Russia and other countries. For example, representatives of the Japanese government, speaking about the need to develop good neighborly relations between Japan and Russia, often refer to folk wisdom, which says: “a close neighbor is more valuable than a distant relative.” Imagery in general is very characteristic of the Japanese language. Japanese speech is replete with metaphors, allegories, comparisons, many of which have become sayings. Japanese folk proverbs and sayings help to more clearly imagine the image of a gifted, hardworking people, and to feel the poetic charm of their language.

The Japanese treat this wealth of theirs with great care and attention; they systematically publish collections of proverbs and sayings, which constitute a set of judgments about the life of the people, a set of apt characteristics and observations. They express the people's assessment of existing reality, their views on life and a description of it as they would like to see it. In major bookstores in Japan you can find up to a dozen different collections of proverbs and sayings. There are reputable publications here that claim to be a complete list of proverbs and sayings, starting from ancient times, and including more than five thousand proverbs, as well as small-format collections containing the most currently used proverbs and sayings, the number of which does not exceed three, and sometimes two hundred units. Kokugo editions (“ Native language") and school anthologies certainly contain a special section where the most colorful proverbs and sayings are given. This section is called “Kotovadza”, which translated into Russian means “proverb”, “saying”, “saying”, “aphorism”. Thus, this word in Japanese, as well as in other eastern languages, is more capacious in its content (meaning) than in Russian.

The bulk of proverbs that have survived to this day were created by the working people, in figurative, artistic form reflecting their work experience, their attitude to existing reality. The Japanese people branded the injustice of the political system in the following way: “where power is right, right is powerless,” “he who robs people is led to the chopping block, and whoever robs the country is put on the throne,” “the rich man will squeeze out both sweat and blood.”

The attitude of the Japanese people towards the propertied class is unambiguous: “a rich man becomes dirtier from money, like a spittoon from garbage,” “a slacker is rich because the workers are poor.” About the almighty power of money in society Japanese people says: “he who has money, the Buddha faces him”, “money and shame wash away”, “money and hell have power”, “money makes people strangers” - but, on the other hand, he notes that of all diseases the hardest thing is poverty. Popular wisdom about rulers says: “a ruler is like a boat, and the people are like water: they can carry them, but they can also turn them over.” On the other hand, the Japanese also have the following proverb: “if a ruler has a heart, then the people will like him.” soul."

As you know, the Japanese people are not religious. Proverbs also confirm this. The Japanese do not have a single proverb or saying like the Russian “without God you can’t reach the threshold.” On the contrary, folk wisdom claims that the Japanese “call on God when trouble comes” and recommends: “do everything you can, and for the rest, rely on God (fate).” The Japanese people treat clergymen ironically: “if all monks were righteous, there would be too many Buddhas.” Language is the greatest wealth of a people. It has been created for centuries. The grammatical structure and its lexical composition change, but the thoughts and aspirations of the people, their experience, which find their concentrated expression in aphorisms, proverbs and sayings, remain in it. They are passed down from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation almost unchanged, telling about history, culture, way of life and customs, as well as national character people.

1. Abu hachi torazu.
letters You can't catch a horsefly and a bee at the same time (you can't grab it).

2. Abura o motte yuen o otosu.
letters Soot (from oil) is removed with oil.
Fight fire with fire.

3. Ada ni hei o kasu.
letters Lending fighters to the enemy.
Play into the enemy's hands.

4. Ai shite wa sono shu o wasureru.
letters... If you fall in love, then you will forget about ugliness.
Love is blind. Love is blind.

5. Aiken ni te o kamareru.
letters My beloved dog bit my hand.
Repay good with evil.

6. Aisatsu yori ensatsu.
letters Better money than friendly words.
You can't make a fur coat out of words.

7. Aita kuchi e (ni) botamochi.
letters A pie flew into the open mouth.
Like manna from heaven.

8. Akago no te o nejiru (hineru).
letters Twist the baby's arms.
As easy as pie.

9. Aki no ogi.
letters (Need like) a fan in the fall.
Like an umbrella for a fish.

10. Akidaru wa oto takashi.
An empty barrel rattles louder.

11. Aku wanobeyo.
Bad things always last a long time (last).

12. Akuji mi ni kaeru.
letters Evil (caused to others) will return to you.
As it comes back, so will it respond.

13. Akuji senri ni tsutawaru (o hashiru).
letters Bad fame extends to a thousand ri*.
Good glory lies, but bad glory flees.
* ri is a measure of length equal to 3.9 km.

14. Akusai wa rokujunen no fusaku.
letters A bad (angry, grumpy) wife is like a bad harvest for sixty years in a row.
An evil wife is a misfortune for life.

15. Akusen mi ni tsukazu.
Badly acquired goods will not be used for future use.
Ill-gotten gains are quickly disappearing.

16. Ame harete kasa o wasuru (wasureru).
When the rain stops, you forget your umbrella.
After the rain, people forget about the umbrella.

17. Amma ni megane.
letters Glasses for the blind.
Like an umbrella for a fish.

18. Ana no mujina o nedan suru.
letters Negotiate the price for an uncaught badger.
The badger is still sitting in the hole, and they are haggling over the price.
Share the skin of an unkilled bear.

19. Aoide tsuba haku.
letters Spit up.
Don't care about the wind.

20. Ari no ana kara tsutsumi mo kuzureru.
letters And the dam (dam) is destroyed by the ant hole.
A drop wears away a stone.

21. Ante no itoi, nakute no shinobi.
letters While we are alive, we do not value him, but when he is dead, we regret him.
What we have, we don’t keep; when we lose, we cry.

22. Asaoki wa sammon no toku.
letters Waking up early brings three mon* profits.
Good luck awaits those who get up early.
* mon - an old small coin.

23. Ashi o agai.
Wash your feet (i.e. stop doing anything unseemly); "to tie"; wash your hands.

24. Ashimoto kara tori ga tatsu.
letters (As if) a bird (suddenly) flew out from under my feet.
Like a bolt from the blue.

25. Ashimoto no akarui uchi ni.
letters (Go) while it’s light under your feet (before it gets dark).
Strike while the iron is hot.

26. Ashita (asu) no hyaku yori cube no goju.
letters Fifty today is better than a hundred tomorrow.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

27. Ashita (asu) no koto o ieba oni ga warau.
Ashita no koto o ieba tenjo de nezumi ga warau.
letters Talking about the future is to amuse the devils.
letters When they talk about the future, the mice in the attic laugh.
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

28. Ashita (asu) no koto wa ashita (asu) anjiyo (anjiro).
letters We will think about tomorrow's affairs tomorrow.
The morning is wiser than the evening. Everything has its time.

29. Atama ga ugokeba o ga (mo) ugoku.
letters If the head moves, then the tail does not stay in place.
Where the needle goes, so goes the thread.

30. Atama no ue no hae mo owarenu.
He can’t even drive flies out of his head (about a weak-willed or helpless person).

31. Atama no ue no hae oh oh.
Keep the flies out of your head (i.e., mind your own business and don’t interfere with others’).

32. Atama soru yori kokoro o sore.
Shave not your head, but your soul (i.e., care more about the beauty of your soul than the beauty of your face).

33. Atara kuchi ni kaze o hikasu.
(There is no point in) letting the wind go into your mouth in vain (i.e., it is better to remain silent).

34. Atarashii sake wa atarashii kawabukuro ni more.
Pour new wine into new wineskins (that is, new content needs a new form).

35. Ato no kari ga said ni naru.
The goose flew in the tail, but took the lead.

36. Ato wa no to nare, yama to nare.
letters After me there is either a wasteland or a mountain.
After us there might be a flood.

37. Atoashi de suna o kakeru.
When leaving, throw sand with your foot (i.e. not only betray the person who did you good, but also harm him).

38. Atsumono ni korite aemono (namasu) o fuku.
letters Having burned yourself with soup, blow on the salad.

39. Atsusa wasurete kage wasuru.
The heat has passed and the shadow is forgotten.

40. Ayaukikoto tora no o o fumu ga gotoshi.
It's like stepping on a tiger's tail.

41. Baka ni tsukeru kusuri nashi.
There is no cure for stupidity.

42. Baka o miru.
letters See a fool.
Stay on the beans.

43. Banji wa futokoro* to sodan no ue.
letters Count on your pocket.
Stretch your legs over your clothes.
* futokoro - pocket, pouch.

44. Bimbo hima nashi.
Poor people have no time (for entertainment).

45.Bimbonin no kodaku#*san.
Poor people (always) have many children.
The wealth of the poor is children.
*hereinafter the sign th will be denoted as u#.

46. Buta ni shinju.
letters Pig - pearls.
Cast pearls before swine.

47. Chi ni ite, ran o wasurezu.
letters Living in peace, do not forget about war.
If you want peace, prepare for war.

48. Chisha mo senryo ni isshitsu ari.
letters And a wise man makes a mistake once in a thousand.

And the old woman gets into trouble.

49. Choben bafuku ni oyobazu.
letters A long whip will not reach the horse's belly
Skill is more important than strength.

50. Chichin ni tsurigane.
To a paper lantern - a copper bell (about completely incompatible things).

51. Damarimushi kabe o sukasu (horu).
letters A silent bug gnaws at the wall.
Still waters run deep.

52. Dare shimo waga mi wa kawaii.
letters Everyone is dearer (more expensive) to themselves.
Your shirt is closer to your body.

53. Dasoku.
Snake legs (to draw) (i.e. to do something completely unnecessary, superfluous).

54. Deichu no hachisu (hasu).
letters Lotus in the mud.
A lotus grows from mud, but itself remains clean.
A pearl in a dung heap.

55. Deru kui wa utareru.
They hit the protruding pile (about intolerance towards everything outstanding).

56. Doku ni mo kusuri ni mo naranu.
letters Neither poison nor cure.
Not a candle for God, not a poker for the devil.

57. Doku o kuwaba sara made.
letters If you drink poison, then drink to the bottom.
Once you have taken the poison, lick the saucer too.
Seven troubles - one answer.

58. Dorobo ni kagi o azukeru.
letters Give the key to the thief for safekeeping.
Let the goat into the garden.

59. Dorobo o toraete nawa o nau.
letters Twist the rope after the thief has already been caught.
After a fight they don’t wave their fists.

60. Ebidetaiotsuru.*
Catch sea ​​bass for shrimp (i.e. sacrifice little for more).
* Ebitai is a shortened version of the saying.

61. Edo no kataki o Nagasaki de utsu.
To attack (someone) in Nagasaki, (wishing revenge) on enemies living in Edo
(i.e. pour out anger on an uninvolved person)

62. Ekisha mi no ue shirazu.
letters The fortune teller does not know his own destiny.
Shoemaker without shoes.

63. Ensui wa kinka o sukuwazu.
You cannot extinguish a nearby fire with distant water.

64. Eyasuki mono wa ushinaiyasushi.
What is easy to get is easy to lose.

65. Еуо ni mochi no kawa o muku.
letters Peel off the crust from the flatbreads (mochi) and eat only the middle.
Go crazy with fat.

66. Funa dorobo o riku de ou.
Those who stole a boat are not chased on land.

67. Fude wa ken yori tsuyoshi.
letters The brush is mightier than the sword.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
What is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an axe.

68. Fuko wa yoku kasanaru mono da.
letters Trouble often piles on top of one another.

69. Fukochu ni mo saiwai ari.
letters And in misfortune there is happiness.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
70. Furukawa ni mizu taezu.
letters Old rivers never dry up.
A house with strong foundations will never fall into disrepair. (On the strength of old customs.)
An old horse won't ruin the furrow.

71. Gaden insui.
letters Conduct water to your field; those. care only about one's own interests.
Row under yourself.

72. Gakumon ni chikamichi nashi.
There are no shortcuts to science.

73. Gishin anki o shozuru.
letters Fear gives birth to black devils.
Fear has big eyes.

74. Gusha mo ittoku.
And a fool can be useful.

75. Gyuto o motte niwatori o saku.
letters Using a butcher's ax to cut a chicken.
The way a bull is slaughtered is the same as a chicken is not cut.
Shoot sparrows from cannons.

76. Hadaka de otosu tameshi nashi.
letters There was no case of a naked man losing anything
A naked man has nothing to lose.

77. Haifuki to kanemochi to wa tamaru hodo kitanai.
A rich man is like an ashtray: the fuller, the dirtier.

78. Hajime areba owari ari.
letters If there is a beginning, there will be an end.
Everything (in the world) comes to an end.

79. Hajime ga daiji.
letters It's important to start.
Down and Out trouble started.

80. Hajime no kachi wa kusogachi.
letters The first victory is worth nothing.
He who laughs last laughs best.

81. Hajime wa hito sake o nomi, nakagoro wa sake ga sake o nomi, owari wa sake hito o nomu.
First a person drinks sake, then sake drinks sake, and in the end sake drinks a person.

82. Hakidame ni tsuru.
letters Heron on a pile of garbage.
A pearl in a dung heap.

83. Hana ni arashi.
For flowers - a storm (about the vicissitudes of fate).

84. Hanayori dango*.
letters Better a cake than a flower.
Nightingales are not fed fables.
* dango - rice cake.

85. Napa wa oritashi kozue wa takashi.
letters I wanted to break flowers (sakura), but the branches were high.
The eye sees, but the tooth numbs.

86. Hachiju no mitsugo.
letters And at eighty years old, like a three-year-old child.
Old - that small.

87. Hashi ga nakereba watarenu.
You can’t cross the river without a bridge (about the need for appropriate means for any task).

88. Hebi ni kamarete kuchinawa ni ojiru.
letters A person bitten by a snake is afraid of a rotten rope.
Having been burned by the milk, they blow on the water.

89. Hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanai.
letters Where there is no fire, there is no smoke.
There is no smoke without fire.

90. Hi o mini yori akiraka da.
letters Clearer than when you look at the fire.
Clear as day.

91. Hi o sakete mizu ni ochiru.
letters Avoid fire and get into the pool (water).
Out of the frying pan into the fire.

92. Hiza to mo sodan.
At least consult your knees.

93. Hiru ni wa me ari, yoru ni wa mimi ari.
The day has eyes, the night has ears. The day has sight, and the night has hearing.
(about how everything secret becomes clear)

94. Hisashi o kashite omoya o torareru.
letters If you borrow a shed, you'll lose your entire house.
Give me your finger, he'll grab your hand.

95. Hito no fundoshi* de sumo o toru.
letters Fight in someone else's fundoshi.
To rake in the heat with someone else's hands.
*fundoshi - loincloth for sumo wrestling.

96. Hito no furi o mite waga furi* o naose.
letters While observing other people's manners, correct yours.
Learn from other people's mistakes.
** furi - manners, behavior.

97. Hito no hana wa akai.
letters Others have redder flowers.
The neighbors have more beautiful flowers.
For others, everything seems better.

98. Hito no hatake ni kuwa o ireru.
letters Sticking a hoe into someone else's field.
Poking one's nose into other people's affairs.

99. Hito no kuchi ni wa to wa taterarenu.
letters You can't hang a door on every mouth.
You can’t put a scarf on every mouth.

100. Hito no mono yori jibun no mono.
letters Your own thing is more valuable than someone else’s.
Your shirt is closer to your body.

101. Hito no odoru toki wa odore.
Dance when everyone else is dancing.

102. Hito o norowaba ana futatsu.
letters If you curse a person, you yourself will end up in two pits.
Don't dig a hole for someone else, you will fall into it yourself.

103. Hito wa hitonaka, ta wa tanaka.
A person feels good among people, a field feels good among fields.

104. Hito wa zen aku no tomo ni yoru.
letters The good and bad in a person depends on his friends.

105. Hitsuyo wa hatsumei no haha.
letters Necessity is the mother of invention.
The need for invention is cunning.

106. Homeru hito ni wa yudan su na.
Be careful with those who praise you.

107. Honeorizon no kutabire mocke.
For all the work I got one tiredness.
Lots of effort, little use.

108. Horeta yamai ni kusuri nashi.
letters There is no cure for falling in love.
Love is not a potato: you can’t throw it out the window.

109. Horete kayoeba senri mo ichi ri.
letters For a lover, a thousand ri seems like one.
For lovers, distances do not exist.

110. Hotoke no hikari yori kane no hikari.
letters The shine of gold is brighter than the shine of Buddha.
Money opens all doors.

111. Hotoke no kao mo sando.
letters And Buddha will get angry if you stroke his face more than three times.
There is a limit to every patience.

112. Hotoke tsukutte tamashii irezu.
He blinded Buddha, but forgot to breathe his soul (not finishing the work, not doing the most important thing).

113. Hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu.
Better to see once than hear a hundred times.

114. I ni za shite ama o miru.
Sitting in the well, looking at the sky.

115. I no naka no kawazu taikai o shirazu.
The frog living in the well does not know about the sea.

116. Ichi o kiite ju o shiru.
letters Hear one, understand ten.
Having heard a little, understand everything.

117. Ichikabachika.
letters One or eight.
Hit or miss.

118. Ichimai no kami ni mo omoteura ari.
letters Even a piece of paper has both a front and a back side.
There are two sides to the coin.

119. Iitai koto wa ashita (asu) ie.
letters Say tomorrow what you want to say now.
The morning is wiser than the evening.

120. Ikiuma no me o nuku.
He can even take out the eye of a living horse (about a cunning and dexterous person).

121. Ikkyoryotoku.
letters One effort - two successes.

122. Inochi wa kinka no tsuyu no gotoshi.
Human life is fleeting like morning dew.
Human life is like morning dew.

123. Inu ni sakana no ban.
Entrust the dog with guarding the snack.
Let the goat into the garden.

124. Inu to saru.
letters (Live) like a dog with a monkey.
Like a cat and a dog.

125. Inu wa mikka kaeba sannen on o wasurenu.
If you feed a dog for three days, it will feel grateful for three years.

126. lrimame ni hana ga saku.
letters When the roasted beans bloom.
When the cancer on the mountain whistles.

127. Iroha no "i" no ji mo shiranai.
Doesn't even know the first letter of the alphabet.

128. Ishi no ue ni mo sannen.
letters You sit on a stone for three years, and the stone gets hot.
Patience and a little effort.

129. Ishibashi o tataite wataru.
Walk along a stone bridge, tapping it with a stick (about unnecessary precaution).

130. Isogaba maware.
letters If you're in a hurry, take a roundabout route.
The quieter you go, the further you'll get.

131. Isseki nicho.
letters Kill two birds with one stone.
Kill two birds with one stone.

132. Iu wa yasuku okonau wa katashi.
Easy to say, difficult to do.

133. Iwanu ga hana.
letters Silence is a (wonderful) flower.
Silence is gold.

134. Jibun no atama no hae oh oh.
letters Keep the flies off your head.
Don't poke your nose into someone else's garden.

135. Jibun no bon no kubo wa miezu.
letters On his face (on his face) he doesn’t see a rowan tree the size of a tray.
In others he will notice even a speck, but in himself he does not even see a log in his own eye.

136. Jibun wa jibun, hito wa hito.
letters I am me, and other people are others.
Your shirt is closer to your body.

137. .Jipkudehotoke.
letters Meet Buddha in hell (about unexpected deliverance from trouble).
Friend is known in trouble.

138. Jinsei asatsuyu no gotoshi.
Human life is (short) like morning dew.

139. Jozu no te kara mizu ga moru.
letters Even skillful hands spill water.
The horse has four legs, and he stumbles.
And the old woman gets into trouble.

140. Junto toiro.
letters Ten people - ten shades of color.
Every man to his own taste.
Tastes could not be discussed.

141. Kabe ni mimi ari.
And the walls have ears.

142. Kaeru no ko wa kaeru.
letters A baby frog is a frog.
From frogs, frogs will be born.

143. Kafuku wa azanaeru nawa no gotoshi.
letters Misfortune and happiness are intertwined like fibers in a rope.
Happiness and unhappiness live close together.

144. Kagi no ana kara tenjo nozoku.
Looking at the ceiling through a keyhole (about narrow-mindedness).

145. Kaiinu ni te o kamareru.
letters Being bitten by your own dog.
Feed a snake on your chest.

146. Kame no ko yori toshi no ko.
letters Long (life) experience is more reliable than a tortoise shell.
Wisdom comes with age.

147. Kamu uma wa tsui made kamu.
letters A horse that bites remains a horse that bites until it dies.
As goes to the cradle, so goes to the grave.
Leopard change his spots.

148. Kan o ooite koto sadamaru.
letters When the coffin is closed, then the person’s deeds (evaluated) will be determined.
After death a person is judged more accurately.

149. Kane ga areba ku ga ari.
With money comes worries.

150. Kane ga kane o umu (mokeru).
letters Money begets money.
Money - to money.

151. Kane o kaseba tomo o ushinau.
Lending money to a friend means losing him.

152. Kane wa tenka no mawarimono.
Money travels all over the world (that is, it moves from one thing to another).

153. Kao wa kokoro no kagami.
The face is the mirror of the soul.

154. Kariru toki no Ebisugao*, kaesu toki no Emmagao**.
When he borrows, his face is like that of an angel; when he gives, his face is like that of a devil.
* Ebisu is the god of wealth and trade.
** Emma is a buddha. ruler of hell.

155. Kasshite i o ugatsu.
letters Feeling thirsty, dig a well.
Go hunting and feed the dogs.
Having caught the thief, twist the rope.

156. Kassuru mono wa mizu o erabazu.
He who thirsts for water does not choose.

157. Kateba kangun, makereba zokugun.
letters In case of victory, these troops are government, in case of defeat, they are rebel.
Whoever wins is right.
The winners are not judged.

158. Kawa ni mizu o hakobu.
letters Carry water to the river.
Travel to Tula with your own samovar.

159. Kawaii ko ni wa tabi o saseyo.
letters Send your beloved son on a journey.
If you love a child, treat him strictly.

160. Kawara wa migaite mo tama ni naranu.
No matter how much you polish the tile, it will not become a precious stone.

161. Keiken wa chie no chichi nari, kioku wa sono haha ​​nari.
(Life) experience is the father of wisdom, memory is its mother.

162. Keiko to nam mo gyugo (gyubi) to nam nakare.
letters It's better to be the beak of a rooster than the tail of a bull.
It's better to be first in the village than last in the city.

163. Keisei ni makoto nashi.
You won't hear the truth from a harlot.
A street woman is never sincere.

164. Ki kara ochita saru no yo.
letters Like a monkey falling from a tree.
Like I fell from the moon.

65. Kikai wa eyasushiku ushinaiyasushi.
An opportunity is easy to take advantage of and easy to miss.

166. Kiku wa ichiji no haji, kikanu wa iss`ho no haji.
letters To ask is a shame for one minute, not to know is a shame for a lifetime.
Don't be ashamed to ask, don't be ashamed to remain ignorant.

167. Kimben wa seiko no haha.
Diligence is the mother of success.
Diligence is the mother of prosperity.

168. Kinka de te o aburu.
Warm your hands when there is a fire nearby.

169. Kireina hana ni wa toge ga aru
A beautiful flower grows thorns.

170. Kitaru mono wa kobamazu, saru mono wa owazu.
letters Those who come are (well) received, those who leave are not detained.
Whoever comes, I won’t turn away, whoever leaves, I won’t chase.

171. Kobo fude o erabazu.
letters For Kobo* any brush is good.
A bad mower's scythe is to blame.
* Kobo is a famous calligrapher of the 9th century.

172. Kobo ni mo fude no ayamari.
letters And Kobo’s brush was wrong.
For every wise man there is enough simplicity.

173. Koji ma** oshi.
Devils (always) hover around good deeds.
** ma - demon, evil spirit

174. Kongoseki mo migakazuba tama no hikari wa sonawazaran.
Without polishing, a diamond does not shine.

175. Kono kimi ni shite kono shin ari.
letters As is the master, so are the servants.
As is the pop, so is the arrival.

176. Kono oya ni shite kono ko ari.
letters As are the parents, so are the children.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

177. Konya no shirobakama.
letters The dyer has an undyed hakama*.
Shoemaker without shoes.
* hakama - part Japanese costume in the form of bloomers.

178. Kotoba okereba (oki wa) shina sukoshi.
letters Many words, but few things.
I call a lot, but it's of little use.

179. Kotoba wa kuni no tegata.
letters Words are a promissory note from the homeland.
By the dialect they recognize their native land.

180. Kuchi ga areba miyako e mo noboru.
letters Language will take you to the capital.
Language will take you to Kyiv.

181. Kuchi to hara wa chigau.
In words one thing, but in mind another.
There is honey on the tongue, and ice under the tongue.

182. Kuchi yori dereba (daseba) seken.
letters Once it comes out of your mouth, it will spread all over the world.
The word is not a sparrow: if it flies out, you won’t catch it.

183. Kuni yaburete sanga ari.
States perish, but mountains and rivers remain.

184. Kurushii told no kamidanomi.
letters Pray only in difficult times.
Thunder won't strike - the man won't cross himself.

185. Kusai mono mi shirazu.
The one who smells bad does not feel his stench (that is, the person does not know his shortcomings).

186. Kusatte mo tai.
Although stale, it is still tasty*.
* tai is a fish of the perch family.

187. Kusuri mo sugireba doku.
In excess, medicine is poison. Everything is good in moderation.

188. Kyoboku kaze tsuyoshi.
letters Tall trees and stronger winds.
Tall trees are more likely to be broken by the wind.
To whom much is given, much will be required.

189. Kyodo no sue roko o ugatsu atawazu.
letters An arrow at the end of its life cannot even penetrate silk.
There is no use for the former strength.
There was a horse, but it was ridden.

190. Kyosaibyo ni kakaru.
letters To be susceptible to a disease called "wife anxiety."
To be under your wife's shoe.

191. Kyucho futokoro ni hairu.
letters A hunted bird is slaughtered (to a person) in its bosom.
A drowning man clutches at a straw.

192. Kyuso neko o kamu.
The driven mouse (itself) bites the cat (about the courage of despair).

193. Kyuso no utena wa ruido yori okoru.
letters And the nine-tiered tower starts from the ground.
Everything great begins with small things.

194. Ma ga warui toki wa ma* ga warui no da.
letters If you're unlucky, then you're unlucky.
When trouble comes, open the gate.
Trouble does not come alone.

195. Magareru eda ni magareru kage ari.
letters A crooked branch has a crooked shadow.
A crooked branch is crooked and a shadow.

196. Mago ni mo isho.
letters A groom is also good in a beautiful dress.
The dress makes the person.

197. Makanu tane wa haenu.
letters Unsown seed does not grow.
If you sow, you won't reap.

198. Makeru wa kachi.
Defeat is the key to victory.
If you lose, you win.

199. Mate o uete hie o eru.
Plant beans and get millet (about an unexpected result).

200. Mamushi no ko wa mamushi.
letters The child of the snake is a snake.
As are the parents, so are the children.

201. Man wa son o maneki, ken wa eki o uku (manson ken`eki).
Pride leads to defeat, but modesty is rewarded.

202. Marui tamago mo kiriyo de shikaku.
letters And a round egg can be cut so that it becomes square.
And a simple matter can be confused.

203. Masa ni zuboshi da
letters Right on the bull's eye.
Not in the eyebrow, but in the eye.

204. Me kara hana e nukeru.
letters (He’s like that) he’ll crawl from his eye to his nose.
(He's) fast, resourceful, smart.

205. Me ni irete mo itakunai.
letters It doesn’t hurt even if you put it in the eye (that is, you really value something).
Take care of it like the apple of your eye.

206. Me to hana no aid.
letters Between the eye and nose, i.e. Very close.
Two steps away; at hand.

207. Meijin ni mo shisonji* ga aru.
letters And the master sometimes makes mistakes.
Simplicity is enough for every wise man.
And the old woman gets into trouble.
* shisonji - mistake, oversight.

208. Mekura hebi ni ojizu.
letters Blind people are not afraid of snakes.
The drunken sea is knee-deep.
There are no paths for fools.

209. Mi no hodo o shire.
letters Know your limits.
Every cricket knows its nest.

210. Mikka bozu.
letters Bonza for three days.
(about those who do not like or do not know how to complete things)
Seven Fridays a week.
Fickle person.

211. Mimi o ooute suzu o nusumu.
Cover your ears and steal the bell.

212. Minamoto kiyokereba nagare kiyosh
If the source is pure, the flow is pure.

213. Minasoko* no hari o sagasu.
letters Look for a needle at the bottom of the river.
Looking for a needle in a haystack.
* minasoko - bottom (of a river, etc.).

214. Mino** kite kajiba e iku.
letters Putting on a straw raincoat, go to the fire.
For a fire, yes, with straw.
** mino - straw raincoat (from rain).

215. Mizu wa hoen no ki ni shitagai, hito wa zen`aku no tomo ni yoru.
letters Water takes the form of the vessel into which it is poured, and a person gains good or evil from his friends.
Whoever you hang out with, that's how you'll gain.
Tell me who your friend is and I will tell you who you are.

216. Mochi*** wa mochiya.
letters Buy mochi from a mochi maker; for rice cakes, go to the pie maker.
The master's work is afraid.
*** mochi - rice cake.

217. Mochimono wa nushi ni niru.
letters Things look like their owners.
They recognize their owner by their belongings.

218. Moraimono no ana o sagasu na.
letters Don't look for flaws in gifts.
They do not look at a given horse's teeth.

219. Mu yori and wa shojinai.
letters From “no” you cannot make “is”.
Nothing will come of nothing.

220. Muri ga toreba dori hikkomu.
letters Where unreason reigns, reason hides.
Where there is strength, there is a grave for the mind.
The powerful are always to blame for the powerless.
Strong hand- the ruler herself.

221. Nagareru mizu wa kusaranai.
letters Running water does not have a bad odor.
Running water does not bloom (does not spoil).

222. Nai sode wa furarenu.
letters You can’t shake a sleeve that isn’t there.
There is no trial.

223. Nakitsura ni hachi.
letters A tear-stained face and bees sting.
All the trouble falls on poor Makar.
When trouble comes, open the gate.
Trouble does not come alone.

224. Nanakorobi yaoki.
letters I fell seven times and got up eight times.
Life in stripes; ups and downs(about the vicissitudes of fate).

225. Narai sei to naru.
letters Habit becomes character.
Habit is second nature.

226. Neko ni koban*.
letters The cat gets chervonets.
Cast pearls before swine.
* koban - an old gold coin.

227. Nen ni wa nen* o ireyo.
letters Be especially careful.
Seven times measure cut once.
*nen- attention.

228. Nennen oite nen kashikoshi.
letters Every year you become older and smarter.
The older you are, the smarter you are.

229. Nemimi ni mizu.
letters Water in the ear of a sleeping person.
Out of the blue.
A bolt from the blue.

230. Nigashita uo wa okii.
The missed fish is (seemingly) big.

231. Nikai kara megusuri.
letters Throw drops into your eyes from the second floor.
Poultice for the dead.

232. Nikko o mirazu kekko to iwazu.
Without seeing Nikko, don’t say kekko (wonderful).

233. Ningen ni kawari wa nai.
People are the same everywhere.

234. Ninki wa ninki o yobu.
Success breeds success.

235. Nishi to ieba higashi to iu.
letters When they say "west" to him, he says "east".
(He always) contradicts.
When they say to him: “shorn,” he says: “shaven.”

236. Nita mono fufu.
letters Husband and wife look alike.
Husband and wife are one Satan.

237. Nita to wa oroka tsume fu#tatsu.
letters They look like two fingernails.
They look like two peas in a pod.

238. Nito o ou mono wa itto o ezu.
If you chase two hares, you won’t catch either.

239. No am taka wa tsume o kakusu.
letters A strong falcon hides its claws.
A capable (talented) person does not demonstrate his talents.
Deep waters flow quietly.
Deep rivers flow calmly.

240. Nodo kara te ga deru.
letters A hand protrudes from the throat.
(This is what they say when you really want to eat or drink something.)
Mouth watering.

241. Nodomoto* sugireba atsusa o wasureru.
letters When I swallowed the hot piece, I forgot that it was hot.
When you get drunk, you forget about thirst (that is, when the danger has passed, you forget to learn a lesson from it; having received help from someone, you forget about gratitude).
* nodomoto - throat.

242. Nokorimono ni wa fuku ga aru.
letters The remainder is happiness.
Leftovers are sweet.

243. Nochu* no kiri.
An awl in my pocket.
Murder will out.
* nochii - in your pocket.

244. Norikakatta fune de ato e wa hikenu.
letters Once you've gone on a ship, you can't turn back.
Gruzdev called himself get in the body.

245. Nurenu mae no kasa.
You need an umbrella before you get wet.

246. Nusubito ni kane no ban o saseru.
letters Instruct the thief to guard the money.
Let the goat into the garden.

247. Nusubito o toraete (tsukamaete) nawa o nau.
Having caught the thief, twist the rope.
Go hunting and feed the dogs.

248. Nyobo to tatami wa atarashii hodo ii.
Wife and tatami, the newer the better.

249. Obi* ni mijikashi tasuki** ni nagashi.
letters For obi it is too short, and for tasuki it is too long.
Not a candle for God, not a poker for the devil.
Neither poison nor cure.
Neither this nor that.
Not two, not one and a half.
* obi - belt for kimono;
** tasuki - a ribbon for tying up sleeves while working.

250. Oboreru mono wa wara o mo tsukamu.
A drowning man clutches at straws.

251. Oboreru ni oyonde fune o yobu.
letters Call a boat for the drowned man.
Poultice for the dead.

252. Obuu to ieba idakareru to iu.
letters Put (the child) on your back - he will want to be picked up.
Give him a finger and he'll bite your whole hand off.

253. Ogoreru mono hisashikarazu.
letters Arrogant people do not prosper for long.
Pride goes before a fall.
254. Oki mo tsukazu iso ni mo tsukanai.
letters And it does not go out to the open sea and does not stick to the shore.
It fell behind on one bank and did not reach the other.

255. Omoinaka ni areba kotoba soto ni izu.
What's on the mind is on the tongue.

256. Omoute kayoeba senri mo ichiri.
letters If you set off on a journey at will, then a thousand ri seem to be one.
Hunting is worse than captivity.

257. On o ada de kaesu.
Repay good with evil.

258. Onaji ana no tanuki (kitsune).
letters Badgers (foxes) from the same hole.
Two of a Kind.

259. Oseji ga yokereba shinamono ga warui.
letters If the compliments (of the seller) are skillful, then the product (quality of the product) is bad.
If the seller is showered with compliments, his product is no good.

260. Oshitsuketa en wa tsuzukanu.
letters An imposed connection does not last long.
You won't be nice by force.

261. Osoku tomo nasazaru ni masaru.
Better late than never.

262. Otoko no toshi wa ki, onna no toshi wa kao.
The age of a man is his spirit, the age of a woman is her face.

263. Owari ga daiji.
letters The main thing is the end.
The end is the crown of the whole thing.

264. Owari yokereba subete yoshi.
letters If the ending is good, everything is fine.
All is well that ends well.

265. Oua no utsu yori tanin no naderu ga itai.
Strangers will stroke you more painfully than your parents will hit you.

166. Pittari ataru.
letters Hit the target exactly.
Not in the eyebrow, but in the eye.

267. Rainen no koto o ieba oni ga warau.
letters When they talk about the future, the devils laugh.
Do not count your chickens before they are hatched.

268. Raku areba ku ari.
letters If there is joy, there is also sadness.
If you love to ride, you also love to carry sleds.

269. Rakka eda ni kaerazu.
A fallen flower will not return to the branch (about the irrevocability of love).

270. Rei mo sugireba burei ni naru.
letters Excessive politeness turns into impoliteness;
or Rei sugireba hetsurai to naru.
Excessive politeness turns into flattery.
Everything is good in moderation.

271. Ri ni fu#tatsu wa nai.
There are no two truths.

272. Rokuju no tenarai.
letters It’s not too late to study even at 60 years old.
It's never too late to learn.

273. Ron yori shoko.
Evidence is more valuable than reasoning.

274. Rui o motte atsumaru.
Birds of a feather flock together.

275. Rui wa tomo o yobu.
Birds of a feather. Two of a Kind.

276. Ryo yori shitsu.
letters Quality is more important than quantity.
Less is more.

277. Ryosha wa kei tari tei tari muzukashi.
letters It is difficult to determine who is the older brother and who is the younger.
Both are good. Two of a Kind.

278. Ryoyaku ku#chi ni nigashi.
Good medicine tastes bitter.

279. Ryu no kumo o etaru ga gotoshi.
letters Like a dragon in the clouds.
Feel like a fish in water.
Be in your element.

280. Ryuko aiutsu.
letters Dragon and tiger fight each other.
I found a scythe on a stone.

281. Ryuto dabi.
letters The head is a dragon and the tail is a snake.
Loud beginning and inglorious end.

282. Ryuto dabi ni owatta.
The mountain gave birth to a mouse.

283. Sake o nomu to uchitokete kuru.
letters When you drink sake, you become frank.
What is on the sober mind is on the tongue of the drunk.

284. Sake wa hyakuyaku no cho.
letters Sake is the first of a hundred medicines.
Sake is the best medicine.

285. Sannin yoreba Monju no chie.
letters Where there are three, there is the wisdom of Monju himself.
A mind is good, but two are better.

286. Saru mo ki kara ochiru.
letters The monkey also falls from the tree.
The horse has four legs and he stumbles.

287. Saru mono wa nichinichi ni utoshi.
letters The person who left becomes more alien every day.
Out of sight, out of mind.

288. Sawaranu kami ni tatarinashi.
letters A God whom you do not touch will not bring harm upon you.
Call the wolf from the stake.
Don't wake up the devil while it sleeps.

289. Sei wa muzukashiku, shi wa yasushi.
Living life is difficult, but dying is easy.

290. Seijin ni yume nashi.
The righteous do not dream.

291. Seinen kasanete kitarazu.
Youth doesn't come twice.

292. Sen aru toki wa oni o mo tsukau.
When you have money, the devil will serve you.

293. Sendo okute fune yama ni noboru.
letters When there are many helmsmen, the boat runs aground.
Too many cooks spoil the broth.

294. Sennaki otoko wa ho no naki fune no gotoshi.
A man without money is like a boat without a sail.

295. Senri no michi mo ippo kara.
letters The journey of a thousand ri begins with one step.
Down and Out trouble started.

296. Senryoyakusha ni hinokibutai.
letters For a major artist - the best stage.
A big ship has a long voyage.

297. Shaberu mono ni shiru mono nashi.
letters People who talk a lot know little.
An empty barrel rattles louder.

298. Shi wa toki o erabazu.
Death does not choose time.

299. Shichinin no ko wa nasu to mo, onna ni kokoro yurusu na.
Don't trust your secrets even to the woman who bore you seven children.
Do not open your heart to a woman, even if she gave birth to seven children.

300. Shika o sashite uma to nasu.
letters Point at a deer and say it's a horse.
Passing off white as black.

301. Shingen wa binarazu, bigen wa shinnarazu.
Truthful speeches are not beautiful, beautiful speeches are not truthful.

302. Shippai wa seiko no moto (haha).
letters Failure is the basis (mother) of luck.
Defeat is the mother of victory.

303. Shiranu ga hotoke.
Ignorance is bliss.

304. Shim mono wa iwazu, iu mono wa shirazu.
letters The one who knows does not speak, and the one who speaks does not know (anything).
The one who knows is silent, the one who does not know strums.

305. Shitashii naka ni mo kaki o seyo.
Even between close friends there should be distance (for friendship to be stronger).

306. Shu ni majiwareba akaku naru.
letters If you touch cinnabar, you will turn red.
Whoever you hang out with, that's how you'll gain.

307. Shuko wa kane o tokasu.
letters The mouths of the people melt metal.
The voice of the people is omnipotent.

308. Sode no hinu no wa onna no mi.
letters A kimono sleeve that does not dry out is such a woman (women usually wipe away tears with the sleeves of a kimono).
Women's eyes are wet.

309. Sui ga mi o kuu.
Revelry destroys a person.

310. Su#kihara ni mazui mono nashi.
letters Everything is delicious on an empty stomach.
Hunger is the best cook.

311. Sumeba miyako.
letters The place where you live seems like a capital.
Each sandpiper praises its swamp.

312. Sune ni kizu motsu mii wa susuki no ho ni mo osoreru.
letters He who has a wound on his leg is afraid of even a thin ear of corn.
A person with a guilty conscience is afraid of everything.

313. Suntetsu hito o korosu.
A word can kill a person.

314. Surikogi de hara o kiru.
letters (Try) to make hara-kiri with a wooden pestle.
Carry water with a sieve.

315. Tabi wa michizure, yo wa nasake.
On the road you need a companion, in life you need sympathy.

316. Tagei wa mugei.
To be able to do everything means to be able to do nothing.

317. Taigan no kasai.
letters Fire on the other side.
My house is on the edge.

318. Taikai no itteki.
A drop in the sea.

319. Taiki bansei.
Great talent matures late.

320. Taiko wa saikin o kaerimizu.
letters In big things there is no time for small flaws.
The forest is being cut down and the chips are flying.

Notes:
hotoke - Buddha;
kaki - fence, hedge;
shu - cinnabar, paint;
sui - wild life;
suntetsu - caustic remark, epigram.

321. Takane no hana.
letters Flower on top of the mountain.
The eye sees, but the tooth numbs.

322. Tana kara botamochi.
letters Sweet cakes from the shelf, i.e. unexpected happiness, luck.
Like manna from heaven.

323. Ten ni kuchi nashi, hito o shite iwashimu.
The sky is silent - people speak for it.
The voice of the people is the voice of God.

Notes:
botamochi - sweet rice cakes;