Four-Character Idiomatic Compounds

Yojijukugo   2005-2007   v.3.33   ☆ Final Revision:  25-May-2007

英 訳   四 字 熟 語   辞 典
第3版    (2005-2007年)

These pages contain approximately 3,400 Japanese Four-Character Idiomatic Compounds (四字熟語・よじ じゅくご・yojijukugo) along with their English meanings. The words are arranged in the order of the kana syllabary (五十音順・ごじゅうおん じゅん). The last two digits of the version number (v 3.xx) indicates the number of the latest update.

For the meaning of the term yojijukugo, see Yojijukugo in WIKIPEDIA, The Free Encylopedia.
The most up-to-date edition of this material is placed on this website. (On these pages only, about 400 most basic and common words are marked with ##.)

A Unicode text file of the latest version (4j333_uc.txt) in zip archive format may be downloaded from:    4j333_uc.zip.  (This file contains the listing of words and their translations only; the descriptive material is found only on the front page of this website.)

Portions or all of the text of this yojijukugo listing in either text or html format may be reproduced electronically or in print for educational, non-profit purposes, provided credit is given by reference to the URL of this website or by including the following copyright notice:       Copyright 2005-2007 Kanji Haitani


Check out the very interesting and useful quizzes on yojijukugo developed by Charles Kelly using the material contained within these pages.
http://www.manythings.org/japanese/vocabulary/kh-yojijukugo1.html
http://www.manythings.org/japanese/vocabulary/kh-yojijukugo2.html

Comments, corrections, and suggestions are welcome. Please send your email to:

khaitani1#earthlink.net    (Replace # by @ before sending the message.)

  DISCLAIMER: Although I have done my best to present error-free material,
    I shall not be liable for any errors or imperfections that may remain.


For the English meanings of these four-character idioms, I have consulted some of tthe references listed below. From among the meanings given in these sources, I have selected ones which I believe are the most appropriate, and provided my own defintions wherever deemed necessary.

Major References:

 ◇ Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary, 5th ed. (CD-ROM)
 ◇ Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Japanese-EnglishDictionary (Monash University)
 ◇ Yahoo! Japan Dictionaries (Yahoo! 辞書)    http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/
 ◇ ALC 『英辞郎』 on the Web     http://www.alc.co.jp/
 ◇ 田部井文雄 編 『大修館 四字熟語辞典』 大修館書店 2004
 ◇ 日本漢字教育振興会 編 『漢検・四字熟語辞典』 1997


Codes    記号一覧

adj        adjective (keiyoushi) 形容詞
adv        adverb (fukushi) 副詞
adj-na   "na" adjective, or adjectival noun (keiyoudoushi)  [〜な」形容動詞
                   Uses "-na" to form an adjective.
adj-no   "no" adjective, or nouns which may take "-no" to form an adjective.
                   「〜の」形容動詞
adj-t     "taru" adjective. 「ト/タル」形容動詞   「−たる」の形で連体詞    Uses "-taru" to form an adjective.
adv-to   adverb taking the "to" particle. 「ト/タル」形容動詞    「−と」の形で副詞    Uses "-to" to form an adverb. 
exp        expressions  (clauses, sayings, exclamations, etc.)
                  副詞節、言い回し、感嘆文、など。
int        interjection   間投詞 
n           common noun (futsuumeishi) 普通名詞
n-adv    adverbial noun (fukushiteki meishi)  副詞的名詞
n-t        temporal noun (jisoumeishi)  時相名詞
vs          noun which takes the auxiliary verb "suru" さ変形動名詞


                                                         
                                                    Bottom


「あ」

合縁奇縁・相縁機縁 (あいえん きえん) 
(n) uncanny relationship formed by a quirk of fate; a couple strangely but happily united

相碁井目 (あいご せいもく) 
(exp,n) In every game or play, differences in skill between individuals can be substantial.

哀訴嘆願・哀訴歎願 (あいそ たんがん) 
(n,vs) plea; entreaty; supplication

相手次第 (あいて しだい) 
(n) being up to the other party; one's attitude or response being dependent on the character, attitude, or move(s) of the other party

哀悼痛惜 (あいとう つうせき) 
(n) condolence; mourning; sorrow; lamentation

愛別離苦 (あいべつ りく) 
(n) the agony of separation from loved ones

合間合間 (あいま あいま)
(n) (in) one's spare time; (at) intervals; (in) pauses (of conversation, etc.); (in between) periods of doing something

曖昧模糊 (あいまい もこ) 
(adj-na,adj-t,adv-to) obscure; vague; ambiguous; hazy

青息吐息 (あおいき といき) ##
(n) deep distress; sigh uttered when one is in great distress

青空市場 (あおぞら いちば)
(n) open-air market; outdoor market; outdoor bazaar

青空駐車 (あおぞら ちゅうしゃ)
(n,vs) parking one's car on the street [out in the open] at night; illegal parking outdoors

商人気質 (あきんど かたぎ ・ しょうにん かたぎ) 
(n) mercantile mind-set; mercenary spirit; being intent on making a profit

悪因悪果 (あくいん あっか) 
(exp,n) sowing and reaping evil; An evil cause produces an evil effect.

青田売買 (あおた ばいばい)
(n) dealing in unharvested rice crop

悪逆非道 (あくぎゃく ひどう) 
(adj-na,n) heinous; treacherous; atrocious; diabolic; fiendish; inhuman

悪行三昧 (あくぎょう ざんまい) 
(n) committing every evil; being given to evil ways; following the path of evil

悪逆無道 (あくぎゃく むどう ・ あくぎゃく ぶどう) 
(adj-na,n) heinous; treacherous; atrocious; diabolic; fiendish; inhuman

悪事千里 (あくじ せんり) 
(exp,n) Bad news travel fast.; Ill news spread like wildfire.

悪徳商法 (あくとく しょうほう)
(n) unscrupulous [crooked, fraudulent] business practices; pernicious sales methods

悪戦苦闘 (あくせん くとう) ##
(n,vs) hard [desperate] struggle; fighting against heavy odds

悪人正機 (あくにん しょうき)   
(exp,n) The evil persons are the right object of Amida's salvation.; The evil persons have the unique opportunity to go to heaven.

握髪吐哺 (あくはつ とほ) 
(n) (a statesman making) extraordinary efforts to find and employ capable persons [persons of great wisdom]

悪木盗泉 (あくぼく とうせん) 
(exp,n) A virtuous person does [should] not commit an act that offends his moral principles no matter how hard pressed he may be.

悪魔調伏 (あくま ちょうぶく ・ あくま ぢょうぶく)
(n) exorcism; praying down evil spirits

足軽大将 (あしがる たいしょう)
(n) samurai in command of a troop of foot soldiers

可惜身命 (あたら  しんみょう)  
(n) valuing one's body and life; holding one's life dear

彼方此方 (あち こち ・ あちら こちら ・ あっち こっち ・ かなた こなた)
(adv,n) here and there; everywhere; all over (the place); throughout; sporadically

悪鬼羅刹 (あっき らせつ)  
(n) man-eating fiend

悪口雑言 (あっこう ぞうごん) ##
(n) stream of verbal abuse; cursing and swearing (words)

跡目相続 (あとめ そうぞく)
(n) taking over as (the) head of a family; succession to the position of family head; successorship

阿鼻叫喚 (あび きょうかん) 
(n) agonizing cries; pandemonium; two of the eight burning hells in Buddhism

阿鼻地獄 (あび じごく) 
(n) the Avici hell, the eighth and most painful of the eight hells in Buddhism

阿付迎合・阿附迎合 (あふ げいごう)  
(n,vs) ingratiation; sycophancy

雨傘番組 (あまがさ ばんぐみ)
(n) substitute for a scheduled live broadcast of a sporting event that was rained out

甘辛両党 (あまから りょうとう)
(n) person who likes alcohol and sweets equally well

甘辛両刀 (あまから りょうとう)
(adj-no,n) taste for both wines and sweets; having a liking for both alcoholic beverages and sweet things

蛙鳴蝉噪 (あめい せんそう) 
(n) annoying noise; fruitless argument; useless controversy

阿諛迎合 (あゆ げいごう) 
(n,vs) ingratiation; sycophancy  

阿諛追従 (あゆ ついしょう) 
(n,vs) excessive flattery; adulation

阿諛便佞・阿諛弁佞 (あゆ べんねい)  
(adj-no,n) flattery; adulation; sycophancy

有難迷惑 (ありがた めいわく)
(adj-na,n) misplaced kindness; mixed blessing; an unwelcome favor

暗雲低迷 (あんうん ていめい) 
(n) dark clouds hanging low; dark clouds gathering ominously (over)

安心立命 (あんしん りつめい ・ あんじん りつめい ・ あんじん りゅうみょう ・ あんじん りゅうめい)
(n,vs) spiritual peace and enlightenment; keeping an unperturbed mind through faith

暗送秋波 (あんそう しゅうは) 
(n) giving an amorous sidelong look; casting an amorous glance (at); playing up to someone behind the scenes

暗中飛躍 (あんちゅう ひやく) 
(n,vs) behind-the-scenes maneuvering; secret maneuvers

暗中模索 (あんちゅう もさく) ##
(n,vs) groping in the dark; exploring new avenues without having any clues

安寧秩序 (あんねい ちつじょ) 
(n) peace and order; law and order

安穏無事 (あんのん ぶじ) 
(adj-na,n) peace and quiet; safe and peaceful; tranquil and uneventful

安否不明 (あんぴ ふめい)
(n) fate [safety] of a person [persons] being unknown

安眠妨害 (あんみん ぼうがい)
(n) disturbance of sleep; a nuisance in the middle of the night

Top of Page     |     Bottom of Page

「い」

唯々諾々・唯唯諾諾 (いい だくだく)
(adj-t,adv-to) (obeying/following) tamely; readily; submissively; with acquiescence

以下同文 (いか どうぶん)
(exp,n) The remainder of the text is the same as in the previous document[original version].

以下余白 (いか よはく)
(exp,n) From here down blank; The remaining space is (intentionally) left blank.

遺憾千万 (いかん せんばん)  
(adj-na) highly regrettable; utterly deplorable; deeply chagrined

衣冠束帯 (いかん そくたい)
(n) full Japanese court dress of traditional fashion

意気軒昂・意気軒高 (いき けんこう)  
(adj-na,adj-t,adv-to) in high spirits; in an ebullient mood; elated

意気消沈 (いき しょうちん) ##
(n,vs) in low spirits; despondent; disheartened; down in the dumps

意気衝天 (いき しょうてん) 
(n) in high spirits; in top form

意気阻喪 (いき そそう) 
(n,vs) in low spirits; despondent; disheartened; down in the dumps

意気投合 (いき とうごう) ##
(n,vs) hit it off with (a person); find a kindred spirit in (a person)

意気揚々・意気揚揚 (いき ようよう)
(adj-t,adv-to) triumphant; exultant; in high and proud spirits

異曲同工 (いきょく どうこう)
(n) different in appearance but essentially the same in content; equal in skills or workmanship but different in style or artistic flavor; the same for all practical purposes

異口同音 (いく どうおん) ##
(n) in concert; with one voice; unanimously

意見具申 (いけん ぐしん)
(n,vs) offering one's opinion (to someone on something)

意向尊重 (いこう そんちょう)
(n) respecting the intention/wishes of someone

意向打診 (いこう だしん)
(n) sounding out the intension/wishes of someone

意向無視 (いこう むし)
(n) ignoring/overriding the intention/wishes of someone

異国趣味 (いこく しゅみ) 
(n) taste for the exotic; infatuation with a foreign way of life; exoticism

異国情緒 (いこく じょうちょ) 
(n) exotic mood; exotic atmosphere; exoticism

異国情調 (いこく じょうちょう) 
(n) exotic mood; exotic atmosphere; exoticism

遺恨試合 (いこん しあい)
(n) grudge match

遺恨十年 (いこん じゅうねん)
(adv,n) grudge of ten years' standing; harboring a grudge for many years

委細承知 (いさい しょうち) 
(exp,n,vs) details [particulars, the total situation] being fully understood; Understood.; Agreed.

委細面談 (いさい めんだん) 
(exp) Details when I see you.; Details [particulars] to be discussed [arranged] personally [by interview].

意識過剰 (いしき かじょう)
(adj-na,n) hyperconsciousness; too great a sense (of); something being only one's imagination; letting imagination run away with one

意識転換 (いしき てんかん)
(n,vs) change in mentality; changing one's way of thinking; adjusting psychologically to shifting circumstances

意識不明 (いしき ふめい)
(n) unconscious; senseless; in a coma

意識変革  (いしき へんかく)
(n,vs) radical change in mentality; radically changing one's way of thinking; radical change in consciousness

意識朦朧 (いしき もうろう) 
(adj-t,adv-to) being in a hazy state; being only half conscious; feeling dopey

意志堅固 (いし けんご) 
(adj-na,n) strong determination; strong-willed; having strong will power; firmness of purpose

意志疎通 (いし そつう) 
(n) mutual understanding; reciprocal communication

異字同訓 (いじ どうくん)
(n) a (Chinese) character with the same reading [pronunciation] as another but a different written form; characters read the same but written differently

意志薄弱 (いし はくじゃく)  
(adj-na,n) weak-willed; lacking will power to be patient, purposeful, or resolute; infirmness of purpose

意思表示 (いし ひょうじ) 
(n,vs) declaration of intention; manifestation of intent; expressing one's will

石部金吉 (いしべ きんきち) 
(n) man of incorruptible probity; strait-laced and inflexible man

意趣遺恨 (いしゅ いこん) 
(n) grudge; spite; malice; rancor

意匠惨憺 (いしょう さんたん) 
(n) taxing one's ingenuity in devising something; agonizing over designing or creating something; making strenuous efforts to devise good ways and means to do something

衣装道楽 (いしょう どうらく) 
(n) love of fine clothing; weakness for fine clothes; being extravagant in clothing

医食同源 (いしょく どうげん)  
(exp,n) Medicine and one's daily diet are equally important for a healthy body.; The same principles underlie a normal diet and medical treatment.

以心伝心 (いしん でんしん) ##
(n-adv,n) without any need for words; tacit understanding; communion of mind with mind; through sympathy; telepathy

居候生活 (いそうろう せいかつ)
(n) living in another person's house without paying for food and lodging; sponging on other people for accommodation

異体同心 (いたい どうしん) 
(n) being two in body, but one in mind; harmony of mind between two persons; two persons acting in one accord

悪戯小僧 (いたずら こぞう) 
(n) mischievous boy

悪戯坊主 (いたずら ぼうず) 
(n) mischievous boy  

異端邪説 (いたん じゃせつ) 
(n) heretical doctrine [thought, faith]

一意専心 (いちい せんしん) ##
(n-adv) single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with one's heart and soul

一衣帯水 (いち いたいすい) ##
(n) (being separated by) a narrow strip of water; a narrow strait [channel, river]

一行知識 (いちぎょう ちしき) 
(n) one-line fact; one-line information; information [explanation] provided in a few scanty words

一芸一能 (いちげい いちのう) 
(n) (excelling in) one area or skill; (being skilled or gifted in) one certain area

一芸入試 (いちげい にゅうし)
(n) entrance exam for a university giving preference to persons who excel in one special field [skill]; one-talent oriented entrance examination

一言一行 (いちげん いっこう) 
(n) just a word or an act; every word and act; a casual [inadvertent] word or act

一言居士 (いちげん こじ ・ いちごん こじ) ##
(n) person who is ready to comment on every subject; ready critic; person who always has to put in his two cents (worth)

一期一会 (いちご いちえ)##
(n) once-in-a-lifetime experience [opportunity, encounter]; experience that will never come again

一語一語 (いちご いちご)
(n-adv) word for word; verbatim

一伍一什 (いちご いちじゅう) 
(n) full particulars; the whole story; from beginning to end

一語一句 (いちご いっく) 
(n) every single word and phrase; each and every word

一期末代 (いちご まつだい)
(n) this world [life] and the next; eternity

一言一句 (いちごん いっく) 
(n) every single word and phrase; each and every word

一言隻句 (いちごん せっく ・ いちごん せきく) 
(n) every single word and phrase; each and every word

一言半句 (いちごん はんく) ##
(n) a single word; (not even) a word; (not even) a syllable

一字一字 (いちじ いちじ)
(n) letter by letter; character by character

一字一句 (いちじ いっく) 
(n) word for word; verbatim; a single word and a single phrase

一字千金 (いちじ せんきん) 
(n) precious [greatly prized] (word/writing)

一日三秋 (いちじつ さんしゅう ・ いちにち さんしゅう) 
(n) (waiting) impatiently; (spending) many a weary day; each moment seeming like an eternity

一日千秋 (いちじつ せんしゅう ・ いちにち せんしゅう) ##
(n) (waiting) impatiently; (spending) many a weary day; each moment seeming like an eternity

一字半句 (いちじ はんく) 
(n) a single word; (not even) a word; (not even) a syllable

一汁一菜  (いちじゅう いっさい)
(n) meal consisting of rice, one soup and one other dish; a simple meal

一上一下 (いちじょう いちげ) 
(n,vs) up and down

一新紀元 (いち  しんきげん) 
(n) marking (the beginning of) a new era [epoch]

一族郎党 (いちぞく ろうとう)
(n) one's family and followers; one's whole clan

一代一度 (いちだい いちど)
(adj-no,n) once in an emperor's reign; event that takes place only once in a sovereign's reign

一大決心 (いちだい けっしん)
(n,vs) momentous [crucial] decision

一大旋風 (いちだい せんぷう)
(n) great sensation; taking something by storm; making a splash

一大鉄槌 (いちだい てっつい)
(n) dealing a hard [heavy, crushing] blow (to)

一大転機 (いちだい てんき)
(n) significant turning point

一代分限 (いちだい ぶんげん ・ いちだい ぶげん)
(n) new money; nouveau riche; person who has amassed substantial wealth in his lifetime

一諾千金 (いちだく せんきん)
(n) one's word is worth a thousand pieces of gold; a promise that is worth its weight in gold

一読三嘆・一読三歎  (いちどく さんたん) 
(n,vs) a reading leaves one with ceaseless sighs of admiration

一読呆然 (いちどく ぼうぜん)
(n,vs) a (single) reading [a perusal] leaves one dumbfounded

一日一善 (いちにち いちぜん)
(n) doing a good deed each day; doing one good turn a day

一日二日 (いちにち ふつか)
(adv,n) a day or two

一人当千 (いちにん とうせん ・ いちにん とうぜん)
(n) being a match for a thousand

一念発起 (いちねん ほっき) ##
(n,vs) (firmly) resolved to (do something)

一年有半 (いちねん ゆうはん)
(n) one year and a half

一暴十寒 (いちばく じっかん)
(exp) Bursts of exertion will fail to bear fruit if interrupted by long periods of idleness; Strenuous efforts, unless sustained, are to no avail. [Mencius]

一罰百戒 (いちばつ ひゃっかい)
(n) punishing a crime to make an example for others; punishing one while giving a warning to hundreds

一番勝負 (いちばん しょうぶ) 
(n) contest decided by a single round [bout]; contest decided by a single roll of dice; one-shot game [contest]; make-or-break game

一番風呂 (いちばん ぶろ)
(n) freshly drawn bath; (taking) a bath before anyone else   

一病息災 (いちびょう そくさい)
(exp,n) One who nurses a (small) chronic ailment lives longer than someone who takes his good health for granted.

一分一厘 (いちぶ いちりん)
(n) (not even) a bit of; (not even) a hint of; (not) an iota of; (not) the slightest

一部始終 (いちぶ しじゅう) ##
(n) full particulars; the whole story; from beginning to end

一別以来 (いちべつ いらい)
(n-adv, n-t) since our last meeting; since we parted  

一望千里 (いちぼう せんり) ##
(n) sweeping view of the eye; boundless expanse

一木一草 (いちぼく いっそう) 
(n) a single tree or blade of grass; every stick and stone (of a place)

一枚上手 (いちまい うわて)
(adj-na,n) being a cut above somebody

一枚看板 (いちまい かんばん)
(n) the shining star (of a troupe); the central figure; the best item one has to show; the only thing that can be boasted of

一味同心 (いちみ どうしん)
(n) (people) working together with one mind

一味徒党  (いちみ ととう)
(n) the whole party to a plot; the whole gang; fellow conspirators

一網打尽 (いちもう だじん) ##
(n) big haul; wholesale arrest; catching (the whole lot) with one cast of the net

一目十行 (いちもく じゅうぎょう)
(n) outstanding reading ability (lit. one glance, ten lines)

一目瞭然 (いちもく りょうぜん) ##
(adj-na,n) patently obvious; plain to anyone; as clear as day

一問一答 (いちもん いっとう) 
(n,vs) series of questions and answers; question-and-answer session

一文半銭 (いちもん はんせん)
(n) meager sum of money

一文不知 (いちもん ふち)
(adj-no,n) total illiteracy

一文不通 (いちもん ふつう)
(adj-no,n) total illiteracy

一夜乞食 (いちや こじき)
(n) person who has become penniless overnight

一夜大尽 (いちや だいじん)
(n) overnight millionaire

一陽来復 (いちよう らいふく) ##
(n) the return of spring (after the cold of winter); brighter prospects after a period of gloom

一利一害 (いちり いちがい)
(n) (something) having its advantages but also not without its disadvantages; advantage and its (accompanying) disadvantage

一粒万倍 (いちりゅう まんばい)
(exp,n) A single seed can eventually produce a great harvest.; Even the smallest beginning can generate a greatest profit.; Watch the pennies, and the pounds will look after themselves.

一両日中 (いち りょうじつ ちゅう)
(n) in a day or two; within the next couple of days

一蓮托生 (いちれん たくしょう) ##
(n) casting one's lot with another; sharing the same fate with others; being in the same boat; sinking or swimming with the company

一六銀行 (いちろく ぎんこう)
(n) pawnshop

一六勝負 (いちろく しょうぶ)  
(n) dice gambling game; staking all on one throw; all-or-nothing gamble; risky attempt

一路順風 (いちろ じゅんぷう) 
(n) sailing before the wind; everything is going well

一路平安 (いちろ へいあん)   
(n) (wishing someone) bon voyage; safe [uneventful, smooth] voyage

一回勝負 (いっかい しょうぶ)
(n) contest decided by a single round [bout]; contest decided by a single roll of dice; one-shot game [contest]; make-or-break game

一攫千金 (いっかく せんきん) ##
(n) making a fortune at a stroke; getting rich quick without much effort

一家眷属 (いっか けんぞく)
(n) one's family, relatives and followers

一家団欒 (いっか だんらん)
(n,vs) happy family circle; sitting in a family circle and enjoying conversation; harmony in a family

一家離散 (いっか りさん) 
(n,vs) the breakup [dispersal] of a family

一喜一憂 (いっき いちゆう) ##
(n,vs) now rejoicing, now worrying; swinging from joy to sorrow; alternate hope and fear

一気呵成 (いっき かせい)
(n) (finishing/writing) work at a stroke [stretch]; dashing off; knocking off

一騎当千 (いっき とうせん) ##
(n) being a match for a thousand; being a mighty warrior [combatant, player]

一虚一実 (いっきょ いちじつ)
(n) constantly changing phase and being highly unpredictable    

一挙一動 (いっきょ いちどう) ##
(n) one's every action; every single move

一極集中 (いっきょく しゅうちゅう)
(n,vs) unipolar concentration; extreme centralization; overconcentration

一挙両全 (いっきょ りょうぜん)
(n) killing two birds with one stone; serving two ends

一挙両得 (いっきょ りょうとく) ##
(n) killing two birds with one stone; serving two ends

一件書類 (いっけん しょるい)
(n) all the papers [documents] relating to a case; dossier

一件落着 (いっけん らくちゃく)
(n,vs) the case is closed; the matter is all settled

一高一低 (いっこう いってい)
(n,vs) a rise and a fall; now rising, now falling; frequent fluctuations

一刻一刻 (いっこく いっこく)
(adv,n) hourly; from hour to hour; moment by moment; momently; from one minute to the next; with each passing moment

一国一城 (いっこく いちじょう)
(n) (the lord of) a feudal domain; (the ruler of) an independent territory; (someone) working independently; (only) one castle (allowed) in one feudal domain [edict issued by the shogunate in 1615]

一刻千金 (いっこく せんきん) ##
(exp,n) very valuable time; Every moment is precious.; Time is money.

一切皆空 (いっさい かいくう)
(exp,n) Matter is void; All is vanity.

一切合切・一切合財 (いっさい がっさい) ##
(n-adv,n) any and every thing; altogether; lock, stock, and barrel; the whole kit and caboodle; without reserve

一切衆生 (いっさい しゅじょう)
(n) all living creatures

一昨々月・一昨昨月 (いっさく さくげつ)
(n-adv,n-t) three months ago

一昨々夜・一昨昨夜 (いっさく さくや)
(n-adv,n-t) two nights before last; three nights back [ago] 

一子相伝 (いっし そうでん)
(n) transmission of the secrets of an art, craft, trade or learning from father to only one child

一視同仁 (いっし どうじん)
(n) loving every human being with impartiality; universal brotherhood; universal benevolence; equality without discrimination

一死報国 (いっし ほうこく)
(n) dying for one's country

一瀉千里 (いっしゃ せんり)
(n) one swift effort; rushing through one's work; (with) rushing speed; lucid and fluent way of talking [writing]; without faltering

一宿一飯 (いっしゅく いっぱん)
(n) a night's lodging and a meal; (being beholden to someone for the favor of) a night's lodging and a meal

一瞬絶句 (いっしゅん ぜっく) 
(n,vs) breaking off short (in one's speech); rendered speechless for a moment

一生一度 (いっしょう いちど)
(adj-no,n) once in one's life; once in a lifetime

一生懸命 (いっしょう けんめい) ##
(adj-na,n-adv,n) very hard; with utmost effort; for dear life; frantically

一唱三嘆・一倡三歎  (いっしょう さんたん)
(n,vs) one reading (of a poem aloud) leaves one with ceaseless sighs of admiration

一笑千金 (いっしょう せんきん)
(exp,n) A smile of a beautiful woman is worth a thousand pieces of gold.; enchanting smile of a glamorous woman

一生不犯 (いっしょう ふぼん)  
(n) (strict) observance of the Buddhist precept of lifelong celibacy

一触即発 (いっしょく そくはつ) ##
(n) critical [touch and go] situation; explosive [hair-trigger] situation; flash point

一所懸命 (いっしょ けんめい)
(adj-na,n-adv,n) (1) very hard; with utmost effort; for dear life; frantically; (2) sticking at living in one place; samurai in earlier feudal times staking his livelihood on his fief

一所不住 (いっしょ ふじゅう) 
(n) vagrancy; transient lifestyle; itinerant life; being without a fixed abode

一進一退 (いっしん いったい) ##
(n,vs) now advancing and now retreating; ebb and flow; wax and wane; taking alternately favorable and unfavorable turns

一心同体 (いっしん どうたい) ##
(n) being one in body and soul; of one flesh; two hearts beating as one   

一心不乱 (いっしん ふらん) ##
(adj-na,n) intently; with heart and soul; with undivided attention; with intense concentration

一世一元 (いっせい いちげん)
(n) the practice of assigning one era name to one emperor

一斉射撃 (いっせい しゃげき)
(n,vs) fusillade (of fire, insults, etc.); volley (of bullets, protests, etc.); barrage of (criticism, heckling, questions, etc.)

一世一代 (いっせ いちだい ・ いっせい いちだい) ##
(n) once in a lifetime; the first and last occurrence [event, experience] of one's lifetime

一世風靡 (いっせい ふうび)
(n) ruling the times; holding sway over the minds of the people

一石二鳥 (いっせき にちょう) ##
(n) killing two birds with one stone

一殺多生 (いっせつ たしょう ・ いっさつ たしょう) 
(n) It is justifiable to kill one (harmful) person to save the lives of many

一体全体 (いったい ぜんたい)
(adv) what [how, where, why, who] on earth?; what [how, where, why, who] in the world?

一旦緩急 (いったん かんきゅう) 
(exp,n) (when) danger threatens; should an emergency occur

一致協力 (いっち きょうりょく) 
(n,vs) combined [concerted] efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)

一致結束 (いっち けっそく)
(n,vs) closing ranks; uniting and working together; coming together for fighting

一致団結 (いっち だんけつ) ##
(n,vs) solidarity; acting together as one for a common cause

一知半解 (いっち はんかい)
(n) superficial knowledge; half knowledge

一張一弛 (いっちょう いっし)
(n,vs) tension and relaxation; treating [handling] a matter judiciously [tactfully], being strict at times and lenient at other times

一朝一夕 (いっちょう いっせき) ##
(n) in a day; in a brief space of time

一長一短 (いっちょう いったん) ##
(n) (something having its) merits and demerits; advantages and disadvantages; strong and weak points

一朝有事 (いっちょう ゆうじ)  
(exp,n) (when) the time of need arises; should an emergency occur

一定不変 (いってい ふへん) 
(n) invariable; constant; fixed (and unchangeable); permanent; immutable; unwavering

一擲千金 (いってき せんきん)
(n) being lavish with one's money; spending a huge sum of money at once on a treat

一徹短慮 (いってつ たんりょ)
(adj-na,n) stubborn and short-tempered

一点一画 (いってん いっかく) 
(n) the i's and the t's; (not neglecting) the slightest detail

一天四海 (いってん しかい)
(n) the whole world; the universe

一天地六 (いってん ちろく)
(exp,n) a die; gambling with dice; playing hazard; You can never tell what'll pop up.

一天万乗 (いってん ばんじょう) 
(n) (the throne or realm of) a sovereign [an emperor]

一刀両断 (いっとう りょうだん) ##
(n) cutting in two with a single stroke; taking a decisive [drastic] measure; cutting the (Gordian) knot

一得一失 (いっとく いっしつ)
(n) gaining some and losing some; (something having its) advantages and disadvantages; merits and demerits

一杯一杯 (いっぱい いっぱい)
(adj-na,n-adv,n) 1 one cup after another; cup by cup; 2 to the limit; to the fullest extent; absolutely the limit; the best one can do; be breaking even

一杯機嫌 (いっぱい きげん)
(adj-no,n) be a little drunk; be tipsy

一発回答 (いっぱつ かいとう)
(n) first and final offer in labor-management negotiations

一発逆転 (いっぱつ ぎゃくてん)
(n,vs) turning things around with a home run; turning the tables with a single successful attack [move]

一発勝負 (いっぱつ しょうぶ)
(n) contest decided by a single round [bout]; contest decided by a single roll of dice; one-shot game [contest]; make-or-break game

一発必中 (いっぱつ ひっちゅう)
(n) success on the first try [attempt]

一般常識 (いっぱん じょうしき) 
(n) plain old common sense; common knowledge; what everybody knows

一般庶民 (いっぱん しょみん) 
(n) the ordinary common people; the ordinary citizens

一筆啓上 (いっぴつ けいじょう) 
(exp,n) Just a short note to tell you ... ; This will just be a short note. [a set formula of greeting used by a man at the beginning of a brief note]

一顰一笑 (いっぴん いっしょう)
(n) a smile or frown; one's mood [caprice]

一夫一妻 (いっぷ いっさい)
(n) monogamy

一夫一婦 (いっぷ いっぷ)
(n) monogamy

一服休憩 (いっぷく きゅうけい) 
(n,vs) tea [coffee, cigarette] break

一夫多妻 (いっぷ たさい)
(n) polygyny

一歩一歩 (いっぽ いっぽ)
(n-adv,n) step by step; every step

一本調子 (いっぽん ぢょうし ・ いっぽん ちょうし)
(adj-na,n) monotone; dullness; repetition

逸楽生活 (いつらく せいかつ)
(n) a life given up to pleasure; pleasure-seeking lifestyle

以毒制毒 (いどく せいどく)
(n) using poisonous medication to control poison; fighting evil with evil; fighting fire with fire

田舎気質 (いなか かたぎ)
(n) rusticity; provincialism

田舎大尽 (いなか だいじん)
(n) provincial [country] millionaire

意馬心猿 (いば しんえん)  
(n) the clamorous demands of (uncontrollable) passions; (being unable to control) one's worldly desires and passions

夷蛮戎狄 (いばん じゅうてき)
(n) the barbarians beyond the borders of old China

威風堂々・威風堂堂 (いふう どうどう) ##
(adj-t,adv-to) awe-inspiring; majestic; commanding; stately; with an imposing air; in a stately [dignified] manner

威風凛々・威風凛凛 (いふう りんりん) 
(adj-t,adv-to) awe-inspiring; majestic; commanding; stately; with an imposing air; in a stately [dignified] manner

畏怖嫌厭 (いふ けんえん) 
(n,vs) feelings of dread and aversion

異聞奇譚 (いぶん きたん) 
(n) strange stories and curious tales

韋編三絶 (いへん さんぜつ)
(n,vs) repeated reading; close [careful] reading; careful perusal

意味深長 (いみ しんちょう) ##
(adj-na,n) with profound [often hidden] meaning; being suggestive; pregnant with significance

意欲満々・意欲満満  (いよく まんまん) ##
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) full of zeal; highly motivated; very eager

異類異形 (いるい いぎょう) 
(n) strange-looking creatures; spirits and goblins

色恋沙汰 (いろこい ざた)
(n) romantic entanglement; love affair

岩戸景気 (いわと けいき)
(n) the economic boom of 1958-1961

陰々滅々・陰陰滅滅 (いんいん めつめつ)  
(adj-t,adv-to) dark and gloomy; depressing; mournful

因果因縁 (いんが いんねん) 
(n) cause and effect; karma; retribution; an evil cause producing an evil effect

因果応報 (いんが おうほう) ##
(n) retributive justice; poetic justice; reward and punishment for one's past behavior

因果関係 (いんが かんけい)
(n) cause-and-effect relationship; causality

因果覿面 (いんが てきめん) 
(n) the swiftness of retributive justice

隠居仕事 (いんきょ しごと) 
(n) postretirement job; work done by a retired person where earning an income is not a primary concern

慇懃丁重 (いんぎん ていちょう) 
(adj-na,n) polite and courteous

慇懃無礼 (いんぎん ぶれい)
(adj-na,n) feigned politeness; disguised insult; rude under a veneer of politeness

淫祠邪教 (いんし じゃきょう)     
(n) evil heresies

因習道徳 (いんしゅう どうとく)
(n) conventional morality [morals]

因循姑息 (いんじゅん こそく)
(adj-na,n) conservative and temporizing

引責辞任 (いんせき じにん)
(n,vs) take responsibility by resigning; resign to take the blame; resign after accepting responsibility

隠遁生活 (いんとん せいかつ)
(n) a reclusive life; living secluded from the world; leading a sequestered life

隠忍自重 ( いんにん じちょう) ##
(n,vs) (behaving with) patience and prudence

隠蔽工作 (いんぺい こうさく)
(n,vs) (create) a cover-up

陰陽五行 (いんよう ごぎょう ・ おんよう ごぎょう)
(n) the cosmic dual forces (yin and yang) and the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) in Chinese cosmology

陰陽和合 (いんよう わごう) 
(n) the harmony of yin and yang energies

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「う」

有為転変 (うい てんぺん)
(n) mutability (of worldly affairs); perpetual shifts and changes (of human life)

右往左往 (うおう さおう) ##
(n,vs) moving about in confusion; going every which way; going right and left

迂闊千万 (うかつ せんばん)
(adj-na) very careless; quite thoughtless

羽化登仙 (うか とうせん) 
(n) a sense of release (as if one had wings and were riding on air)

浮草稼業・浮き草稼業  (うきぐさ かぎょう)
(n) precarious trade; unstable occupation; itinerant trade

雨奇晴好 (うき せいこう) 
(n) scenery being beautiful in both rainy and sunny weather

右顧左眄 (うこ さべん)  
(n,vs) hesitation; wavering; looking right and left and all around, unable to make up one's mind; shilly-shally

有情無情 (うじょう むじょう)
(n) sentient and nonsentient beings

有象無象 (うぞう むぞう)
(n) pack of riffraff; the small fry; motley crowd of ordinary or undistinguished persons; mere anybodies; the common ruck

内股膏薬 (うちまた ごうやく ・ うちまた こうやく)  ##
(n) double-dealer; timeserver; moving back and forth between two sides in a conflict

宇宙開闢 (うちゅう かいびゃく)
(n) (since) the beginning of the universe; (since) the dawn of time

有頂天外 (うちょうてん がい)
(n) beside oneself with joy; in raptures; in an ecstasy of delight

内輪喧嘩 (うちわ げんか)
(n) family quarrel; internal squabble; fight among ourselves [themselves]

雨天順延 (うてん じゅんえん)
(n) rescheduled in case of rain; to be postponed to the first subsequent fine day in case of rain

烏兎匆々・烏兎匆匆 (うと そうそう) 
(exp,n) days and nights passing by quickly; months and years flying by; Time flies.

有髪俗体 (うはつ ぞくたい)
(n) (a Buddhist monk or priest or nun) without head shaven and not wearing religious garb

海千山千 (うみせん やません) ##
(n) sly old dog of much worldly wisdom; crafty person who's seen it all

有耶無耶 (うや むや)
(adj-na,n) vague; hazy; noncommittal; indefinite; ambiguous; evasive; inconclusive

紆余曲折 (うよ きょくせつ)
(n,vs) twists and turns; ups and downs; taking a tortuous course; complications

裏口入学 (うらぐち にゅうがく)
(n,vs) getting into a school by the back door; buy one's way into (a university, etc.); backdoor admission

盂蘭盆会 (うらぼん え)
(n) Bon Festival; Feast of Lanterns (around the 15th of July or August depending on local customs)

雲雨巫山 (うんう ふざん) 
(n) sexual liaison

雲煙過眼 (うんえん かがん) 
(n) not being obsessed with something very long (just as clouds and haze pass swiftly before one's eyes)

雲煙万里 (うんえん ばんり) 
(n) limitless expanse of clouds and smoke

雲煙飛動・雲烟飛動 (うんえん ひどう)
(n) (1) flying clouds and drifting haze; (2) magnificent calligraphy; vivid penmanship 

運気好転 (うんき こうてん)
(n,vs) turn [stroke] of good fortune; one's fortune turning for the better

雲散霧消 (うんさん むしょう) ##
(n,vs) vanishing like mist; disappearing into thin air; going up in smoke

雲集霧散 (うんしゅう むさん)
(n,vs) (many things) gathering like clouds and vanishing like mist; swarming and scattering

雲水行脚 (うんすい あんぎゃ) 
(n) itinerant monk being on pilgrimages to many lands

運勢隆々・運勢隆隆 (うんせい りゅうりゅう)
(adj-t,adv-to) one's prosperity being on the rise; one's fortune reaching its culmination

運勢判断 (うんせい はんだん)
(n) fortune-tellling

雲泥万里 (うんでい ばんり)  
(n) being poles apart; (there being) all the difference in the world

運動音痴 (うんどう おんち)
(n) having slow reflexes; being nonathletic; person who is not athletic

運否天賦 (うんぷ てんぷ)
(n) trusting to chance; having a go at something

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「え」

営々黙々・営営黙黙 (えいえい もくもく)
(adj-t,adv-to) assiduously and quietly

永久欠番 (えいきゅう けつばん)
(n) retired (uniform) number

永久不変  (えいきゅう ふへん)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) permanence; forever unchanging

営業路線 (えいぎょう ろせん)
(n) (1) railroad [bus] lines [routes] in operation; (2) business plan [policy]

永劫回帰 (えいごう かいき) 
(n) eternal recurrence; Nietzsche's "ewige Wiederkunft"

栄枯盛衰 (えいこ せいすい) ##
(n) ups and downs of life [of a person, family, nation]; rise and fall; vicissitudes of fortune

英姿颯爽 (えいし さっそう)
(adj-t,adv-to) cutting a fine [dashing, gallant, noble] figure; majestic appearance

永字八法 (えいじ はっぽう)
(n) the eight basic brush strokes in writing Chinese characters

映像文化 (えいぞう ぶんか)
(n) visual culture; culture of visual images; (screen) image culture

永代供養 (えいたい くよう)   
(n) services performed in perpetuity by a Buddhist temple for the repose of a departed soul

英雄豪傑 (えいゆう ごうけつ)  
(n) hero; warrior of matchless valor; heroic character

英雄好色 (えいゆう こうしょく)
(exp,n) All great men like women.; Great men enjoy sensual pleasure.

栄耀栄華 (えいよう えいが ・ えよう えいが)
(n) wealth, prosperity, and arrogant splendor; (living sumptuously) intoxicated by wealth and power

栄養過多 (えいよう かた)
(n) overnutrition; excessive nutritional intake

栄養不足 (えいよう ふそく)
(n) malnutrition; undernourishment

栄養満点 (えいよう まんてん)
(n) highly nourishing [nutritious]; earning top marks nutrition-wise

笑顔千両 (えがお せんりょう)
(n) beautiful smile; there being a great charm about one's smile

益者三友 (えきしゃ さんゆう) 
(exp,n) There are three types of friends worth having--honest, sincere, and well-informed ones. [Confucius]

易姓革命 (えきせい かくめい)  
(n) revolution [change of dynasty] decreed by Heaven when the incumbent emperor is found lacking in moral virtue [old Chinese political thought]

駅弁大学 (えきべん だいがく)
(n) minor local college; small-time [two-bit] university; jerkwater college

依怙贔屓 (えこ ひいき)  ##
(n,vs) favoritism; partiality; nepotism

会者定離 (えしゃ じょうり)
(exp,n) Every meeting must involve a parting.; Those who meet must part. [suggesting the transient nature of this life]

似非学者 (えせ がくしゃ)
(n) pseudo-scholar; fake scholar; would-be expert

似非理屈 (えせ りくつ)
(n) sophism; sophistry; spurious reasoning [argument]

越境入学 (えっきょう にゅうがく)
(n,vs) gain admission to a school outside one's own school district

越権行為 (えっけん こうい)
(n) exceeding [abusing] one's legal authority; acting beyond the powers or legal authority (of a person, etc.); acting ultra vires

得手勝手 (えて かって) ##
(adj-na,n) selfish; self-centered; self-willed; (doing or saying things) just to suit oneself

恵比寿顔 (えびす がお)
(n) smiling [beaming] face

蜿々長蛇・蜿蜿長蛇  (えんえん ちょうだ)
(n) [a line, queue] being long and serpentine    

宴会政治 (えんかい せいじ)
(n) politicking by wining and dining

円滑洒脱 (えんかつ しゃだつ)
(adj-na,n) smooth, free and easy; refined and unconventional

婉曲迂遠 (えんきょく うえん)
(adj-na,n) euphemistic and circumlocutory; roundabout and circuitous

遠交近攻 (えんこう きんこう) 
(n) policy of cultivating distant countries while working to conquer ones nearby [Originally, an ancient Chinese military strategy]

縁故採用 (えんこ さいよう)
(n,vs) employment of workers through (personal) connections; getting a job through one's personal connection

掩護射撃・援護射撃 (えんご しゃげき)
(n,vs) (1) (providing) covering fire; (2) supporting [backing up] someone (in a debate [argument])

縁故政治 (えんこ せいじ)
(n) crony politics; nepotistic government

縁故募集 (えんこ ぼしゅう)
(n) (1) recruiting [inviting application for] through personal connections; (2) private (stock) offering [subscription]

燕雀鴻鵠 (えんじゃく こうこく)
(exp,n) How can a small bird [a sparrow, a petty person] understand the aspirations of a great bird [a phoenix, a great person]?; Only a hero can understand a hero.

縁者贔屓 (えんじゃ びいき)
(n) nepotism

艶笑小話 (えんしょう こばなし)
(n) amorous anecdote [conte]

艶笑文学 (えんしょう ぶんがく)
(n) humorous erotic literature

援助交際 (えんじょ こうさい)
(n,vs) dating with compensation [payments, financial support, etc.] [euphemism for a type of (teen) prostitution]

厭世自殺 (えんせい じさつ)
(n,vs) killing oneself out of despair [disgust with life]

演説口調 (えんぜつ くちょう)
(n) oratorical tone

嫣然一笑 (えんぜん いっしょう) 
(n,vs) giving a charming [bewitching] smile

厭戦気分 (えんせん きぶん)
(n) feeling of war-weariness

延長線上 (えんちょう せんじょう) 
(n) the extension of a straight line; (a conclusion) following as an extension of (an argument)

延長保育 (えんちょう ほいく)
(n) extended-hours childcare (in day-care centers for parents working into the night)

円転滑脱 (えんてん かつだつ) 
(adj-na,n) smooth; suave; tactful; smooth and polished in human relations

縁日商人 (えんにち しょうにん)
(n) festival vendor; keeper of a street stall at a temple [shrine] fair

炎熱地獄 (えんねつ じごく)
(n) burning hell; roaring inferno; flames of hell

遠謀深慮 (えんぼう しんりょ)
(n) deep design and forethought; farsighted and deeply-laid plan

円満解決 (えんまん かいけつ) 
(n) amicable solution [settlement]; settling the case leaving no parties dissatisfied

円満具足 (えんまん ぐそく)
(n,vs) contented and peaceable; having nothing to complain about

円満退職 (えんまん たいしょく)
(n,vs) amicable resignation [retirement]; resigning [retiring] from one's job of one's free will

延命息災 (えんめい そくさい)
(n) health and longevity; enjoying a long and healthy life being untouched by disaster

厭離穢土 (えんり えど ・ おんり えど)
(n) abhorrence of (living in) this impure world

遠慮会釈 (えんりょ えしゃく) ##
(n,vs) reserve and consideration (to others)

遠慮気味 (えんりょ ぎみ)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) somewhat reserved [diffident]; shyly; timidly; retiringly; in a retiring [reserved] manner

遠慮近憂 (えんりょ きんゆう)  
(n) Failure to think of the long term leads to grief in the short term.

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「お」

御家騒動・お家騒動 (おいえ そうどう)
(n) family trouble [quarrel]; domestic squabble; internal squabble (over headship rights) in a daimyo family in the Edo period

花魁道中 (おいらん どうちゅう)
(n) parade of oiran [licensed high-class prostitutes] in the Yoshikawa pleasure district of Edo

桜花爛漫 (おうか らんまん) 
(n) cherry blossoms in full bloom; riot of cherry blossoms

奥義秘伝 (おうぎ ひでん) 
(n) secretes; mysteries; secret formula; essence; esoterica (of an art, martial arts, etc.)

横行闊歩 (おうこう かっぽ) 
(n,vs) swaggering walk; stalking about with a haughty air; roaming at will; walking around (the place) as if one owned it

王侯貴族 (おうこう きぞく) 
(n) royalty and titled nobility

横行跋扈 (おうこう ばっこ)
(n,vs) being rampant; (evildoers) roaming at will

黄金時代 (おうごん じだい) ##
(n) the Golden Age; a golden age; heyday

王政復古 (おうせい ふっこ) 
(n) restoration of imperial [royal] rule; the Restoration [in English history]

往事渺茫 (おうじ びょうぼう)
(adj-t,adv-to) memories of the past events being [becoming] far and distant

往事茫々・往事茫茫 (おうじ ぼうぼう)
(adj-t,adv-to) memories of the past events being [becoming] far and distant

王手飛車 (おうて びしゃ)
(n) forking the rook while checking the king

黄道吉日 (おうどう きちにち ・ こうどう きちにち)
(n) very auspicious day for all types of occasions

王道楽土 (おうどう らくど)
(n) realm of peace and prosperity; land of simple pleasure and quiet life ruled by a virtuous king

懊悩煩悶 (おうのう はんもん) 
(n,vs) anguish; agony

椀飯振舞  (おうばん ぶるまい)
(n,vs) sumptuous feast; lavish hospitality; lavishly wining and dining (others)

応変能力 (おうへん のうりょく)
(n) ability to take proper steps to meet the situation; ability to adapt oneself to (the requirement of) the moment

大関陥落 (おおぜき かんらく)
(n) demotion from oozeki [the second highest rank in sumo wrestling] ranking

大馬鹿者 (おお ばかもの)
(n) great [utter] fool; complete idiot; absolute moron

大盤振舞  (おおばん ぶるまい) ##
(n,vs) sumptuous feast; lavish hospitality; lavishly wining and dining (others)

大風呂敷 (おお ぶろしき) ##
(n) (1) large-sized furoshiki [cloth wrapper]; (2) big talk; vain boasting; hot air; blowing one's own trumpet; rodomontade

大真面目  (おお まじめ) ##
(adj-na) dead(ly) serious; dead(ly) earnest

傍目八目・岡目八目 (おかめ はちもく) ##
(exp,n) a bystander's vantage point; an outsider's better grasp of the situation; Onlookers see more of the game than the players do.

屋上架屋 (おくじょう かおく)
(n) gilding the lily; adding redundant things; (being like) putting a fifth wheel on a carriage

奥山放獣 (おくやま ほうじゅう)
(n) relocation of wild animals to a remote location

鴛鴦夫婦・おしどり夫婦 (おしどり ふうふ)  
(n) loving couple; happily married couple (who are always together)

御邪魔虫・お邪魔虫 (おじゃま むし)
(n) someone who gets in the way without serving any useful purpose; fly in the ointment; buttinsky; third wheel

落人伝説 (おちゅうど でんせつ)
(n) legend concerning a fugitive clan

お調子者・御調子者 (おちょうし もの)
(n) flip; luck-pusher; frivolous person; person who readily chimes in with others; person who gets arried away easily

御涙頂戴・お涙頂戴 (おなみだ ちょうだい) 
(n) tearjerker; sob story; maudlin tale

御披露目 (お ひろめ)
(n) formal (public) announcement [of a wedding, the succession to a stage name, etc.]; unveiling [of a new singer, etc.]; debut [of a new geisha, etc.]

御御御付・御味御付・御味御汁 (おみおつけ)
(n) miso soup

汚名返上 (おめい へんじょう) 
(n,vs) clear one's name; redeem oneself; clear [vindicate] one's honor [reputation]

御目見得・お目見え  (お めみえ)
(n) (the privilege to have) an audience [with one's lord, a dignitary, etc.]; an interview [with one's superior]; one's debut [first] appearance; a debut [of a new product, work of art, etc.]; trial service [of a servant]

面白半分 (おもしろ はんぶん)
(adj-na,n) for fun; half in jest; just for the fun of it

御役御免・お役御免 (おやく ごめん) 
(n) dismissal; firing; retirement; being relieved from one's post; being relieved of a burden

御礼奉公・お礼奉公 (おれい ぼうこう)
(n,vs) free service after one has finished one's apprenticeship

穏健路線 (おんけん ろせん)
(n) moderate line; middle-of-the-road line (in politics)

温厚寡黙 (おんこう かもく)  
(adj-na,n) gentle and reticent

温厚篤実 (おんこう とくじつ)
(adj-na,n) gentle and sincere

温故知新 (おんこ ちしん) ##
(n) learning from the past; developing new ideas based on study of the past

温情主義 (おんじょう しゅぎ) 
(n) paternalism; philosophy of dealing with others benignly

音信不通 (おんしん ふつう ・ いんしん ふつう) ##
(n) break in contact; not hearing from; having no communication with

怨敵退散 (おんてき たいさん) 
(exp,n) invoking disaster upon one's mortal enemy; Confusion to the enemy!

音吐朗々・音吐朗朗 (おんと ろうろう)
(adj-t,adv-to) in a clear and sonorous voice

乳母日傘 (おんば ひがさ ・ おんば ひからかさ)
(n) (bringing up a child) with greatest care pampering (him/her) with material comforts of a rich family; (being brought up) in a hothouse atmosphere

隠密行動 (おんみつ こうどう)
(n) covert action [behavior]; espionage activities

厭離穢土 (おんり えど ・ えんり えど)
(n) abhorrence of (living in) this impure world

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「か」

開巻第一 (かいかん だいいち)
(n) at the very beginning of a book; The book opens with ...

開巻劈頭 (かいかん へきとう)
(n-adv) at the very beginning of a book; The book opens with ...

開眼供養 (かいげん くよう) 
(n) ceremony to consecrate a newly made Buddhist statue or image by inserting the eyes [thereby investing it with soul]

開口一番 (かいこう いちばん) ##
(n-adv) at the very beginning of one's speech; the first thing out of one's mouth

外交手腕 (がいこう しゅわん)
(n) diplomatic finesse; skill(s) in diplomacy

外交辞令 (がいこう じれい)
(n) diplomatic language; lip service; empty praise or flattery

外剛内柔 (がいごう ないじゅう) 
(n) tough on the outside but soft at heart; faint-hearted person pretending to be brave

戒告処分 (かいこく しょぶん)
(n) punishment by formal warning; punishing someone by a reprimand

懐古趣味 (かいこ しゅみ)
(n) nostalgia for the good old days; retro-culture

解釈改憲 (かいしゃく かいけん)
(n,vs) effecting de facto constitutional changes through creative interpretation of the existing constituion

会社人間 (かいしゃ にんげん)
(n) company [organization] man [person]; corporate soldier
 
鎧袖一触 (がいしゅう いっしょく) 
(n) (beating someone) hands down; (beating) with a single blow

懐柔作戦 (かいじゅう さくせん)
(n) operation to win over someone by using a tactic of gentle persuasion

外柔内剛 (がいじゅう ないごう)  ##
(n) gentle on the outside but tough on the inside; an iron hand in a velvet glove
   
下意上達 (かい じょうたつ)
(n,vs) conveying the opinions of the masses to the powers that be; conveying the will of the governed to those who govern; a situation in which the views of those below reach those at the top

快食快便 (かいしょく かいべん)
(n) good appetite and good bowel movements; enjoying one's food and having regular stools

快食快眠 (かいしょく かいみん)
(n) good appetite and pleasant sleep; enjoying one's food and sleeping well

慨世憂国  (がいせい ゆうこく)
(n) worrying about the conditions of the country out of sheer patriotism

凱旋公演 (がいせん こうえん) 
(n) performance given after a successful tour abroad

海内無双 (かいだい むそう)
(n) unparalleled in the whole country; without peer in the land

街談巷語 (がいだん こうご) 
(n) street gossips and idle rumors; hearsay

街談巷説 (がいだん こうせつ) 
(n) street gossips and idle rumors; hearsay

海底撈月 (かいてい ろうげつ) 
(n) totally useless [fruitless] effort; wasting time on an impossible task [like trying to scoop up a reflected moon from the bottom of the sea]

外的生活 (がいてき せいかつ)
(n) material life; material aspects of life

該当事項 (がいとう じこう)
(n) relevant [applicable] information [items]

快刀乱麻 (かいとう らんま) ##
(n) solving a knotty problem swiftly and skillfully; cutting the Gordian knot

開闢以来 (かいびゃく いらい) 
(n-t) since the creation (of the world); since the dawn of history
   
傀儡政権 (かいらい せいけん) 
(n) puppet government [regime]

怪力無双 (かいりき むそう)
(adj-no,n) (a person of) unrivaled physical strength

怪力乱神 (かいりょく らんしん ・ かいりき らんしん) 
(n) supernatural things; unnatural phenomena; spirits and demons

偕老同穴 (かいろう どうけつ)
(n) being united as man and wife for life; happy life partnership

下学上達 (かがく じょうたつ ・ かがく しょうたつ)
(n,vs) beginning one's studies with something familiar and gradually increasing the depth of learning

価格破壊 (かかく はかい)
(n) collapse in prices; market-destructive price-slashing (tactics)

呵々大笑・呵呵大笑 (かか たいしょう) 
(n,vs) laugh a ringing laugh; have a hearty laugh; roar with laughter

鍵穴趣味 (かぎあな しゅみ)
(n) voyeurism

餓鬼大将 (がき だいしょう)
(n) leader of a group of children; leader of a gang of little rascals (in the neighborhood); the most domineering child in a group of children
     
蝸牛角上 (かぎゅう かくじょう)
(n) trifling (fight); storm in a teacup; (conflict) between small countries

画一思考 (かくいつ しこう)
(n) uniformity of thought; uniform thinking.

学業不振 (がくぎょう ふしん)
(n) poor academic performance; underachievement

学士入学 (がくし にゅうがく)
(n) admission of university graduates to an undergraduate program

各自負担 (かくじ ふたん)
(n) individuals being responsible for the payment of one's share of the purchase price, expense, etc.

学者馬鹿  (がくしゃ ばか)
(n) scholar who knows but little of the ways of the world

学者貧乏 (がくしゃ びんぼう)
(n,exp) Good scholars are seldom rich.

各種各様 (かくしゅ かくよう) 
(n) individual [different] ways of doing things; being different (varied) for each item [type]

各種学校 (かくしゅ がっこう)
(n) vocational school; trade school; school for nonacademic subjects

各人各説 (かくじん かくせつ)
(exp,n) Everyone has his [her] own view; Different people, different opinions.

各人各様  (かくじん かくよう) ##
(exp,n) So many men, so many ways; Each to his own taste; It takes all sorts to make a world; each in his or her own way.

学生気質 (がくせい かたぎ)
(n) student temperament; students' way of thinking.

拡大解釈 (かくだい かいしゃく)
(n,vs) broad [general] interpretation; stretching one's interpretation (of something) to suit oneself

拡大路線 (かくだい ろせん)
(n) expansion policy; road to expansion

格調高雅 (かくちょう こうが) 
(adj-na,n) refined, dignified, elegant; graceful; exquisite

学閥意識 (がくばつ いしき)
(n) strong feelings of loyalty to one's old school; the old school tie

格物致知 (かくぶつ ちち)  
(n) deepening one's wisdom by gaining a thorough knowledge of natural laws
    
攪乱戦術 (かくらん せんじゅつ) 
(n) disturbance tactics

攪乱戦法 (かくらん せんぽう) 
(n) disturbance strategy

学歴詐称  (がくれき さしょう)
(n) false statement [misrepresentation] of one's academic career

学歴偏重 (がくれき へんちょう)
(n) overstressing academic background

家系伝説 (かけい でんせつ) 
(n) family legend

加減乗除 (か げん じょう じょ) 
(n) the four arithmetical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division)

花紅柳緑 (かこう りゅうりょく)
(n) red blossoms and green willows; beautiful scenery of spring; natural beauty; beauty of nature

家財一切 (かざい いっさい)
(n) complete set of household goods

家事一切 (かじ いっさい)
(n) all the domestic [housekeeping] chores

加持祈祷 (かじ きとう)
(n,vs) Buddhist prayers to protect against misfortunes; chant incantations; recite healing prayers
  
餓死寸前 (がし すんぜん)
(n) be on the verge of starvation; be about to starve
    
家事見習・家事見習い (かじ みならい)
(n) apprenticeship in the running of a household; prospective bride who undertakes an apprenticeship to learn housekeeping

火事見舞・火事見舞い (かじ みまい)
(n) post-fire visit to express sympathy; expressing one's sympathy after a fire
  
家常茶飯 (かじょう さはん) 
(n) everyday occurrence; commonplace of life; nothing out of the ordinary

過小評価 (かしょう ひょうか) 
(n,vs) underestimation; undervaluation; underassessment

過剰防衛 (かじょう ぼうえい) 
(n) excessive [unjustifiable] self-defense

臥薪嘗胆 (がしん しょうたん) ##
(n,vs) going through thick and thin to attain one's objective; enduring unspeakable hardships and privations for the sake of vengeance

佳人薄命 (かじん はくめい)
(exp,n) Beauty and fortune seldom go together; A beautiful woman is destined to die young.

雅俗混交・雅俗混淆 (がぞく こんこう)
(n) mixture of both culture and vulgarism; mixture of both literary and colloquial (language)

雅俗折衷 (がそく せっちゅう) 
(n) blending of the classical and colloquial styles

家族団欒 (かぞく だんらん) 
(n,vs) happy family circle; sitting in a family circle and enjoying conversation; harmony in a family

過大評価 (かだい ひょうか) 
(n,vs) overestimation; overvaluation; overassessment

火宅無常 (かたく むじょう) 
(exp,n) This world is uncertain [cruel] like a burning house

片言英語 (かたこと えいご)
(n) halting [broken] English
    
画蛇添足 (がだ てんそく) 
(n) making an unnecessary addition (to); gilding the lily

花鳥諷詠 (かちょう ふうえい) 
(exp,n) the beauties of nature as the key poetic theme; The central theme in composing poetry [haiku] must be the beauties of nature and the harmony that exist between nature and man. [The slogan of the Hototogisu School of modern Japanese haiku]

花鳥風月 (かちょう ふうげつ) ##
(n) the beauties of nature

隔靴掻痒 (かっか そうよう) ##
(n)trying to soothe an itchy foot by scratching at one's boot; being somewhat annoyed because something is not quite as one hopes

活気横溢 (かっき おういつ) 
(n) being full of vitality [energy]; in exuberant spirits; effervescent; ebullient

割鶏牛刀 (かっけい ぎゅうとう)
(n) using a meat ax when a knife would suffice; taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut; using a grand-scale measure [a massive instrument] to deal with an insignificant problem

確固不動 (かっこ ふどう) 
(n) being firm and unshakable [unwavering, unswerving, steadfastly resolute]

確乎不抜 (かっこ ふばつ)
(n) being firm and unshakable [unwavering, unswerving, steadfastly resolute]

活殺自在 (かっさつ じざい) ##
(adj-na,n) (having) an absolute power over (a person); the power of life or death

活字世論 (かつじ せろん)
(n) public opinion (sentiment) as reflected in the print media

活字中毒 (かつじ ちゅうどく)
(n) addiction to the printed word; reading addict; book [print] junkie

活字文化 (かつじ ぶんか)
(n) (the culture of) the printed word; book culture

合掌礼拝 (がっしょう らいはい) 
(n,vs) join one's hands in prayer; pray with (the palms of) one's hands together
  
合従連衡 (がっしょう れんこう)
(n,vs) changing political or military alignment according to changing circumstances; forming a political or military alliance for expediency

豁然大悟 (かつぜん たいご)
(n,vs) suddenly seeing the light; suddenly realizing what something is about; achieving full enlightenment all of a sudden

闊達自在 (かったつ じざい)
(adj-na,n) broad-minded and free in disposition; large-hearted and not scrupulous about trifles

勝手気儘 (かって きまま) 
(adj-na,n) self-willed; (doing or saying things) to suit one's own convenience; oblivious to the convenience of others

勝手次第 (かって しだい) 
(adj-na,adj-no,n) acting according to one's inclinations

勝手放題 (かって ほうだい)  
(adj-na,adj-no,n) at one's sweet will; doing whatever one pleases; however one pleases

活発発地・活溌溌地 (かっぱつ はっち ・ かっぱつ ぱっち)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) being full of vitality (energy); vigorous and in high spirits

家庭円満 (かてい えんまん)
(n) family happiness; household harmony

我田引水 (がでん いんすい) ##
(n) seeking [promoting] one's own interests; being self-serving; straining (the interpretation or argument) to suit one's own interests

瓜田李下 (かでん りか)
(exp,n) Be careful not to invite the least suspicion; Leave no room for scandal.

家督相続 (かとく そうぞく)
(n,vs) taking over as (the) head of a family; succession to the position of family head; inheritance

家内一同 (かない いちどう)
(n) all one's family; one's whole family

仮名草子 (かな ぞうし)
(n) story book written in kana (or in kana mixed with Chinese characters) in the early Edo period [primarily for the enlightenment and entertainment of women and children]

仮名文学 (かな ぶんがく)
(n) kana literature; works written in kana in the Heian period

可否検討 (かひ けんとう)
(n,vs) considering the pros and cons of; examining the arguments for and against

可否両説 (かひ りょうせつ)
(n) arguments for and against

可否両論 (かひ りょうろん)
(n) arguments for and against
  
歌舞音曲 (かぶ おんきょく) 
(n) public music and dancing; performance of song and dance entertainment

歌舞伎者 (かぶき もの)
(n) a dandy; a peacock; the early-17th-century equivalent of present-day yakuza; Edo-period eccentric who attracted public attention with their eye-catching clothes, peculiar hairstyle, and weird behavior

下方修正 (かほう しゅうせい)
(n,vs) downward adjustment; downward revision

紙屑同然 (かみくず どうぜん)
(adj-no,n) being no better than a scrap of paper

我武者羅 (がむしゃ ら)
(adj-na,n) reckless; daredevil; proceeding single-mindedly without regard to consequences

仮面夫婦 (かめん ふうふ)
(n) couple who only go through the motions of being husband and wife

仮面浪人 (かめん ろうにん)
(n) college student who is merely marking time to get into a better college

画竜点睛 (がりょう てんせい ・ がりゅう てんせい)  ##
(n) the finishing touch; completing (something) by executing the final, critical step

臥竜鳳雛 (がりょう ほうすう) 
(n) gifted young person who shows much promise; unrecognized genius; great person whose talent is hidden under a bushel

苛斂誅求 (かれん ちゅうきゅう)
(n) imposing exacting [crushing, oppressive] taxes

夏炉冬扇 (かろ とうせん)
(n) summer fires and winter fans; useless [untimely] things

川施餓鬼 (かわ せがき)
(n) Buddhist services in memory of those drowned in a river; offering to suffering spirits at the river

簡易軽便 (かんい けいべん) 
(adj-na,n) simple, easy, and convenient

閑雲野鶴 (かんうん やかく)
(n) life in natural setting, free from worldly cares

感慨一入 (かんがい ひとしお)
(adj-na,adj-no,n-adv) one's heart is filled with even deeper emotion; feeling the emotion all the more deeply

感慨無量 (かんがい むりょう) ##
(adj-na,adj-no,n) be filled with deep emotion; the fullness of the heart

鰥寡孤独 (かんか こどく)
(n) the lonely and the helpless; people who have no kith or kin

侃々諤々・侃侃諤諤 (かんかん がくがく)
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) outspoken; arguing heatedly what one believes in; insisting on something without restraint

官々接待・官官接待 (かんかん せったい)
(n) the wining and dining of public officials by other public officials at public expense

官紀紊乱  (かんき  びんらん)
(n) laxity in official discipline; civil service corruption

緩急自在  (かんきゅう じざい) ##
(adn-na,n) of skillfully varied pace; well-paced; skillfully varying the speed (rhythm) of; being tactful in dealing with changing circumstances

汗牛充棟 (かんきゅう じゅうとう)
(n) (having/there being) a great number of books

寒気凛々・寒気凛凛 (かんき りんりん)
(adj-t,adv-to) it [the weather] being piercing [bitterly] cold

関係省庁 (かんけい しょうちょう)
(n) the concerned government agencies; the ministries and agencies that are relevant to the matter at hand; the relevant authorities
    
関係当局 (かんけい とうきょく)
(n) the authorities concerned; the competent authorities

簡潔明瞭 (かんけつ めいりょう) 
(adj-na,n) clear and concise

頑健無比 (がんけん むひ)
(adj-na,n) being of very robust health

頑固一徹 (がんこ いってつ) ##
(adj-na,n) stubborn; obstinate; adamantly sticking to one's views or decisions

眼光炯々・眼光炯炯 (がんこう けいけい)
(adj-t,adv-to) with piercing eyes; eagle-eyed; having a penetrating insight (into)
    
眼光紙背 (がんこう しはい)
(n) reading between the lines; reading with penetrating insight

眼高手低 (がんこう しゅてい)
(n) able to criticize but not to create; high critical but low creative ability

頑固親父 (がんこ おやじ)
(n) stubborn [obstinate] father; pig-headed old man

換骨奪胎 (かんこつ だったい)
(n,vs) adaptation; modification; recasting someone else's work as one's own by appropriating the original idea or form

冠婚葬祭 (かん こん そう さい)
(n) important ceremonial occasions in family relationships; the ceremoniesof coming-of-age, marriage, funeral, and ancestor worship

閑寂枯淡 (かんじゃく こたん)
(n) an aesthetic sense in Japanese art emphasizing quiet simplicity and subdued refinement

感情移入 (かんじょう いにゅう)
(n,vs) empathy; empathize [identify] with someone

寛仁大度 (かんじん たいど)
(n) being generous and magnanimous in disposition

勧進相撲 (かんじん ずもう)
(n) fund-raising sumo tournaments of Edo period held in aid of a temple or a shrine

官尊民卑 (かんそん みんぴ) 
(n) respecting the authorities and denigrating ordinary citizens; putting government officials above the people

勧善懲悪 (かんぜん ちょうあく)
(n) rewarding good and punishing evil; poetic justice; didactic theme in a novel or drama

完全無欠 (かんぜん むけつ) ##
(adj-na,n) flawless; absolute perfection
    
簡単明瞭 (かんたん めいりょう) ##
(adj-na,n) simple and clear

寒中見舞・寒中見舞い (かんちゅう みまい)
(n) winter greeting card; inquiring after someone's health in the cold season

干天慈雨・旱天慈雨 (かんてん じう)
(n) a welcome [beneficial] rain in a drought; realization of something eagerly looked for; a welcome relief

歓天喜地 (かんてん きち)
(adj-no,n) great joy; jubilation; exultation

艱難苦労 (かんなん くろう) 
(n) trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles
    
艱難辛苦 (かんなん しんく) ##
(n) trials and tribulations; adversities; suffering hardships and troubles

奸佞邪知・奸佞邪智 (かんねい じゃち) 
(n) wiles and cunning; craftiness and treachery

官能小説 (かんのう しょうせつ)
(n) amorous [erotic] novel; pornographic novel

姦夫姦婦 (かんぷ かんぷ)
(n) adulterer and adulteress; adulterous couple

玩物喪志 (がんぶつ そうし) 
(n) forgetting one's serious objectives by becoming engrossed in trivial pursuits; being distracted by trivial objects and losing sight of one's original goal

官民格差 (かんみん かくさ)
(n) disparity (of income [pensions, etc.]) between public and private employees

頑迷固陋 (がんめい ころう)
(adj-na,n) obstinate; stubborn; hard-headed; being incapable of makingsound judgments because of a narrow, inflexible and obstinate mentality

簡明率直 (かんめい そっちょく) 
(adj-na,n) simple, plain, and artless; clear, concise, and unaffected

簡明直截 (かんめい ちょくせつ) 
(adj-na,n) simple and plain; frank, direct and unambivalent; straightforward

頑冥不霊 (がんめい ふれい)
(adj-na,n) stubborn and ignorant

顔面紅潮 (がんめん こうちょう)
(n) one's face turning red; with a flush on one's face

顔面蒼白 (がんめん そうはく) 
(n) one's face turning pale [ashen]; the color being drained from one's face

慣用表現 (かんよう ひょうげん)
(n) idiomatic expression; idiom

官僚主導 (かんりょう しゅどう)
(n) initiative taken by bureaucrats in the drafting of government policies and bills [rather than by politicians]

貫禄十分 (かんろく じゅうぶん)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) having great [impressive, commanding] presence; having an air of importance; having enough gravity for (a position)

貫禄不足 (かんろく ぶそく)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) lacking enough gravity for (a position/task); being an insignificant figure for (a position/task)  

閑話休題 (かんわ きゅうだい)
(exp,n) "Digression aside, ..."; "Now let's return to the main subject."; But let's leave that and get back to the point [in a conversation, speech, or story-telling]

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「き」

偽悪趣味 (ぎあく しゅみ)
(n) propensity to put oneself in as bad a light as possible; being prone to act bad

気韻生動 (きいん せいどう)
(n) being animated [vivid] with grace [elegance, refinement]

気宇広闊 (きう こうかつ)
(adj-na,n) magnanimous in one's attitude of mind; grand in one's idea or mind-set

気宇壮大 (きう そうだい)
(adj-na,n) magnanimous in one's attitude of mind; grand in one's idea or mind-set

気炎万丈 (きえん ばんじょう)
(n) in very high spirits; talking big

奇怪千万 (きかい せんばん ・ きっかい せんばん)
(adj-na) very strange [mysterious, weird]; bizarre; monstrous; outrageous

機械馬鹿 (きかい ばか)
(n) skilled engineer [mechanic] who is clumsy in all other matters; person who gets a great kick out of tinkering with anything mechanical

奇貨可居 (きか おくべし)
(exp) You must seize every golden opportunity; Strike while the iron is hot; When you find a rare good buy, seize upon it for a future sale at a much higher price.

危機一髪 (きき いっぱつ) ##
(n) coming within a hair's breath of danger; by the skin of one's teeth; in the nick of time; touch and go; a close call

奇々怪々・奇奇怪怪 (きき かいかい) ##
(adj-na,n) very strange; bizarre; weird; mysterious

危急存亡 (ききゅう そんぼう) ##
(n) time of emergency; critical moment [hour, time]; life-or-death situation

起居挙動 (ききょ きょどう) 
(n) behavior; bearing; deportment; manners; demeanor

起居動作 (ききょ どうさ)  
(n) behavior; bearing; deportment; manners; demeanor; one's daily life

規矩準縄 (き  く  じゅん  じょう) 
(n) rules and standards; norms; criteria

機嫌気褄 (きげん きづま) 
(n) humor; temper; mood

機嫌上戸 (きげん じょうご)
(n) merry drinker

貴顕紳士 (きけん しんし) 
(n) gentlemen of (high) eminence; notables; dignitaries

貴顕紳商 (きけん しんしょう)
(n) merchant prince  

機嫌奉伺 (きげん ほうし)
(n) inquiring into the health [frame of mind] of someone; paying one's respects to someone

気候風土 (きこう ふうど)
(n) climate and natural features (of a region) 

疑獄事件 (ぎごく じけん)
(n) bribery scandal [case]

鬼哭啾々・鬼哭啾啾 (きこく しゅうしゅう) 
(adj-t,adv-to) spine-chilling [hair-raising] [like the wailing and weeping of a restless ghost]

擬古主義 (ぎこ しゅぎ) 
(n) archaism; classicism; pseudoarchaism; pseudoclassicism

気骨稜々・気骨稜稜 (きこつ りょうりょう) 
(adj-t,adv-to) (a person with) strong moral fiber [backbone, determination]

旗鼓堂々・旗鼓堂堂 (きこ どうどう)
(adj-t,adv-to) with colors flying and band playing; triumphantly; in splendid array

奇策縦横 (きさく じゅうおう)
(adj-no,n) full of uncanny [outlandish] schemes; employing ingenious shifts and devices; resorting to clever schemes at will
 
起死回生 (きし かいせい) ##
(n) revival of the dead; recovering from a hopeless situation; pulling something back from the brink of defeat [failure]

旗幟鮮明 (きし せんめい)
(n) making one's attitude [position, stand] clear; taking a definite stance [Literally, unfurling and clearly showing one's banner]
    
希少価値 (きしょう かち)
(n) very precious; scarcity value

机上空論 (きじょう くうろん)
(n) impractical desktop theory [proposition]; unworkable idea; an idea that isn't worth the paper it's written on

起承転結 (き しょう てん けつ) ##
(n) the literary process of introduction, development, turn and conclusion; the logical order of things

喜色満面  (きしょく まんめん) ##
(n) being all smiles with joy; with one's face beaming with joy; smiling from ear to ear

疑似恋愛 (ぎじ れんあい)
(n) pseudo-romance; pseudo [mock] love affair

疑心暗鬼 (ぎしん あんき) ##
(exp,n) being beset with doubts and fears; Suspicion will raise bogies; fearful and suspicious frame of mind

気随気儘 (きずい きまま)
(adj-na,n) carefree; (doing or saying things) to suit one's own convenience; unfettered; tending to do as one pleases; self-indulgent

既成概念 (きせい がいねん)
(n) preconceived idea; old [established] notions; fixed [established] ideas

規制緩和 (きせい かんわ)
(n) easing of restraints [regulations]; relaxation of controls; deregulation

既成事実 (きせい じじつ)
(n) established fact; accomplished reality; fait accompli

貴賤上下 (きせん じょうげ ・ きせん しょうか) 
(n) high and low; (people of) all ranks and classes

貴賤貧富 (きせん ひんぷ) 
(n) high and low, and rich and poor

偽装工作 (ぎそう こうさく)
(n,vs) diversionary tactics [maneuvering]; disguise; hide by camouflage

奇想天外  (きそう てんがい) ##
(adj-na,n) fantastic; bizarre; totally unexpected; the most amazing and imaginative

偽装難民 (ぎそう なんみん)
(n) fake [phony] refugee; illegal migrant disguised as a refugee

帰属意識 (きぞく いしき)
(n) sense of belonging; (a feeling of) identification (with)

気息奄々・気息奄奄 (きそく えんえん)
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) gasping for breath; at one's last gasp; breathing feebly; on the brink of death

希代未聞 (きたい みもん) 
(adj-no,n) unheard-of; unparalleled

機知縦横・機智縦横  (きち じゅうおう)
(adj-no,n) being very witty; very ingenious and resourceful

吉凶禍福 (きっきょう かふく) 
(n) fortune and misfortune; weal and woe; prosperity and adversity; ups and downs (of life)

吃驚仰天 (きっきょう ぎょうてん ・ びっくり ぎょうてん) 
(n,vs) be astonished; be stunned; be startled out of one's wits; be thunderstruck

既定路線 (きてい ろせん)
(n) established [existing] policy [procedure(s)]

喜怒哀楽 (き ど あい らく) ##
(n) human emotions [joy, anger, sorrow, and humor]

軌道修正 (きどう しゅうせい)
(n,vs) orbital adjustment; mid-course correction; modification (of a planned course of action); changing horses midstream

木戸御免 (きど ごめん)
(n) being given free admission to; having free access to

昨日今日 (きのう きょう)
(n) 1 yesterday and today; 2 (something that happened) only yesterday [just recently]

気分一新 (きぶん いっしん)
(n) complete change of mood; thoroughly refreshing one's spirits

気分次第 (きぶん しだい)
(n) according to [depending on] the mood of the moment; as one's fancy dictates

気分爽快 (きぶん そうかい)
(n) feeling great [refreshed]

気分高揚 (きぶん こうよう)
(n) feeling exhilarated

気分転換 (きぶん てんかん)
(n) change of pace; change of mood; mental diversion; refreshment of the spirit; a break

生真面目 (き まじめ)
(adj-na,n) earnest; deeply sincere, serious-minded; overseriousness, too earnest
   
気儘勝手 (きまま かって) 
(adj-na,n) self-willed; (doing or saying things) to suit one's own convenience

気儘放題 (きまま ほうだい)
(adj-na,n) as selfishly [willfully] as one pleases

鬼面仏心 (きめん ぶっしん) 
(n) having the face of a devil and the heart of Buddha; having a stern face but a tender heart

疑問氷解 (ぎもん ひょうかい)
(n) one's doubts being cleared away [dispelled, resolved]

逆転優勝 (ぎゃくてん ゆうしょう)
(n,vs) upset victory; come-from-behind victory

牛飲馬食 (ぎゅういん ばしょく) ##
(n,vs) heavy eating and drinking; drinking like a fish and eating like a horse; eating mountains of food and drinking oceans of liquor

牛鬼蛇神 (ぎゅうき だしん) 
(adj-no,n) wicked and perverse; weird and incoherent
  
九牛一毛 (きゅうぎゅう いちもう ・ きゅうぎゅう の いちもう)
(n) a drop in the bucket [ocean]; a small fraction (of); trifle

救国済民 (きゅうこく さいみん)
(n) saving a nation and providing relief to people

旧婚旅行 (きゅうこん りょこう)
(n) second honeymoon

九死一生 (きゅうし いっしょう) ##
(n) narrow escape from the jaws of death
   
鳩首協議 (きゅうしゅ きょうぎ) 
(n,vs) put heads together and confer; convene and discuss; go into a huddle (over)

鳩首凝議 (きゅうしゅ ぎょうぎ) 
(n,vs) put heads together and confer; convene and discuss; go into a huddle (over)

鳩首謀議 (きゅうしゅ ぼうぎ)
(n,vs) go into a huddle (over); hold a secret conference (about); put heads together and conspire

鳩首密議 (きゅうしゅ みつぎ)
(n,vs) going into a huddle (over); holding secret [closed-door] conference (about); laying heads together in secret consultation

窮鼠噛猫 (きゅうそ ごうびょう) 
(exp) A cornered rat will bite the cat.; One who is cornered will fight like a devil.

旧態依然 (きゅうたい いぜん) ##
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to,n) remaining unchanged (from the old state of things); none the better for the change (if at all)

急転悪化 (きゅうてん あっか)
(n) suddenly turning for the worse; sudden deterioration

急転直下 (きゅうてん ちょっか) ##
(n-adv,vs) suddenly and precipitately; abruptly; taking a sudden turn

旧套墨守 (きゅうとう ぼくしゅ)
(n,vs) clinging to old customs; adhering to old traditions

旧幕時代 (きゅうばく じだい)
(n) the shogunate period; the days of the shogunate regime

弓馬槍剣 (きゅうば そうけん) 
(n) archery, horsemanship, spearsmanship, and swordsmanship; martial arts in general

弓馬刀槍 (きゅうば とうそう)
(n) archery, horsemanship, spearsmanship, and swordsmanship; martial arts in general

旧弊打破 (きゅうへい だは)
(n) breaking down antiquated notions; abandoning old-time ways; correcting long- standing abuses

牛歩戦術 (ぎゅうほ せんじゅつ)
(n) snail's-pace tactics; snail's-pace shuffling walk adopted by opposition members of the Diet as a tactic for stalling a vote

今日明日 (きょう あす)
(n) 1 today and tomorrow; today or tomorrow; in a day or two; 2 (something that may happen) very soon [any day now]

強圧手段 (きょうあつ しゅだん)
(n) coercive [high-handed] measure; strong-arm method

恐悦至極 (きょうえつ しごく) ##
(adj-na,n) most humbly pleased [delighted]

矯角殺牛 (きょうかく さつぎゅう)
(exp,n) trying to straighten the horns of a bull, and killing it in the process; trying to correct a small defect and ruining the whole thing; The cure is worse than the disease.

鏡花水月 (きょうか すいげつ) 
(n) flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface; something that is visible but having no substance; the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words

行儀作法 (ぎょうぎ さほう)
(n) good manners; etiquette; decorum; the rules of good behavior

今日昨日 (きよう きのう)
(n) 1 today and yesterday; 2 (something that happened) only yesterday [just recently]

行儀見習 (ぎょうぎ みならい) 
(n) learning good manners through apprenticeship (to an upper-class family)

恐々謹言・恐恐謹言 (きょうきょう きんげん)
(exp) Very truly yours [a complimentary close used in a letter written in an old epistolary style]

狂喜乱舞  (きょうき らんぶ)
(n,vs) boisterous dance; dancing wildly for joy

恐懼感激 (きょうく かんげき) 
(n,vs) be struck with awe; be deeply moved with awe

挟撃作戦 (きょうげき さくせん)
(n) pincer operation [tactic]

狂言綺語 (きょうげん きご)
(n) [a derogatory term for] fiction; story; novel [Literally, make-believe and fancy talk]

狂言強盗 (きょうげん ごうとう)
(n) fake [staged] robbery

狂言自殺 (きょうげん じさつ)
(n) mock [sham, fake] suicide

強権発動 (きょうけん はつどう)
(n) invoking the (coercive) power of the state; calling upon the (strong) power of the state

狂言誘拐 (きょうげん ゆうかい)
(n) fake [staged] kidnapping

競合関係 (きょうごう かんけい)
(n) competitive relationship; rivalry

恐惶謹言 (きょうこう きんげん) 
(exp) Very truly yours [a complimentary close used in a letter written in an old epistolary style]

恐惶敬白 (きょうこう けいはく)
(exp) Very truly yours [a complimentary close used in a letter written in an old epistolary style]

強硬手段  (きょうこう  しゅだん)
(n) tough measure; firm step; strong measure

強行突破 (きょうこう とっぱ)
(n,vs) force [bulldoze] one's way through

強硬路線 (きょうこう ろせん) 
(n) firm [strong] stand; hard [tough] line

教唆扇動・教唆煽動 (きょうさ せんどう)
(n,vs) instigation and abetment

行商稼業 (ぎょうしょう かぎょう)
(n) the peddling trade

行住坐臥 (ぎょうじゅう ざが)
(n-adv,n) daily life; daily routine; while awake or asleep; at all times; day in, day out; constantly [Literally, the four basic movements (walking, standing, sitting and lying down)]

拱手傍観 (きょうしゅ ぼうかん)
(n,vs) stand idle by and watch; be a passive onlooker; be an unconcerned spectator of another's distress

協心戮力  (きょうしん りくりょく)
(n,vs) combined [concerted] efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)
   
行政手腕 (ぎょうせい しゅわん)
(n) skill at administration; one's administrative skills

競争場裡 (きょうそうじょう り)
(n) an [the] arena of competition

共存共栄 (きょうぞん きょうえい) ## 
(n) peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity

兄弟弟子 (きょうだい でし) 
(n) fellow pupil [apprentice]

驚天動地 (きょうてん どうち) ##
(n) astounding; startling; world-shaking; sensational

共同戦線 (きょうどう せんせん) 
(n) common [united] front

共同謀議 (きょうどう ぼうぎ)
(n) conspiracy

強迫観念 (きょうはく かんねん)
(n) obsession; compulsion

共犯関係 (きょうはん かんけい)
(n) complicity (in a crime); collusion

器用貧乏 (きよう びんぼう)
(adj-na,n) Jack of all trades and master of none; Good workmen are seldom rich.

驕兵必敗 (きょうへい ひっぱい) 
(exp,n) Defeat is inevitable for an overconfident army.; Being arrogant and overconfident inevitably leads to defeat [failure].; Pride comes before a fall.

興味索然 (きょうみ さくぜん)
(adj-t,adv-to) uninteresting; pall; tending to spoil the fun [pleasure] (of); throwing a wet blanket (on)

興味津々・興味津津 (きょうみ しんしん) ##
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) very interesting; of absorbing interest; having a keen interest (in); being immensely curious (about)

興味本位 (きょうみ ほんい)
(adj-na,adj-no,n ) popular (literature, etc.); light [entertaining] treatment (of a topic); merely for entertainment; just out of curiosity

教養小説 (きょうよう しょうせつ) 
(n) novel of education [formation]; novel which traces the intellectual, spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of the main character from (usually) childhood to maturity; Bildungsroman [German]

享楽気分 (きょうらく きぶん)
(n) enjoyable [pleasant] feeling [atmosphere]

享楽生活 (きょうらく せいかつ)
(n) leading a life of pleasure; pleasure-seeking lifestyle

狂瀾怒涛 (きょうらん どとう)
(n) raging billows [waves]; tumultuous sea; maelstrom; the state of affairs being in great turmoil

協力一致 (きょうりょく いっち) 
(n,vs) combined [concerted] efforts; solidarity; joining forces (with)

協力態勢 (きょうりょく たいせい)
(n) readiness to cooperate; framework for cooperation

強力無比 (きょうりょく むひ)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) being the strongest; being powerful [mighty] without equal

虚々実々・虚虚実実 (きょきょ じつじつ) ##
(n) full of wiles and tricks; a match between persons equal in shrewdness mobilizing all the tricks each can muster; shrewdly avoiding the opponent's strong points and attacking its weaknesses

局外中立 (きょくがい ちゅうりつ)
(n) neutrality; staying above the fray

曲学阿世 (きょくがく あせい)
(n) prostitution of learning; twisting the truth and truckling to the times

玉砕主義 (ぎょくさい しゅぎ)
(n) the principle of honorable death and no surrender

旭日昇天 (きょくじつ しょうてん)
(n) full of vigor and vitality [like the rising sun]; being in the ascendant

玉石混交・玉石混淆 (ぎょくせき こんこう) ##
(n,vs) a mixture of the good and bad; a jumble of wheat and tares

局面一転 (きょくめん いってん)
(n) sudden reversal in the tide of events; the situation taking a new turn

局面打開 (きょくめん だかい) 
(n) breakthrough in the situation; break in the deadlocked situation

挙国一致 (きょこく いっち) 
(n,vs) national unity; the whole nation being united for a common cause

虚実混交・虚実混淆 (きょじつ こんこう) 
(n) mishmash of truth and untruth; mixture of fiction and fact

虚実皮膜 (きょじつ ひまく)
(exp,n) the difference between truth and fiction in art being very subtle; Art abides in a realm that is neither truth nor fiction.

虚心坦懐 (きょしん たんかい) ##
(adj-na,adj-no,n) with an open and calm mind; without reserve; with utmost candor; with no preconceived notions

虚心平気 (きょしん へいき)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) with an open and calm mind; without reserve; with utmost candor; with no preconceived notions

拒絶反応 (きょぜつ はんのう)
(n) rejection (symptom); strong reaction (against)

挙措言動 (きょそ げんどう)
(n) speech and behavior; words and deeds

挙措進退 (きょそ しんたい)
(n) behavior; bearing; demeanor

虚脱状態 (きょだつ じょうたい)
(n) state of lethargy; absolute bewilderment; daze; mental numbness

挙動不審 (きょどう ふしん) 
(n) suspicious behavior; acting suspiciously

許認可権 (きょにんか けん)
(n) ministerial authority to grant permits and approvals

拒否反応 (きょひ はんのう)
(n) adverse reaction; negative response to; strong reaction (against)

毀誉褒貶 (きよ ほうへん)
(n) praise and censure; differing views of someone's achievements; one's public reputation, both good and bad

虚無恬淡 (きょむ てんたん) 
(adj-na,adj-t,adv-to,n) rising above the trivia of life and remaining calm and selfless

義理一遍 (ぎり いっぺん)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) perfunctory; going-through-the-motions-sort of (invitation, gift, etc.)

義理人情 (ぎり にんじょう) ##
(n) duty and humanity; (a sense of) moral obligation and humane feelings

機略縦横 (きりゃく じゅうおう) ##
(adj-no,n) full of resourceful ideas; full of shifts and devices; very resourcefully using tactics adapting oneself to the requirements of the moment

気力旺盛 (きりょく おうせい)
(adj-na,n) being full of energy [drive, motivation, vitality]

気力横溢 (きりょく おういつ)
(n) being full of vitality [energy]; in exuberant spirits; effervescent; ebullient

議論百出 (ぎろん ひゃくしゅつ)
(n) endless [fierce] arguments; diverse arguments arising in great numbers

議論沸騰 (ぎろん ふっとう)
(n,vs) discussion [argument] becoming heated; debate being in a ferment

金甌無欠 (きんおう むけつ ・ きんのう むけつ) 
(n) flawless; perfect; (a nation) having never been invaded by outside forces
 
槿花一日 (きんか いちじつ) 
(n) evanescent glory; passing prosperity

槿花一朝 (きんか いっちょう)  
(n) evanescent glory; passing prosperity

金科玉条 (きんか ぎょくじょう) ##
(n) a golden rule

欣喜雀躍 (きんき じゃくやく) ##
(n,vs) jump [dance] for joy; cannot contain one's joy

緊急事態 (きんきゅう じたい)
(n) state of emergency; exigency; crisis

緊急動議 (きんきゅう どうぎ)
(n) urgent motion

謹厳実直 (きんげん じっちょく) ##
(adj-na,n) very discreet, sincere, and honest; sober and upright

勤倹貯蓄 (きんけん ちょちく)
(n) thrift and saving

金言名句 (きんげん めいく)
(n) golden [wise] saying; aphorism; maxim
  
勤倹力行 (きんけん りっこう)  
(n,vs) work hard and practice frugality 

近郷近在 (きんごう きんざい) 
(n) surrounding country; neighboring villages

金口木舌 (きんこう ぼくぜつ ・ きんこう もくぜつ)
(n) (public) opinion leader

筋骨隆々・筋骨隆隆 (きんこつ りゅうりゅう)
(adj-na,adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) muscular; strong-muscled

緊褌一番 (きんこん いちばん) ##
(n-adv) gird up one's loins; brace oneself up (for); act with determination and resolve

金枝玉葉 (きんし ぎょくよう)
(n) (1) member of the Imperial family; royalty; (2) beautiful clouds

琴瑟相和 (きんしつ そうわ)
(n,vs) marital harmony; living (together) happily as husband and wife

金城鉄壁 (きんじょう てっぺき) ##
(n) impregnable castle [walls]; impregnable fortress; impregnable defense

錦上添花 (きんじょう てんか) 
(n) adding a crowning touch of beauty (to); giving added luster (to); crowning beauty [honor, grace] with even greater glory

金城湯池 (きんじょう とうち) 
(n) impregnable fortress; impassable moat [bulwark]; unassailable territory

近所合壁 (きんじょ がっぺき)
(n) immediate neighborhood

近所迷惑 (きんじょ めいわく)
(n) nuisance [annoyance, inconvenience] to (people in) the neighborhood
    
金銭感覚 (きんせん かんかく)
(n) sense for (how to use) money; money sense

金銭哲学 (きんせん てつがく)
(n) one's philosophy of making, saving, and spending money

金銭問題 (きんせん もんだい)
(n) money matter; question of money; money trouble

緊張緩和 (きんちょう かんわ)
(n) detente; easing [relation] of tension

金殿玉楼 (きんでん ぎょくろう)
(n) magnificent palace; palatial residence.

勤王攘夷・勤皇攘夷 (きんのう じょうい)
(n) loyalty to the emperor and expulsion of the foreigners

金波銀波 (きんぱ ぎんぱ) 
(n) sparkling waves; waves sparkling in the moonlight or with the light of the rising [setting] sun

禁欲生活 (きんよく せいかつ)
(n) an ascetic existence; (leading) a continent life; abstinence

金襴緞子 (きんらん どんす) 
(n) gold-brocade satin damask; expensive silk fabrics

近隣公害 (きんりん こうがい)
(n) (noise/smell/air/water) pollution in the neighborhood

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「く」

空々寂々・空空寂寂 (くうくう じゃくじゃく)  
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) deserted and lonesome; quiet and alone; innocent and nonattached; All is void.

空々漠々・空空漠漠 (くうくう ばくばく)  
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) vast; boundless; empty; vague and hazy

空前絶後 (くうぜん ぜつご) ##
(n) (so marvelous or horrible that it may be) the first and probably the last; unprecedented; the greatest of all time

空即是色 (くう そくぜ しき) 
(exp,n) Voidness is form.; What appears empty is form itself. [A Buddhist teaching]

空中楼閣 (くうちゅう ろうかく)
(n) castle in the air; pie in the sky
 
空転国会 (くうてん こっかい)
(n) stalled session of the Diet [Japanese Parliament]
     
空理空論 (くうり くうろん)
(n) an impractical [empty] theory; vain speculation; unrealistic and useless arguments

苦学力行 (くがく りっこう) 
(n,vs) strenuous pursuit of learning under difficulties; completing one's education while working hard to support oneself  

愚兄賢弟 (ぐけい けんてい)
(n) a foolish older brother and a smart younger

愚者一得 (ぐしゃ いっとく)
(exp,n) Even a fool may sometimes give good counsel.
 
九尺二間 (くしゃく にけん)
(n) (tiny) house about nine feet wide and 12 feet deep

苦心惨憺 (くしん さんたん) ##
(n,vs) taking great pains; making strenuous efforts; going to all the trouble

愚図愚図 (ぐず ぐず)
(adj-na,adv,exp) tardily; hesitantly; hesitatingly; dilly-dallying; lingering; complaining

薬九層倍 (くすり くそうばい)  
(exp,n) Medicines are priced at nine times their cost.; There is a huge markup in medicines.

九寸五分 (くすん ごぶ)
(n) dagger (with a blade approx. 29 cm long)

糞真面目 (くそ まじめ)
(adj-na,n) overly serious; absurdly [ridiculously] serious; serious to a fault

口三味線 (くち じゃみせん)
(n) humming a samisen tune; (con someone with) clever lies [slick talk]

口不調法 (くち ぶちょうほう)
(adj-na,n) poor talker; inarticulate person; awkward in expressing oneself; clumsy in the use of language

九分九厘 (くぶ くりん) ##
(n-adv,n) in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred; almost certainly; in all probability

熊公八公 (くまこう はちこう)
(n) the average Joe; your average nice guy; Joe Blow; Joe Bloggs

雲助根性 (くもすけ こんじょう)
(n) predatory nature; rapacious disposition

愚問愚答 (ぐもん ぐとう)
(n) silly questions and silly answers; silly dialogue

玄人気質 (くろうと かたぎ)
(n) professionalism; the temperament of a professional

黒田売買 (くろた ばいばい)
(n) dealing in rice speculating on the year's harvest before seedlings are set out

黒物家電 (くろもの かでん)
(n) black goods; consumer electronics products

桑原桑原 (くわばら くわばら) 
(int) Heaven help me!; Heaven forbid!

軍紀弛緩 (ぐんき ちかん)
(n) lack of [slackness in] military discipline; demoralization

軍紀漏洩 (ぐんき ろうえい)
(n) disclosure [leakage, betrayal] of military secrets

君子豹変 (くんし ひょうへん) ##
(exp,n) 1 [original meaning] The wise readily adapt themselves to changed circumstances.; The wise are quick to acknowledge their mistakes and correct them.; 2 [in colloquial usage, ironically or as an excuse] The wise make no scruple in suddenly changing their demeanor [attitude, idea, intention].

訓民正音 (くんみん せいおん)
(n) Hunmin-jongum; the Hankul [Hangul] alphabet (of Korea); the Onmun [Enmun]

群雄割拠  (ぐんゆう かっきょ) ##
(n,vs) rivalry of local warlords; rival camps vying for supremacy; a number of powerful [talented, influential] persons standing by themselves in a given field

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「け」

鯨飲馬食 (げいいん ばしょく)
(n,vs) heavy eating and drinking; drinking like a fish and eating like a horse; eating mountains of food and drinking oceans of liquor

形影一如 (けいえい いちにょ) 
(n) being inseparable as a form and its shadow; a person's deed mirrors the good or evil of his mind; husband and wife being never apart

軽挙妄動 (けいきょ もうどう) ##
(n,vs) rash and blind act; acting on impulse taking no heed of possible consequences
    
鶏群一鶴 (けいぐん いっかく) 
(n) a swan among ducklings; a diamond among stones; a great figure among the common run of men

鶏口牛後 (けいこう ぎゅご) 
(exp,n) It is better to be the beak of a rooster than the rump of a bull; It is better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in a big pond.; It is better to be the leader of a small group than a subordinate in a large organization.

経国済民 (けいこく さいみん) 
(n) governing a nation and providing relief to people 

傾国傾城 (けいこく けいせい)
(n) a beauty for whom a king would neglect his realm; glamorous woman who brings ruin to a realm as the king is captivated by her beauty; femme fatale

警察沙汰 (けいさつ ざた) 
(n) a matter for the police; with the police involved; a brush with the law

芸術家肌 (げいじゅつか はだ)
(n) be something of an artist; have something of the artist in one

形勢逆転 (けいせい ぎゃくてん)
(n,vs) the situation reverses itself; the table is turned; the shoe is on the other foot

傾城傾国 (けいせい けいこく) 
(n) a beauty for whom a king would neglect his realm; glamorous woman who brings ruin to a realm as the king is captivated by her beauty; femme fatale

経世済民 (けいせい さいみん)
(n) governing a nation and providing relief to people 

形勢不利 (けいせい ふり) 
(adj-na,n) situation [turn of events] being unfavorable [disadvantageous]

形勢有利 (けいせい ゆうり)
(adj-na,n) situation [turn of events] being favorable [advantageous]

軽佻浮薄 (けいちょう ふはく) ##
(adj-na,n) frivolous and thoughtless; fickle and frivolous

敬天愛人 (けいてん あいじん) 
(exp) "Revere heaven, love people." [favorite motto of Saigo Takamori, 1827-1877]

軽薄才子 (けいはく さいし) 
(n) shallow, glib and obsequious person

軽薄短小 (けい はく たん しょう) 
(adj-na,n) light, thin, short, and small (products); light and compact (products)

軽妙洒脱 (けいみょう しゃだつ) ##
(adj-na,n) free and easy; witty and refined; smart and polished

鶏鳴狗盗 (けいめい くとう)
(n) person who resorts to petty tricks; person of small caliber who is only capable of petty tricks

経歴詐称 (けいれき さしょう)
(n) misrepresentation [falsification] of one's past record [personal history]

戯作三昧 (げさく ざんまい) 
(n) being absorbed in writing popular novels [cheap fictions]; being absorbed in writing something to amuse oneself

下司野郎 (げす やろう)
(n) low [crude/coarse] person; boor

外題学問 (げだい がくもん) 
(n) putting on a knowing air when one only knows the title of the book [play, etc.]; pretending to understand the nature of something when one only knows its name

血縁関係 (けつえん かんけい)
(n) blood relationship; blood relations; being genetically related

月下推敲 (げっか すいこう)
(n) polish; elaboration; repeatedly working over one's writing; being very scrupulous in the choice of diction

月下氷人 (げっか ひょうじん) ##
(n) go-between; matchmaker

結跏趺坐 (けっか ふざ)  
(n) sitting with crossed legs; the lotus position [in Zen meditation]

月下老人 (げっか ろうじん)
(n) go-between; matchmaker   

月給泥棒 (げっきゅう どろぼう)
(n) freeloader; slacker; lazy worker who does not deserve his salary

月卿雲客 (げっけい うんかく) 
(n) court nobles and other courtiers allowed into the Imperial Palace

血族関係 (けつぞく かんけい)
(n) kinship; relationship by blood; blood ties; consanguinity    

血族結婚 (けつぞく けっこん) 
(n) consanguineous marriage

懸念材料 (けねん ざいりょう)
(n) cause [grounds] for concern [anxiety]; reason for uneasiness

原因究明 (げんいん きゅうめい)
(n,vs) investigation to determine the cause (of); tracing something back to its origin

原因不明 (げんいん ふめい)
(adj-no,n) cause unknown; from an unknown cause; of (an) unknown origin

狷介孤高 (けんかい ここう) 
(adj-na,n) stubborn and aloof

狷介固陋 (けんかい ころう) 
(adj-na,n) stubbornly sticking to old ways; narrow-mindedly rejecting other people's views

狷介不羈 (けんかい ふき)
(adj-na,n) stubbornly sticking to one's own convictions; being stubbornly independent

衒学趣味 (げんがく しゅみ)
(n) pedantry; display of one's learning; being of a pedantic disposition
    
喧嘩沙汰 (けんか ざた)
(n) beginning [developing into] a quarrel [a fight, an altercation]

元気一杯 (げんき いっぱい)
(adj-na,adv,n) be brimming with health [vigor]; be full of pep

元気旺盛 (げんき おうせい)
(adj-na,n) be brimming with vitality; be full of vigor [life]

元気溌剌 (げんき はつらつ) 
(adj-na,n) be full of energy [liveliness]; be full of pep

牽強付会 (けんきょう ふかい)
(n,vs) farfetched (idea/interpretation); twisted (argument), forced (view); strained (logic/interpretation)

懸軍長躯 (けんぐん ちょうく) 
(n,vs) (conduct a) military expedition deep into enemy territory

懸軍万里 (けんぐん ばんり) 
(n) military expedition deep into enemy territory

権限委譲 (けんげん いじょう)
(n) delegation of authority [power]; devolution; empowerment

言々句々・言言句句 (げんげん くく)
(n) every single word and phrase; each and every word

喧々囂々・喧喧囂囂 (けんけん ごうごう) ##
(adj-no,adj-t,adv-to,n) wild uproar; clamor of voices; tumult; pandemonium of noise; many people clamorously pronouncing diverse opinions

拳々服膺・拳拳服膺 (けんけん ふくよう) 
(n,vs) firmly bear in mind; have something engraved on one's mind [heart]

言行一致 (げんこう いっち) ##
(n) consistency of speech and action; acting up to one's words; practicing what one preaches

言行齟齬 (げんこう そご) 
(n) inconsistency of speech and action; failing to act up to one's words; not practicing what one preaches

乾坤一擲 (けんこん いってき) ##
(n) staking all (on); playing for all or nothing; risking everything on one throw of the dice

現実認識 (げんじつ にんしき)
(n) accepting [acknowledging] the reality

現実路線 (げんじつ ろせん)
(n) (following) a pragmatic (policy) line [approach]

現状維持 (げんじょう いじ) 
(n) maintenance [preservation] of the status quo

現状打破 (げんじょう だは) 
(n) abandonment of the status quo; destroying the status quo; overthrowing the present situation

現状把握 (げんじょう はあく)
(n) grasping the present situation; having an accurate grasp of the situation

現状否定 (げんじょう ひてい)
(n) refusal to accept the present situation; denial of the existing situation; negation of the status quo

牽制作戦 (けんせい さくせん)
(n) diversionary operations

厳正中立 (げんせい ちゅうりつ) 
(adj-na,n) strict neutrality

現世利益 (げんせ りやく ・ げんぜ りやく) 
(n) spiritual [material] benefit gained in this world through observance of the Buddhist teachings

減点主義 (げんてん しゅぎ)
(n) demerit [points-off] system

巻土重来・捲土重来 (けんど じゅうらい ・ けんど ちょうらい) ##
(n) recouping one's strength for a renewed attack (on); making another attempt with redoubled efforts

堅忍持久 (けんにん じきゅう) 
(n) dogged perseverance; untiring patience

堅忍不抜 (けんにん ふばつ)  
(n) indomitable perseverance; invincible fortitude

堅白同異 (けんぱく どうい)   
(n) sophism; sophistry; quibbling

原発銀座 (げんぱつ ぎんざ)
(n) area where a string of nuclear power plants are located

言文一致 (げんぶん いっち)
(n) unification of the written and spoken forms of a language; written in the spoken, as contrasted to the literary, language; colloquial style of writing
   
権謀術策 (けんぼう じゅっさく)
(n) trickery; wiles; intriguing strategy cleverly designed to fool others; Machiavellism

権謀術数 (けんぼう じゅっすう)  ##
(n) trickery; wiles; intriguing strategy cleverly designed to fool others; Machiavellism

見聞覚知 (けん もん かく ち)
(n) perception through the six senses (of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness)

原野商法 (げんや しょうほう)
(n) the selling of waste land [worthless property] by unscrupulous real-estate developers

絢爛華麗 (けんらん かれい) 
(adj-na,n) luxurious and gorgeous; splendid; dazzling; magnificent
   
絢爛豪華 (けんらん ごうか)  
(adj-na,n) luxurious and gorgeous; splendid; dazzling; magnificent

原理原則 (げんり げんそく)
(n) rules and principles
   
堅牢堅固 (けんろう けんご) 
(adj-na,n) firm and solid; stout and durable

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「こ」

高位高官 (こうい こうかん) 
(n) (person of) high rank and office [exalted station]; persons in high positions

行雲流水 (こううん りゅうすい)
(n) living naturally unmindful of mundane affairs; taking life as it comes; [metaphorically] floating with the tide

豪快奔放 (ごうかい ほんぽう) 
(adj-na,n) big-hearted and free-spirited; daring and uninhibited

豪華絢爛 (ごうか けんらん)
(adj-na,adj-no,adj-t,adv-to) luxurious and gorgeous; splendid; dazzling; magnificent

狡猾老獪 (こうかつ ろうかい) 
(adj-na,n) sly and crafty

効果覿面  (こうか てきめん) ##
(adj-na,n) immediately effective; bring an immediate result (on); have an instant effect (on)

高歌放吟 (こうか ほうぎん)  
(n,vs) sing at the top of one's voice; sing one's head off

効果抜群 (こうか ばつぐん)
(adj-na,adj-no,n) exceptionally effective; exceptional effectiveness
    
紅顔可憐 (こうがん かれん) 
(adj-na,n) youthful and endearing; rosy-cheeked and sweet

傲岸不遜 (ごうがん ふそん)
(adj-na,n) arrogant and presumptuous; haughty arrogance; intolerable insolence

傲岸無礼 (ごうがん ぶれい) 
(adj-na,n) arrogant and rude
 
厚顔無恥 (こうがん むち) ##
(adj-na,n) brazen and shameless; unscrupulous

剛毅果断 (ごうき かだん) 
(adj-na,n) dauntless and decisive; with fortitude and resolution

綱紀粛正  (こうき しゅくせい) ##
(n) enforcing strict official discipline; eliminating corruption among government officials

好機到来 (こうき とうらい) ##
(exp,n) an opportunity presenting itself; A good chance has come.

綱紀紊乱 (こうき びんらん)
(n) laxity in official discipline; public order being in disarray
   
恒久不変 (こうきゅう ふへん) 
(n) permanent and immutable

巧言令色  (こうげん れいしょく) ##
(n) honeyed words and oiled smiles; (using) sweet words with feigned sincerity

交互作用 (こうご さよう)
(n) (mutual) interaction; reciprocal action; interplay

恍惚状態 (こうこつ じょうたい)
(n) state of ecstasy [rapture]; trance; senile dementia

甲骨文字 (こうこつ もじ)
(n) ancient inscriptions of Chinese characters on oracle bones and carapaces

交際上手 (こうさい じょうず)
(adj-na,n) good at socializing; sociability; being a good mixer

交際場裡 (こうさいじょう り)
(n) social circles; the arena of (fashionable) society

交際下手 (こうさい べた)
(adj-na,n) bad at socializing; bad in social situation; being a bad mixer

光彩陸離 (こうさい りくり)
(adj-t,adv-to) dazzling; brilliant

高山流水 (こうざん りゅうすい) 
(n) 1 high mountains and running water; the beauty of nature; (2) beautifully [skillfully] played music

更始一新 (こうし いっしん) 
(n,vs) undergo a complete change; turn over a new leaf

公私混同 (こうし こんどう) ##
(n,vs) mix up public and private matters; mix up official business with personal affairs; mix up one's job and one's private life

好事多魔 (こうじ たま)
(exp) Happy events are often accompanied by difficulties.; Unsullied joy is rare.

強情我慢 (ごうじょう がまん) 
(adj-no,n) obstinate and self-assertive

強情頑固 (ごうじょう がんこ)  
(adj-na,n) headstrong; obstinate; bullheaded

公序良俗 (こうじょ りょうぞく) ##
(n) public order and morals [decency]; public peace and good order

黄塵万丈 (こうじん ばんじょう)
(n) rising cloud of (yellowish) dust; clouds of yellow dust

後生可畏 (こうせい かい)
(exp) The young should be regarded with respect.

攻勢防御 (こうせい ぼうぎょ)
(n) attack as a form of defense; attacking [active] defense

公正無私 (こうせい むし)
(adj-na,n) fair and impartial; just and unselfish

広大無辺  (こうだい むへん)  ##
(adj-na,n) boundless; infinite; vast   
   
巧遅拙速 (こうち せっそく)
(n) better being rough and ready than slow and elaborate; better being brisk and sharp than slow and prudent

膠着状態 (こうちゃく じょうたい)
(n) state of deadlock; standstill; stalemate

郷鎮企業 (ごうちん きぎょう)
(n) township and village enterprise in China

黄道吉日 (こうどう きちにち ・ おうどう きちにち)
(n) very auspicious day for all types of occasions

行動原理 (こうどう げんり)
(n) behavioral principle; principle [value] governing one's conduct

荒唐無稽  (こうとう むけい) ##
(adj-na,n) groundless and preposterous; absurdity; sheer nonsense
    
紅灯緑酒 (こうとう りょくしゅ)
(n) (nights of) fun, food, and drink; bright-light district; nightlife district

狡兎三窟 (こうと さんくつ)
(n) very shrewd in preparing a means of escape; being very good at escaping danger

広範多岐 (こうはん たき)
(adj-na,n) extensive and wide-ranging; widespread and divergent

好評嘖々・好評嘖嘖 (こうひょう さくさく)
(adj-t,adv-to) enjoying great popularity; receiving widespread high praise; being a great success with the public   

興奮気味 (こうふん ぎみ)
(n) being somewhat excited [agitated]

公平無私 (こうへい むし) ##
(adj-na,n) impartial and disinterested; fair and unprejudiced

興亡盛衰 (こうぼう せいすい) ##
(n) rise and fall; prosperity and decline; vicissitudes

豪放粗野 (ごうほう そや)
(adj-na,n) bold and boorish

豪放磊落 (ごうほう らいらく)
(adj-na,n) bold and big-hearted; broad-minded, free, and easy

傲慢不遜 (ごうまん ふそん) 
(adj-na) haughty; arrogant; overbearing; intolerable insolence

傲慢無礼 (ごうまん ぶれい) 
(adj-na,n) arrogant and insolent; haughty and contemptuous

公明正大 (こうめい せいだい) ##
(adj-na,n) fair and aboveboard; open and honest

紅毛碧眼 (こうもう へきがん)
(n) red-haired and blue-eyed (person); a Westerner

交友関係 (こうゆう かんけい)
(n) one's (friendly) relationships; the people one knows [goes around with]

剛勇無比 (ごうゆう むひ)
(adj-no,n) unparalleled for valor; unmatched for bravery

強欲非道 (ごうよく ひどう) 
(adj-na,n) abnormally and inhumanly greedy; cruel and rapacious

行楽日和 (こうらく びより) ##
(n) ideal weather for an outing

荒涼落莫 (こうりょう らくばく)
(adj-na,adj-t,adv-to) scene looking desolate and forlorn

甲論乙駁 (こうろん おつばく) ##
(n,vs) arguments pro and con; arguing for and against [something] with no resolution in sight

高論卓説 (こうろん たくせつ)
(n) excellent opinion; brilliant exposition; outstanding argument; insightful view

弧影悄然 (こえい しょうぜん)
(adj-na,adj-t,adv-to) lonely and crestfallen; lonely and heavy-hearted figure

呉越同舟 (ごえつ どうしゅう) ##
(n) bitter enemies stuck together in the same boat by chance; antagonists joining together for a common purpose

古往今来 (こおう こんらい)  
(n-adv) through all ages; since remote antiquity; from ancient times to the present

互角勝負 (ごかく しょうぶ)
(n) equal contest; close game; well-matched game; even match

小刀細工 (こがたな ざいく)
(n) (1) carving done with a knife; (2) cheap trick; simple trickery; petty strategem

狐疑逡巡 (こぎ しゅんじゅん)
(n,vs) be in doubt and unable to decide; hesitation and indecision

極悪非道 (ごくあく ひどう)
(adj-na,n) heinous; treacherous; atrocious; diabolic; fiendish; inhuman

国威発揚 (こくい はつよう)
(n) enhancing national prestige; expanding national influence

国際感覚 (こくさい かんかく)
(n) cosmopolitan [international] way of thinking; feeling for the wider world

国際場裡 (こくさい じょうり)
(n) the international arena

国際力学 (こくさい りきがく)
(n) dynamics of international [foreign] relations

国士無双 (こくし むそう)
(n) person of great caliber unparalleled in the land; person of unsurpassed distinction

国色無双 (こくしょく むそう)
(adj-no,n) (a woman of) unparalleled beauty; (a woman's beauty being) matchless throughout the land

酷薄無情(こくはく むじょう)
(adj-na,n) cold-hearted; callous; merciless; implacable; ruthless

極楽往生 (ごくらく おうじょう)
(n,vs) rebirth in Paradise; (die) an easy and peaceful death

極楽極楽 (ごくらく ごくらく)
(exp) It's absolute heaven.; It's sheer bliss.

極楽蜻蛉 (ごくらく とんぼ)
(n) happy-go-lucky fellow; an easygoing and indifferent person; a pococurante

孤軍奮闘 (こぐん ふんとう) ##  
(n,vs) fight alone; put up a solitary struggle; carry on a single-handed battle

此処一番 (ここ いちばん) 
(n)the crucial moment; the moment of truth; a do-or-die situation; a crucial juncture [stage]

五公五民 (ごこう ごみん) 五穀豊穣 (ごこく ほうじょう) 
(n) bumper [abundant] crop; huge harvest (of cereals)

五言絶句  (ごごん ぜっく)
(n) poem of four lines, each of five (Chinese) characters

古今東西 (ここん とうざい) ##
(n-adv,n) all times and places; everywhen and everywhere

古今独歩 (ここん どっぽ)
(n) unsurpassed in history

古今無双 (ここん むそう)
(n) unparalleled in history

古今無類 (ここん むるい)
(n) unequaled in history

五言律詩 (ごごん りっし)
(n) poem of eight lines, each of five (Chinese) characters

腰掛仕事 (こしかけ しごと)
(n) stopgap job; just a temporary job while looking for a better job; work just to kill time

乞食根性 (こじき こんじょう)
(n) mercenary [mean] spirit; greediness; covetous disposition; base [mean] spirit of seeking freeloading [cadging] opportunities wherever possible

乞食坊主 (こじき ぼうず ・ こつじき ぼうず) 
(n) [a derogatory term for] Buddhist monk

故事成語 (こじ せいご)
(n) idiom derived from historical events or classical literature of China

虎視眈々・虎視眈眈 (こし たんたん) ##
(adj-t,adv-to) watching vigilantly for an opportunity to prey upon

五十音順 (ごじゅうおん じゅん)
(n) the order of the Japanese syllabary; kana order; (in) a-i-u-e-o order

五十知命 (ごじゅう ちめい)
(exp) At age fifty, one comes to know the will of Heaven. [Confucius]

後生一生 (ごしょう いっしょう)
(n) extremely important or once in a lifetime (request); only once in one's lifetime

後生大事 (ごしょう だいじ) ##
(n) with religious zeal; treasuring (something); keeping (something) with jealous care

弧城落月 (こじょう らくげつ) 
(n) feeling apprehensive; feeling [looking] lone and helpless; being down-and-out [ruined]; helplessness of those in reduced circumstances

孤城落日 (こじょう らくじつ)  
(n) feeling apprehensive; feeling [looking] lone and helpless; being down-and-out [ruined]; helplessness of those in reduced circumstances

古色蒼然  (こしょく そうぜん) ##
(adj-t,adv-to) antique-looking; with the patina of age; hoary with age

故事来歴  (こじ らいれき)
(n) origin and history of things handed down from ancient times; historical particulars

牛頭馬頭 (ごず めず) 
(n) a type of demons in the Buddhist hell with a human body and the head of a bull or horse

御前試合 (ごぜん じあい)
(n) game [contest] held in the presence of a lord [daimyo, shogun] 

五臓六腑 (ごぞう ろっぷ)
(n) the bowels and other internal organs; the vital organs

五体満足 (ごたい まんぞく) 
(adj-na,n) with no physical defects; in perfectly good health; sound in wind and limb

誇大妄想 (こだい もうそう)
(n) delusions of grandeur; megalomania

固着観念 (こちゃく かんねん) 
(n) a fixation; fixed idea; obsession

国家存亡 (こっか そんぼう) 
(n) the fate of a nation; life-or-death (situation) for a nation; national crisis

国家多事 (こっか たじ)
(adj-no,n) eventful times for the nation; the nation being in turmoil; the storm clouds gathering in the land

酷寒猛暑 (こっかん もうしょ)
(n) bitter cold and fierce heat

克己精進 (こっき しょうじん)
(n,vs) self-control and close application; self-denial and diligent devotion

克己復礼 (こっき ふくれい)
(n,vs) exercising self-restraint and conforming to the rules of etiquette and formality

刻苦精進 (こっく しょうじん) 
(n,vs) be arduous; work diligently enduring hardships; make a strenuous effort

刻苦精励 (こっく せいれい) 
(n,vs) be arduous; work diligently enduring hardships; make a strenuous effort
   
刻苦勉励 (こっく べんれい) ## 
(n,vs) be arduous; work diligently enduring hardships; make a strenuous effort

滑稽諧謔 (こっけい かいぎゃく)
(n) smooth-talking and humorous; with jocose and comical airs

滑稽洒脱 (こっけい しゃだつ)
(adj-na,n) smooth-talking and polished; witty; free, easy, and urbane

骨肉相食 (こつにく そうしょく)
(n) blood feud; domestic [family] discord

木端微塵・木っ端微塵  (こっぱ みじん)
(n) fragments and splinters; smithereens [atoms, bits]

木端役人・木っ端役人 (こっぱ やくにん) 
(n) [a derogatory term for] petty [minor] official