How it works
Press the button for random Japanese quotes of the oldest kind: traditional proverbs and four-character sayings. Each shows the Japanese script, its reading in Latin letters and a plain meaning. None is credited to a living person.
Read the full guide
Checked in two dictionaries
Every saying has its own entry in Wiktionary's lists of Japanese proverbs or four-character phrases and also stands in JMdict, the Japanese and English dictionary file of the Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group. The script and the reading were copied by script from Wiktionary, and the reading was matched against JMdict.
How to read a card
First comes the saying in Japanese, then its reading in Latin letters. Word for word gives the literal sense where a dictionary records one. The meaning follows in plain English. The Four characters group holds sayings written in exactly four kanji.
Tips
- Copy the Japanese line by hand, then cover the meaning and try to recall it.
- Tap Four characters for a short saying that fits on a bookmark or a card.
Questions and answers
Are these quotes from famous people?
No. They are proverbs and set phrases that belong to the language, so no saying is credited to a person. A few began in old Chinese books, and the meaning line says so where the dictionary does.
Why do some cards have no word for word line?
We give the literal sense only when one of the two dictionaries records it. Where neither spells it out, the card shows the meaning alone.
What is a four-character saying?
A set phrase written in exactly four kanji. 一期一会 (ichigo ichie) is one: treasure every meeting, because it will never come again.
Is there audio?
No. The reading in Latin letters shows how each saying is said, and a line over a vowel marks a long one. For the sound itself, ask a teacher or a friend who speaks Japanese.