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百花繚乱 –“A Hundred Flowers Blossoming in Riotous Profusion”

1. Literal translation: “Hundred flowers, putting on, riot” 2. Idiomatic translation: “A hundred flowers blossoming in riotous profusion” 3. Reading: ひゃっか-りょうらん (Hyakka ryouran) 百花繚乱 Source: 新明解四字熟語辞典....

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Basic Kanji Learning (Construction) Principles

Chinese characters are lots of fun, and not really that difficult once you get used to them, but they’re quite tedious to learn.</> Jouyou kanji (常用漢字) will only take you so far; it certainly...

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Lost Nuances in ‘Ivan the Terrible’

Ivan IV of Russia, who is known to English speakers as ‘Ivan the Terrible’, is instead known to the Japanese as ‘Ivan the Thunder Emperor’ (イヴァン雷帝). This amuses me. To English speakers, ‘Thunder...

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海老 –“Old People of the Sea”

Of prawns and their likeness to grapes and the elderly. 海老 1. Literal translation: “Sea, old people” 2. Idiomatic translation: “Shrimp (Old people of the sea)” 3. Reading: えび (Ebi) Source: Wikipedia....

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せかれてつのる恋の情 –“Love Laughs at Locksmiths”

Interestingly, “love laughs at locksmiths” was coined by Shakespeare. This must explain why the line is so cryptic when taken out of context. (Its meaning completely eluded me until I found the...

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柿が赤くなると医者が青くなる –“As the Persimmons Redden, Doctors Turn a Darker Shade of Blue”

Of inverse relations between persimmons and doctors. 柿が赤くなると医者が青くなる 1. Literal translation: “If the persimmons become red, doctors become blue” 2. Idiomatic translation: “As the persimmons redden,...

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Correspondences With Matt Treyvaud

Matt Treyvaud — writer, translator and linguist — of No-Sword, has been kind enough to answer several Japanese language-related inquiries I’ve put to him concerning kanji, Japanese literature,...

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雷 –“Cry of God”

Of thunder and gods who wear loincloths made from tiger skin. 雷 1. Literal translation: “God, sound” 2. Idiomatic translation: “Thunder (cry of god)” 3. Reading: かみなり・いかずち (Kaminari / ikazuchi)...

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身から出た錆 –“Rust From the Body “

Of rusty swords and personal fault. 身から出た錆 Source: 語源由来辞典. 1. Literal translation: “The rust that comes from the body” 2. Idiomatic translation: “Rust from the body / As you sow, so shall you reap.”...

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汗牛充棟 –“Sweating Oxen, Reaching Ridge-Beams”

Of books, which make oxen sweat, and which touch ceilings. 汗牛充棟 1. Literal translation: “Sweating ox, full ridgepole” 2. Idiomatic translation: “Sweating oxen, reaching ridge-beams” 3. Reading:...

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