Parallel Expressions

Golgo_13

先輩

27 Nov 2003

2,001

37

• 31 Mar 2004

• #1

"Isseki Ni Chou" (literally, one stone, two birds) same meaning as the English "Kill two birds with one stone".

Can you think of any others?

 

R

rquethe

黒い剣士

20 Mar 2004

88

0

• 31 Mar 2004

• #2

"Tonari no shibafu wa aoi" The neighbor's yard is green. "Grass is always greener on the other side."

I don't if that is close enough or not.

 

Glenn

一切皆苦

8 Jan 2004

7,842

200

• 31 Mar 2004

• #3

蛙の子は蛙 - Literally: "the child of a frog is a frog." Meaning: "like father, like son."

 

Ewok85

先輩

14 Nov 2003

2,401

44

• 31 Mar 2004

• #4

早い者勝ち - fastest wins, kinda like first in best dressed

has a whole list of them in a cheap romaji dictionary i used to have

(woot, google scores a gem of a site: Japanese proverbs - Wikipedia)

 

Elizabeth

先輩

22 Apr 2003

9,839

135

• 31 Mar 2004

• #5

朝の来ない夜はない (Without morning there is no evening, or, from a Western perspective After night comes the day. No pleasure without pain).

冬きたりなば春遠からじ (If winter comes, can spring be too far behind?)

 

Golgo_13

先輩

27 Nov 2003

2,001

37

• 2 Apr 2004

• Thread starter
• #6

"Onaji kama no meshi o kutta/tabeta"

We ate rice cooked in the same pot.

Similar to the expression "We broke bread together"

 

Golgo_13

先輩

27 Nov 2003

2,001

37

• 3 Apr 2004

• Thread starter
• #7

The words "kekkou" and "good"

At a restaurant, a waiter might come by your table and ask if there's anything else he could get for you and you might reply "No, we're good," meaning "no thank you." But if a girl/boyfriend said "Why don't we go to a movie tonight," you might answer "Good, let's do that," meaning "yes."

Similarly, in a Japanese restaurant a waitress might ask you if you'd like more tea, and you reply "Mou kekkou desu," meaning "no thank you." If a friend said "Konya karaoke ni ikouka?" One might answer "Kekkou dane, un iiyo." (Good, I'll go).