{"id":535,"date":"2022-07-23T11:04:39","date_gmt":"2022-07-23T11:04:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/xs530057.xsrv.jp\/test\/?p=535"},"modified":"2025-02-26T13:05:50","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T13:05:50","slug":"japanese-idioms-using-body-parts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/?p=535","title":{"rendered":"Japanese idioms using body parts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Read on italki<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Even though idioms are not basic nouns or verbs, they are among the most essential expressions in everyday speech. Like other languages, Japanese has many idioms using body parts. In this article, I would like to introduce some of the most common idioms used in everyday life.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you know what the following idioms mean?:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u8033(\u307f\u307f)\u304c\u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u3044\u3000one’s ears are far away
\u9854(\u304b\u304a)\u304c\u5e83(\u3072\u308d)\u3044\u3000one\u2019s face is wide
\u53e3(\u304f\u3061)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044\u3000one\u2019s mouth is light<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u8033(\u307f\u307f)\u304c\u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u3044\u3000one\u2019s ears are far away<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Understanding this idiom is relatively simple. What happens when your ears are far away? The correct answer is ‘difficulty in hearing’. \u8033(\u307f\u307f)\u304c\u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u3044 is an idiom that describes a condition of having poor hearing. It is easy to remember the idiom this way, but in fact the word \u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u3044(distant) used in this idiom means \u2018sluggish\u2019, which describes a condition in which a person’s hearing has deteriorated due to ageing or a chronic illness. There are other idioms that use this second meaning of \u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u3044. For example, \u6c17(\u304d)\u304c\u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u304f\u306a\u308b(one\u2019s mind becomes sluggish) is a state of being so shocked that one becomes dazed. It is often used to exaggerate the degree of surprise rather than the actual state of fainting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples:<\/em>
\u8033(\u307f\u307f)\u304c\u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u3044\u306e\u3067\u3001\u5927(\u304a\u304a)\u304d\u306a\u58f0(\u3053\u3048)\u3067\u8a71(\u306f\u306a)\u3057\u3066\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044
I’m deaf\/I have poor hearing, so please speak louder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u795d\u65e5(\u3057\u3085\u304f\u3058\u3064)\u3082\u6b8b\u696d(\u3056\u3093\u304e\u3087\u3046)\u306a\u3093\u3066\u6c17(\u304d)\u304c\u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u304f\u306a\u308b
I can’t deal with working overtime on public holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u9854(\u304b\u304a)\u304c\u5e83(\u3072\u308d)\u3044\u3000one\u2019s face is wide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u5e83(\u3072\u308d)\u3044 means ‘large in area’. If you hear this idiom for the first time, it may sound like a swear word meaning ‘You have a big face’. In Japanese, however, this expression is rather complimentary. The Japanese word \u9854(\u304b\u304a) (face) has a metaphorical meaning of ‘visibility’. For example, the idiom \u9854(\u304b\u304a)\u304c\u5229(\u304d)\u304f(one\u2019s face is valid) means that the person’s name recognition works to his\/her advantage. For example, receiving a special discount at a restaurant owned by a friend. \u9854(\u304b\u304a)\u304c\u5e83(\u3072\u308d)\u3044describes a state in which person\u2019s name recognition works over a wide area. Generally, it is someone who has a lot of friends in society and powerful. If you say \u5927(\u304a\u304a)\u304d\u3044 (large) instead of \u5e83(\u3072\u308d)\u3044 (large in area), that literally means “your face is big”, so make sure you don’t say it wrong!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples:<\/em>
\u7530\u4e2d(\u305f\u306a\u304b)\u3055\u3093\u306f\u3053\u306e\u5e97(\u307f\u305b)\u306b\u9854(\u304b\u304a)\u304c\u5229(\u304d)\u304f
Ms. Tanaka is recognised in this shop (and therefore guaranteed priority).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u5c71\u672c(\u3084\u307e\u3082\u3068)\u3055\u3093\u306fIT\u696d\u754c(\u304e\u3087\u3046\u304b\u3044)\u3067\u9854(\u304b\u304a)\u304c\u5e83(\u3072\u308d)\u3044
Mr. Yamamoto has a lot of friends\/power in the IT industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u53e3(\u304f\u3061)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044\u3000one\u2019s mouth is light<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As in other languages, \u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044 (light) has many figurative meanings. When \u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044 is used in Japanese to refer to a body part or person, it often means ‘frivolous and untrustworthy’. For example, \u5c3b(\u3057\u308a)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044 (one\u2019s hips are light) describes someone (mainly women) who is shifty and quickly cheats on their partners, etc. Similarly, \u53e3(\u304f\u3061)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044 describes someone who is talkative and is quick to reveal secrets or information that should not be told. Also, \u5f7c(\u304b\u308c)\u306f\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044 (he is light) indicates someone who is not trustworthy, lacking in sincerity or discretion, even if his words and deeds are friendly. However, \u5fc3 (\u3053\u3053\u308d)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044 (light-hearted) is the same expression as in English and is positive. It describes a state of being free from worry and feeling fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples:<\/em>
\u53e3(\u304f\u3061)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044\u306e\u306f\u5f7c\u5973(\u304b\u306e\u3058\u3087)\u306e\u6b20\u70b9(\u3051\u3063\u3066\u3093)\u3060
Her inability to keep secrets is her downfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u8a66\u9a13(\u3057\u3051\u3093)\u304c\u7d42(\u304a)\u308f\u3063\u3066\u5fc3(\u3053\u3053\u308d)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044
Light hearted after the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Idioms composed of nouns and adjectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The idioms introduced in this article consist of a combination of nouns and adjectives. Adjectives have antonyms, but it is important to note that the meaning of an idiom does not follow the rule. For example, the antonym for \u9060(\u3068\u304a)\u3044(distant) is \u8fd1(\u3061\u304b)\u3044(close), but \u8033(\u307f\u307f)\u304c\u8fd1(\u3061\u304b)\u3044means the state of being quick to obtain rumours. The state of being able to hear well is \u8033(\u307f\u307f)\u304c\u3044\u3044 (one\u2019s ears are good). An antonym for \u53e3(\u304f\u3061)\u304c\u8efd(\u304b\u308b)\u3044 is \u53e3(\u304f\u3061)\u304c\u5805(\u304b\u305f)\u3044 (one\u2019s month is firm). It is not \u91cd(\u304a\u3082)\u3044 (heavy). \u5805(\u304b\u305f)\u3044 denotes rigid and inflexible. Understanding these nuances helps to understand not only the meaning of the idiom, but also the image the Japanese have of the word. When you find a new idiom, also look for its antonyms and synonyms. And don\u2019t forget to pay attention to what differences there are from the idioms in your mother tongue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reference:
Weblio\u8f9e\u5178 https:\/\/www.weblio.jp\/phrase\/%E8%BA%AB%E4%BD%93_1<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u30c7\u30b8\u30bf\u30eb\u5927\u8f9e\u6cc9\u30fb\u5c0f\u5b66\u9928 https:\/\/dictionary.goo.ne.jp\/word\/%E9%81%A0%E3%81%84\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Even though idioms are not basic nouns or verbs, they are among the most essential expressions in everyday speech. Like other languages, Japanese has many idioms using body parts. In this article, I would like to introduce some of the most common idioms used in everyday life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=535"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1021,"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/535\/revisions\/1021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/japanesemayuna.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}