四字熟語 4-character idioms

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	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M
1	Here are over 3,000 four-character idioms (四字熟語) with meanings in English. The main sources of this data are Haitani and ALC (see web addresses below).
2	I've given them ratings A (common) to F (very rare) to indicate approximate frequency of use.
3
4			Haitani web site		See note on Sheet2					ALC web site
5	Number	四字熟語	Meanings in English (mostly from Haitani)	Frequency	KanKen Level	KK level each kanji	Kana	Power Japanese book page	ALC (no.)	ALC example (English)	ALC example (Japanese)	ALC example (Explanations)

6	569	気分転換	change of pace; change of mood; mental diversion; refreshment of the spirit; a break	A	3	5553	きぶんてんかん
7	882	五十音順	the order of the Japanese syllabary; kana order; (in) a-i-u-e-o order	A	5	5555	ごじゅうおんじゅん
8	1016	四季折々	from season to season; season by season; of each season; in each season	A	5	5555	しきおりおり
9	1052	自己満足	self-satisfaction; (self-) complacency	A	5	5555	じこまんぞく	71
10	1120	質疑応答	questions and answers; a Q and A session	A	5	5555	しつぎおうとう
11	1190	自由自在	freely; in complete control of; with complete freedom; at will; as one pleases	A	5	5555	じゆうじざい	79
12	3298	賞味期限	use-by date	A	5	5555	しょうみきげん
13	3292	新品同様	Good as new	A	5	5555	しんぴんどうよう
14	1420	信頼関係	relationship of mutual trust; trusting each other deeply	A	4	5455	しんらいかんけい
15	2159	年末年始	the New Year's holiday; the period encompassing the close of the old year and the start of the new year	A	5	5555	ねんまつねんし
16	2304	誹謗中傷	slander; calumny	A	1	1155	ひぼうちゅうしょう
17	2388	無事終了	ending without incident; being successfully brought to completion; finishing something without a hitch	A	3	5553	ぶじしゅうりょう
18	2617	無理矢理	forcibly; against one's will; under compulsion	A	5	5555	むりやり
19	2718	行方不明	missing; lost; unaccounted for; whereabouts being unknown [uncertain]	A	5	5555	ゆくえふめい	149
20	3104	役割分担	division [distribution] of roles; role-sharing	A	5	5555	やくわりぶんたん
21	3096	目玉商品	loss leader; price leader; eye-catcher; come-on	A	5	5555	めだましょうひん
22	3125	留意事項	points to note; points of concern; matters to keep in mind; matters that require attention	A	4	5554	りゅういじこう
23	3147	露天風呂	open-air bath; hot spring bath set in the open	A	1	4551	ろてんぶろ
24	22	悪戦苦闘	hard [desperate] struggle; fighting against heavy odds	B +	4	5554	あくせんくとう	14	4	After an uphill struggle against great odds, they finally got the company on its feet again.	悪戦苦闘の末、ようやく彼は事業を立ち直らせた。	an uphill struggle against great oddsで「見込みのない中で、必死になってもがく」の意味になります。
25	135	一目瞭然	patently obvious; plain to anyone; as clear as day	B +	1	5515	いちもくりょうぜん	24	26	• Your opinion is off the mark. That's plain to anyone. • Whoever listens to it would see that your opinion is skewed.	君の意見がおかしいのは、誰の目にも一目瞭然でしょうが。	plain to anyoneで「誰にとってもはっきりしている、明白だ」の意。skewed「曲がっている、公正さを欠いている」。
26	170	一生懸命	very hard; with utmost effort; for dear life; frantically	B +	2	5525	いっしょうけんめい	30	36	Sure, it's important to give everything you do all you've got. But sometimes you also need to let yourself relax.	なんでも一生懸命やればいいってものじゃない。ときには肩の力を抜くことも必要だ	give ... all you've gotで「... に全力を傾ける」という意味になります。
27	561	喜怒哀楽	human emotions [joy, anger, sorrow, and humor]	B +	3	5435	きどあいらく	53	76	• His feelings show on his face. • His face always betrays his feelings. • You can always tell what he's feeling just by looking at his face.	あいつは喜怒哀楽がすぐに顔に出るからな。	His feelings show on his face.とは「彼は感情が顔に出る」という意味。betray「裏切る」。
28	627	興味津々	very interesting; of absorbing interest; having a keen interest (in); being immensely curious (about)	B +	2	5525	きょうみしんしん		82	Everyone is dying to find out more about the next generation of hand-held computer devices.	次世代の携帯端末にみんな興味津津だ。	ここでは「興味津々」をdie to find about more about ... 「…についてしきりにもっと知りたがる」で表現しています。
29	826	公序良俗	public order and morals [decency]; public peace and good order	B +	4	5554	こうじょりょうぞく		102	• There are so many anti-smoking campaigns these days, maybe it really is a threat to the public peace / to public order. • There's such a huge public outcry against smoking these days. Maybe it really is a great threat to society.	これだけ禁煙、禁煙といわれる以上、喫煙というのは公序良俗に反する行為なんだろうね	「公序良俗」とは「公の秩序と道徳」ということですからthe public peace「公的治安」で表現すればいいでしょう。
30	997	三位一体	the Holy Trinity; a unity of three different elements	B +	5	5555	さんみいったい		118	The depth and richness of this soup comes from a trinity of flavor components -- spiciness, sourness and sweetness.	このスープは、辛さ、酸っぱさ、そして甘さが三位一体となって奥深い味を醸し出している	trinityが「三位一体」に当たる表現です。depth「深み」、richness「濃厚、豊富」。
31	1025	四苦八苦	be in dire distress; have a real struggle	B +	5	5555	しくはっく	68	120	• You look like you're having a lot of trouble setting up that home page. Want some help? • You're really sweating bullets trying to set up that home page. Can I help you out?	ホームページ作りに四苦八苦してるようだけど、手伝ってあげようか。	have a lot of trouble ... ingで「... するのにすごく苦労している」の意味になります。sweat bullets「必死になってやる」。Want some help?の前にはDo youが省略されています。
32	2554	三日坊主	one who can stick to nothing; one who has no perseverance; an unsteady worker	B +	4	5545	みっかぼうず	142	252	If I tried to keep a diary I would never keep it up.	日記なんかつけたって三日坊主になるに決まってるさ。	「三日坊主」とはnever keep it up（長続きしない）ということですね。
33	2817	老若男女	men and women of all ages; young and old, men and women alike	B +	5	5555	ろうにゃくなんにょ	157	294	A famous actor was doing a photo shoot out in front of the station, and men and women of all descriptions, young and old alike, crowded around trying to get a look.	有名な俳優が駅前で写真撮影をしていることを知って、老若男女すべてが姿をひとめ見ようと集まってきた。	men and women of all descriptions（あらゆるタイプ／種類の男性と女性）とyoung and old alike（若い人も歳を取った人も同じように）を使って「老若男女」を表現しています。
34	11	青空市場	open-air market; outdoor market; outdoor bazaar	B +	5	5555	あおぞらいちば
35	3310	安全第一	safety first	B +	5	5555	あんぜんだいいち
36	75	意思表示	declaration of intention; manifestation of intent; expressing one's will	B +	5	5555	いしひょうじ
37	2878	一所懸命	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	B +	2	5525	いっしょけんめい
38	2841	一般公開	Lit: General opening open to the public, on general release	B +	4	5455	いっぱんこうかい	36
39	2887	一般常識	plain old common sense; common knowledge; what everybody knows	B +	4	5455	いっぱんじょうしき
40	224	因果関係	cause-and-effect relationship; causality	B +	5	5555	いんがかんけい
41	2896	栄養満点	highly nourishing [nutritious]; earning top marks nutrition-wise	B +	5	5555	えいようまんてん
42	2911	価格破壊	collapse in prices; market-destructive price-slashing (tactics)	B +	4	5554	かかくはかい
43	404	各種学校	vocational school; trade school; school for nonacademic subjects	B +	5	5555	かくしゅがっこう
44	2920	下方修正	downward adjustment; downward revision	B +	5	5555	かほうしゅうせい
45	478	関係会社	affiliated company; subsidiary company	B +	5	5555	かんけいがいしゃ
46	489	冠婚葬祭	important ceremonial occasions in family relationships; the ceremonies of coming-of-age, marriage, funeral, and ancestor worship	B +	3	3435	かんこんそうさい
47	2844	感情移入	Lit: emotion moves in empathy	B +	5	5555	かんじょういにゅう	48
48	501	官能小説	amorous [erotic] novel; pornographic novel	B +	5	5555	かんのうしょうせつ
49	547	規制緩和	easing of restraints [regulations]; relaxation of controls; deregulation	B +	3	5535	きせいかんわ
50	595	今日明日	1 today and tomorrow; today or tomorrow; in a day or two; 2 (something that may happen) very soon [any day now]	B +	5	5555	きょうあす
51	670	緊急事態	state of emergency; exigency; crisis	B +	3	3555	きんきゅうじたい
52	758	原因不明	cause unknown; from an unknown cause; of (an) unknown origin	B +	5	5555	げんいんふめい
53	3154	効果抜群	exceptionally effective; overwhelming effectiveness	B +	4	5545	こうかばつぐん
54	3287	誤字脱字	an answer sheet full of omissions and mistakes	B +	4	5545	ごじだつじ
55	2954	左右対称	bilateral symmetry	B +	4	5554	さゆうたいしょう
56	996	賛否両論	the pros and cons	B +	5	5555	さんぴりょうろん
57	2965	至近距離	close range; point-blank range	B +	4	5544	しきんきょり
58	1028	試行錯誤	trial and error	B +	3	5535	しこうさくご	69
59	1035	自己啓発	self-development; self-enlightenment	B +	3	5535	じこけいはつ
60	1038	自己主張	self-assertion; self-assertiveness	B +	5	5555	じこしゅちょう
61	1047	自己負担	payment of one's own expenses; bearing one's own expenses; an individual's share of an expense	B +	5	5555	じこふたん
62	1069	四捨五入	rounding (off)	B +	5	5555	ししゃごにゅう	71
63	2977	四柱推命	Four Pillar astrology; originally Chinese method of fortune-telling based on the time, date, month and year of a person's birth	B +	5	5555	しちゅうすいめい
64	3211	地場産業	local industry	B +	5	5555	じばさんぎょう
65	1156	自分勝手	(very) selfish; self-centered; egoistic; without consulting anybody (else)	B +	5	5555	じぶんかって・じぶんがって
66	1158	自分自身	oneself; one's self	B +	5	5555	じぶんじしん
67	3213	指名手配	search for a named suspect	B +	5	5555	しめいてはい
68	2985	上下左右	up and down [top and bottom], left and right	B +	5	5555	じょうげさゆう
69	2988	上方修正	upward adjustment; upward revision	B +	5	5555	じょうほうしゅうせい
70	1357	人権擁護	protection of human rights; safeguarding [defending] human rights	B +	3	5535	じんけんようご
71	1404	新陳代謝	the body's metabolism; replacement of the old with the new; regeneration	B +	3	5355	しんちんたいしゃ
72	3005	成功報酬	fee contingent upon success; contingency fee; completion bonus	B +	2	5552	せいこうほうしゅう
73	1496	正々堂々	fair and square; open and aboveboard	B +	5	5555	せいせいどうどう	96
74	1570	専業主婦	full-time housewife	B +	5	5555	せんぎょうしゅふ
75	1622	先端技術	cutting-edge technology; state-of-the-art technology	B +	4	5455	せんたんぎじゅつ
76	1625	前提条件	precondition; prerequisite; premise	B +	5	5555	ぜんていじょうけん
77	1659	創意工夫	being imaginative and creative; creative originality; originality and ingenuity	B +	5	5555	そういくふう
78	1669	相互作用	(mutual) interaction; reciprocal action; interplay	B +	4	5455	そうごさよう
79	1677	相乗効果	synergy; combined effect	B +	5	5555	そうじょうこうか
80	3243	存在意義	meaning of life; meaning of one's existence	B +	5	5555	そんざいいぎ
81	1717	第一印象	first impression; initial impression	B +	5	5555	だいいちいんしょう
82	1758	対戦相手	opponent; adversary; the competition; the other side; an [the] enemy	B +	5	5555	たいせんあいて
83	1799	多種多様	a great variety of; all sorts or kinds of; diverse; multifarious	B +	5	5555	たしゅたよう
84	1822	単身赴任	job transfer not accompanied by one's family; taking up a new post leaving one's family behind	B +	3	5535	たんしんふにん	109
85	1861	中途半端	halfway; half measures; half-hearted; half-baked; betwixt and between	B +	4	5454	ちゅうとはんぱ	111
86	3029	追跡調査	follow-up study [survey]	B +	4	5455	ついせきちょうさ
87	3037	同一人物	the (very) same person; one and the same (person)	B +	5	5555	どういつじんぶつ
88	2005	東西南北	north, south, east and west [Literally: east, west, south and north]; the four cardinal points of the compass; all directions	B +	5	5555	とうざいなんぼく
89	2037	得意分野	one's field of expertise	B +	5	5555	とくいぶんや
90	2112	日曜大工	do-it-yourself carpenter; weekend carpenter; do-it-yourselfer	B +	5	5555	にちようだいく	120
91	2136	人間関係	human [personal] relations [relationships]	B +	5	5555	にんげんかんけい
92	2153	年中無休	open every day of the year; open all year long	B +	5	5555	ねんじゅうむきゅう
93	3061	半永久的	semipermanent	B +	5	5555	はんえいきゅうてき
94	2298	一人一人	one by one; one at a time; one after another; from person to person; depending on the individual; each and every person	B +	5	5555	ひとりひとり・ひとりびとり
95	3067	百人一首	One Hundred Tanka Poems by One Hundred Celebrated Poets; (playing) cards of one hundred famous poems	B +	5	5555	ひゃくにんいっしゅ
96	3299	物々交換	barter	B +	3	5553	ぶつぶつこうかん
97	2434	不良債権	non-performing loan; bad loan	B +	3	5535	ふりょうさいけん
98	3079	方向転換	change of course; change of direction; turnabout; about-face	B +	3	5553	ほうこうてんかん
99	3083	本末転倒	mistaking the insignificant for the essential; getting one's priorities backwards; putting the cart before the horse; mistaking the cause for the end	B +	4	5554	ほんまつてんとう
100	3084	本領発揮	show [display] one's real ability; illustrate the distinctive character of (something)	B +	5	5555	ほんりょうはっき

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