諺

口は禍の門
The mouth is the gate of evil.

始めよければ終わりよし
A good beginning makes a good ending.

勝てば官軍、負ければ賊軍
When triumphant, the army is called government forces; when losing, the rebels.

石の上にも三年
To sit on the stone for three long years.

ちりも積もれば山となる
Dust, when accumulated, makes a mountain.

腹八分に医者いらず
Temperance is the best physic.

虻蜂取らず
In you run after both the horsefly and the bee, you will end up catching neither.

鬼の居ぬ間に洗濯
To refresh oneself while the devil is away.

十人十色
Ten men, ten tastes.

類は友を呼ぶ
Like attracts like.

猫に小判
To give a gold coin to a cat.

聞くは一時の恥、聞かぬは一生の恥
To ask may bring momentary shame, but no to ask and remain ignorant brings everlasting shame.

同病相憐れむ
Fellow sufferers pity one another.

三つ子の魂、百まで
A child’s nature remains unchanged for life.

多芸は無芸
He who attempts everything masters nothing.

盗人にも三分の理
Even an evildoer has his reason.

猿も木から落ちる
Even a monkey sometimes falls from the tree.

覆水盆に返らず
Spilt water does not return to the basin.

出る杭は打たれる
A stake that sticks out gets hammered down.

船頭多くして船山に上る
Too many captains will drive a boat up a mountain.

百聞は一見に如かず
There’s nothing like seeing for oneself.

立つ鳥跡を濁さず。
A water bird does not leave the water muddy when it flies away.

大器晩成。
Great talents mature late.

後の祭り。
To come after the fair has ended.

思い立ったが吉日。
The best day to start something is the very day you make up your mind to do it.

生兵法は大怪我のの基。
Crude tactics are the source of big injury.

身を捨ててこそ浮かぶ瀬もあれ。
You will succeed only if you are willing to take chances.

分相応に風が吹く。
The wind blows for every man according to his own way of life.

下手の道具選び。
A bad workman always blames his tools.

八十の手習い。
To begin to learn how to write at the age of 80.

二度あることは三度ある。
What happens twice happens thrice.

矯めるなら若木のうちに
Bend a tree while it is young.

孝行したい時分に親はなし
Regret the way one treated ones parents after they have passed away.

入船あれば出船あり。
Some ships come in, others go out.

虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず。
You cannot catch a tiger’s cub unless you enter the den.

人は見かけによらぬもの。
You cannot judge a person by their looks.

窮すれば通ず。
Even though you may think that you are cornered, there’s always some way out.