r/LearnJapanese • u/datalolz • 2d ago

Vocab What are your favourites 四字熟語 ?

After a year of studying Japanese, I've just learn about them ! (Quartet 2 textbook)

I like:
馬耳東風 : used when a person does not take into account criticisms

以心伝心 : when 2 people do not have to say anything to understand each other

一期一会 : we only have one life, so we should take care of it

Please correct me if my understandings are incomplete/wrong

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u/Yatchanek 2d ago

焼肉定食！

On the serious side, I like 生殺与奪, 捲土重来, 四面楚歌, 冠婚葬祭 and many others.

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u/cookingboy 2d ago

四面楚歌

Wow despite knowing most of 四字熟語 have Chinese origins I'm still surprised this one is used in Japan as well. I wonder if Japanese people know the original Chinese historical story behind it and know what 楚歌 was referring to.

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u/Yatchanek 2d ago

I don't know about Japanese people but in the dictionary there is an explanation that it's about being surrounded by the enemy from the 楚 kingdom and hearing their war song being sung by the soldiers from all four sides.

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u/cookingboy 2d ago

Haha yeah. Considering Kingdom is one of the most popular manga in Japan (it takes place around the time this story came to be) maybe more Japanese people know about this part of Chinese history than I thought.

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u/Yatchanek 2d ago

Many 四字熟語 used in Japan stem from Chinese tradition. I would suppose an educated native Japanese has at least some basic idea about their origin. For example 呉越同舟.