In this article, you will have the privilege of consulting a list of Japanese words formed by four kanji characters - the notorious "Yojijukugo" (四字熟語, よじじゅくご).
The amount of Yojijukugo in the Japanese language is immense and it would be practically impossible to list all that exist in just one single article.
With that in mind, we selected only the ones we consider most important and the ones that tend to appear more frequently in anime, manga and Japanese texts.
ing that if we have forgotten any important Yojijukugo, you can let us know through the comments or us via email.
Note: This dictionary will be expanded periodically.
Also read the article: Os Kanji E Palavras Mais Longas Do Idioma Japonês
Yojijukugo's Dictionary
- 全身全霊 (Zenshinzenrei) - With body and soul, complete devotion, total dedication, with utmost commitment.
- Umisenyamasen (海千山千) - Experienced person, represents the idea of something or someone who has a lot of experience. Literally: "a thousand seas and a thousand mountains."
- Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon (Kachoufuugetsu) - The beauties of nature.
- Fuurinkazan - Quick as the wind, calm as a forest, aggressive as fire, and steady as a mountain.
- 一期一会 (Ichigoichie) - A unique encounter in life (unique moment). It denotes the importance of meeting someone.
- Rental housing (Chintaijuutaku) - Residences for rent.
- Jikishousou (時期尚早) - Premature.
- Existential Meaning (Sonzaiigi) - Reason for being, Reason for existence, motive for existence, sense of being.
- Four-character idioms (Yojijukugo) - A word composed of 4 ideograms.
- 年中無休 (Nenjuumukyuu) - Open all year round, No breaks throughout the entire year, does not close.
- 悪戦苦闘 (Akusenkutou) - Hard and painful battle.
- Shikatsumondai (死活問題) - Matter of life or death.
- 一言半句 (Ichigonhanku) - A simple word, Not a word.
- 天上天下 (Tenjoutenge) - All the universe. The sky and the earth.
- 一網打尽 (Ichimoudajin) - To eliminate/defeat/capture everyone at once.
- 疾風怒濤 (Shippuudotou) - Tempests and Violent Waves.
- Ishindenshin (以心伝心) - Understanding something without words, Telepathy, Tacit understanding.
- Sentehisshou (先手必勝) - The victory goes to the one who takes the first step.
- 異口同音 (Ikudouon) - In unison, In chorus, In unanimous agreement, By consensus.
- 一衣帯水 (Ichiitaisui) - Practically neighbors, very close.
- Ichigenkoji - Very critical person, Someone who always criticizes everything, Nagging.
- 一石二鳥 (Issekinichou) - Killing two birds with one stone.
- Self-questioning (Jimonjitou) - Monologue, Talking to oneself, Soliloquy, Speaking with oneself.
- 一致団結 (Icchidanketsu) - Solidarity, Being ive of one another, Cooperating, Acting as a team towards a common goal.
- Kidoairaku (喜怒哀楽) - Human emotions (joy, anger, sadness, and pleasure).
- 自画自賛 (Jigajisan) - To self-praise, To self-approve, To consider oneself the best, to be selfish.
- Juunintoiro (十人十色) - Many heads, many opinions, everyone is different, each person has their own opinion/their own way. Literally: "10 colors, 10 people".
- 誠心誠意 (Seishinseii) - With all my heart, With all sincerity.
- Shogyoumujou (諸行無常) - Everything es, Nothing is permanent, Everything follows its flow.
- 起死回生 (Kishikaisei) - Unexpected recovery, Unexpected revival, Sudden recovery, Resurrecting from rock bottom.
- Kishoutenketsu (起承転結) - Introduction Development Twist Conclusion
- 弱肉強食 (Jakunikukyoushoku) - The law of the strongest, The law of the jungle, Only the strongest survive, An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
- 古今東西 (Kokontouzai) - All times and places.
- Zendaimimon - Unprecedented, Unseen in history, Without any parallel in the history of the world.
- Close call (Kikiippatsu) - At the hour H, At the exact moment, By a hair, By a hair's breadth.
- 針小棒大 (Shinshouboudai) - Exaggeration, To exaggerate, To make a mountain out of a molehill, To amplify.
- 八方美人 (Happoubijin) - Person who is nice to everyone (but deep down is not like that), Fake person, Person who pretends to like everyone.
- 三日坊主 (Mikkabouzu) - Person who cannot do the same thing for a long time.
- 自業自得 (Jigoujitoku) - You reap what you sow; you get what you deserve.
- Wanted (Shimeitehai) - Wanted by the justice.
- Trial and Error (Shikousakugo) - Trial and Error.
- 中途半端 (Chuutohanpa) - Half-hearted, Incomplete, Sloppily done.
- Minkandenshou (民間伝承) - Folklore.
- Straight to the point - Franco, Na lata, Directly to the point, At close range.
- Seishunjidai - Youth Era, Times of Youth, The Flower of Youth, The Years of Youth.
- 悪因悪果 (Akuinakka) - Who sows evil, reaps evil.
- Safety first (Anzendaiichi) - Safety first.
- Indomitable (Futoufukutsu)
- 唯唯諾諾 Iidakudaku) - Submissive, Obedient.
- East West South North (Touzainanboku) - The cardinal points (east, west, south, and north).
- Up Down Left Right (() - The four directions (up, down, left, and right).
- Interaction (Sougosayou) - Interaction.
- 勧善懲悪 (Kanzenchouaku) - Poetic justice, Rewarding good and punishing evil.
- Rejection Reaction (Kyozetsuhannou) - Completely rejecting, Total disagreement.
- 正当防衛 (Seitoubouei) - Justified defense.
- 切磋琢磨 (Sessatakuma) - Mutual encouragement. Constant effort (in studies), cultivating your own character through diligent studying.
- Shichitenhakki (七転八起) - Fall 7 times, rise 8 (represents the ups and downs of life and the need to always overcome even after a defeat).
- 天地無用 (Tenchimuyou) - Indicates that a box, packaging, or parcel should not be handled upside down.
- 独立自尊 (Dokuritsujison) - Independence and self-confidence (respecting oneself).
- 和魂洋才 (Wakonyousai) - Japanese spirit with Western learning (means that one should incorporate something from the West while maintaining the spirit and tradition of the East). A term commonly used by Japanese nationalists who feared modernization and excessive influence from the West after the end of the country's isolation and in the post-war Pacific period.
- 天真爛漫 (Tenshinranman) - Innocence, Naivety, Simplicity.
- Two-legged race (Nininsankyaku) - Teamwork, Working together towards the same goal. The term originally refers to a race sport where two people walk/run together with their feet tied.
- Nenkoujoretsu - Known as the "nenko system," in which an employee is promoted based on the time remaining until retirement within a company. Seniority by length of service.
- Rounding (Shishagonyuu) - Round (a number). Rounding.
- Shinrabanshou - Everything, All things of nature, All of creation.
- Stakeholders - Mutual interests, Interests, Stakeholders.
- 満場一致 (Manjouicchi) - Unanimity.
- Great cause (Taigimeibun) - Pretext, Justification, Reason.
- Either-Or (Nishatakuitsu) - Choose between two alternatives. Two options.
- 既成事実 (Kiseijijitsu) - Accomplished fact, Proven fact.
- 不言実行 (Fugenjikkou) - Do instead of speak. Speak less and do more. Actions before words.
- 一喜一憂 (Ikkiichiyuu) - Oscillating between joy and worry.
- Gongodoudan (言語道断) - Absurd, Scandalous, Outrageous.
- 珍紛漢紛 (Chinpunkanpun) - Without understanding anything that is spoken, Nonsense, Just meaningless stuff, Incomprehensible language.
- 気分転換 (Kibuntenkan) - Mood change.
- 無我夢中 (Mugamuchuu) - To lose oneself completely and act unconsciously, to be completely mentally dominated and to act without thinking.
- 馬耳東風 (Bajitoufuu) - Talking to no one, Talking to the wall (indicates complete indifference of the listener).
- Underrate (Kashouhyouka) - To underestimate something, undervaluation of something.
- 粉骨砕身 (Funkotsusaishin) - To give your best.
- 意思疎通 (Ishisotsuu) - Understanding each other, Mutual understanding.
- 日進月歩 (Nisshingeppo) - Constant progress, Rapid and steady advancement.
- Repetitively (Saisansaishi) - Repeatedly.
- Honmatsutentou - Confusing the superfluous with the essential.
- 呉越同舟 (Goetsudoushuu) - When enemies unite for a common task. To be in the same boat.
- Public order and morals (Koujoryouzoku) - Social standards, Order and public morality, Values.
- Overconsciousness (Ishikikajou) - Pure imagination.
- Self-destructive (Jiboujiki) - Total despair.
- 臨機応変 (Rinkiouhen) - For the appropriate purposes, With a specific purpose, Tailored to the demands of the moment.
- Shikuhakku - Enormous suffering. A Buddhist word that refers to the 4 sufferings: aging, illness, death, and romantic separation.
- Shitsujitsugouken - Strong body and mind, Sincerity, Strong mind and body.
- 電光石火 (Denkousekka) - Extremely fast, In the blink of an eye, At the speed of light, In an instant.
- Ultimatum - Ultimatum (conditions and final demands of a country in a war, for example).
- Shoshikantetsu (初志貫徹) - Achieving the initial intention/goal, accomplishing what was initially planned.
- 悠々自適 (Yuuyuujiteki) - Living peacefully and without worries (leisure with dignity).
- Three in One (Sanmiittai) - The holy trinity, Three bodies.
- Seijoukeppaku (清浄潔白) - Pure heart and clean conscience.
- 温故知新 (Onkochishin) - Developing ideas based on the past and tradition.
- 臥薪嘗胆 (Gashinshoutan) - To go through hardships to reach the goal, to suffer greatly to achieve something.
- Rite of age (Tsuukagirei) - Rite of age.
- 百鬼夜行 (Hyakkiyagyou) - A true pandemonium, many people scheming evil. Originally refers to something like "100 creatures walking the street at night (striking terror)" in a sort of night parade.
- 新風満帆 (Shinpuumanpan) - "Full sail ahead". Something (or someone) that progresses in a completely favorable manner. Something that is going well, favorably and steadily, like the wind that fills the sail of a boat.
- Fuurinkazan - It literally means "wind, forest, fire, and mountain," but the meaning would be something like "swift as the wind, silent as a forest, bold as fire, and immovable as a mountain." It refers to an ancient military strategy from the time of Miyamoto Musashi.
- Ikishouchin - Disappointment, to be disappointed. Discouragement, to feel discouraged about something.
- Shikkuhakku - To be distressed, to be in a difficult situation, to be in deep suffering. Literally: "the 4 and 8 types of suffering" (a concept from Buddhism).
If you want to learn more about what a Yojijukugo means, we recommend the video below:
What's up? Did you like the article? So comment, like and share with your friends!
