Yojijukugo (Japanese: 四字熟語) is a Japaneselexeme consisting of four kanji (Chinese characters). English translations of yojijukugo include "four-character compound", "four-character idiom", "four-character idiomatic phrase", and "four-character idiomatic compound". It is equivalent to the Chinese chengyu.
Keiten-aijin (敬天愛人), meaning "revere heaven, love people". Calligraphy by Saigō Takamori.
Yojijukugo in the broad sense refers to Japanese compound words consisting of four kanji characters. In the narrow or strict sense, however, the term refers only to four-kanji compounds that have a particular (idiomatic) meaning that cannot be inferred from the meanings of the components that make them up.
Non-idiomatic yojijukugo
"Spring, summer, autumn and winter" (Shunkashūtō) and "season" are almost synonymous words, but the former, which consists of four kanji characters, gives a stronger impression.
There exists a very large number — perhaps tens of thousands — of four-character compounds. A great majority of them are those whose meanings can be easily deduced from the literal definition of their parts. These compounds may be called non-idiomaticyojijukugo.
For example, the compound word okunaikin'en (屋内禁煙, "no smoking indoors") is a non-idiomatic yojijukugo. It is made up of four characters: oku (屋, building), nai (内, inside), kin (禁, prohibited), and en (煙, smoking). Alternatively, it can be regarded as consisting of two common two-character compounds: okunai (屋内, indoors), and kin'en (禁煙, prohibition of smoking). Either way, the meaning of the compound is clear; there are no idiomatic meanings beyond the literal meanings of its components. Below are a few more examples of non-idiomatic yojijukugo:
大学教育, daigakukyōiku (daigaku, university + kyōiku, education)
Note that 四字熟語 is itself a non-idiomatic four-character phrase.
Idiomatic yojijukugo
By contrast, several thousands of these four-character compounds are true idioms in the sense that they have a particular meaning that may not be deduced from the literal meanings of the component words. An example of the highly idiomatic compound is:
海千山千, umisenyamasen (umi, ocean + sen, thousand + yama, mountain + sen, thousand)
"Ocean-thousand, mountain-thousand" means "a sly old fox" or someone who has had all sorts of experience in life so that they can handle, or wiggle out of, any difficult situations through cunning alone. This meaning derives from an old saying that a snake lives in the ocean for a thousand years and in the mountains for another thousand years before it turns into a dragon. Hence a sly, worldly-wise person is referred to as one who has spent "a thousand years in the ocean and another thousand in the mountains".
Many idiomatic yojijukugo were adopted from classical Chinese literature. Other four-character idioms are derived from Buddhist literature and scriptures, old Japanese customs and proverbs, and historical and contemporary Japanese life and social experience. The entries in the published dictionaries of yojijukugo are typically limited to these idiomatic compounds of various origins.
Chinese and Japanese origins of idiomatic yojijukugo
The Japanese yojijukugo are closely related to the Chinese chengyu, in that a great many of the former are adopted from the latter and have the same or similar meaning as in Chinese. Many other yojijukugo, however, are Japanese in origin. Some examples of these indigenous Japanese four-character idioms are:
合縁奇縁, aienkien (uncanny romantic relationship formed by a quirk of fate)
一期一会, ichigoichie (once-in-a-lifetime experience)
海千山千, umisenyamasen (sly old dog of much worldly wisdom)
色恋沙汰, irokoizata (romantic entanglement; love affair)
傍目八目, okamehachimoku (a bystander's vantage point)
手前味噌, temaemiso (singing one's own praises; tooting one's own horn)
Look up yojijukugo or 四字熟語 in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
四字熟語 - Yojijukugo - a list of about 5,800 yojijukugo being developed by The Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group.
January 31, 2023
yojijukugo, this, article, does, cite, sources, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, february, 2022, learn, when, remove, t. This article does not cite any sources Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Yojijukugo news newspapers books scholar JSTOR February 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Yojijukugo Japanese 四字熟語 is a Japanese lexeme consisting of four kanji Chinese characters English translations of yojijukugo include four character compound four character idiom four character idiomatic phrase and four character idiomatic compound It is equivalent to the Chinese chengyu Keiten aijin 敬天愛人 meaning revere heaven love people Calligraphy by Saigō Takamori Contents 1 Definition and classification 1 1 Non idiomatic yojijukugo 1 2 Idiomatic yojijukugo 1 3 Chinese and Japanese origins of idiomatic yojijukugo 2 Examples of idiomatic yojijukugo 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksDefinition and classification EditYojijukugo in the broad sense refers to Japanese compound words consisting of four kanji characters In the narrow or strict sense however the term refers only to four kanji compounds that have a particular idiomatic meaning that cannot be inferred from the meanings of the components that make them up Non idiomatic yojijukugo Edit Spring summer autumn and winter Shunkashutō and season are almost synonymous words but the former which consists of four kanji characters gives a stronger impression There exists a very large number perhaps tens of thousands of four character compounds A great majority of them are those whose meanings can be easily deduced from the literal definition of their parts These compounds may be called non idiomatic yojijukugo For example the compound word okunaikin en 屋内禁煙 no smoking indoors is a non idiomatic yojijukugo It is made up of four characters oku 屋 building nai 内 inside kin 禁 prohibited and en 煙 smoking Alternatively it can be regarded as consisting of two common two character compounds okunai 屋内 indoors and kin en 禁煙 prohibition of smoking Either way the meaning of the compound is clear there are no idiomatic meanings beyond the literal meanings of its components Below are a few more examples of non idiomatic yojijukugo 大学教育 daigakukyōiku daigaku university kyōiku education 環境悪化 kankyōakka kankyō environment akka deterioration 日米関係 nichibeikankei nichi Japan bei U S kankei relations 歴史小説 rekishishōsetsu rekishi history shōsetsu novel 宣伝効果 sendenkōka senden advertisement kōka effect Note that 四字熟語 is itself a non idiomatic four character phrase Idiomatic yojijukugo Edit By contrast several thousands of these four character compounds are true idioms in the sense that they have a particular meaning that may not be deduced from the literal meanings of the component words An example of the highly idiomatic compound is 海千山千 umisenyamasen umi ocean sen thousand yama mountain sen thousand Ocean thousand mountain thousand means a sly old fox or someone who has had all sorts of experience in life so that they can handle or wiggle out of any difficult situations through cunning alone This meaning derives from an old saying that a snake lives in the ocean for a thousand years and in the mountains for another thousand years before it turns into a dragon Hence a sly worldly wise person is referred to as one who has spent a thousand years in the ocean and another thousand in the mountains Many idiomatic yojijukugo were adopted from classical Chinese literature Other four character idioms are derived from Buddhist literature and scriptures old Japanese customs and proverbs and historical and contemporary Japanese life and social experience The entries in the published dictionaries of yojijukugo are typically limited to these idiomatic compounds of various origins Chinese and Japanese origins of idiomatic yojijukugo Edit The Japanese yojijukugo are closely related to the Chinese chengyu in that a great many of the former are adopted from the latter and have the same or similar meaning as in Chinese Many other yojijukugo however are Japanese in origin Some examples of these indigenous Japanese four character idioms are 合縁奇縁 aienkien uncanny romantic relationship formed by a quirk of fate 一期一会 ichigoichie once in a lifetime experience 海千山千 umisenyamasen sly old dog of much worldly wisdom 色恋沙汰 irokoizata romantic entanglement love affair 傍目八目 okamehachimoku a bystander s vantage point 手前味噌 temaemiso singing one s own praises tooting one s own horn 二股膏薬 futamatagōyaku double dealer timeserver Examples of idiomatic yojijukugo EditThis section may contain indiscriminate excessive or irrelevant examples Please improve the article by adding more descriptive text and removing less pertinent examples See Wikipedia s guide to writing better articles for further suggestions October 2017 一攫千金 ikkakusenkin ichi one kaku grasp sen thousand kin gold making a fortune at a stroke Origin Chinese classics 美人薄命 bijinhakumei bi beauty jin person haku thin mei life A beautiful woman is destined to die young Beauty and fortune seldom go together Origin Chinese classics 酔生夢死 suiseimushi sui drunken sei life mu dreamy shi death idling one s life away dreaming away one s life accomplishing nothing significant Origin Chinese classics 羊頭狗肉 yōtōkuniku yō sheep tō head ku dog niku meat crying wine and selling vinegar extravagant advertisement Origin Chinese classics 悪因悪果 akuin akka aku bad evil in cause aku bad evil ka effect An evil cause produces an evil effect Sow evil and reap evil Origin Buddhist scriptures 会者定離 eshajōri e meeting sha person jō always ri be separated Every meeting must involve a parting Those who meet must part Origin Buddhist scriptures 一期一会 ichigoichie ichi one go life ichi one e encounter Every encounter is a once in a lifetime encounter Origin Japanese tea ceremony 一石二鳥 issekinichō ichi one seki stone ni two chō bird killing two birds with one stone Origin English proverb 異体同心 itaidōshin i different tai body dō same shin mind Harmony of mind between two persons two persons acting in perfect accord 順風満帆 junpumanpan jun gentle favorable pu wind man full pan sails smooth sailing with all sails set everything going smoothly 十人十色 junintoiro ju ten nin person to ten iro color to each their own So many people so many minds 自画自賛 jigajisan ji own self ga painting ji self own san praise an inscription written on a painting a painting with an inscription or poem written by the artist themselves as a non idiomatic compound singing one s own praises blowing one s own horn self admiration as an idiomatic compound 我田引水 gaden insui ga own self den field in draw sui water self seeking feathering one s own nest 唯我独尊 yuigadokuson yui only ga self doku alone son respect honor I alone am honored holier than thou Holy am I alone Origin Buddhist scriptures 電光石火 denkōsekka den electricity kō light seki stone ka fire as fast as lightning 一日一歩 ichinichiippo ichi one nichi day ichi one po step one step each day 弱肉強食 jakunikukyōshoku jaku weak niku meat kyō strong shoku meal law of the jungle stronger supersede weakerSee also EditJapanese proverbs Chengyu the Sinitic equivalentReferences EditExternal links Edit Look up yojijukugo or 四字熟語 in Wiktionary the free dictionary 四字熟語 Yojijukugo a list of about 5 800 yojijukugo being developed by The Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Yojijukugo amp oldid 1132380086, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
