Learn the meanings too! Cool four-character idioms that elementary school students will want to remember

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

“I want to learn some cool four-character idioms!” Many elementary school students probably feel that way—wanting to use them in school essays or speeches, or even make them their future goals.

Four-character idioms are full of words that express strong will and admirable attitudes.

Because they carry deep meanings, the more you learn about them, the more appealing they become.

Even though they’re just four characters long, many of them really resonate in your heart.

In this article, we’ll introduce four-character idioms that are easy for elementary school students to remember and use.

If you try them in conversations with friends or in your writing, you’re sure to develop wonderful expressive skills.

Learn Meanings Too! Cool Four-Character Idioms Elementary Schoolers Want to Remember (1–10)

battle-hardened; seasoned (literally: experienced in a hundred battles)

This four-character idiom describes an excellent state in which one’s martial skills, mind and body, and abilities have been honed through numerous real battles and experiences.

“Hyaku” (hundred) signifies a large number, expressing repeated combat, while “renma” means to polish and refine martial arts.

By using this phrase, you convey that you’ve thoroughly accumulated experience and also express the will to push forward.

It evokes the image of mustering confidence to advance by making use of all past experience.

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flexible; adaptable; responding appropriately to the situation

Taking appropriate actions according to the situation at hand—that is what we call being “flexible and adaptable.” For example, saying, “We planned to go to the pool today, but since it started raining, we decided to watch anime at home instead,” is an example of adaptability.

Even when faced with bad weather, finding another way to enjoy yourself—isn’t that wonderful? Take this opportunity to learn the term ‘flexible and adaptable’ (rinkiohen), and be sure to develop the ability to handle troubles with resilience and flexibility.

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sasashina

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self-praise

This is a four-character idiom that describes praising or boasting about one’s own actions and thoughts.

It comes from the image of someone writing a poem or prose praising a picture they themselves painted.

People often confuse the characters for “painting” and “self,” so be careful.

Because it carries a strong negative nuance and is mainly used to criticize conceited people, you should use it with caution.

If you deliberately apply it to yourself, though, it can suggest that you’re moving forward in your own way and taking on challenges with confidence.

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Learn the meanings, too! Cool four-character idioms elementary schoolers will want to remember (11–20)

killing two birds with one stone

They say, “If you take a walk in the park, you can refresh your mind and make up for a lack of exercise—truly killing two birds with one stone.” This means that by walking in the park and moving your body, you’ll both lift your spirits and address insufficient exercise.

It’s a four-character idiom used to express gaining two benefits or results from a single action.

When using the idiom ‘ikkyō ryōtoku’ (killing two birds with one stone), clearly explaining what action you take and what benefits or results you gain will make your point more persuasive and easier for others to understand.

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mayumi

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Once-in-a-lifetime encounter

The four-character idiom “ichigo ichie” carries the meaning of cherishing the special, once-in-a-lifetime moment at hand, and is rooted in the teachings of the tea master Sen no Rikyū.

Through the words of Rikyū’s disciple Yamanoue Sōji, the phrase spread in the Edo period when the tea master Ii Naosuke recorded it as “ichigo ichie” in his collection Tea Gatherings: Once-in-a-Lifetime Meetings.

“Ichigo” means “a lifetime,” and “ichie” means “a single tea gathering.” It’s a beautiful saying that encourages both the host and the guests of a tea gathering to approach the occasion with wholehearted sincerity, as if it were a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

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friendly rivalry; mutual improvement through competition

He says, “I’ve been able to grow this far by spurring each other on with my cohort at the company.” This means that because there was someone who joined the company at the same time as he did, he worked hard with the determination not to lose to him—both as a rival and as a teammate—and they grew by pushing each other to improve.

The term “sessatakuma” refers to mutually encouraging and competing with one another to improve in work, study, and as human beings.

It’s a four-character idiom used for relationships within a group or team where people positively stimulate each other and boost motivation.

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mayumi

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