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Easy for elementary school students to remember! A four-character idiom that expresses the feeling of trying your best

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.

Many elementary school students may be thinking, “I’m trying so hard, but I’m not seeing results…” Surely the adults around them, watching over their efforts, also want to offer the right words.

In these seven articles, we introduce four-character idioms that express children’s desire to “try hard” and their spirit of “persevering.” They’re easy for elementary schoolers to understand and useful in everyday life, so learn their origins too and let them motivate you in your studies and club activities!

Easy for elementary school kids to remember! Four-character idioms that express a spirit of striving (61–70)

Stay true to your original intention.5

If you have goals and are working hard, be sure to remember this phrase.

Seeing through what you decided at the beginning to the very end—that is shoshi-kantetsu (carrying out one’s original intention).

If you’ve decided, “I’ll be top of the class on the test!” or “I’ll become a baseball player!”, then follow through to the end! When you feel you’re not getting closer to your goal, you might be tempted to just give up.

In moments when you feel like you’re about to lose to yourself, recall the four-character idiom shoshi-kantetsu and take a moment to reconsider why you’re pursuing that goal in the first place.

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strenuous effort; hard-fought struggle5

It’s a four-character idiom that expresses fighting with every ounce of strength and mustering the courage to face difficulties.

“Rikisen” conveys the state of battling with full force, while “funtō” conveys the act of rousing one’s spirit to confront challenges.

By combining these two stances of confrontation, the expression emphasizes a sense of power.

Another key point is that it contains two characters related to combat, clearly conveying the fact of standing up to a challenge.

Depending on how you pair it with your goal, you can strongly convey your own mindset.

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Grand unity5

This is a four-character idiom that means different groups or parties overcome their differences, join forces, and unite for a common purpose.

Because of the Daidō Danketsu (Great Unity) movement in mid-Meiji Japan, the term also carries a strong political nuance.

Still, the idea of a large number of people advancing toward a goal conveys a sense of strength.

Moving forward together toward a major objective also entails seeking understanding from those around you, and within this brief phrase you can feel the resolve to win their acceptance.

Since the word presupposes many people combining their strength, it clearly conveys the sense of striving toward a grand ideal.

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majestic and dignified5

Ifu Dodo (Pomp and Circumstance) refers to a very dignified, imposing appearance.

Imagine a small child standing before everyone, facing straight ahead with their back straight.

Ifu Dodo is basically a compliment, so if someone says, “You were ifu dodo,” they’re telling you, “You looked really cool!” That feels great, doesn’t it? When we’re anxious or scared, we tend to hunch our backs and look down, but that’s exactly when we should stand with a majestic, confident bearing—so our spirit doesn’t lose.

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complete combustion5

We call giving your all until the very end “kanzen-nenshō” (complete combustion).

You use it when you’ve put every bit of your strength into something.

For example, after sprinting at full speed in a sports day relay and crossing the finish line, you might say, “I completely burned out.” It can also be used after you’ve enjoyed something to the fullest.

Have you ever experienced complete combustion? In everyday life, it may be rare to get that engrossed or desperate, but I hope you try experiencing complete combustion at least once, as a way to understand your own limits.

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Different bodies, one mind5

It means a deep relationship where, though your bodies are separate, your hearts are as one.

In other words, you care for each other and are very close.

When you’re aiming for a goal, there are times you can’t keep going alone.

But if you have close friends whose hearts are in tune with yours, you might be able to encourage each other and persevere.

A relationship where you can regard each other as precious is truly irreplaceable.

If you have friends with whom you can say you share itai-dōshin—different bodies, one heart—please cherish them.

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single-mindedly; with undivided focus

A simple 1-minute anime that even elementary school students can understand explains the meaning of the four-character idiom “Isshin Furan” (wholeheartedly, with undivided attention) ★ How to remember four-character idioms ★ How to use four-character idioms

single-mindedly; with undivided focus

This four-character idiom is read as “isshin furan,” and it describes the state of focusing intently on a single task.

It is used when one charges ahead toward a purpose or goal, rather than turning one’s attention to various things.

For example, during a sports match, an exam, or while absorbed in a favorite game, you might find yourself unconsciously becoming isshin furan.

However, concentrating too much on just one thing can lead to accidents or injuries, so it’s best to be careful.

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