Easy for elementary school students to remember! A four-character idiom that expresses the feeling of trying your best
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!
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Easy for elementary school kids to remember! Four-character idioms that express the spirit of doing your best (21–30)
ingenuity and creativity
When you’re doing crafts, drawing, or organizing an event, adding a little twist can often make things go smoothly.
Creativity and ingenuity refer to the way we generate new ideas to accomplish or build things.
While mastering the basics is important, even a small inventive touch can open the door to a whole new world.
If your child is thinking of working harder in the new year by being more resourceful and adaptable, why not have them choose this phrase for their first calligraphy of the year?
flexible; adaptable; responding appropriately to the situation
If you only ever do things in the one way you think is right, it becomes hard to choose a different path when something happens.
At times like this, it’s important to flexibly reconsider your course.
“Rinki-ōhen” (being flexible) means taking actions suited to the situation.
Acting with flexibility can be difficult, too.
By developing your ability to apply what you know, you’ll become better at adapting, so it’s a good idea to put that resolve into your first calligraphy of the year.
The first half, “臨機,” has many intricate components, so take care not to let the characters lose their form when you write them.
A fresh start
You couldn’t study hard last year, you didn’t perform well in sports, and you kept getting into fights with your friends.
If that sounds like your child, write this four-character idiom and make a fresh start—reset your mindset! It’s a waste of time to keep regretting what you couldn’t do in the past.
If studying, sports, and relationships with friends didn’t go well, just work hard from the new year! As a declaration of your determination to do your best in the year ahead, try writing these characters.
Note that the characters “機” and “転” contain small components and require fine spacing, so be careful when doing your first calligraphy of the year.
work in the fields on sunny days, read books on rainy days
This phrase means: on sunny days, thoroughly till the rice fields and vegetable patches to prepare the soil, and on rainy days, spend time indoors reading at a relaxed pace.
While such an unhurried lifestyle may differ a bit from that of an elementary school child, try changing the way you think about it.
For example, consider sunny days as important days for challenges and put in your best effort on those days.
See rainy days as days for storing up—sometimes taking a break and taking time to absorb knowledge is important, too.
Try shifting your perspective to your everyday life and incorporating this mindset into the new year through your first calligraphy of the year.
Good fortune comes to a cheerful home.
A smile is a magical expression that brings happiness not only to yourself but also to those around you.
If your child wants the new year to be filled with laughter, have them try writing this four-character idiom for their first calligraphy of the year.
This phrase is like turning the proverb “Good fortune comes to a smiling household” into a four-character idiom, and, just as the words suggest, it conveys that happiness comes to those who are always smiling.
It can be difficult for elementary school children to smile every day—whether they’ve had a fight with a friend or their studies aren’t going well.
But it’s precisely at such times that they should try to keep smiling and use this phrase with the mindset of drawing in good luck!
with all one’s might
If your child has something they want to work hard at in the new year, how about writing this four-character idiom? Isshōkenmei expresses the idea of tackling things earnestly and with full effort.
It’s a phrase that can encourage children who want to devote themselves to something—whether it’s studying, sports, lessons, or anything they want to try harder at or achieve better results in.
The character “ken” (懸) is a bit tricky, so when writing it for the first calligraphy of the year, be careful not to let the finer details get smudged!
brave and diligent
It is a phrase that means acting without fear and boldly making clear decisions for yourself.
It expresses the courage to face difficulties without flinching and the strength to take proactive action.
In soccer, it fits moments like dribbling past a defender to take a shot; in basketball, it could be taking the game-winning shot in the final second.
For elementary school students, it’s a phrase that teaches the mindset of actively taking on challenges in practice and games, conveying the importance of acting without fear.
It’s a powerful phrase that gives you the courage to take that first step forward.
