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 trying hard (41–50)
ecstatic; overjoyed; beside oneself with joy
You might not hear ‘uchōtengai’ very often, but you’ve probably heard ‘uchōten,’ right? Uchōten refers to a state where things go so well that you become overjoyed to the point of losing sight of your surroundings.
In other words, uchōtengai describes being even more ecstatic than uchōten.
It’s natural to be happy when things go well, but if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings, you might get into an accident or get hurt.
If you’re going to be uchōtengai, make sure you’ve secured your safety first.
And if you can also think about how your display of joy looks to those around you, that would be wonderful.
Easy for elementary school kids to remember! Four-character idioms that express determination (51–60)
a strong start with a weak finish (literally, “dragon’s head, snake’s tail”)
This is a four-character idiom used as a metaphor for situations that start off vigorously but lose momentum toward the end.
It compares a head that is splendid and powerful like a dragon to a tail that is thin and feeble like a snake, expressing a change in momentum.
It can be interesting to imagine what such a figure would actually look like.
The phrase originates from Zen Buddhism and is said to have been used by the Zen monk Chen to criticize another monk.
It’s a saying that makes us reflect on maintaining our drive to the very end in any endeavor.
a miraculous comeback
It’s a four-character idiom that expresses rebuilding from a hopeless state or bringing something on the verge of death back to life.
In the sense of overcoming a crisis, the word conveys the strength of steadily piling up effort and breaking through obstacles.
Both “kishi” and “kaisei” trace their origins to Chinese anecdotes and poetry, and the phrase has long been passed down as a familiar expression.
Since the characters for life and death are included, it also highlights the sense of giving one’s all.
Blue sky beyond the clouds
It is read as “ungai sōten,” and if you interpret the kanji literally, it means “beyond the clouds, a blue and beautiful sky spreads out.” From that, it came to be used with the meaning: “If you keep making an effort while overcoming suffering and failure, a wonderful view or world awaits you.” Choosing the easy path and walking it is simple.
But if a wonderful world awaits beyond our efforts, it encourages our hearts to try a little harder, doesn’t it?
stubborn to the core
This four-character idiom expresses sticking to a decision, idea, or belief to the very end without listening to other people’s opinions.
“Stubborn” can carry a negative impression of being inflexible, and the idiom is sometimes used with that nuance as well.
It’s interesting that it carries both a positive image of staying true to one’s convictions and a negative one.
It feels like a word that directly conveys the strength of will to charge ahead in your own way.
with all one’s might4
This is a four-character idiom you often hear in various contexts, expressing an attitude of tackling things with full effort.
Its origin is said to be “issho-kenmei,” which described the stance of medieval samurai; from the idea of defending a single place with all one’s might, the meaning evolved into “isshō-kenmei,” devoting one’s whole life.
The key to this word is the passion of being willing to stake one’s very life; if you show that you understand and use it with that meaning, you can demonstrate your determination as well.
It’s a phrase that reminds us that what matters first is to engage so earnestly that you can truly say you’re giving it your all.
The benevolent person has no enemies.4
This is a four-character idiom meaning that a person endowed with virtue has no enemies.
It teaches that by loving others and treating them with compassion, one earns genuine trust from everyone, leaving no one to oppose them.
The phrase originates from the words of Mencius, a thinker active during China’s Warring States period, and is said to appear in the chapter “Liang Hui Wang I” of the Mencius.
Although it expresses the stance a king should take toward his people, it also prompts us to reflect on how we treat others and to reconsider the way we interact with people going forward.