[Elementary School Students] Perfect for Kakizome! A Collection of Four-Character Idiom Ideas
When the New Year arrives, many people find themselves unsure about what words to choose for their child’s first calligraphy of the year.
So here, we’ve gathered ideas for four-character idioms that are perfect for elementary school students.
They’re strong and easy to write, easy to understand, and well-suited to expressing wishes for the year ahead—options you can choose from based on grade level and personality.
Kakizome isn’t just practice for writing neatly; it’s also a chance to learn the meanings of words.
Check the meanings together with your child and find the perfect phrase that matches this year’s goals!
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[Elementary School] Great for the first calligraphy of the year! A collection of four-character idiom ideas (11–20)
Forge ahead with courage
@ryo_uchiyama_roy Single-minded advance: to move straight toward your goal without distraction 🔥march forward with courageFour-character idiomscalligrapher#Dancer#art#ArtistRecommendationCalligraphyWork#DemonSlayerCalligraphy ArtBeautiful handwritingSignboardLogocool#artwork#MachikoritaVoice
Tanjiro Kamado’s Song (Demon Slayer) – Sachi Wakasa
It’s a four-character idiom that means to keep moving forward toward your goal.
At New Year’s, many people set fresh resolutions, and even elementary school students likely have ideas about “how I want to be this year.” They surely wish to make those hopes a reality as well.
Yūō-maishin (勇往邁進) is the perfect phrase for such times.
Once you’ve set a goal or purpose, don’t give up—keep advancing with courage.
To cement your resolve and maintain a strong will, write this idiom as your first calligraphy of the year and post it somewhere you can always see it.
Blue sky beyond the clouds
@yoji_jukuko Four-character idiomTranslationtranslationBlue sky beyond the clouds
♬ Escort – MoppySound
When you’re in the midst of hardship, it’s natural to worry whether you can really find your way out.
Ungai-souten (literally “blue sky beyond the clouds”) means that a wonderful view awaits beyond difficulties, and it encourages those who are struggling.
Some elementary school children may be facing various challenges and worries, like “I can’t seem to get a good score on tests” or “I can’t achieve good results in my lessons.” But in the new year, let’s break through those hardships and encounter wonderful outcomes! With that hope in mind, try writing this phrase for your first calligraphy of the year.
Once-in-a-lifetime encounter
Encounters with people sometimes lead to long-term relationships like friendships, but in most cases they end as a single passing moment.
In Japanese, a once-in-a-lifetime encounter is expressed by the phrase ichigo ichie.
Precisely because most encounters are ichigo ichie, we should cherish the friends we’ve grown close to and the family who always helps us.
It might be nice to reframe your thinking with that sentiment.
Except for the character 期, the other kanji are relatively easy to write, so try your first calligraphy of the year while paying attention to balance.
Late bloomer
When you set a big goal, you might feel like giving up because it’s hard to achieve.
But don’t give up! The bigger the goal, the more time it often takes to reach.
The phrase “taiki bansei” (great talents mature late) describes exactly this situation, so if your child has set a major goal and is worried because progress feels slow, why not try writing it as their first calligraphy of the year? The first half, “taiki” (great vessel/talent), is also perfect for learning balance, making it an excellent practice phrase for New Year’s kanji calligraphy.
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.
Indomitable; unyielding (literally: ‘unbent by a hundred setbacks’)
It means to keep trying without giving up, no matter how many times you fail.
For example, even if you mess up many times at jump rope, you practice until you can finish it, or if you get a difficult math problem wrong, you keep challenging it without giving up—that’s “hyakusetsu-futō” (unyielding despite a hundred setbacks).
It’s the same when drawing: even if it doesn’t come out as you imagined, you redo it over and over until it’s complete.
By persevering without losing heart after failures, you gradually improve and become able to do new things.
This upbeat and encouraging four-character idiom teaches the importance of continuing to work hard with a strong will.
The return of the sun; the turning of the tide toward good fortune (often used to mean a revival or a new beginning after adversity).
@hjc.aki Ichi-yō rai-fuku: Winter will surely end and spring will come; tough times will surely end and happiness will arrive.The return of the sun (symbolizing the turning of misfortune to good fortune)translationCalligrapherCalligraphyTranslation
♬ Soranji – Mrs. GREEN APPLE
Like the end of a cold winter and the gentle return of spring, the four-character idiom “Ichiyō Raifuku” means that good fortune comes after a spell of misfortune.
On days when you fail at studying or sports, or when something sad happens, you may worry that things will stay this way forever.
Even so, time moves forward little by little, and a new light begins to shine into your heart.
Even if school life doesn’t go smoothly, by continuing to move forward—even if only in small steps—the situation will surely change.
It is a four-character idiom that gives you the courage to keep hope in your heart.
unity; standing together as one
Recommended for times when everyone wants to join forces and work hard toward the same goal.
For example, during a sports day relay, passing the baton while cheering each other on as a team is also a form of united teamwork.
The same goes for cleaning the classroom together as a class to make it neat.
It’s also important to have this spirit of unity when creating a play for a school festival or coordinating an ensemble for a recital.
This four-character idiom expresses a very uplifting and important mindset: by combining everyone’s strengths, you can succeed at things that one person alone could not accomplish.
Excellence in both academics and sports
This is a four-character idiom that means “to work hard at both studies and sports in a well-balanced way.” For example, diligently studying math and Japanese in class while staying active after school with soccer or running is bunbu ryōdō.
It’s the same when you practice piano or drawing thoroughly while also building your body through jump rope or swimming.
By valuing and making an effort in both academics and physical activity—not just one or the other—you can help your mind and body grow healthily.
If you keep the spirit of “bunbu ryōdō” in mind in your school life and daily lessons, it’s a positive and important phrase that helps you become stronger in a well-balanced way, both in heart and body.
simplicity and fortitude
This is a four-character idiom that means “to be unadorned and have a solid mind and body.” For example, diligently doing your homework every day and studying, or strengthening your body through exercise and playing outside, are examples of shitsu-jitsu-gō-ken (sobriety and sturdiness).
It means valuing being strong in both mind and body and doing what is right over decorating your appearance.
Also, even if you have a quarrel with a friend, calmly talking things through correctly shows the spirit of shitsu-jitsu-gō-ken.
It is a very important phrase that teaches us, in our daily lives, to make energetic efforts and to nurture our minds and bodies straight and true.