Popular even among elementary school students! Stylish and easy-to-remember four-character idioms
There are plenty of chic, beautifully sounding four-character idioms.
If children get familiar with these stylish kanji phrases from elementary school, they’ll naturally start using them in daily study and life.
So here, we’ll introduce fashionable four-character idioms that are easy to use.
We’ll also answer questions like “In what situations can I use them?” and include ideas to make learning fun! It’s also a great idea to add heartfelt words in stylish characters to a handmade card.
Find words that speak to your heart and try using them in your everyday life.
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Popular even among elementary schoolers! Stylish and easy-to-remember four-character idioms (21–30)
A sudden resolve; making a firm decision (to start afresh).
Ichinen-hokki is a four-character idiom meaning to tackle something with firm resolve.
Making it a New Year’s resolution can be the push you need to boldly take on things you haven’t managed before or challenges you want to try.
For example, by keeping this phrase in mind for goals like studying a difficult subject or practicing a new skill, you’ll be more likely to persevere without giving up.
Facing what you’ve decided with renewed determination and full commitment leads to confidence and a sense of achievement.
It’s an encouraging phrase that helps turn resolve into action and fosters the drive to approach each day with enthusiasm.
every move; every action
“Ikkyō-ichidō” (literally, “every single move”) is a four-character idiom that means paying attention to one’s actions and taking responsibility for them.
By being mindful even of small behaviors—such as how you speak and act at school or at home, and how you interact with friends—you can deepen trust with those around you.
In studying or sports, focusing carefully on each individual movement also makes it easier to achieve results.
Another appeal is that by being conscious of the small actions you take every day, you can build good habits and feel your own growth.
Keeping this phrase in mind helps cultivate the ability to live a careful and fulfilling life.
Popular with elementary schoolers too! Stylish and easy-to-remember four-character idioms (31–40)
with all one’s might
When you set out to do something, the determination to work hard and see it through to the end is important.
So how about adopting the four-character idiom “isshōkenmei” as your New Year’s resolution? The term originates from “isshokenmei,” which referred to samurai risking their lives to protect their fief, their very means of livelihood.
Today, it’s widely used with the meaning of “putting one’s life on the line.” While life-or-death situations are rare in modern times, it’s a phrase that conveys a strong will to accomplish something—making it well-suited as a New Year’s resolution.
telepathy; tacit understanding (literally: ‘heart-to-heart communication’)
“Ishin-denshin” is a four-character idiom meaning to communicate feelings heart-to-heart without putting them into words.
Incorporating it into your New Year’s resolutions can make you more mindful of how you interact with friends and family.
By acting with consideration for others’ feelings even without being told, and by understanding from expressions and gestures, you can naturally build trust.
In team activities or group study as well, respecting each other’s feelings leads to smoother cooperation.
By keeping this phrase in mind, you can value compassion and spend the year growing together with those around you.
Late bloomer
“Taiki-bansei” (literally, “a great vessel matures late”) is a four-character idiom meaning that even if talent or ability doesn’t show right away, it will grow over time and eventually blossom greatly.
If you adopt it as a New Year’s resolution, it helps you keep striving without rushing, even when results don’t come immediately.
Whether it’s studying, sports, art, or music—whatever you’re challenging yourself with—even if things don’t go well at first, daily efforts accumulate and lead to significant achievements in the future.
It’s a phrase that teaches the importance of continuing small efforts and ingenuity, fostering a mindset that enjoys your growth over the long run.
It’s a practical resolution that helps you stay aware of the value of developing your abilities from a long-term perspective.
A fresh start
“Shinki itten” is a four-character idiom that means resetting your mindset or circumstances and taking positive action.
Keeping it in mind at the start of a new year helps you clear your head and build the resolve to take on challenges.
For example, even if your studies or sports haven’t gone well, remembering this phrase can help you switch gears and try again.
It can also prompt you to reconsider your relationships with friends and family, enriching your daily life.
Adopted as a New Year’s resolution, it’s a phrase that encourages steady growth while maintaining a positive outlook.
Say what you mean, do what you say.
“Yuugen Jikkou” is a four-character idiom meaning to firmly carry out what you say you will do, and it encourages turning spoken goals into concrete actions.
If you decide “I’ll work hard on kanji this year” or “I’ll exercise every day,” it’s important not just to say it but to actually follow through.
Even when things get difficult along the way, the mindset of seeing it through because you said you would fuels your ability to keep making an effort.
The small steps you take each day build confidence and earn the trust of those around you.
If you choose it as your New Year’s resolution, it will be a year in which you link words with actions and truly feel your own growth.