Intellectual beauty that shines! Stylish four-character idioms you can use in everyday situations
Yojijukugo are a linguistic art form that distills the beauty and depth of the Japanese language.
They’re popular as stylish calligraphy pieces and interior decor, and using them casually in everyday conversation can create an intellectual impression.
However, if you don’t know their correct meanings or usage, you might end up embarrassed.
So this time, we’ll introduce a world of chic yojijukugo that you can easily incorporate.
Why not enjoy discovering lovely expressions that add richer color to your daily life?
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Intellectual beauty shines! Stylish four-character idioms you can use in everyday life (41–50)
Say what you mean, do what you say.4
It’s a phrase often used to boost motivation by declaring your goals, with the idea that you absolutely follow through on what you say you’ll do.
It’s a playful twist on the original expression “fugen jikkō” (silent execution), which means to act without saying anything, and it is said to have become widely known through Hiromitsu Ochiai’s use of it.
It conveys the importance of putting goals into words and how doing so solidifies your resolve to push forward.
By clearly expressing your goals in words, you may also start to see the path for how to move ahead.
Intellectual beauty shines! Stylish four-character idioms you can use generally (51–60)
a serious match4
This four-character idiom expresses giving something your all and tackling it with true seriousness; it conveys the determination to seize your goal.
Originally, it referred to fighting with real swords and risking one’s life, but from the sense of “a life-or-death exchange,” it came to be used as a phrase that expresses moving forward with firm resolve.
Because it involves a contest with real swords, one might picture interactions between people, but it’s used for all kinds of goals.
Rather than meaning to defeat a goal, it reads more as an expression of one’s stance—of setting one’s own resolve.
giving it your all5
In baseball, when a pitcher throws the ball with all their strength, it’s called “zenryoku-tōkyū,” meaning a full-power pitch.
In other words, it means facing something by using all of your strength.
Don’t you also have moments when you need to give it your all? For example, before a sports match or a test.
You cut back on time for games or videos to practice or study, right? When we see that kind of dedication, we say, “That’s zenryoku-tōkyū.” Putting your whole heart into something and aiming higher is truly wonderful.
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.
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.
single-minded devotion
This four-character idiom, read as “ichiisen-shin,” is composed of the words “ichi-i” (single-minded intention) and “senshin” (wholehearted devotion).
“Ichi-i” means to focus on a single goal, while “senshin” refers to committing oneself wholeheartedly to one thing.
Since both carry similar meanings, the idiom conveys the image of someone who has resolved to concentrate on one thing and is diligently striving toward it.
Try using it when you’ve found something you truly want to do, or when you want to express that you recognize and support someone’s determination to do their best.
Dripping water wears through stone.
This is a four-character idiom that means even small efforts, if continued, lead to great results.
Like a single drop of water that bores a hole in stone over a long time, it symbolizes steady effort and the power of perseverance.
It carries the message that by repeating something many times, we can overcome difficulties, and though brief, it holds deep meaning.
Just hearing it reminds us of the importance of not giving up and continuing, and helps us feel how small accumulations will eventually lead to big outcomes.
It is a positive and empowering phrase that teaches us to value daily effort and challenges.
