Just wondering if anyone knows of a website where you can search the meanings of Kotowaza/proverbs. I've seen a couple of websites, but they don't offer search functions, just a list of the available proverbs.

There's one Kotowaza that I've been searching for awhile now:

Te no hira ni kaesu youni
手の平にかえすように。

I don't know which kanji was used for kaesu. Truth is, I don't even know if this can be considered as a kotowaza.

宜しくお願いします

here's a site i refer to for Kotowaza: click I don't think the one you mentioned is included.

also, the Yahoo dictionary (at least) has some kotowaza included in it: click

Hm, I was just thinking about kotowaza the other day and what a nice learning tool they are.

But I've searched for your sentence using various permutations of kanji on Google and can't seem to turn up anything

[Katsuo]

Try Googling 手のひらを返すように.

Akiyama's book "Japanese Idioms" includes 手の裏を返すように, which means "suddenly". (Literal meaning: "Just like flipping the back of one's hand"), so the meaning may be related to that.

Edit: ALC's dictionary gives the meaning of 手のひらを返すように as "without scruple // without turning a hair"

Thanks everyone, especially Katsuo, I searched for that and this is how the sentence is:

手のひらを返すように様に遠ざかった

So I guess it can be translated as:
All of a sudden, that friend kept his distance from me. (well in the context of the story)

Yappari, I'm still no good with particles. =(

http://www.ymknu200719.com/kotowaza/

Proverbs and such...

Was gonna start a new thread, but did a search and found this one.

There's a Japanese proverb that says "A good wife follows 3 steps behind her husband".

My wife ignores me when I quote this

theasianpleaser Wrote:There's a Japanese proverb that says "A good wife follows 3 steps behind her husband".

My wife ignores me when I quote this

I think it means she should watch his back...

猿も木から落ちる is my favourite, although I don't know that many

You might wanna check out Kodansha's book of basic idioms. 900 entries grouped systematically, tons of example sentences w/ intermediate grammar. Pretty cheap compared to other text books as well, I think mine was £15.99.

塵も積もれば山と成る。

just heard this yesterday: 嘘も方便

I use this one a lot (it even lets you search for an English proverb and will find Japanese equivalents!), but most of the time I just Google "(kotowaza I want to know) 意味" and that works.

mhaellix Wrote:There's one Kotowaza that I've been searching for awhile now:

Te no hira ni kaesu youni
手の平にかえすように。

I don't know which kanji was used for kaesu. Truth is, I don't even know if this can be considered as a kotowaza.

宜しくお願いします

Katsuo already kinda cleared this up already but just to clarify...

手の平を返すように and 手の裏を返すように mean different things in literal terms but as far as proverbs/idioms go they're the same and both are used, I suppose it depends on which you prefer. It's used for when a person's feelings or attitude change really easily or abruptly, i.e. as easy as flipping your hand to show the opposite side.

友達Aが、最近手の裏を返したように冷たくなった。