kotowaza/proverbs/phrases?

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Reply #1 - 2007 October 12, 10:19 am
mhaellix Member
From: canada Registered: 2007-09-10 Posts: 23

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

Reply #2 - 2007 October 12, 6:33 pm
yorkii Member
From: Moriya, Ibaraki Registered: 2005-10-26 Posts: 408 Website

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

Reply #3 - 2007 October 12, 7:12 pm
JimmySeal Member
From: Kyoto Registered: 2006-03-28 Posts: 2279

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 :-/

Last edited by JimmySeal (2007 October 12, 7:12 pm)

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Reply #4 - 2007 October 12, 7:20 pm
Katsuo M.O.D.
From: Tokyo Registered: 2007-02-06 Posts: 887 Website

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"

Last edited by Katsuo (2007 October 12, 8:07 pm)

Reply #5 - 2007 October 12, 8:26 pm
mhaellix Member
From: canada Registered: 2007-09-10 Posts: 23

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. sad

Reply #6 - 2009 May 16, 11:21 pm
kazelee Rater Mode
From: ohlrite Registered: 2008-06-18 Posts: 2132 Website

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

Proverbs and such...

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

Reply #7 - 2009 May 16, 11:31 pm
theasianpleaser Member
From: 神戸市 Registered: 2008-09-04 Posts: 231

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

My wife ignores me when I quote this sad

Reply #8 - 2009 May 16, 11:33 pm
kazelee Rater Mode
From: ohlrite Registered: 2008-06-18 Posts: 2132 Website

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 sad

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

Reply #9 - 2009 May 16, 11:40 pm
aaronvanvalen Member
From: the Netherlands Registered: 2009-02-11 Posts: 67

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

Reply #10 - 2009 May 17, 7:48 am
harhol Member
From: United Kingdom Registered: 2009-04-03 Posts: 496

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.

Reply #11 - 2012 August 25, 7:23 am
Rina Member
From: Kyoto Registered: 2008-11-24 Posts: 557 Website

塵も積もれば山と成る。

Reply #12 - 2012 August 25, 1:40 pm
gibosi Member
Registered: 2006-09-01 Posts: 116

just heard this yesterday:  嘘も方便

Reply #13 - 2012 August 25, 3:32 pm
Bokusenou Member
From: America Registered: 2007-01-12 Posts: 820 Website

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.

Reply #14 - 2012 August 25, 4:46 pm
Crispy Member
From: UK Registered: 2012-05-08 Posts: 126

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。

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