A yojijukugo (四字熟語) is a Japanese idiom made of exactly four kanji characters. They pack a whole proverb, mood, or piece of advice into four tidy characters — which makes them powerful, expressive, and a favourite on Japanese school exams. This guide explains how they work and lists 50 of the most common ones with readings and meanings.
The word itself is a yojijukugo: 四 (yo/shi, four) + 字 (ji, character) + 熟語 (jukugo, compound word) = "four-character compound." Many come from classical Chinese literature, Buddhist texts, or old proverbs, so the literal characters don't always add up to the meaning in an obvious way. That is exactly why learners memorise them as fixed units rather than trying to translate them character by character.
Knowing even a handful makes your Japanese sound noticeably more natural and educated. Native speakers use them in speeches, essays, and everyday encouragement — for example telling a nervous friend 一生懸命 ("give it everything you've got").
If you only learn ten, learn these. They appear constantly in conversation and writing.
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 一生懸命 | isshōkenmei | With all one's might; trying as hard as possible |
| 十人十色 | jūnin toiro | To each their own; everyone is different |
| 一石二鳥 | isseki nichō | Two birds with one stone |
| 自業自得 | jigō jitoku | You reap what you sow |
| 一期一会 | ichigo ichie | A once-in-a-lifetime encounter; treasure this moment |
| 七転八起 | shichiten hakki | Fall seven times, stand up eight; never give up |
| 以心伝心 | ishin denshin | Heart-to-heart understanding without words |
| 臨機応変 | rinki ōhen | Adapting flexibly to the situation |
| 温故知新 | onko chishin | Learn from the past to understand the new |
| 一日一善 | ichinichi ichizen | One good deed a day |
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 切磋琢磨 | sessa takuma | Improving together through friendly rivalry |
| 不眠不休 | fumin fukyū | Without sleep or rest; working nonstop |
| 粉骨砕身 | funkotsu saishin | Giving your absolute all; working to the bone |
| 初志貫徹 | shoshi kantetsu | Carrying through your original resolve |
| 有言実行 | yūgen jikkō | Doing what you said you would do |
| 日進月歩 | nisshin geppo | Steady, rapid progress day by day |
| 大器晩成 | taiki bansei | Great talent matures late |
| 因果応報 | inga ōhō | Good and bad deeds return to you |
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 喜怒哀楽 | kido airaku | The full range of human emotions |
| 一喜一憂 | ikki ichiyū | Alternating between joy and worry |
| 半信半疑 | hanshin hangi | Half believing, half doubting |
| 意気投合 | iki tōgō | Hitting it off; clicking with someone |
| 自画自賛 | jiga jisan | Singing your own praises |
| 傍若無人 | bōjaku bujin | Acting outrageously as if no one were around |
| 温厚篤実 | onkō tokujitsu | Gentle, sincere, and warm-hearted |
| 付和雷同 | fuwa raidō | Blindly following others' opinions |
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 本末転倒 | honmatsu tentō | Mixing up what matters with what doesn't |
| 四面楚歌 | shimen soka | Surrounded by enemies; isolated |
| 絶体絶命 | zettai zetsumei | A desperate, no-way-out situation |
| 危機一髪 | kiki ippatsu | A hair's breadth from disaster; close call |
| 右往左往 | uō saō | Running around in confusion |
| 空前絶後 | kūzen zetsugo | Unprecedented and never to be repeated |
| 一網打尽 | ichimō dajin | Catching everything in one sweep |
| 言語道断 | gongo dōdan | Outrageous; beyond words |
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 試行錯誤 | shikō sakugo | Trial and error |
| 意味深長 | imi shinchō | Deep, suggestive meaning |
| 優柔不断 | yūjū fudan | Indecisive; unable to make up your mind |
| 取捨選択 | shusha sentaku | Selecting and discarding; choosing wisely |
| 言行一致 | genkō icchi | Words and actions matching |
| 公明正大 | kōmei seidai | Fair and open; above board |
| 独立独歩 | dokuritsu doppo | Standing on your own two feet |
| 創意工夫 | sōi kufū | Originality and inventive effort |
| Kanji | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 百発百中 | hyappatsu hyakuchū | Hitting the mark every time |
| 一刀両断 | ittō ryōdan | Settling something decisively |
| 一進一退 | isshin ittai | Going forward and back; seesawing |
| 千差万別 | sensa banbetsu | Infinite variety; all different |
| 大同小異 | daidō shōi | Largely the same, with minor differences |
| 異口同音 | iku dōon | Everyone saying the same thing in unison |
| 適材適所 | tekizai tekisho | The right person in the right place |
| 晴耕雨読 | seikō udoku | A peaceful life: farming in fine weather, reading in rain |
| 千載一遇 | senzai ichigū | A once-in-a-thousand-years chance |
| 悪戦苦闘 | akusen kutō | A hard, uphill struggle |
Because the four characters rarely "add up" logically, the trick is to learn the meaning and the story together, then practise recall. Group idioms by theme (effort, emotion, situations) as we did above, and review the ones you forget more often than the ones you know. Spaced, quiz-style practice — being asked the meaning just as you're about to forget it — locks them into long-term memory far better than re-reading a list.
Related: Japanese Proverbs (Kotowaza) · Japanese Idioms (Kanyōku) · How to Study Kanji