Idioms: Stage 4

Say you're down, embarrassed or moved, talk about couples, connections and who's under whose thumb, call out lies and say you warned them, and say whether a gamble or a purchase was worth it.

92 idioms in 22 chunks, learned alongside Stage 4 of the main list. Start with Feeling down and use Next at the bottom of each page.

1. 1Feeling downFeelings & temperki ga meiru feel down, find it depressingki ni yamu fret over it, take it to heartki o otosu lose heart, be discouragedki ga omoi dread it, not look forward to it
2. 2Taking a gambleLuck, trouble & outcomesdamemoto nothing to lose by tryingichi ka bachi ka take the gamble, all or nothingabunai hashi o wataru take a big (often shady) riskumai hanashi a sweet deal, an easy-money offer (usually doubted)
3. 3Who you knowGetting on with peoplekao ga hiroi know lots of peopleen o kiru break off with, disownen ga aru be meant to be, have a connectionseken wa semai it's a small world
4. 4Obvious or hiddenNoticing & the mindura ga aru there's a catch, a hidden motiveme ni mieteru it's obvious what will happenoku ga fukai has real depth, more to learnichimoku ryouzen obvious at a glancekao ni kaite aru it's written all over your face
5. 5Hard work or easyEffort, ease & difficultyhone ga oreru be hard work, take a lot of effortte ga kakaru need a lot of looking afterte ga konde iru be elaborate, made with real careoyasui goyou no problem, happy to helpasameshi mae easy, no trouble at all
6. 6Warned youTalking & listeningnen o osu make sure by telling someone again, stress, remind firmlyiwan kotcha nai I told you sokugi o sasu warn someone firmly in advancemimi ni tako ga dekiru heard it a million timeskuchi o suppaku shite iu tell someone over and over
7. 7Tastes and likenessWhat people are likekuchi ni au suit one's taste (food or drink)shou ni au suit one's nature, be one's thingnita mono doushi alike in character (two people)uri futatsu look exactly alikejuunin toiro everyone's different (tastes, opinions)
8. 8EmbarrassmentFeelings & temperkao ni deru your feelings show on your facekimari ga warui feel awkward, sheepishmimi ga itai it stings to hear (because it's true)ana ga attara hairitai so embarrassed I want to disappear
9. 9Whatever happensLuck, trouble & outcomessono toki wa sono toki we'll deal with it if it happensnaru you ni naru things will work out somehowkekka oorai it worked out in the end, so fine
10. 10CouplesGetting on with peopleissen o koeru cross the line, go too far; (of two people) sleep togetheryori o modosu get back together (with an ex)futamata o kakeru two-time, date two people at oncekenka suru hodo naka ga ii fighting just shows how close you are
11. 11Believing itNoticing & the mindma ni ukeru take it at face value, take it seriouslyunomi ni suru believe without questionsono te ni wa noranai I won't fall for thathanshin hangi only half believing it
12. 12SwampedEffort, ease & difficultykarada ga motanai (my) body can't take it, I won't last at this ratete ga mawaranai can't get around to itme ga mawaru be dizzy; be crazy busyneko no te mo karitai be desperately busy
13. 13Lies and big talkTalking & listeningooguchi o tataku talk big, brag about what you'll domakka na uso a complete lieuso mo houben a white lie is sometimes neededhanashi o moru exaggerate a storysaba o yomu fudge numbers (esp. one's age)
14. 14Proud or humbleWhat people are likeue kara mesen condescending, talking downmie o haru put on a front, try to look better off than you arekoshi ga hikui humble and polite in manner
15. 15MovedFeelings & tempermune ga itamu it pains me, it breaks my heartgutto kuru be moved, it really gets youmune ga ippai overwhelmed with emotion
16. 16Close callsLuck, trouble & outcomesyama o koeru get past the worstkiki ippatsu a very close callkami hitoe a razor-thin differencefukouchuu no saiwai the one lucky part of a bad situation
17. 17Reading peopleGetting on with peopleaite no mi ni naru put yourself in the other person's placekuuki o yomu read the mood, pick up on the vibekaoiro o ukagau watch someone's mood, anxiously try to stay on their good sideishin denshin understanding each other without words
18. 18Can't resistNoticing & the mindme ga nai be crazy about, can't resistme ga kuramu be blinded (by money, greed)kuse ni naru be addictive, hard to stopkyoumi shinshin dying to know, intensely curious
19. 19Comebacks and digsTalking & listeningkechi o tsukeru find fault with, knockippon torareta you got me therehitokoto ooi always says one thing too manyguu no ne mo denai have no comeback at allaa ieba kou iu always has a comeback
20. 20TemperWhat people are likeki ga tsuyoi strong-willed, feistyki ga hayai jumping the gun, getting ahead of oneselfki ga yowai timid, faint-heartedki ga mijikai short-tempered, impatientoshi ni yowai caves in when pushed
21. 21Worth the moneyLuck, trouble & outcomeswari ni awanai not worth it, doesn't paybaka ni naranai (costs) really add upmoto o toru recoup what you paidsuzume no namida a pitifully small amount (usually of money)
22. 22Under someone's thumbGetting on with peoplegoma o suru suck up to, flatterkigen o toru humour someone, keep them happyatama ga agaranai owe someone too much to stand up to themshiri ni shikareru be bossed around by your wife