| Yoji-Jukugo (4) | |
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Yoji-jukugo (four character kanji compounds) are idiomatic expressions made up of four kanji characters. Japanese is normally written with three types of scripts: kanji, hiragana and katakana, but these idiomatic words are written in kanji only and with no kana between them.
Yoji-jukugo contain classical wisdom or morals in short phrases. In English there are words that people use which make them sound intelligent or denote higher education. Japanese also has words that educated people are more likely to know. Yoji-jukugo are such words. There are hundreds of yoji-jukugo. Some of them are not even familiar to the Japanese, therefore they are often asked at a school entrance examination to test one's knowledge.
This is the fourth lesson of yoji-jukugo. Click here to check out previous yoji-jukugo lessons. In this lesson, I collected some yoji-jukugo that express the tactics or one's attitude when playing games, or trying something.
Youi-shuutou
Literally means, "exhaustive preparation." A wider translation is, "mindfulness, prudence, to be prepared for all eventualities."
Sente-hisshou
Literally means, "the first hand is sure to win." A wider translation is, "to make the first strike, to seize the initiative, to take the game by the scruff of the neck."
Seisei-doudou
Literally means, "true and noble." A wider translation is, "fair and square, open and aboveboard."
Jishin-manman
Literally means, "full of confidence." A wider translation is, "brimming with confidence, supremely confident."
Yudan-taiteki
Literally means, "carelessness is the greatest enemy." A wider translation is, "danger comes when you least expect it."
