Editing Japanese proverbs (section)

== Examples ==
=== Sayings ===<!-- This section is linked from [[Cuteness in Japanese culture]] -->
*出る杭は打たれる。
** ''Deru kui wa utareru''
** Literally: The stake that sticks up gets hammered down.
** Meaning: If you stand out, you will be subject to criticism.
*知らぬが仏。
** ''Shiranu ga hotoke''
** Literally: Not knowing is Buddha.
** Meaning: Ignorance is bliss. / What you don't know can't hurt you.
*見ぬが花。
** ''Minu ga hana''
** Literally: Not seeing is a flower.
** Meaning: Reality can't compete with imagination.
*花は桜木人は武士
** ''Hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi''
** Literally: [[Hana wa sakuragi, hito wa bushi|Of flowers, the cherry blossom; of men, the warrior]].
** Meaning: As the cherry blossom is considered foremost among flowers, so the warrior is foremost among men.

* 井の中の蛙大海を知らず
** ''I no naka no kawazu taikai wo shirazu''
** Literally: The frog in the well knows nothing of the ocean.
** Meaning: People who experience very little have a narrow world view. / He that stays in the valley shall never get over the hill.

* かわいい子には旅をさせよ
** ''Kawaii ko ni wa tabi wo saseyo''
** Literally: Let your darling child travel.
** Meaning: If you don't discipline your child, they will not learn obedience. / [[Spare the rod (disambiguation)|Spare the rod and spoil the child]].

*案ずるより産むが易しい。
** ''Anzuru yori umu ga yasashii''
**Literally:  Giving birth to a baby is easier than worrying about it.
**Meaning: Fear is greater than the danger. / An attempt is sometimes easier than expected.

* 船頭多くして船山に登る
** ''Sendou ooku shite fune yama ni noboru''
** Literally: Too many captains will steer the ship up a mountain.
** Meaning: Something may not be successful if too many people work on it at the same time. / [[wiktionary:too_many_cooks_spoil_the_broth|Too many cooks spoil the broth]].

* 蛙の子は蛙
** ''Kaeru no ko wa kaeru''
** Literally: The child of a frog is frog.
** Meaning: A child grows up similar to their parents. / Like father, like son. / The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree.

* 馬鹿は風邪を引かない
** ''[[Baka wa kaze o hikanai]]''
** Literally: Idiots don't catch colds.
** Meaning: Carefree people are less likely to notice they are sick or to worry about being sick.

=== Idiomatic phrases ===
*[[wikt:猫に小判|猫に小判]]
** ''Neko ni koban''
** Literally: Gold coins to a cat.
** Meaning: Casting [[wikt:cast pearls before swine|pearls before swine]] / Giving something of value to a recipient that does not value it.
*七転び八起き
** ''Nanakorobi yaoki''
** Literally: Fall seven times and stand up eight
** Meaning: When life knocks you down, stand back up; What matters is not the bad that happened, but what one does after.
*猿も木から落ちる
** ''Saru mo ki kara ochiru''
** Literally: Even [[monkey]]s fall from [[tree]]s
** Meaning: Anyone can make a mistake.
*花より団子
** ''Hana yori dango''
** Literally: [[Dango|Dumplings]] rather than flowers
** Meaning: To prefer substance over form, as in to prefer to be given functional, useful items (such as dumplings) instead of merely decorative items (such as flowers).
*馬の耳に念仏
** ''Uma no mimi ni nenbutsu''
** Literally: Chanting nenbutsu to a horse.
** Meaning: Attempting to make an argument to a party that will not listen. / Preaching to the deaf.

* 水と油
** ''Mizu to abura''
** Literally: Water and oil.
** Meaning: Totally incompatible. / [Go together like] oil and water.

=== Four-character idioms ===
{{Main|Yojijukugo}}
*十人十色
** ''jūnin toiro''
** Literally: ten persons, ten colors
** Meaning: To each his own. / Different strokes for different folks.
*因果応報
** ''inga ōhō''
** Literally: Cause bring result / bad causes bring bad results 
** Meaning: what goes around comes around 
** Note: this is a Buddhist sentiment that emphasizes the idea of [[karmic retribution]].
*弱肉強食
** ''jaku niku kyō shoku''
** Literally: The weak are meat; the strong eat.
** Meaning: [[Survival of the fittest]].