Minasan Ohayō gozaimasu!
Do you know how to say “Laughter is the best medicine” in Japanese proverb?
Let’s find it now!
I’ll show you 5 Japanese proverbs in this blog. Let’s get started!
Introducing 5 Japanese proverbs, vol.10 Video
笑いは百薬の長
（わらいはひゃくやくのちょう）
Romaji: warai wa hyakuyaku no chō
Word: warai (笑い)= laughter, hyakuyaku (百薬)= many medicines, cho (長)=head, principal
Direct translation: Laughter is the best medicine
Equivalent English expressions: Laughter is the best medicine
Example: 人生に笑いは大事だね。笑いは百薬の長、笑うことが一番の薬だよ。
Jinsē ni warai wa daiji dane. warai wa hyakuyaku no chō. Warau koto ga ichiban no kusuri dayo.
Laughter is important for life. Laughter is the best medicine. That’s warai wa hyakuyaku no chō.
Similar proverb: 酒は百薬の長 Sake wa hyakuyaku nochō Alcohol is the best medicine.
ただより高いものはない
（ただより たかい ものはない）
Romaji: tada yori takai mono wa nai
Word: tada (ただ)= free, takai (高い) = expensive
Direct translation: There is nothing more expensive than something free
Equivalent English expressions: There’s no such thing as a free lunch. If you buy something for free, it will cost you a lot.
Example: ケーキがただでもらえるって言うから、セミナーに行ったら、高い壺を買う羽目になったよ。ただより高いものはないね。
kēki ga tada de moraeru tte iukara, semina ni ittara, takai tsubo wo kau hame ni natta yo. tada yori takai mono wa nai ne.
They said I can get a cake for free, so I went to the seminar. But I end up with buying an expensive pot. That’s tada yori takai mono wa nai.
火のない所に煙は立たぬ
（ひのない ところに けむりは たたぬ）
Romaji: hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanu
Word: hi (火)= fire, kemuri (煙)= smoke
Direct translation: There is no smoke without fire
Equivalent English expressions: Where there’s smoke there’s fire. Every rumor has a grain of truth.
Example: 隣の人の悪い噂をよく聞いていたけど、昨日警察に捕まったみたい。火のない所に煙は立たないよね。
Tonari no hito no warui uwasa o yoku kiitetakedo, kinō keisatsu ni tukamatta mitai. Hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanai yone.
I’ve heard many bad rumors of my neighbor, and it seems he was caught by police. That’s “Hi no nai tokoro ni kemuri wa tatanu”.
光陰矢の如し
（こういんやのごとし）
Romaji: kōin yano gotoshi
Word: kōin (光陰)= “light and shade”, time, ya (矢)= arrow
Direct translation: Time is like arrow
Equivalent English expressions: Time flies, Time has wings
Example: もう11月！あっという間に1年が終わるよ。光陰矢の如しだね。
Mou 11 gatsu! atto iu ma ni ichinenn ga owaru yo. koin ya no gotoshi dane.
Already November! One year will end in a blink of eye. That’s “kōin yano gotoshi”.
自業自得
（じごうじとく）
Romaji: jigō jitoku
Word: jigō (自業)=own deed, jitoku(自得) = own complacency
Direct translation: Own deed own complacency,
Equivalent English expressions: What goes around comes around, As you sow, so you reap. One asked for it.
Example: 昨日ぜんぜん勉強しなかったから、今日のテスト、ぜんぜんできなかった。自業自得だね。
kinō zenzen benkyo shinakatta kara, kyo no tesuto, zenzen dekinakatta. jigō jitoku dane.
I didn’t study at all yesterday. So I couldn’t do well at all on today’s test. That’s jigō jitoku.
How was it? Dō deshita ka?
Do you have your favorite Kotowaza?
Hope you enjoyed the 5 Japanese proverbs introduced this time!
Find out the 10 most famous Japanese proverbs!
＊ If you wonder what are “dane”, “dayo”, desu yo” – ending particles, you way want to watch these two videos 🙂
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