| Japanese | English translation | Exists in English? |
| 佳人薄命 かじんはくめい) | The fairest flowers soonest fade | * |
| 影の形に添うが如し かげのかたちにそうがごとし) | To follow one like his shadow | * |
| 右の耳から左の耳 みぎのみみからひだりのみみ) | To go in at one ear and out the other | * |
| 果報は寝て待て かほうはねてまて) | Everything comes to him who waits | * |
| 羽根が生えたように売れる はねがはえたようにうれる) | To sell like hot cakes | * |
| 火に油を注ぐ ひにあぶらをそそぐ) | To pour oil on the fire | * |
| 火の無い所に煙は立たぬ ひのないところにけむりはたたぬ) | There is no smoke without fire | * |
| 火事場泥棒 かじばどろぼう) | To fish in troubled waters | * |
| 雨が降って地固まる あめがふってじかたまる) | After rain comes fair weather | * |
| 花より団子 はなよりだんご) | The belly is not filled with fair words | * |
| 花より団子 はなよりだんご) | Function before form | * |
| 嘘つきは泥棒の始まり うそつきはどろぼうのはじまり) | He that will lie will steal | * |
| 嘘つきは泥棒の始まり うそつきはどろぼうのはじまり) | Lying and thieving go together | * |
| 嘘も方便 うそもほうべん) | A white lie | * |
| 嘘は一時 うそはいっとき) | Lies have short legs | * |
| 蝦で鯛を釣る えびでかいをつる) | To throw out a sprat to catch a mackerel | * |
| 噂をすれば影 うわさをすればかげ) | Talk of the devil (and he's sure to appear) | * |
| 噂をすれば影 うわさをすればかげ) | Talk of the devil (and he's sure to appear) | * |
| 我が仏尊し わがほとけとうとし) | Everyone thinks his own geese swans | * |
| 我が仏尊し わがほとけとうとし) | Every fool likes his own bauble best | * |
| 我田引水 がでんいんすい) | Every miller draws water to his own mill | * |
| 雲泥の差 うんでいのさ) | As different as night and day | * |
| 燕一羽で春にはならぬ つばめいちわではるにはならぬ) | One swallow does not make a summer | * |
| 猿も木から落ちる さるもきからおちる) | It is a good horse that never stumbles | * |
| 猿に烏帽子 さるにえぼし) | An ape's an ape, though they be clad in silk or scarlet | * |
| 猿の尻笑い さるのしりわらい) | The pot calls the kettle black | * |
| 縁は異なもの えんはいなもの) | Marriages are made in heaven | * |
| 下手の横好き へたのよこずき) | To pursue an artistic discipline with zeal, despite lack of talent | |
| 下手の道具しらべ へたのどうぐしらべ) | A bad workman always blames his tools | * |
| 過ぎたらは猶及ばざるが如し すぎたらはなおおよばざるがごとし) | Too much of one thing is good for nothing | * |
| 過ぎた事は水に流せ すぎたことはみずにながせ) | Let bygones be bygones | * |
| 過ちては改むるに憚ること勿れ あやまちてはあらたむるにはばかることなかれ) | It is never too late to mend | * |
| 絵に画いた餅 えにかいたもち) | Pie in the sky | * |
| 外面似菩薩、内心如夜叉 げめんじぼさつ、ないしんにょやしゃ) | A wolf in sheep's clothing | * |
| 学問に王道なし がくもんにおうどうなし) | There is no royal road to learning | * |
| 学問に近道なし がくもんにちかみちなし) | There is no royal road to learning | * |
| 蛙の子は蛙 かえるのこはかえる) | Like father like son | * |
| 蛙の子は蛙 かえるのこはかえる) | Like father, like son | * |
| 蛙の面に水 かえるのつらにみず) | Like water off a duck's back | * |
| 堪忍袋の緒が切れる かんにんぶくろのおがきれる) | The last straw breaks the camel's back | * |
| 金が金を生む かねがかねをうむ) | Money begets money | * |
| 愚考山を移す ぐこうやまをうつす) | Faith can move mountains | * |
| 空き腹に不味い物なし すきばらにまずいものなし) | Hunger is the best sauce | * |
| 空涙を流す そらなみだをながす) | To shed crocodile tears | * |
| 飢えたる犬は棒を怖れず うえたるいぬはぼうをおそれず) | Hunger drives the wulf out of the wood | * |
| 飢えたる者は食を選ばず うえたるものはしょくをあらばず) | Better some of a pudding than none of a pie | * |
