ALL LEVELS・N1–N5

Four-Character Idioms: Japanese Word List (JLPT N1–N5)

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N1 悪戦苦闘あくせんくとう

A four-character compound expressing the act of striving desperately in difficult circumstances. Used in contexts describing struggle in painful situations, as in 「新しい仕事で悪戦苦闘する」.

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N1 暗中模索あんちゅうもさく

A four-character idiom describing proceeding by trial and error without any clue. Used in situations of trial and error in unknown territory, as in「新分野で暗中模索を続ける」.

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N1 意気投合いきとうごう

A perfect match of feelings and thoughts between two people. Used in scenes where, while speaking with someone met for the first time or after a long absence, one finds the conversation harmonious and grows close. The form 「〜と意気投合する」 is the main usage.

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N2 意気揚々いきようよう

A state of being triumphant and full of energy. Used in expressions like 「意気揚々と帰る」 and 「意気揚々と語る」.

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N1 異口同音いくどうおん

A four-character compound expressing a state in which many people say the same thing in unison. Used in scenes where opinions are unanimous in meetings or interviews. Used as in 「異口同音に称賛する」 or 「異口同音に反対する」.

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N1 以心伝心いしんでんしん

The mutual understanding of feelings between two people without needing to speak. Used in scenes where intentions are conveyed without language, such as between long-married couples, well-attuned partners, or master-disciple relationships.

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N1 一部始終いちぶしじゅう

The entirety of a matter from beginning to end. Used in the form 「一部始終を〜する」, combined with verbs such as to see, hear, tell, or witness. A formal expression referring to the whole course of an event without omission.

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N1 一挙両得いっきょりょうとく

Gaining two benefits at once through a single action. Used in contexts of praising that one effort or one creative idea yields multiple results. Mostly used in the form 「〜は一挙両得だ」.

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N4 一生懸命いっしょうけんめい

The state of doing something with all one's effort. It is used as in 「一生懸命に勉強する」, and the form without 「に」 is also common. It originally came from 「一所懸命」, which arose from the way people long ago risked their lives to defend a single piece of land. Today it is normally written as 「一生懸命」.

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N1 一致団結いっちだんけつ

Many people uniting in spirit and joining forces toward the same goal. 「一致」 means that thoughts or opinions match exactly, and 「団結」 means that members of a group come together and bond closely; combining the two emphasizes the strength of that unity. It is used almost exclusively in the forms 「一致団結して」 and 「一致団結し」, as in 「住民が一致団結して反対運動を起こす」, and is rarely used on its own as a noun.

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N1 一朝一夕いっちょういっせき

A four-character compound expressing a brief time, a very short period. Often used in the form 「一朝一夕には成らない」 in contexts of saying that achieving something takes a long time. The typical pattern is to use it with negative expressions.

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N1 威風堂々いふうどうどう

A state of being dignified, imposing, and impressive. Used in scenes that leave a strong impression on viewers, such as a person's bearing, a procession, or the appearance of a building. Used in the forms 「威風堂々と〜する」 or 「威風堂々たる〜」.

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N1 意味深長いみしんちょう

Behind a surface meaning lies a deeper implication or hidden sense. Used in the forms 「意味深長な〜」 or 「〜は意味深長だ」 in scenes where remarks, expressions, or texts cannot be interpreted simply.

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N1 右往左往うおうさおう

A state of dashing this way and that in confusion, not knowing what to do. A four-character compound used as in 「人々が右往左往する」 in scenes where many people run about in confusion in the face of a sudden event.

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N1 紆余曲折うよきょくせつ

A matter not progressing smoothly but going through a complicated course. Used as in 「紆余曲折を経て結論に至る」. A four-character compound originating from the image of a winding road, expressing situations in which arguments or plans proceed while changing many times.

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N1 遠慮会釈えんりょえしゃく

Consideration or regard for others. Mostly used in the form「遠慮会釈もない」to express behavior lacking in consideration, as in「遠慮会釈もない態度」「遠慮会釈なく意見を述べる」. A four-character idiom established in its negative form.

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Vocabulary data on this site is based on the JMdict/EDICT project (© Electronic Dictionary Research and Development Group, CC BY-SA 4.0). JLPT level classification is our own assessment using AI (Claude) and is not an official JLPT standard.