Unit 6 - Section 4: Four-character Idioms
Four-character compounds (四字熟語)
A 四字熟語 is four kanji used as one idea. Newspapers and speeches like them. Learn the reading and one situation, not a literal four-word English string.
| Compound | Reading | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| 一生懸命 | いっしょうけんめい | With all one’s might |
| 臨機応変 | りんきおうへん | Adapt to the moment |
| 試行錯誤 | しこうさくご | Trial and error |
| 本末転倒 | ほんまつてんとう | Getting priorities backwards |
| 一長一短 | いっちょういったん | Each has merits and faults |
| 自画自賛 | じがじさん | Praising one’s own work |
細かい点ばかり直して、本末転倒になっている。
Fixing only small points has put the cart before the horse.