Your favourite or most usefull Japanese Saying

[Bueller_007]

Geee I just listened to the Animals 2 podcast and you are right they already used it. Like they said in the podcast the saying means somebody who doesn't know much about the world around them. I think that it could be translated as "a big fish in a little pond"

I believe "big fish in a little pond" means someone who is important, but only to a small group of people.

[Charles]

I think the connotation is that the fish belongs in a larger pond, because the smaller one is more constricting. In other words, the person needs more room to develop their talents and grow.

[Satsujin]

I think both are correct and I think both connotations are in "i no naka no kawazu". Both somebody who thinks they are really important because they don't know the context of the world and somebody who needs to experience new things to grow.

Although for the second one a closer saying in Japanese might be:

可愛い子には旅をさせる: "kawaii ko ni ha tabi wo saseru"

Anyway, it's interesting that a lot of sayings in Japanese have counterparts in English and vice-versa. Common sense is common sense no matter where in the world you are or what language you speak.

[Bueller_007]

I think the connotation is that the fish belongs in a larger pond, because the smaller one is more constricting. In other words, the person needs more room to develop their talents and grow.

So you're saying that "big fish" has a negative connotation? I'm not sure that's right. I don't think you'd ever say "That poor guy... He's a big fish in a little pond."

I've heard it used most frequently in regards to so-called "gifted" children. "Jimmy is class president, so he's a big fish in a little pond now, but just wait until he gets to university. Boy, is he in for a surprise." Something like that... The kid goes from being a hot-shot to a nobody.

Incidentally, there's a good Japanese phrase for this, and I guess this is the right thread for it:
鶏口牛後 (けいこうぎゅうご）
"It's better to be a chicken's mouth than a cow's behind."

[Satsujin]

The connotation is that the person thinks that they are the best but it is only relative to their own limited perception that they are the best. This is what gives the negative meaning. The ignorance of the big fish in the little pond thinking they are the best when in reality in the wider context they are nothing but a tadpole.

[Bueller_007]

The connotation is that the person thinks that they are the best but it is only relative to their own limited perception that they are the best. This is what gives the negative meaning. The ignorance of the big fish in the little pond thinking they are the best when in reality in the wider context they are nothing but a tadpole.

You're right. That sounds much more like it.

[Satsujin]

Well,

I think we have beaten the frog in a well topic to a pulp now back to the new one:

左うちわ: hidari uchiwa

Any guesses????

[Liz21]

I'm a beginner, but, is it something about a fan in the left-hand? Like maybe someone is up to something? Or being deceitful?

[Satsujin]

The literal meaning is a fan in the left hand but it has another meaning other than that.

[metablue]

I like Liz's guess. Sounds like you're hiding your face behind a fan, so being deceptive.

Or are fans normally meant to be in the right hand? Then it might mean doing something simple in the wrong way.

"uchiwa" with different kanji also means "a private matter, family circle, the inside", so could there be a double meaning in there?

[Satsujin]

Actully hidari no uchiwa means someone who is living a life a luxury. In other words somebody who has enough money that on a hot summer day they can just sit around with and fan themselves with there left hand.

Here is another good one for people trying to learn Japanese....

雨だれ石をうがつ : ama dare ishi wo ugatsu

amadare: raindrop

ugatsu: drill

[metablue]

Ah, that totally makes sense.

The rain and rock one ... something like:
Raindrops can drill though a rock.

I don't know what dare means except "who", but I'm not going to revert to my dictionary yet, darn it. It means that patience and persistence can achieve seemingly impossible things.

<edit>
Oh duh, I didn't read your vocab list properly. There is no "dare".

[Cruxay]

"mada o-hitori desu ka?" - Are you still single?

personally I find this would be the most useful for anyone planning to study abroad.

(sry just formatted the comp, my language pack stuff isnt up yet lol)