Curriculum

Yojijukugo

In this 25-lesson series, you will learn all about Yojijukugo: Japanese 4 character compound words and idioms. Whether youâ€™re an advanced Japanese student or want to start learning Japanese today, this series is the perfect place to begin learning kanji or refine your use of kanji through these character compounds. Great for Japanese learners of all levels.

Lesson	Title	Target Yojijukugo 1	Target Yojijukugo 2
1	Introduction to 4 Kanji Words!	悪戦苦闘あくせんくとう akusen kutou hard fight, hard-fought battle, uphill struggle	以心伝心いしんでんしん ishindenshin heart-to-heart communication, thought transference, communicating without words, "telepathy"
2	Obvious Decisions	一念発起いちねんほっき ichinen hokki To make up one's mind strongly to accomplish something difficult	一目瞭然いちもくりょうぜん ichimoku ryōzen Obvious at a glance
3	Extreme Highs and Lows	意気投合いきとうごう Ikitōgō to get along really well or to hit it off fantastically at the first meeting	意気消沈いきしょうちん ikishōchin be depressed, downhearted
4	1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back	一進一退いっしんいったい Isshin ittai One step forward and two steps back, go back and forth	一長一短いっちょういったん Icchō ittan merits and demerits, good and bad points
5	Are You Really Interested, or Is It Just Lip Service?	興味津々きょうみしんしん Kyōmishinshin highly interested / with great interest / with much interest	社交辞令しゃこうじれい Shakō jirei diplomatic remarks
6	Japanese Wisdom to Live By	一挙両得いっきょりょうとく Ikkyo ryōtoku to work both ways (= killing two birds with one stone)	一心不乱いっしんふらん Isshin furan single-mindedness, deep concentration
7	A Unanimous State of Confusion!	異口同音いくどうおん Iku Dōon unanimously	右往左往うおうさおう Uou saou become panic-stricken / go this way and that way
8	Problems Coming From All Directions	四苦八苦しくはっく Shiku hakku to be in great trouble; to have a lot of trouble doing something; struggle to do something	四方八方しほうはっぽう Shihō happō all directions
9	Decisions Through Elimination	取捨選択しゅしゃせんたく Shusha sentaku to sort something out, to make a choice	心機一転しんきいってん Shinki itten to make a clean start, to start off with a clean slate
10	A Close Call	危機一髪ききいっぱつ Kikiippatsu a close call, a narrow shave	喜怒哀楽きどあいらく Kidoairaku delight, anger, sorrow and pleasure / emotions
11	Cutting to The Chase	大器晩成たいきばんせい Taiki bansei A late bloomer, Great talents mature late.	単刀直入たんとうちょくにゅう Tantō chokunyū to cut to the chase, to come right to the point
12	Being Polite to Keep Distance	大胆不敵だいたんふてき daitanfuteki to be fearless	他人行儀たにんぎょうぎ taningyōgi polite and formal; to be a stranger; to be distant
13	Are you Getting Desperate?	絶体絶命ぜったいぜつめい zettaizetsumei to have one's back against the wall	前代未聞ぜんだいみもん zendaimimon without precedent, unprecedented, unheard of
14	Don't be like this!	前途多難ぜんとたなん zentotanan to be in for a lot of trouble up ahead	他力本願たりきほんがん tarikihongan to rely, depend on others
15	Passionate Japanese?	二人三脚ににんさんきゃく ninin sankyaku three-legged race, two cooperating people sharing the same purpose, to be joined at the hip	無我夢中むがむちゅう muga muchū To lose oneself in something, To be absorbed in
16	Don't Get Confident until You Read This!	油断大敵ゆだんたいてき yudan taiteki Don't get overconfident yet/Stay sharp	自画自賛じがじさん jiga jisan Self-admiration, self-applause, to talk up one's own achievement or work
17	The Outrageous Truth Behind Popular Japanese Expressions	言語道断ごんごどうだん gongodōdan outrageous	試行錯誤しこうさくご shikō sakugo trial and error
18	Avoid this Japanese No-Win Situation	四面楚歌しめんそか shimensoka be completely outcast, a no-win situation	順風満帆じゅんぷうまんぱん junbūmanpan smooth sailing, on course and going full speed ahead
19	Using Japanese to Find the Right Job for You	適材適所てきざいてきしょ tekizaitekisho placing the right people in the right jobs	馬耳東風ばじとうふう bajitōfū to turn a deaf ear to something
20	Japanese You'll Have a Hard Time Believing!	年功序列ねんこうじょれつ nenkō joretsu seniority-based system, promotion by seniority	半信半疑はんしんはんぎ hanshinhangi to be half in doubt, only half believing
21	Japanese that Hits the Mark Every Time	百発百中ひゃっぱつひゃくちゅう hyappatsuhyakuchū to hit the mark every time, every prediction comes true	無理難題むりなんだい muri nandai impossible demand, unjust proposal
22	Japanese You've Been Waiting to Learn	自暴自棄じぼうじき jibōjiki abandon, desperation	一日千秋いちじつせんしゅう / いちにちせんしゅう ichijitsusenshū / ichinichisenshū really looking forward to
23	Discover "the Easy Life" in Japanese	悠悠自適（悠々自適) ゆうゆうじてき yūyūjiteki to take life easy, to lead a leisurely life	文武両道ぶんぶりょうどう bunbu ryōdō both in academics and in sports
24	How Learning Japanese can Help you Achieve Unprecedented Success	前人未到ぜんじんみとう zenjin mitō unexploited or unachieved by anyone, unprecedented	有名無実ゆうめいむじつ yūmeimujitsu to exist only in name
25	Does Your Japanese Sound Half-Hearted?	臨機応変りんきおうへん rinkiōhen to act according to circumstances	中途半端ちゅうとはんぱ chūto hanpa unclear, betwixt and between, vague, half-hearted

Lesson	Title	Target Yojijukugo 1	Target Yojijukugo 2
1	Introduction to 4 Kanji Words!	悪戦苦闘あくせんくとう akusen kutou hard fight, hard-fought battle, uphill struggle	以心伝心いしんでんしん ishindenshin heart-to-heart communication, thought transference, communicating without words, "telepathy"
2	Obvious Decisions	一念発起いちねんほっき ichinen hokki To make up one's mind strongly to accomplish something difficult	一目瞭然いちもくりょうぜん ichimoku ryōzen Obvious at a glance
3	Extreme Highs and Lows	意気投合いきとうごう Ikitōgō to get along really well or to hit it off fantastically at the first meeting	意気消沈いきしょうちん ikishōchin be depressed, downhearted
4	1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back	一進一退いっしんいったい Isshin ittai One step forward and two steps back, go back and forth	一長一短いっちょういったん Icchō ittan merits and demerits, good and bad points
5	Are You Really Interested, or Is It Just Lip Service?	興味津々きょうみしんしん Kyōmishinshin highly interested / with great interest / with much interest	社交辞令しゃこうじれい Shakō jirei diplomatic remarks
6	Japanese Wisdom to Live By	一挙両得いっきょりょうとく Ikkyo ryōtoku to work both ways (= killing two birds with one stone)	一心不乱いっしんふらん Isshin furan single-mindedness, deep concentration
7	A Unanimous State of Confusion!	異口同音いくどうおん Iku Dōon unanimously	右往左往うおうさおう Uou saou become panic-stricken / go this way and that way
8	Problems Coming From All Directions	四苦八苦しくはっく Shiku hakku to be in great trouble; to have a lot of trouble doing something; struggle to do something	四方八方しほうはっぽう Shihō happō all directions
9	Decisions Through Elimination	取捨選択しゅしゃせんたく Shusha sentaku to sort something out, to make a choice	心機一転しんきいってん Shinki itten to make a clean start, to start off with a clean slate
10	A Close Call	危機一髪ききいっぱつ Kikiippatsu a close call, a narrow shave	喜怒哀楽きどあいらく Kidoairaku delight, anger, sorrow and pleasure / emotions
11	Cutting to The Chase	大器晩成たいきばんせい Taiki bansei A late bloomer, Great talents mature late.	単刀直入たんとうちょくにゅう Tantō chokunyū to cut to the chase, to come right to the point
12	Being Polite to Keep Distance	大胆不敵だいたんふてき daitanfuteki to be fearless	他人行儀たにんぎょうぎ taningyōgi polite and formal; to be a stranger; to be distant
13	Are you Getting Desperate?	絶体絶命ぜったいぜつめい zettaizetsumei to have one's back against the wall	前代未聞ぜんだいみもん zendaimimon without precedent, unprecedented, unheard of
14	Don't be like this!	前途多難ぜんとたなん zentotanan to be in for a lot of trouble up ahead	他力本願たりきほんがん tarikihongan to rely, depend on others
15	Passionate Japanese?	二人三脚ににんさんきゃく ninin sankyaku three-legged race, two cooperating people sharing the same purpose, to be joined at the hip	無我夢中むがむちゅう muga muchū To lose oneself in something, To be absorbed in
16	Don't Get Confident until You Read This!	油断大敵ゆだんたいてき yudan taiteki Don't get overconfident yet/Stay sharp	自画自賛じがじさん jiga jisan Self-admiration, self-applause, to talk up one's own achievement or work
17	The Outrageous Truth Behind Popular Japanese Expressions	言語道断ごんごどうだん gongodōdan outrageous	試行錯誤しこうさくご shikō sakugo trial and error
18	Avoid this Japanese No-Win Situation	四面楚歌しめんそか shimensoka be completely outcast, a no-win situation	順風満帆じゅんぷうまんぱん junbūmanpan smooth sailing, on course and going full speed ahead
19	Using Japanese to Find the Right Job for You	適材適所てきざいてきしょ tekizaitekisho placing the right people in the right jobs	馬耳東風ばじとうふう bajitōfū to turn a deaf ear to something
20	Japanese You'll Have a Hard Time Believing!	年功序列ねんこうじょれつ nenkō joretsu seniority-based system, promotion by seniority	半信半疑はんしんはんぎ hanshinhangi to be half in doubt, only half believing
21	Japanese that Hits the Mark Every Time	百発百中ひゃっぱつひゃくちゅう hyappatsuhyakuchū to hit the mark every time, every prediction comes true	無理難題むりなんだい muri nandai impossible demand, unjust proposal
22	Japanese You've Been Waiting to Learn	自暴自棄じぼうじき jibōjiki abandon, desperation	一日千秋いちじつせんしゅう / いちにちせんしゅう ichijitsusenshū / ichinichisenshū really looking forward to
23	Discover "the Easy Life" in Japanese	悠悠自適（悠々自適) ゆうゆうじてき yūyūjiteki to take life easy, to lead a leisurely life	文武両道ぶんぶりょうどう bunbu ryōdō both in academics and in sports
24	How Learning Japanese can Help you Achieve Unprecedented Success	前人未到ぜんじんみとう zenjin mitō unexploited or unachieved by anyone, unprecedented	有名無実ゆうめいむじつ yūmeimujitsu to exist only in name
25	Does Your Japanese Sound Half-Hearted?	臨機応変りんきおうへん rinkiōhen to act according to circumstances	中途半端ちゅうとはんぱ chūto hanpa unclear, betwixt and between, vague, half-hearted