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JLPT N1 Four-Character Idioms (四字熟語) Vocabulary (2026)

Complete JLPT N1 Four-Character Idioms (四字熟語) vocabulary with readings and example sentences (76 words).

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This set covers 76 four-character idioms (四字熟語), one of the most distinctly N1-level vocabulary categories: they rarely appear before N1 but show up constantly in newspaper editorials, business writing, and literary or historical references once you reach it. Many trace back to classical Chinese history (四面楚歌, 臥薪嘗胆, 風林火山) or classical Japanese rhetoric, so learning them also means picking up compact, high-register phrases native speakers use to compress a whole situation into four characters.

This article is part of our JLPT N1 Complete Vocabulary Guide. Practice all 76 words with the Four-Character Idioms (四字熟語) Vocabulary deck in Onigiri Anki.

Crisis & Comeback (14)

Idioms for being in mortal danger or a cornered, do-or-die situation, and the resolve, timing, or turnaround that pulls you out of it — a favorite register for N1 reading passages about historical battles, business turnarounds, and sports comebacks.

hair's breadth from disaster危機一髪kikiippatsu

事故は危機一髪で避けられた。 — The accident was averted by a hair's breadth.

resuscitation; revival起死回生kishikaisei

新しい商品が、苦しい会社の起死回生の策となった。 — The new product became a lifeline for the struggling company.

fighting single-handedly孤軍奮闘kogunfuntou

彼女は最後まで孤軍奮闘しました。 — She kept fighting single-handedly until the end.

surrounded by enemies四面楚歌shimensoka

彼は職場で四面楚歌の状態に置かれている。 — He is in a situation at work where he is surrounded by enemies.

repeated rises after falls七転八起shichitenhakki

彼は失敗しても七転八起で立ち上がった。 — Even after many failures, he rose again and again.

desperate straits絶体絶命zettaizetsumei

私は絶体絶命だったが、何とか助かった。 — I was in desperate straits, but I somehow survived.

once-in-a-lifetime chance千載一遇senzaiichiguu

この出会いは千載一遇のチャンスだ。 — This encounter is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

great talents mature late大器晩成taikibansei

彼は大器晩成のタイプだ。 — He is a late bloomer.

enduring hardship臥薪嘗胆gashinshoutan

彼は臥薪嘗胆の末、ついに試験に合格した。 — He endured hardship and finally passed the exam.

swift as wind, silent as forest風林火山fuurinkazan

彼の戦い方は、まさに風林火山を体現していた。 — His way of fighting embodied the principles of wind, forest, fire, and mountain.

resolve to start anew一念発起ichinenhokki

彼は一念発起して、勉強をやり直した。 — After much hesitation, he resolved to start anew.

a fresh start心機一転shinkiitten

彼は心機一転して新しい町で新生活を始めた。 — He made a fresh start and began a new life in a new town.

desperate situation; last stand背水の陣haisuinojin

私たちは背水の陣で臨み、失敗は許されない状況だ。 — We are approaching this with our backs to the wall, so failure is not permitted.

combat readiness臨戦態勢rinsentaisei

会社は新しい脅威に対して臨戦態勢を整えた。 — The company put itself on combat readiness in response to the new threat.

Flux, Chaos & the Rise and Fall (8)

Idioms describing constant change, disorientation, or a trajectory that swings between prosperity and collapse — from the literal fog of 五里霧中 to the historical sweep of 栄枯盛衰 — useful for N1 reading passages on market cycles, political fortunes, and shifting circumstances.

going back and forth右往左往uousaou

私は右往左往して、なかなか決められなかった。 — I was going back and forth and couldn't decide.

vanish without a trace雲散霧消unsanmushou

そのうわさは雲散霧消した。 — The rumor vanished without a trace.

ups and downs栄枯盛衰eikoseisui

彼の人生は栄枯盛衰をそのまま表している。 — His life embodies the rise and fall of fortune.

lost in confusion五里霧中gorimuchuu

地図がなくて、五里霧中でした。 — Without the map, I was completely lost in confusion.

in constant change千変万化senpenbanka

ここは天候が千変万化する。 — The weather here changes constantly.

full of ups and downs波瀾万丈haranbanjou

彼女の人生は波瀾万丈だった。 — Her life has been full of ups and downs.

incoherent支離滅裂shirimetsuretsu

彼の説明は支離滅裂で、聞いても分からなかった。 — His explanation was incoherent and I could not follow it.

strong start, weak finish竜頭蛇尾ryuutoudabi

その企画は竜頭蛇尾に終わってしまった。 — The project started off brilliantly but ended poorly.

Strategy & Swift, Decisive Action (13)

Idioms praising speed, resourcefulness, and precise timing — cutting straight through a problem, moving unpredictably, or watching patiently for the right moment — common in business and strategy-themed N1 passages.

cutting through a difficult problem快刀乱麻kaitouranma

彼女の説明は快刀乱麻を断つようだった。 — Her explanation was like cutting through a difficult problem.

resourceful strategy機略縦横kiryakujuuou

彼は機略縦横にその交渉を進めた。 — He advanced the negotiations with consummate resourcefulness.

long-range foresight深謀遠慮shinbouenryo

彼女の計画には深謀遠慮がある。 — Her plan showed long-range foresight.

appearing and disappearing mysteriously神出鬼没shinshutsukibotsu

あの記者は神出鬼没だ。 — That reporter seems to appear and disappear mysteriously.

adapting to circumstances臨機応変rinkiouhen

状況に応じて臨機応変に対応してください。 — Please respond flexibly to the situation.

to the point単刀直入tantouchokunyuu

単刀直入に言ってください。 — Please get straight to the point.

finishing touch画竜点睛garyoutensei

最後の一言が、スピーチの画竜点睛になった。 — The final remark became the finishing touch to the speech.

watching closely for a chance虎視眈々koshitantan

競合会社は虎視眈々と市場参入の機会をうかがっている。 — The rival company is watching closely for a chance to enter the market.

round up in one sweep一網打尽ichimoudajin

警察は盗賊を一網打尽にした。 — The police rounded up the thieves in one sweep.

kill two birds with one stone一石二鳥issekinichou

歩いて通勤すれば、一石二鳥でお金も節約できる。 — By walking to work, you can kill two birds with one stone and save money too.

with complete freedom縦横無尽juuoumujin

子どもたちは公園を縦横無尽に駆け回った。 — The children ran around the park freely.

at will; freely自由自在jiyuujizai

彼女は指を自由自在に動かせる。 — She can move her fingers freely.

lightning speed電光石火denkousekka

彼はその問題を電光石火で片づけた。 — He handled the problem at lightning speed.

Admirable Character (8)

Idioms praising boldness, authenticity, and quiet competence — from natural talent that peaks late (大器晩成-adjacent traits like 適材適所) to letting results speak instead of words (不言実行) — often used in N1 reading passages profiling leaders, artisans, or athletes.

right person in the right place適材適所tekizaitekisho

適材適所で人を配置した。 — People were assigned to the right positions according to their abilities.

utterly absorbed無我夢中mugamuchuu

彼は無我夢中でゲームに没頭していました。 — He was utterly absorbed in the game.

battle-hardened百戦錬磨hyakusenrenma

百戦錬磨の記者は、混乱の中でも落ち着いていた。 — The battle-hardened reporter remained calm even in the chaos.

genuine; authentic正真正銘shoushinshoumei

これは正真正銘の古い絵だ。 — This is a genuine old painting.

bold and fearless大胆不敵daitanfuteki

彼女は舞台で大胆不敵に歌い上げた。 — She sang powerfully and fearlessly on stage.

flawless and unconstrained天衣無縫tenimuhou

彼女は天衣無縫な受け答えで面接を乗り切った。 — She got through the interview with her unconstrained, carefree responses.

actions speak louder than words不言実行fugenjikkou

彼女は不言実行を信条にしている。 — She follows the principle of actions speak louder than words.

logically organized理路整然riroseizen

彼の説明は理路整然としていて、わかりやすかった。 — His explanation was logically organized and easy to follow.

Character Flaws & Social Criticism (10)

Idioms criticizing shamelessness, indecision, conformity, and empty or exaggerated talk — the register N1 editorials reach for when critiquing public figures or social trends.

shameless厚顔無恥kouganmuchi

彼は厚顔無恥にも昇給を求めた。 — He shamelessly demanded a raise.

exaggeration針小棒大shinshouboudai

彼はいつも針小棒大に話をする。 — He always exaggerates when he talks.

follow the crowd付和雷同fuwaraidou

考えずに付和雷同してはいけません。 — Don't just follow the crowd without thinking.

indecisive優柔不断yuujuufudan

彼女は優柔不断で、いつも迷っています。 — She is indecisive and always hesitates.

empty theory空理空論kuurikuuron

その議論は空理空論にすぎず、何も解決しない。 — That argument is just empty theory and does not solve anything.

deep regret残念無念zannenmunen

残念無念で、あきらめるしかなかった。 — I was deeply disappointed, but I had no choice but to give up.

the masses; riffraff有象無象uzoumuzou

会場には有象無象が集まり、落ち着いて話せなかった。 — The venue was filled with riffraff, and I couldn't speak calmly.

pessimism厭世観enseikan

彼の厭世観は、職場の空気を重くした。 — His pessimism made the office atmosphere heavy.

outrageous; beyond words言語道断gongodoudan

そんな重大な問題を無視するのは言語道断だ。 — It is outrageous to ignore such a serious problem.

people pleaser八方美人happoubijin

彼は八方美人で、誰にでもいい顔をする。 — He is a people pleaser and tries to curry favor with everyone.

Unity, Diversity & Collective Life (11)

Idioms describing how groups hold together or differ — unanimous agreement, shared fate, enforced uniformity, or a huge range of variation within one whole — vocabulary that recurs in N1 passages about organizations and society.

shared fate一蓮托生ichirentakushou

私たちは一蓮托生だ。 — The two of us are in this together, with a shared fate.

manifold differences千差万別sensabanbetsu

この業界では意見が千差万別だ。 — Opinions in this industry are varied.

differing only slightly大同小異daidoushoui

二人の提案は大同小異だった。 — The two proposals were only slightly different.

many talents flourishing百花繚乱hyakkaryouran

その舞台は百花繚乱の様相を呈していた。 — That stage was a scene of many talents flourishing.

unanimous満場一致manjouitchi

その提案は満場一致で承認されました。 — The proposal was approved unanimously.

all ages and genders老若男女rounyakunannyo

公園には老若男女が集まっていた。 — The park was crowded with people of all ages.

with one voice異口同音ikudouon

参加者は異口同音にその案に賛成した。 — The participants unanimously agreed with the proposal.

standardization; uniformity画一主義kakuitsushugi

その会社は画一主義を避け、社員それぞれのやり方を認めた。 — The company avoided uniformity and allowed each employee to work in their own way.

equality of opportunity機会均等kikaikintou

誰もが公平に挑戦できるよう、機会均等が必要だ。 — Equal opportunity is necessary for everyone to have a fair chance.

a mixture of good and bad玉石混交gyokusekikonkou

インターネットには玉石混交の情報があふれている。 — The internet is a mixture of good and bad information.

consistent throughout終始一貫shuushiikkan

彼女は終始一貫して、自分の意見を変えなかった。 — She stayed consistent throughout and never changed her opinion.

Cause, Precedent & the Everyday (12)

Idioms about moral cause-and-effect, a group's relationship to the past, how extraordinary or ordinary an event is, and formal terms that show up in N1 news and business reading.

karma; retribution因果応報ingaouhou

あれは因果応報だと思う。 — I think that was karmic retribution.

learn from the past温故知新onkochishin

温故知新の精神で、昔の知恵を生かしたい。 — I want to make use of old wisdom with an attitude of learning from the past.

stuck in the old ways旧態依然kyuutaiizen

あの会社は今も旧態依然としたやり方を続けている。 — That company is still continuing its old-fashioned way of doing things.

unprecedented空前絶後kuuzenzetsugo

その地震の被害は空前絶後の規模でした。 — The damage caused by the earthquake was unprecedented in scale.

you reap what you sow自業自得jigoujitoku

解雇されたのは自業自得です。 — Being fired was his own fault.

unheard of前代未聞zendaimimon

そんな急な変更は前代未聞だ。 — Such a sudden change is unprecedented.

next to worthless二束三文nisokusanmon

引っ越し後、古い家具は二束三文になった。 — After the move, the old furniture became next to worthless.

peaceful and uneventful平穏無事heionbuji

今日は平穏無事に過ごせました。 — I was able to spend today peacefully and uneventfully.

day after day来る日も来る日もkuruhimokuruhimo

来る日も来る日も、彼は試験の勉強を続けました。 — Day after day, he kept studying for the exam.

utterly fantastic奇想天外kisoutengai

彼の発想は奇想天外で、だれも予想できなかった。 — His idea was utterly fantastic and no one could predict it.

ultra vires act越権行為ekkenkoui

彼は越権行為をして、処分を受けた。 — He was punished for an act that exceeded his authority.

introduction, development, twist, conclusion起承転結kishoutenketsu

彼の報告は起承転結がはっきりしていた。 — His report had a clear introduction, development, twist, and conclusion.

Two-plus-two: how yojijukugo are built

Most 四字熟語 split into two 2-kanji halves that either reinforce or contrast each other, and spotting which relationship is at work makes the whole word easier to remember. Reinforcing pairs restate one idea with different characters for emphasis: 起死回生 pairs 起死 ("rise from death") with 回生 ("return to life"), and 支離滅裂 pairs 支離 ("scattered") with 滅裂 ("torn to pieces"). Contrastive pairs work by opposition, often numeric: 大同小異 sets 大同 ("mostly the same") against 小異 ("small difference"), while 千差万別 stacks two large numbers (千, 万) to mean "countless variety" — the two are easy to confuse since both describe difference, but 大同小異 says things are basically alike and 千差万別 says they vary enormously.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are 四字熟語 actually tested on the N1 exam — do I need to be able to write them?

N1's vocabulary section occasionally tests a yojijukugo directly with a fill-in-blank or synonym-choice item, but far more often these words appear unglossed inside reading passages and listening dialogues drawn from news and opinion pieces, so recognition matters more than being able to produce them from memory. Business-register words like 一石二鳥, 臨機応変, and 優柔不断 turn up constantly in opinion pieces, while more literary ones like 臥薪嘗胆 or 風林火山 tend to appear in history-themed reading passages.

What's the difference between 空前絶後 and 前代未聞 — don't they both mean "unprecedented"?

Both describe something without precedent, but the tone differs: 空前絶後 ("unprecedented, and won't happen again") is used for extraordinary achievements and carries an admiring tone, as in a 空前絶後の記録 (an unprecedented record). 前代未聞 ("never heard of in previous generations") is used for shocking or scandalous events, as in a 前代未聞の事件 (an unprecedented incident) — closer to "unheard-of" in a negative sense than "record-breaking."

Practice All 76 Four-Character Idioms (四字熟語) Vocabulary Words

Import the Four-Character Idioms (四字熟語) Vocabulary deck into Onigiri Anki and master this category with spaced repetition.