Japanese idioms about money and luck

1. 雀の涙

   suzume no namida

   lit. ‘a sparrow’s tears’

   For a very small amount of money.

   Elsewhere

   • EN For peanuts
   • FR Pour des cacahuètes
   • DE Für ’n Appel und ’n Ei
   • ES Por cuatro perras
   • IT Per un tozzo di pane

2. 目の玉が飛び出るほど高い

   me no tama ga tobideru hodo takai

   lit. ‘so expensive your eyeballs pop out’

   To cost a huge amount of money.

   Elsewhere

   • EN Cost an arm and a leg
   • FR Coûter les yeux de la tête
   • DE Eine Stange Geld kosten
   • ES Costar un ojo de la cara
   • IT Costare un occhio della testa

3. 棚からぼたもち

   tana kara botamochi

   lit. ‘a rice cake falling off the shelf’

   To be lucky, often by pure chance.

   Elsewhere

   • EN Hit the jackpot
   • FR Avoir de la veine
   • DE Schwein haben
   • ES Tener potra
   • IT Nascere con la camicia

4. 捕らぬ狸の皮算用

   toranu tanuki no kawazan'yō

   lit. ‘counting the money for the pelts of raccoon dogs you haven’t caught’

   Don't count on a good result before it has actually happened.

   Elsewhere

   • EN Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
   • FR Vendre la peau de l’ours avant de l’avoir tué
   • DE Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben
   • ES No vender la piel del oso antes de cazarlo
   • IT Non dire gatto se non ce l’hai nel sacco

5. 太陽が西から昇っても

   taiyō ga nishi kara nobotte mo

   lit. ‘even if the sun rises in the west’

   It will never happen.

   Elsewhere

   • EN When pigs fly
   • FR Quand les poules auront des dents
   • DE Wenn Ostern und Pfingsten auf einen Tag fallen
   • ES Cuando las ranas críen pelo
   • IT Quando gli asini voleranno

6. 懐が暖かい

   futokoro ga atatakai

   lit. ‘your breast pocket is warm’

   To have a lot of money.

   Elsewhere

   • EN Have money to burn
   • FR Rouler sur l’or
   • DE Geld wie Heu haben
   • ES Estar forrado
   • IT Nuotare nell’oro

7. 一文無し

   ichimon nashi

   lit. ‘without a single mon coin’

   To have no money at all.

   Elsewhere

   • EN Not have two pennies to rub together
   • FR Être fauché comme les blés
   • DE Arm wie eine Kirchenmaus sein
   • ES Estar sin blanca
   • IT Essere al verde

8. 八方塞がり

   happō fusagari

   lit. ‘blocked in all eight directions’

   To be in trouble or a difficult situation.

   Elsewhere

   • EN In hot water
   • FR Être dans de beaux draps
   • DE In der Tinte sitzen
   • ES Estar entre la espada y la pared
   • IT Essere nei guai fino al collo

Phrases in bold with a red marker are written up. The rest are waiting for their own page and a check by a native speaker.