諺（ことわざ） Love proverbs

 

Japanese Proverbs About Love

酒は本心を表す (sake wa honshin wo arawasu) English Translation: “Sake shows true feelings.”

The word 本心 (honshin) means “true heart” or “true feelings.” So this phrase means that what’s said while drinking is often how a person truly feels.

 

A mumbled 大好き (daisuki, “I love you”) while drinking isn’t just the sake talking!

異体同心 (itai doushin) English Translation: “Two bodies, same heart.”

When a couple gets married, it’s often said that “two become one.” That’s the same idea here!

It could be used to say someone is your soulmate or to describe the union of love.

以心伝心 (ishindenshin) English Translation: “Heart to heart.”

This yojijukugo phrase means “heart to heart” or to share your true heart’s emotions to connect with someone else.

磯 の アワビ (iso no awabi) English Translation: “An abalone on the shore” or “unrequited love”

Abalone is a type of marine snail, and they’re extremely rare. There’s a Japanese song about a man who dives in the sea looking for abalone is in a one-sided romance.

So, this phrase came to mean “unrequited love.”

恋とせきとは隠されぬ。(koi to seki to wa kakusarenu) English Translation: “Love and a cough cannot be hidden.”

Like when you’re sick and you can’t suppress a cough, love can’t be hidden. It’s always obvious when someone’s in love!

惚れた病に薬なし (horeta yamai ni kusuri nashi) English Translation: “There’s no medicine for falling in love.”

 

Horeta means “to fall in love”. Yamai means “disease.” And kusuri nashi means “there’s no medicine” or “there’s no cure.”

Together, it means there’s nothing that can fix love-sickness.

https://www.fluentin3months.com/japanese-proverbs/

 

Kanji relevant to “love” and Valentine’s Day

愛　　　　あい　　　　Love/grand passion

恋　　　　こい　　　　Crush/passion/love

惚れる　　ほれる　　　To fall in love

心　　　　こころ　　　Heart-mind