腹が黒い (hara ga kuroi)

Meaning: Scheming and malicious behind a friendly face.

Language: Japanese

Literally: The belly is black

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: Japanese tradition seats true intent in the belly, so a 'black belly' hides dark thoughts under a pleasant surface.

More idioms — Body & Senses

• Зарубить на носу (Zarubit' na nosu) — To remember something firmly, once and for all.
• Iets onder de knie hebben — To have mastered a skill.
• اللي على راسه بطحة بيحسس عليها (illi ʿala rasu baṭḥa byiḥassis ʿalayha) — The guilty person gives himself away.
• Avoir le bras long — To have influence and useful connections.
• Avoir le cœur sur la main — To be very generous and giving.
• To cost an arm and a leg — To be extremely expensive.

More Japanese idioms

• お茶を濁す (ocha o nigosu) — To dodge a question with a vague, evasive answer.
• 朝飯前 (Asameshi mae) — A task so easy it can be done before eating.
• 二階から目薬 (Nikai kara megusuri) — A roundabout effort that has no real effect.
• 喉から手が出る (Nodo kara te ga deru) — To want something so badly you can hardly bear it.
• 棚から牡丹餅 (Tana kara botamochi) — An unexpected stroke of good luck.
• 七転び八起き (Nanakorobi yaoki) — To keep getting up no matter how often you fall.

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