Home › Idioms

喉から手が出る (Nodo kara te ga deru)

Meaning: To want something so badly you can hardly bear it.

Language: Japanese

Literally: A hand comes out of the throat

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: Desire so intense that a hand seems to reach out from your very throat to seize the object.

More idioms — Body & Senses

  • Μου έφυγε το καφάσι — I was utterly shocked.
  • Att ha tummen mitt i handen — To be hopelessly clumsy; all thumbs.
  • Wiercić komuś dziurę w brzuchu — To nag someone relentlessly.
  • Vetää lonkalta — To improvise; to wing it.
  • Mít všech pět pohromadě — To be of sound mind.
  • يد واحدة لا تصفق (yad wāḥida lā tuṣaffiqu) — Nothing is achieved without cooperation.

More Japanese idioms

  • 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.
  • 月とすっぽん (Tsuki to suppon) — Two things alike at a glance but worlds apart.
  • 石橋を叩いて渡る (Ishibashi o tataite wataru) — To be extremely, even excessively, cautious.
  • 釘を刺す (kugi o sasu) — To remind someone firmly so they can't back out.
  • 顔から火が出る (kao kara hi ga deru) — To burn with embarrassment.

← Back to Idioms

Loading the full interactive collection…