IdiomFood & Drink
Japanese
Japanese棚から牡丹餅 (Tana kara botamochi)
Meaning: An unexpected stroke of good luck.
Literally: A sweet rice cake from the shelf
Example: “懸賞で旅行が当たるなんて、棚から牡丹餅だ。” — Winning a trip in a raffle was a real stroke of luck.
English equivalent: A stroke of luck
Equivalents in other languages
Korean: 호박이 넝쿨째 굴러 들어왔다 (Hobagi neongkuljjae gulleo deureowatda) Literally: A pumpkin rolled in, vine and all
English: a stroke of luck
Origin: Botamochi is a rice cake coated in sweet bean paste. One falling from the shelf straight into one's open mouth is good luck that comes without any effort. The saying is often shortened to tanabota. No particular story lies behind it.
More Japanese idioms
- 月とすっぽん (Tsuki to suppon) Two things alike at a glance but worlds apart.
- 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.
- 一石二鳥 (Isseki nichō) Getting two results from a single action.
- 目くそ鼻くそを笑う (Mekuso hanakuso o warau) Mocking someone else's faults without noticing you have the same ones.
- 労多くして功少なし (Rō ōkushite kō sukunashi) A lot of effort for very little result.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- 精神一到何事か成らざらん (Seishin ittō nani goto ka narazaran) With complete concentration, anything can be achieved.
- 一を聞いて十を知る (Ichi o kiite jū o shiru) Said of someone so clever they grasp everything from a hint.
- 神は細部に宿る (Kami wa saibu ni yadoru) Excellence comes from attention to the smallest details.
Keep exploring