Words
Words with 四
Kanji 四, meaning four, appears in 422 Japanese vocabulary entries.
四神相応
しじんそうおう
an ideal topography for the four Taoist gods, with a river in the east, a broad avenue in the west, a basin in the south, and a hill in the north
四姓
しせい
the four great families of the age (esp. the Minamoto clan, the Taira clan, the Fujiwara clan and the Tachibana clan)
四大奇書
しだいきしょ
Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature (Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin, and The Plum in the Golden Vase)
四大公害病
よんだいこうがいびょう
the four major pollution-caused illnesses (Minamata disease, Niigata Minamata disease, Yokkaichi asthma, Itai-itai disease)
四大節
しだいせつ
the four grand national holidays (Prayer to the Four Quarters, Empire Day, the Emperor's Birthday, Emperor Meiji's birthday; 1927-1948)
四大文明
よんだいぶんめい
the four great civilizations of the world (China, Babylon, India and Egypt; as put forward by Chinese scholar Liang Qichao in 1900)
四低男子
よんていだんし
ideal husband who is not overbearing, is not dependent on his wife, has a stable job and does not spend a lot of money
四当五落
よんとうごらく
sleep four hours and pass, sleep five hours and fail (when cramming for university entrance exams)
四拍子
しびょうし
the four instruments in the accompanying orchestra in noh, etc. (flute, floor drum, small hand drum, large hand drum)