Word Meaning 知らぬ仏より馴染みの鬼

しらぬほとけよりなじみのおに shiranuhotokeyorinajiminooni

知らぬ仏より馴染みの鬼 is read as しらぬほとけよりなじみのおに (shiranuhotokeyorinajiminooni) and means better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.

Meaning

English

better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
better the ogre you know than the Buddha you don't

Reading

Kana

しらぬほとけよりなじみのおに

Romaji

shiranuhotokeyorinajiminooni

Stroke Sequence

11 Characters • 55 Total Strokes

Study Signals and Categories

Jōyō Jinmeiyō Kanken 準1級 Rank 153385 Priority Y

Related Vocabulary

Max. 12

知らぬ神より馴染みの鬼

しらぬかみよりなじみのおに

better the devil you know than the devil you don't know

知らぬが仏

しらぬがほとけ

ignorance is bliss

お馴染み

おなじみ

old acquaintance

馴染む

なじむ

to become familiar with

鬼面仏心

きめんぶっしん

having the face of a devil and the heart of Buddha

鬼が出るか仏が出るか

おにがでるかほとけがでるか

God only knows what may happen

鬼の念仏

おにのねんぶつ

demon's prayer (Ōtsu-e motif depicting a demon wearing monk's robes and holding a bell)

古馴染み

ふるなじみ

old friend

馴染

なじみ

familiarity

馴染ませる

なじませる

to blend (something) in

昔馴染

むかしなじみ

old friend

知り合い

しりあい

acquaintance