Components

Example details

 
えんじゃく
燕雀
いずくんぞ
こうこく
鴻鵠
こころざし
らん
ということわざ
たと
だけ
しめ
して
ほんぎ
本義
すいさつ
推察
させる
ふうゆ
諷喩
もち
いている

The proverb “How can a little songbird understand the ambitions of a grand swan?” uses (the technique of) allegory, where one offers only a metaphor, making the listener guess the true meaning.
Grammar and points of interest
Conjugations and inflections
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Words
0
noun
small birds
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3
interjection (kandoushi)
how; why  (often written with kana only)
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noun
grand swan
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1 0
noun
will; intention; motive
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expression
1. called; named  (often written with kana only)
2. as many as; as much as  (after a quantity; often written with kana only)
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0 4
noun
proverb; maxim  (often written with kana only)
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Most common form: 例え
noun
1. example  (esp. 例え)
2. simile; metaphor; allegory; fable; parable  (esp. 譬え, 喩え)
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particle
1. only; just; merely; simply; no more than; nothing but; alone  (see also: しか; often written with kana only)
2. as (e.g. as soon as, as much as)  (often written with kana only)
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2
'su' godan verb, transitive verb
1. to (take out and) show; to demonstrate; to tell; to exemplify; to make apparent
2. to point out (finger, clock hand, needle, etc.)
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1
noun
true meaning; underlying principle
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0
guess; conjecture; surmise
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1 0
Most common form: 風諭
hint; insinuation; indirect suggestion; allegory
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3 0
Most common form: もちいる
ichidan verb, transitive verb
to use; to make use of; to utilize; to utilise
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Kanji
This sentence contains too many kanji (15) to display components. Click a kanji's blue box and use the links to view components.
エン   つばめ swallow   
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ジャン   すずめ sparrow   
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コウ    glorious; large bird   
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コク   くぐい swan (archaic)   
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シ   こころざ to plan, to intend   こころざし good intention   
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チ   し to know   
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ユ   illustrate
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ジ   シ   しめ to show   
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ホン   book   もと origin   
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ギ    honour   
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スイ   お to infer, to deduce; to endorse   
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サツ    surmise, inspect   
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recite from memory
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ヨウ   もちいる to use   
Flashcards
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More info on this sentence: Google Japan ⇗ Sentence translate
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