Japanese Proverb Quiz | Applying Wisdom to Experience, Effort, Speech, and Work, Standard Set 2
Problem 1
A veteran proofreader who has years of experience and rarely misses typographical errors overlooked one in a heading. Which proverb best describes this incident?
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This is a case in which even someone highly experienced in a field can occasionally make a mistake, so 「猿も木から落ちる」 is the best fit. 「石の上にも三年」 teaches that perseverance through hardship eventually brings results; it does not describe an expert's isolated mistake.
Problem 2
Someone put a small amount into a money box every day for several years. Eventually, the savings were enough to buy a tool needed for work. Which proverb best describes this process?
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Even though each deposit was small, the accumulated amount became substantial over time, so 「塵も積もれば山となる」 is the best fit. 「棚からぼたもち」 refers to unexpected good fortune falling into one's lap, unlike the deliberate and sustained saving in this situation.
Problem 3
A manager took a service that had succeeded in one region overseas. Local research revealed very different ways of life, and the manager reflected, "I assumed that the one region I knew represented the standard for the whole world." Which proverb best captures this realization?
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The manager was confined by experience from a limited region and failed to recognize the wider world beyond it, so 「井の中の蛙大海を知らず」 is the best fit. 「木を見て森を見ず」 concerns losing sight of the whole by focusing on details; the central issue here is narrow experience, not excessive attention to detail.
Problem 4
Repeated verbal explanations did not help someone picture an exhibition hall's size and pillar locations. After visiting the site once, the person immediately understood how the exhibits needed to be arranged. Which proverb best describes this experience?
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Seeing the site once produced a clearer understanding than hearing repeated explanations, so 「百聞は一見に如かず」 is the best fit. 「習うより慣れよ」 emphasizes acquiring a skill through repeated practice rather than instruction; this situation instead concerns understanding through a single direct observation.
Problem 5
During an online meeting, an employee made a flippant remark mocking a business partner. It hurt the partner's representative, who was attending, and later harmed contract negotiations. Which proverb offers the most appropriate warning about the careless remark causing trouble?
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The thoughtless words themselves hurt the listener and caused later trouble, so 「口は禍の元」 is the best fit. 「壁に耳あり障子に目あり」 warns that secrets may be overheard or observed unexpectedly. Here, no secret was covertly overheard; the problem was an imprudent remark made directly in front of a participant.
Problem 6
The speakers were in the spotlight at a public lecture, but a venue coordinator had prepared the sound system, seating, and evacuation routes and supported the event from out of the audience's sight. Which expression best describes the coordinator?
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Although not visible in the spotlight, the coordinator's preparation and coordination made the lecture safe and smooth, so 「縁の下の力持ち」 is the best fit. 「出る杭は打たれる」 refers to a conspicuous person being obstructed for standing out; it does not praise an important supporting role performed behind the scenes.
Problem 7
An employee who never boasts about technical ability quickly identified the cause of a complex equipment failure and restored the system correctly. Which proverb best describes the employee's ability and conduct?
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The employee did not habitually display or boast about the ability but demonstrated genuine skill when it was needed, so 「能ある鷹は爪を隠す」 is the best fit. 「好きこそ物の上手なれ」 means that people tend to improve at what they enjoy because they apply themselves to it; it does not focus on a capable person's refusal to show off.
Problem 8
Rather than use adhesive tape on the loose cover of an old book, a family hired a conservator who could assess the paper and binding. The book was repaired without further damage. Which proverb best describes this decision?
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The family avoided an amateur repair and entrusted the fragile book to someone with the relevant expertise, so 「餅は餅屋」 is the best fit. 「三人寄れば文殊の知恵」 means that ordinary people can produce good ideas by consulting together; it does not describe relying on one trained specialist's skills.
Problem 9
After using a rented community room, a local group returned the desks to their original positions, sorted the rubbish, swept the floor, and then returned the key. Which proverb best expresses the principle followed when leaving?
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The group restored the borrowed space before leaving so that the next users would not be inconvenienced, making 「立つ鳥跡を濁さず」 the best fit. 「旅は道連れ世は情け」 teaches that companions are reassuring on a journey and that people should show one another kindness; it does not concern putting a place in order before departure.
Problem 10
A new employee found an internal abbreviation in a report and checked the available guide, but could not identify its meaning. Rather than feel embarrassed and proceed on a guess, the employee asked the person responsible before submitting the report and learned the correct meaning. Which proverb best describes this decision?
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The employee accepted the brief embarrassment of asking in order to avoid the lasting disadvantage of remaining mistaken, so 「聞くは一時の恥、聞かぬは一生の恥」 is the best fit. 「知らぬが仏」 means that not knowing a fact can spare someone distress; it does not fit a situation that requires accurate work-related knowledge.