Japanese meaning of 頭隠して尻隠さず
Reading:
あたまかくしてしりかくさず (atama kakushite shiri kakusazu)
English Translation:
A half-concealed truth
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Hiding one thing while exposing another.
Cultural Context:
Seen in Japanese comedy sketches and TV dramas as a source of humor.
隠そうとして別の部分をさらけ出すという意味。
コントやテレビドラマで、間抜けな失敗を笑いに変える場面によく登場する。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• 頭 (atama) = “head” (noun)
• 隠して (kakushite) = te-form of 隠す (kakusu, “to hide”)
• 尻 (shiri) = “rear/buttocks” (noun)
• 隠さず (kakusazu) = classical negative continuative form of 隠す (kakusu), meaning “without hiding”
Two clauses joined without a conjunction, contrasting what is hidden and what is not.
Trap for English Speakers
May be interpreted as literally hiding one’s head and exposing one’s bottom, missing the incomplete concealment metaphor.
Example
Basic Example
匿名設定でも画像に社名が写ってるよ。頭隠して尻隠さず。
You masked your name but left the logo—A half-concealed truth.
Applied Example
透明マントで頭だけ消えてるし…頭隠して尻隠さず。
Your cloak hides your head, not your tail—A half-concealed truth.