Proverbs
Japanese meaning of 捨てる神あれば拾う神あり
Voice sample:
すてるかみあればひろうかみあり (Suteru kami areba hirou kami ari)
English Translation:
When one door closes, another opens
Scene: Encouragement
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
Even if someone rejects you, someone else will accept and help you. This proverb encourages people not to lose hope after a setback.
日本語で読む
自分を見放す人がいる一方で、助けてくれる人も必ずいるという意味。失敗や挫折で落ち込んだ人を励ます時に使われます。
Cultural Context:
Reflects the Japanese sense of countless gods (八百万の神), each with a different nature, and offers hope after rejection.
日本語で読む
神が数多くいるという八百万の神の感覚が表れており、挫折した人に希望を与える言葉です。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
Two parallel clauses with the conditional ～ば: "if there is a god who throws away, there is a god who picks up."
日本語で読む
仮定の「〜ば」で「捨てる神がいれば、拾う神もいる」と二つの句を対にしています。
Trap for English Speakers
神 here is not about religion; it simply stands for people or luck.
日本語で読む
ここでの「神」は宗教的な意味ではなく、人や運のたとえです。
Example
Example 1Basic Example
第一志望には落ちたけど、別の会社から声がかかった。捨てる神あれば拾う神ありだ。
I didn't get into my first-choice company, but another one reached out. When one door closes, another opens.
Example 2Applied Example
里を追われた若者を、山奥の老忍者が弟子にした。捨てる神あれば拾う神あり、彼の修行はそこから始まった。
Driven out of his village, the young man was taken in by an old ninja deep in the mountains. When one door closes, another opens — his training began there.
Quick check
Meaning
What does 「捨てる神あれば拾う神あり」 mean?