Analysis of Japanese Four-character Idiomatic Compounds with Numbers

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the general characteristics of Japanese four-character idiomatic compounds with numbers and the connotations of numbers in the four-character idiomatic compounds. Purposive sampling was employed for data collection of the four-character idiomatic compounds from five Japanese idiom dictionaries of four-character idiomatic compounds containing 1,611 idioms.

Research findings affirmed that the general characteristics of Japanese four-character idiomatic compounds with numbers consist of four patterns, i.e. four-character idiomatic compounds with one number, four-character idiomatic compounds with two numbers, four-character idiomatic compounds with three numbers, and four-character idiomatic compounds with four numbers. Presence of word in the four-character idiomatic compounds with numbers comprises three types, for example four-character idiomatic compounds of similar meaning words, four-character idiomatic compounds of opposite meaning words, and four-character idiomatic compounds with same group of meaning. Three aspects of repeated idiom include repeated numbers, repeated characters, and repeated numbers and characters.

The connotations of numbers in the four-character idiomatic compounds infer both amount or quantity and something unrelated to amount or quantity. All numbers in the idiom stand for some nuances because they are not referring to amount or counting but rather denotation of something else.