すみ
 
 
 
 
 
ふで
 
おに
 
 
 
 

expression

Proverb.
  1. grind your inkstick gently but move your brush vigorously, let the hungry ghost grind your inkstick, let the ogre hold your brush.

Variations

Pronunciation Kanji Kana Is Common
すみ
 
 
 
 
 
ふで
 
おに
 
 
 
 
墨は餓鬼に磨らせ、筆は鬼に持たせよ すみはがきにすらせ、ふではおににもたせよ
すみ
 
 
 
 
、ふで
 
おに
 
 
 
 
墨は餓鬼に磨らせ筆は鬼に持たせよ すみはがきにすらせ、ふではおににもたせよ

Contained Kanji Breakdown

black ink, India ink, ink stick
すみ ボク すの (Late Jr. High, N1)
black
くろ コク (2nd, N4)
ri, village, parent's home
さと リ さ (2nd)
rice field, rice paddy
た デン たん (1st, N4)
soil, earth, ground
ド つち は (1st, N5)
fire, fire radical (no. 86)
ヒョウ カ
starve, hungry, thirst
ガ う.える (Late Jr. High, N1)
eat, food, eat radical (no. 184)
person
ひと ニン ジン (1st, N5)
good, pleasing, skilled
よ.い リョウ ら (4th, N3)
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ えい よう (Kentei 1)
northeast (Oriental zodiac), stopping, good radical (no. 138)
うしとら コン (Kentei Pre-1)
day, sun, Japan
ひ にっ ニチ (1st, N5)
garment, clothes, dressing
イ ころも きぬ (4th, N2)
kettle lid radical (no. 8)
トウ (Kentei 1)
garment, (衣 variant)
ego, I, selfish
わが- われ わ (6th, N1)
hand, hand radical (no. 64)
シュ
halberd, arms, festival car
ほこ カ ほこづくり (Kentei 1)
piling, ceremony radical (no. 56)
ヨク いぐるみ (Kentei 1)
ghost, devil
おに キ (Early Jr. High, N1)
head or face of a ghost, spirit, or demon
フツ フチ ヒ
katakana no radical (no. 4)
ヘツ えい よう (Kentei 1)
rice field, rice paddy
た デン たん (1st, N4)
legs radical (no. 10)
ジン ニン がい (Kentei 1)
I, myself, katakana mu radical (no. 28)
シ ボウ ム (Kentei 1)
grind, polish, scour
みが.く マ す.る (Early High School, N2)
hemp, flax, numb
あさ マ あ (Early High School, N1)
dotted cliff radical (no. 53)
ゲン (Kentei 1)
wild goose, trailing cliff radical (no. 27)
カン かりがね (Kentei 1)
grove, forest
リン はやし し (1st, N2)
tree, wood
き モク こ- (1st, N5)
stone
いし セキ シャク (1st, N3)
left hand, cliff(厂) variant
mouth
くち コウ ク (1st, N4)
writing brush, writing, painting brush
ヒツ ふで はじめ (3rd, N2)
bamboo
たけ チク たか (1st, N2)
individual, (個 variant)
knife, wrapping enclosure(勹) variant
feathered stick, barb radical (no. 6)
ケツ かぎ (Kentei 1)
brush, finally, self
イチ イツ ふで (Kentei 1)
pen radical
snout, hand
number one, line, rod radical (no. 2)
コン シ ジョ
two, two radical (no. 7)
ニ ふた ふだ (1st, N5)
hold, have
も.つ ジ もち (3rd, N4)
hand, hand radical (no. 64)
シュ
Buddhist temple
てら ジ (2nd, N2)
soil, earth, ground
ド つち は (1st, N5)
measurement, tenth of a shaku, a little
スン す みき (6th, N1)