柳の下のどじょう（やなぎのしたのどじょう）
JLPT N1 · noun
Meaning: a loach under the willow (you can't be lucky twice)
Example sentences
- 一度成功しても柳の下のどじょうはいない。 — Succeeding once doesn't mean you'll catch another loach under the same willow tree.
- 柳の下のどじょうを狙って失敗する。 — He failed by trying to catch another loach under the same willow tree, hoping for the same luck twice.
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “柳の下のどじょう” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)