Kotowaza Quiz: Idioms
Learn Japanese idioms
Free · Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.
2.0 brings 972 entries, 30 achievements, two colour themes and an English interface. Every answer shows the reading and an example. All entries are in Japanese.
「一寸の虫にも五分の魂」— could you explain that, not just recognise it?
Japanese proverbs and four-character idioms are easy to half-know. You have seen the phrase, you have a vague sense of it, and then someone asks and the words do not come. Kotowaza Quiz drills 972 of them, one four-choice question at a time, with the reading and an example sentence behind every answer.
■ Please read this first: the content is Japanese
The interface is available in English, but every entry — the phrase, its reading, its meaning and the example sentence — is written in Japanese. This app is for people who already read Japanese, or who are studying towards it. If you cannot read Japanese yet, the questions will not be usable.
■ 972 entries across four categories
Proverbs 252, Four-Character Idioms 301, Classical Idioms 125, Idiomatic Phrases 294. From the ones taught in school to the ones adults are expected to know.
■ Two ways to be asked
"What does this phrase mean?" shows the phrase and four meanings. "Which phrase fits this meaning?" turns it around, so recognising a meaning is not enough — you have to recall the phrase itself. Mixed shuffles the two.
■ The reading and an example, on every answer
Each answer opens an explanation: the phrase, its reading in kana, its meaning, and a sentence that uses it. Seeing the reading matters — it stops you memorising a phrase you cannot actually pronounce. The 125 Classical Idioms also cite their source, such as the Shiji, the Han Feizi or the Zhuangzi.
■ Sets of 10, 20 or 30
Pick the length. Ten questions take a few minutes, so one set fits into a commute or a queue.
■ 30 achievements
Streaks, perfect sets, lifetime totals, per-format and per-category mastery, and playing on consecutive days.
■ Your record is kept
Accuracy per category, lifetime questions and correct answers, best streak, and recent play history. Weak categories show up as numbers rather than a feeling.
■ Two colour themes
A light Aqua and a deep Navy. Every colour is chosen per theme, so text stays readable either way.
■ One reminder a day
A nudge at 8 PM and 8 AM on alternating days. Turn it off in Settings if you would rather not have it.
■ Works offline
Everything is stored on your device. No account, no sign-in, and every feature works with no connection.
■ What is included
- Proverbs: 252
- Four-Character Idioms: 301
- Classical Idioms: 125 (every one cited)
- Idiomatic Phrases: 294
Total: 972
■ About ads
The app is free, supported by a banner at the bottom of the screen and a full-screen ad after every second set. We ask permission to use your device identifier to make ads more relevant. Declining changes nothing about what you can use.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
Version 2.0 grows the collection and rebuilds every screen.
■ 542 entries to 972 (430 added)
- Proverbs: 148 to 252
- Four-Character Idioms: 180 to 301
- Classical Idioms: 64 to 125
- Idiomatic Phrases: 150 to 294
All 125 Classical Idioms now cite their source, such as the Shiji, the Han Feizi or the Zhuangzi. The new entries were chosen to avoid meanings that overlap within a category, because the wrong answers are drawn from the same category — near-duplicates would make two options correct at once.
■ 10 achievements to 30
Grouped into eight themes: sets played, lifetime correct answers, streaks, perfect sets, quiz format, accuracy, category mastery, and playing on consecutive days. Anything you have already unlocked carries over.
■ Colours rebuilt into two themes
Aqua and Navy. Every text-on-background pair was checked for contrast before the palette was fixed. If you were on Light or System in 1.1 you will be on Aqua; Dark becomes Navy.
■ English interface
With the device set to English, the menus and settings are in English. The questions, the choices and the explanations stay in Japanese — the app teaches Japanese phrases, so the content is not translated.
■ Navigation rebuilt
The bottom tab bar is gone. Achievements and Settings open from the home screen, and Records opens from Settings. There is one path through the app now, and going back behaves predictably.
■ A how-to-play guide
Five pages on first launch, and you can read them again from Settings at any time.
■ A daily reminder
One notification a day, at 8 PM and 8 AM on alternating days. On by default, and switchable in Settings.
■ Haptics
Correct and wrong answers feel different. Independent of the sound setting.
■ Dates on the Records screen follow your device
The date format was previously pinned to Japanese, so it stayed Japanese even with the device set to English.
■ Ad loading rebuilt
The banner now loads once it is actually on screen, and the full-screen ad retries after a delay when a load fails. In 1.1 it loaded once at launch, and a failure meant no full-screen ad until the app was restarted.
■ Resetting data no longer clears your settings
Clearing your records, achievements and history leaves sound, haptics and the colour theme alone.
Reviews and requests are welcome.
The developer, ryuya matsuo, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Used to Track You
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- Usage Data
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Usage Data
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- ryuya matsuo
- Size
- 5.3 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 26.2 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 26.2 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 26.2 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 26.2 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 26.2 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English and Japanese
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Contains
Advertising
- Copyright
- © 2026 ryuya matsuo
