豚もおだてりゃ木に登る

Japanese
Kanji in this term
豚 木 登
ぶた
Grade: S		 き
Grade: 1		 のぼ
Grade: 3
kun’yomi

Etymology

Phrase consisting of 豚 (buta, “pig”) +‎ も (mo, “also”) +‎ 煽てりゃ (odaterya, “if you flatter”, contraction of 煽てれば (odatereba), conditional or hypothetical form of the verb 煽てる (odateru, “to flatter”)) +‎ 木 (ki, “tree”) +‎ に (ni, “into”, directional particle) +‎ 登る (noboru, “to climb”). Literally "even a pig will climb up a tree if flattered".[1][2]

Proverb

豚(ぶた)もおだてりゃ木(き)に登(のぼ)る • (buta mo odaterya ki ni noboru) 

  1. flattery will motivate anyone, flattery can do wonders

See also

References
  1. Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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