[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]
水に流す
“to set things adrift”
(to forgive and forget, to let bygones be bygones)
A river carries bad memories away. By setting adrift the pain of a romantic breakup or the betrayal by a once-trusted friend, you start things anew. Once into the river’s flow, the thing-to-forget heads downstream, never to return.
Sample text:
(Style: spoken/formal/female)
A: Desukara, sore wa moo wasuremashoo. Mukashi no koto wa mizu ni nagashite, mata yari nooshimashoo yo.
B: Soo ne. Sore ga ichiban ii wa ne.
A: ですから、それはもう忘れましょう。昔のことは水に流して、またやり直しましょうよ。
B: そうね。それが一番いいわね。
A: So let’s forget about those days. Let bygones be bygones and try it again.
B: Yes. That looks like the best idea.
Japanese Idioms
