水に流す

mizu ni nagasu
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let bygones be bygones, put it behind us
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/mizɯ ni nagasɯ/
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To set aside a past quarrel or wrong and move on.
Practice using 水に流す in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • その一件を水に流すのは難しい。
    It is hard to put that incident behind us.
  • 彼は昔の失敗を水に流した。
    He put his old mistake behind him.
  • 昨日のけんかは水に流そう。
    Let us put yesterday’s quarrel behind us.
  • もう過去のことは水に流してほしい。
    I want you to let the past go now.
  • お互いの誤解を水に流してやり直した。
    We let the misunderstandings go and started over.

Similar words

過去のことにする
わだかまりを捨てる

Meanings

Let bygones be bygones

relationships
neutral
To stop holding a past grievance against someone and treat it as settled.

Examples

  • 昨日のけんかは水に流そう。
    Let us put yesterday’s quarrel behind us.
  • 彼は昔の失敗を水に流した。
    He put his old mistake behind him.
  • お互いの誤解を水に流してやり直した。
    We let the misunderstandings go and started over.
  • その一件を水に流すのは難しい。
    It is hard to put that incident behind us.
  • もう過去のことは水に流してほしい。
    I want you to let the past go now.

Similar words

過去のことにする
わだかまりを捨てる

Etymology

Imagines a grievance washed away by flowing water so it no longer stands between people.

FAQ

What does 水に流す mean?

To set aside a past quarrel or wrong and move on.

How do you read 水に流す?

It is read みずにながす, written mizu ni nagasu.

When would you use 水に流す?

Usually concerns interpersonal trouble and a choice to restore relations, not literal disposal of a problem.

How is 水に流す different from 許す?

許す means forgiving in general; 水に流す adds the decision not to bring up an old conflict again.

How does 水に流す change in a sentence?

流す inflects: 水に流した, 水に流して, 水に流そう.

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