出る釘は打たれる · ichidan verb
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 出る釘は打たれる | 出る釘は打たれない |
| Polite | 出る釘は打たれます | 出る釘は打たれません |
| Past polite | 出る釘は打たれました | 出る釘は打たれませんでした |
| Past | 出る釘は打たれた | 出る釘は打たれなかった |
| Te-form | 出る釘は打たれて | 出る釘は打たれないで |
| Desire | 出る釘は打たれたい | 出る釘は打たれたくない |
| Potential | 出る釘は打たれられるalso 出る釘は打たれれる | 出る釘は打たれられないalso 出る釘は打たれれない |
| Passive | 出る釘は打たれられる | 出る釘は打たれられない |
| Causative | 出る釘は打たれさせる | 出る釘は打たれさせない |
| Causative passive | 出る釘は打たれさせられる | 出る釘は打たれさせられない |
| Volitional | 出る釘は打たれよう | |
| Polite volitional | 出る釘は打たれましょう | |
| Imperative | 出る釘は打たれろ | 出る釘は打たれるな |
| Conditional | 出る釘は打たれれば | 出る釘は打たれなければ |
| Tara conditional | 出る釘は打たれたら | 出る釘は打たれなかったら |
the nail that sticks out gets hammered down
Proverb warning that standing out or being different invites criticism or suppression. Often used to describe conformist social pressure in Japan.
See also: 出る杭は打たれる
In Japan, people are sometimes taught to avoid standing out, as the saying goes, "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down."
tall trees catch much wind; excellence invites envy
A less common interpretation of the same proverb, emphasizing that those who excel may become disliked or targeted. Essentially the same underlying idea as sense 1, but with a different English gloss.
See also: 出る杭は打たれる
He is envied because he is competent at work. It's a classic case of "tall trees catch much wind."