行きはよいよい帰りは怖い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖い | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くない |
| Polite | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖いです | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くないですalso 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くありません |
| Past polite | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖かったです | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くなかったですalso 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くありませんでした |
| Past | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖かった | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くなかった |
| Te-form | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くて | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くなくて |
| Adverbial | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖く | |
| Conditional | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖ければ | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖かったら | 行きはよいよい帰りは怖くなかったら |
going there is easy but coming back is scary
Proverb from the Edo-period children's song "Tōryanse". Used to express that starting something is easy, but finishing or facing the consequences is frightening. Often quoted in full or alluded to in literature and conversation.
As the saying goes, 'Going there is easy, but coming back is scary' — finishing something is harder than starting it.
He took it on lightly, but as the proverb says, the way back is scary, and he later regretted it.