Idiom 棚に上げる (tana ni ageru): Meaning

Definition

(自分じぶんのことを/は) 棚たなに上あげる (tana ni ageru) is a Japanese idiom that literally means “put (oneself) up on a shelf” and figuratively means “to behave hypocritically”, just like “the pot calling the kettle black”.

Usage

This idiom is used to describes hypocritical behaviour, in which someone criticises others for a fault or mistake that they have themselves. For instance, if someone who is always late criticises someone else for being late, the person “puts himself/herself up on a shelf” and does not put his/her problems on the table. Some people also use this phrase by themselves when they make a criticism that may also apply to themselves to some extent, as shown in the second example below.

Example

彼女 (かのじょ) は遅刻魔 (ちこくま) なのに、誰(だれ)かが遅(おく)れて来(く)るといつも自分の事を棚に上げて批判(ひはん)する。

Although she is always late, whenever someone comes late, she puts herself on a shelf and criticises them.

* 遅刻魔 (chikoku ma) means a person who is always late, where 遅刻 (ちこく) means “be late”. Similarly, サボり魔 (sabori ma) means a person who always “サボる”, i.e. “shirks one’s work or skips classes at school”

自分(じぶん)のことは棚に上げて言（い）うけど、彼（かれ）ちょっと太（ふと）りすぎだよね。

I’m saying this by putting myself up on a shelf, but I think he is a bit too fat.

Related Words

Synonym

ブーメラン：hypocritical remark/behaviour

Japanese Slang ブーメラン (Boomerang) Meaning “Hypocritical”

Antonym

自分(じぶん)に厳(きび)しい (be hard on oneself)

ストイック (stoic)

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