05/12/2026
The Three Wise Monkeys are a famous Japanese symbol known as:
見ざる・聞かざる・言わざる
Mizaru, Kikazaru, Iwazaru
Meaning: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
In Japanese, they are called 三猿 / さんざる / sanzaru, meaning three monkeys.
The three monkeys
1. 見ざる — Mizaru
This monkey covers its eyes.
Meaning: Do not see evil or avoid looking at bad things.
2. 聞かざる — Kikazaru
This monkey covers its ears.
Meaning: Do not hear evil or avoid listening to harmful talk, gossip, or negativity.
3. 言わざる — Iwazaru
This monkey covers its mouth.
Meaning: Do not speak evil or avoid saying harmful, cruel, or dishonest words.
The ending 〜ざる / -zaru is an old Japanese way to say “not” or “do not.”
So:
見ざる = not see
聞かざる = not hear
言わざる = not speak
But 猿 / saru means monkey in Japanese. When combined in words, saru can sound like zaru.
So the phrase becomes a pun:
mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru
= “not see, not hear, not speak”
but also sounds like monkey names.
That is why each “wise saying” is represented by a monkey.
The message is not simply “ignore everything bad.” It is more about self-control and moral discipline.
It teaches people to be careful with:
what they watch,
what they listen to,
and what they say.
In modern life, it can mean:
Do not feed your mind with toxic things.
Do not listen to gossip or negativity.
Do not spread harmful words.
A more natural English translation would be:
See no evil. Hear no evil. Speak no evil.
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#日本語
