Chinese Idioms

自言自语 (zì yán zì yǔ)

half to talk to oneself; keep on chattering though no one is listening;

拖拖拉拉 (tuōtuo lālā)

be sluggish; delay action

含苞待放 (hán bāo dài fàng)

in early puberty (指人);

大吹大擂 (dà chuī dà léi)

make [raise] a great [big] fanfare -- talk big;

熟能生巧 (shú néng shēng qiǎo)

practice makes perfect

昏昏欲睡 (hūn hūn yù shuì)

very sleepy

刮目相看 (guā mù xiāng kàn)

look at someone in a different light after they changed

如意算盘 (rú yì suàn pán)

calculations based on wishful thinking

一模一样 (yī mó yī yàng)

as like as two peas; be exactly alike;

敬谢不敏 (jìng xiè bù mǐn)

beg to be excused; decline a request politely;

百闻不如一见 (bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn)

it is better to see once than hear a hundred times.

神魂颠倒 (shén hún diān dǎo)

be entranced; be carried away with

老老实实 (lǎo lɑo shíshí)

behave oneself; play no tricks; (act) honestly and sincerely

大惊小怪 (dà jīng xiǎo guài)

get excited over a little thing; a tempest in a teapot;

无论如何 (wú lùn rú hé)

in any case; anyhow; as it may; at all events; at any rate;

恭敬不如从命 (gōng jìng bù rú cóng mìng)

it is better to accept deferentially than to decline courteously (on accepting gifts, etc. from one's elders).

一年一度 (yī nián yī dù)

once a year; annually

一路顺风 (yī lù shùn fēng)

i wish you a happy voyage.; be a good traveller;

守口如瓶 (shǒu kǒu rú píng)

keep one's mouth shut as that of a jar; be as close as an oyster;

迫不及待 (pò bù jí dài)

unable to hold oneself back; brook no delay; too impatient to wait;

从天而降 (cóng tiān ér jiàng)

drop from the clouds; come down from heaven; (could be good news or bad news)

冒冒失失 (màomào shīshī)

recklessly and abruptly; rashly; impetuously; without due consideration;

各种各样 (gèzhǒng gèyàng)

all kinds [sorts] of ...; different; several; various

风吹雨打 (fēng chuī yǔ dǎ)

exposed to the wind and rain, stand a severe test (hardship in life)

船到桥头自然直 (chuán dào qiǎo tóu zì rán zhí)

don't worry about the current situation, it will eventually solve itself

无所事事 (wúsuǒshìshì)

didn't do anything; wasted time

迷迷糊糊 (mí mí hú hú)

you just woke up and you don't know where you are

竭尽全力 ( jié jìn quán lì )

try your best; kind of like you're running a marathon and you're tired but you must try your best and use all your strength to reach the finish line

强词夺理 (qiǎng cí duó lǐ)

you're wrong but you won't admit it and argue anyway

一路顺风 (yí lù shùn fēng)

have a safe travel

不知不觉 (bù zhī bù jué)

you are so focused on something you didn't realize something else happened; unconsciously