Idioms 1
Chinese Term | Pinyin | English Translation |
瓜田李下 | guātián lǐxià | A suspicious situation (literally: melon field and beneath a plum tree) |
九牛一毛 | jiǔ niú yī máo | A tiny part of a huge quantity (literally: one hair from nine oxen) |
寓言守株待兔 | yùyán shǒu zhū dài tù | Waiting for opportunities without effort (literally: waiting by the tree stump for a rabbit) |
望梅止渴 | wàng méi zhǐ kě | An empty consolation (literally: quenching thirst by looking at plums) |
九牛一毛 | jiǔ niú yī máo | A tiny part of a huge quantity (literally: one hair from nine oxen) |
眉飞色舞 | méi fēi sè wǔ | Excited, happy (literally: eyebrows flying and face dancing) |
德高望重 | dé gāo wàng zhòng | Highly respected (literally: virtuous and esteemed) |
近水楼台 | jìn shuǐ lóu tái | A favorable position (literally: a pavilion by the water) |
世外桃源 | shì wài táo yuán | A paradise or ideal world (literally: a peach blossom land outside the world) |
一丘之貉 | yī qiū zhī hé | Birds of a feather (literally: the same species of animals in one hill) |
重整旗鼓 | zhòng zhěng qí gǔ | Regroup and reorganize (literally: to reform the banner and drum) |
初露锋芒 | chū lù fēng máng | The first sign of brilliance (literally: the first sign of sharpness) |
饱经风霜 | bǎo jīng fēng shuāng | Experienced hardships (literally: weathered frost and wind) |
光复旧物 | guāng fù jiù wù | Restore the old (literally: revive old things) |
塞翁失马 | sài wēng shī mǎ | A change in fortune (literally: the old man from the frontier loses his horse) |
夜郎自大 | yè láng zì dà | Arrogant (literally: the people of Yelang think highly of themselves) |
毛遂自荐 | máo suì zì jiàn | Volunteering (literally: Mao Sui recommends himself) |
枯木逢春 | kū mù fēng chūn | Revival after a hard time (literally: a withered tree meets spring) |
不破不立 | bù pò bù lì | No progress without breaking (literally: cannot establish without breaking) |
一触即发 | yī chù jí fā | Immediate reaction (literally: a touch triggers an explosion) |
一尘不染 | yī chén bù rǎn | Immaculate (literally: not a speck of dust) |
一蹴而就 | yī cuì ér jiù | Instant success (literally: one step and done) |
华而不实 | huá ér bù shí | Flashy but impractical (literally: gorgeous but not solid) |
穷则思变 | qióng zé sī biàn | Change when in distress (literally: poverty leads to change) |
望梅止渴 | wàng méi zhǐ kě | An empty consolation (literally: quenching thirst by looking at plums) |
不速之客 | bù sù zhī kè | Uninvited guest (literally: an unexpected guest) |
赴汤蹈火 | fù tāng dǎo huǒ | Brave and determined (literally: going through boiling water and fire) |
克勤克俭 | kè qín kè jiǎn | Diligent and frugal (literally: diligent and thrifty) |
不刊之论 | bù kān zhī lùn | Irrefutable theory (literally: a theory that cannot be altered) |
光明磊落 | guāng míng lěi luò | Blatantly honest (literally: bright and upright) |
百折不挠 | bǎi zhé bù náo | Unyielding (literally: not bending after a hundred setbacks) |
负隅顽抗 | fù yú wán kàng | Stubborn resistance (literally: stubbornly resisting) |
无与伦比 | wú yǔ lún bǐ | Unparalleled (literally: beyond comparison) |
唇齿相依 | chún chǐ xiāng yī | Closely related (literally: lips and teeth depend on each other) |
一笔勾销 | yī bǐ gōu xiāo | Completely wiped out (literally: to strike through with one stroke) |
东山再起 | dōng shān zài qǐ | Make a comeback (literally: rise again from the East Mountain) |
呆若木鸡 | dāi ruò mù jī | Stunned, dumbfounded (literally: as dumb as a wooden chicken) |