Idioms 2
Chinese Term | Pinyin | English Translation |
打草惊蛇 | dǎ cǎo jīng shé | To alert someone of danger (literally: hit the grass and scare the snake) |
饮水思源 | yǐn shuǐ sī yuán | Remember where you came from (literally: when drinking water, think of its source) |
借花献佛 | jiè huā xiàn fó | To use someone else’s power for your benefit (literally: borrow flowers to offer to Buddha) |
将计就计 | jiāng jì jiù jì | To turn the tables (literally: use their scheme to counter their scheme) |
闷葫芦 | mèn hú lú | A mysterious person (literally: a dull gourd) |
白眼狼 | bái yǎn láng | An ungrateful person (literally: a white-eyed wolf) |
擦边球 | cā biān qiú | To do something on the edge of rules (literally: play the edge ball) |
醋坛子 | cù tán zi | A jealous person (literally: vinegar jar) |
求爷爷告奶奶 | qiú yé ye gào nǎi nai | To ask for help in a helpless situation (literally: beg grandpa and tell grandma) |
缺胳膊少腿 | quē gē bo shǎo tuǐ | To be missing something important (literally: missing an arm or leg) |
小打小闹 | xiǎo dǎ xiǎo nào | Small scale troubles (literally: small fights and noise) |
耳朵软 | ěr duo ruǎn | Easy to persuade (literally: soft ears) |
狗咬狗 | gǒu yǎo gǒu | To fight amongst themselves (literally: dogs biting dogs) |
风头紧 | fēng tóu jǐn | Something is under scrutiny (literally: tense windhead) |
一家人不说两家话 | yī jiā rén bù shuō liǎng jiā huà | Keep family matters private (literally: family doesn’t speak as two families) |
乱七八糟 | luàn qī bā zāo | Messy and chaotic (literally: in a total mess) |
慢条斯理 | màn tiáo sī lǐ | Slowly and methodically (literally: slow and orderly) |
图穷匕见 | tú qióng bǐ xiàn | The truth comes out at the end (literally: the dagger shows when the map is finished) |
一曝十寒 | yī pù shí hán | Inconsistent effort (literally: one exposure, ten cold spells) |
博闻强识 | bó wén qiáng zhī | Widely knowledgeable (literally: broad knowledge and strong memory) |
如火如荼 | rú huǒ rú tú | Intense and passionate (literally: like fire and like the thorns of a tea plant) |
病入膏肓 | bìng rù gāo huāng | At the end of recovery (literally: sickness has entered the vital part) |
炙手可热 | zhì shǒu kě rè | Very popular or in demand (literally: hands can get hot from touching) |
惴惴不安 | zhuì zhuì bù ān | Uneasy and nervous (literally: trembling with unease) |
相形见绌 | xiāng xíng jiàn chù | To be found lacking in comparison (literally: in comparison, it appears insufficient) |