Indeks:Bahasa Tionghoa/Chengyu

TODO: Tambahkan pinyin; terjemahkan definisi

悲歡離合

1. sorrow, joy, separation and reunion; vicissitudes of life; sorrows and joys

志得意滿

1. smug; complacent; self-satisfied

自作自受

1. as one sows, so shall one reap; to reap what one has sown; you've made your bed, now lie in it

袖手旁觀

1. put hands into the sleeves and look on; observe and do nothing; sit by

大腹便便

1. potbellied; big-bellied

當務之急

1. pressing matter of the moment; task of top priority; matter of great urgency

各行各業

1. every trade; all professions

可共患難

1. to go through thick and thin together

忙忙匆匆 / 匆匆忙忙

1. Hurriedly; rushed.

杞人憂天

1. groundless fears; alarmism

披髮左衽 / 被髮左衽

1. dress like a barbarian; uncivilised

下里巴人

1. (historical) popular music in the state of Chu
2. (figuratively) popular literature, music or art
3. (figuratively) vulgar or low-quality literature, music or art
4. (humble) one's own artwork or composition
5. (Hubei Mandarin) dirty

Antonyms

• 陽春白雪

新仇舊恨

1. "new enmity [and] old hatred": deep hatred

刻骨銘心

1. "carved on one's bones and engraved in one's heart": unforgettable; etched in one's memory

卓有成效

1. with outstanding results; highly effective; fruitful

先發制人

1. to take the initiative to subdue the enemy; to take preemptive measures

自力更生

1. to rely on one's own efforts; to become self-reliant

因地制宜

1. to formulate strategies according to local conditions

老少咸宜

1. suitable for young and old

男女老少

1. young and old of both sexes; everyone in society

來之不易

1. to not come easily; to be hard-won or hard-earned

滄海一粟

1. drop in the ocean; drop in the bucket

內柔外剛

1. appearing tough on the outside but actually being weak-willed or gentle

孤軍奮戰

1. lone army putting up a brave fight; fighting alone without help; struggling hard without support

舉足輕重

1. to play a decisive role

一葉知秋

1. a small sign can indicate a great trend

精衛填海

1. dogged determination

史無前例

1. unprecedented

所作所為

1. everything one does

顯而易見

1. obvious; clear

Synonyms

• 明擺著／明摆着
• 明顯
• 顯然

互利互惠

1. mutual benefit; reciprocity

甘井先竭

Etymology

From 莊子/山木.

Idiom

1. highly-skilled men are the first to be exhausted

翻天覆地

1. to undergo an earth-shattering change

夜郎自大

1. to be ignorant and arrogant; to be self-deluded

相提並論

1. to discuss two very different things at the same time; to mention in the same breath

行之有效

1. effective

古色古香

1. having an ancient or antique elegance

夙興夜寐

1. to work hard night and day; to burn the candle at both ends

赳赳武夫

1. having the qualities of a strong and valiant warrior

前所未有

1. unprecedented

堅定不移

1. resolute; unswerving

理所當然

1. to be only right and proper; to be taken as a matter of course; naturally

Lihat pula: 當然

千方百計

1. by every possible means; by hook or by crook

一如既往

1. just as before; as always

出人意料

1. to exceed people's expectations, or be unexpected

不由自主

1. to not be able to restrain oneself; to feel an irresistible urge (to do something); can't help but; involuntarily; spontaneously

名副其實 / 名符其實

1. to be not just in name, but also in reality; to be worthy of the name; to live up to reputation

今非昔比

1. the present cannot compare with the past; times have changed

膾炙人口

1. universally appreciated (especially of literary works); liked by many; appealing to the masses; on everyone's lips

軒然大波

1. great disturbance or uproar

十面埋伏

1. to ambush on all sides
2. Ambush from Ten Sides (classical piece written for the pipa)

源源不斷

1. like a steady stream; continuously

有目共睹

1. to be obvious to all

循序漸進

1. to proceed in an orderly way, step by step; to follow the established order; to make steady progress incrementally

針鋒相對

1. to be diametrically opposed; to be in sharp opposition; to go toe-to-toe with somebody in action or speech; to give tit for tat

全力以赴

1. to do all one can; to do one's utmost; to spare no effort; to go all-out

Synonyms

• 不遺餘力
• 竭盡全力

寥寥數語

1. a few words; with a few mild comments; in a nutshell

深更半夜

1. in the dead of the night

娶妻娶德

1. marry a woman for her morality (rather than beauty)
   • Sometimes used in combination with 納妾納色 (literally "take concubine, take appearance") as 娶妻娶德，納妾納色 ("when taking a [principal] wife, take the one furnished with morality; when taking a minor wife, take the one blessed with beauty").

心灰意冷

1. discouraged and downhearted

各有所好

1. there's no accounting for taste

長話短說

1. to make a long story short

篳門閨竇

1. wretched hovel; living in poverty; poverty-stricken

不屑一顧

1. infra dig, beneath contempt, displeasing to look at, sneering
2. to scorn, to sniff at, to dismiss (work or a suggestion)

捉襟見肘

1. tattered
2. pitifully poor
3. to be desperately poor; to be hard up
4. to have too many problems to handle at one time

人情冷暖

1. fickleness of human nature; changing of one's attitude to another according to social status

一意孤行

1. to insist on doing things one's own way; to cling obstinately to one's course

不約而同

1. to happen to coincide

猶豫不決

1. to be hesitant or indecisive; to waver; to shilly-shally

見仁見智

1. different people have different views; opinions differ

Synonyms

• 仁者見仁，智者見智

仁者見仁，智者見智

1. different people have different views; opinions differ

Synonyms

• 見仁見智

人山人海

Etymology

A chengyu expressing the idea of "a mountain (山) of people (人), a sea (海) of people (人)".

Idiom

1. very crowded or congested (with people)

雞毛蒜皮

1. trivial matters

無可救藥 / 無藥可救

1. utterly hopeless; unable to be saved (helped); beyond the point of help

男女老幼

1. the male and the female, the old and the young: everybody

百鳥朝鳳

1. (figuratively) peace under a wise ruler

老生常談

1. clichés; trite remarks; platitude

曲折離奇

1. (of an event, a story) convoluted and eccentric; complicated and bizarre

黃袍加身

Etymology

The idiom comes from the event in 960 when military commander Zhao Kuangyin removed child emperor Guo Zongxun from the throne and proclaimed himself a new emperor after being presented an imperial dragon robe by his subordinates.

After becoming emperor, Zhao, for fear that military figures might betray him like he betraying his emperor, invited them to a wine banquet and successfully persuaded them to retire. This happened in 961 and gave rise to another idiom, Templat:zh-m.

Idiom

1. to stage a coup d'état; overthrow a government; take the throne
2. to be crowned (as a monarch, ruler, winner, champion, etc.)

先斬後奏

1. to act first and report later; to act first and seek permission therefor later

冒名頂替

1. to impersonate; pretend to be someone

失道寡助

Etymology

From "Gongsun Chou II", in Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑下》):

Idiom

1. an unjust cause attracts little support

Antonyms

• 得道多助

得道多助

Etymology

From "Gongsun Chou II", in Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑下》):

Idiom

1. a just cause attracts much support

Antonyms

• 失道寡助

怨聲載道

1. public discontent is everywhere; discontent is publicly voiced; complaints rise all around

榮華富貴

1. high social position and great financial wealth

江山永固

1. (archaic) a statement to wish one's country perpetual stability.

無藥可救 / 無可救藥

1. utterly hopeless; unable to be saved (helped); beyond the point of help

留中不發

1. (archaic) to shelve; to table; to postpone consideration

知法犯法

1. to know the law, but break it anyway

Synonyms

• 明知故犯 (rules or law)

知規犯規

1. to know the rule, but break it anyway

Synonyms

• 明知故犯

緣木求魚

Etymology

Mencius, 3rd century B.C..

• 《孟子·梁惠王上》 (Mencius, Liang Hui Wang I; Translation: 1895, James Legge):

Idiom

1. To pursue an end by impossible or unjustifiable means.

萬事如意

1. may all your hopes be fulfilled; all the best

Synonyms

• (chiefly Cantonese) 萬事勝意

以偏概全

1. to take a part for the whole; to generalise

因小失大

1. to save a little only to lose a lot

由此可見

1. thus it can be seen that

一文不值

1. utterly worthless

順理成章

1. to be clearly structured (of a written text)
2. to follow as a matter of course; to be logical or rational (of an outcome)

微不足道

1. not worth mentioning; insignificant

笑容可掬

1. to be radiant with smiles

嘯聚山林

1. to gather in woods or mountains in response to whistles or shouts; to go to the greenwood (said of bandits)

錯綜複雜

1. tangled and complicated; intricate

入境隨俗

Etymology

Literally: Enter an area, follow the local customs.

Idiom

1. (chiefly Taiwan) When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Synonyms

• 入鄉隨俗

Lihat pula: 嫁雞隨雞，嫁狗隨狗

一鳴驚人

1. to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat; to become famous overnight; to set the world on fire; No one was expecting much and then with one act, everybody was amazed; a bolt from the blue

光明正大

1. high-principled; open and aboveboard; just and honorable; frank and righteous; without artifice

Synonyms

• 正大光明
• 光明磊落

無論如何

1. in any case; at any rate; whatever happens; no matter what

Synonyms

光明磊落

1. straightforward and upright

長生不老

1. never get old; live forever; ageless; immortal

河東獅吼

Etymology

From a line in the Song-era poem 《寄吳德仁兼簡陳季常》, depicting Chen Zao's overbearing wife, who was originally from the Hedong Commandery.

Idiom

1. the "lioness's roar", used to describe the loud complaining of an overbearing wife from the perspective of her henpecked husband.

Lihat pula: 河東獅

Lihat pula: 河東獅子

泥牛入海

1. a clay ox entering the sea; gone forever; to disappear without a trace

吹毛求疵

1. to nitpick; to look for faults

偷雞摸狗

1. to engage in petty thievery
2. to not do things in an open and above board manner

婀娜多姿

1. graceful; well-poised

學而優則仕

Etymology

• Confucius: 論語·子張：「子夏曰：『仕而優則學，學而優則仕。』

Idiom

1. The student, having completed his studies, should enter into government service.

Derived terms

莫名其妙 / 莫明其妙

1. puzzling; baffling; inexplicable

討價還價

1. to negotiate back and forth; to bargain; to haggle

Synonyms

• 講價
• 砍價
• 還價
• 討價
• 議價

削足適履

1. to force an impractical solution to a problem

韜光養晦

1. to hide one's talents, and bide one's time for the right opportunity

威風凜凜

1. majestic looking; imposing

垂簾聽政

Etymology

The idiom arose from a practice in ancient China, by which a royal lady, as an empress or empress dowager, was allowed to preside over the imperial court without actually being seen by her subjects, because women were prohibited from politics. This would usually be done by the mother of a child emperor.

Idiom

1. (historical) to rule in place of a monarch; to serve as regent

以儆效尤

Etymology

Dari 以 ("to use") + 儆 ("to warn") + 效尤 ("to mimic the wrongdoing of others")..

Idiom

1. to make a public demonstration of punishing a wrongdoer in order to deter innocents who might mimic the example of the wrongdoer

Synonyms

• 殺雞儆猴

截然不同

1. to be completely different; to be poles apart

獨立自主

Etymology

Popularized by Mao Zedong during the founding of the People's Republic of China, however usage may be attested before then.

Idiom

1. to be independent and one's own master
2. to pursue a foreign policy of peaceful development, autonomy and self-reliance

Related terms

• 一邊倒政策
• 中間地帶
• 一條線

一片冰心

1. of pure and noble character

東道主

Etymology

Attested in Zuo Zhuan (c. 4th century B.C.), in the entry for the 30th year of Duke Xi's reign (《左傳·僖公三十年》): Uttered by Zhu Zhiwu (燭之武), a Zheng courtier, during his negotiation with the Count Mu of Qin (秦穆公) who was laying siege to the state of Zheng. Later used idomatically as a generic term for a host.

Idiom

1. host

面面俱到

1. attending to each and every aspect of a matter; thorough

不言而喻

1. to go without saying; to be self-evident

Synonyms

• 不待說
• 不消說
• 不用說
• 沒說的

川流不息

1. (usually of traffic) flowing past in an endless stream

適得其反

1. to run counter to one's desire; to have the exact opposite effect of what one wished; to backfire

明知就裡

1. to clearly understand the inside scoop or principle

明目張膽

1. brazenly; flagrantly

一絲一毫

1. a tiny bit; an iota; a trace

絕處逢生

1. to get saved at a critical moment; to survive a crisis; to be unexpectedly rescued from a desparate situation

功微德薄

1. (of a person) having few accomplishments or virtues

死不瞑目

1. to die with a grievance or regret

Antonyms

• 死亦瞑目

死亦瞑目

1. to die without any regrets

Antonyms

• 死不瞑目

深根固本

1. entrenched; dug in

Synonyms

• 深根固柢
• 深根固蒂
• 根深柢固
• 根深蒂固

出其不意

1. to take somebody by surprise; to catch somebody unawares

脫穎而出

1. (of talent) to be revealed; to come to the fore; to rise above others

自由自在

1. free and easy; leisurely; carefree

心猿意馬

1. unable to concentrate, inattentive and vacillating

Synonyms

• 三心二意

畫蛇添足

1. to improve something unnecessarily; to gild the lily

Synonyms

• 多此一舉

一刀兩斷

1. to sever at one blow; to make a clean break

栩栩如生

1. to appear lifelike and vivid; vividly; realistically

一面之交

1. (literary) a casual relationship; acquaintance

明知故犯

1. to knowingly do wrong

Antonyms

• 無知而犯

東施效顰

Etymology

Based on a story in "The Circling Sky", in Zhuangzi (《莊子·天運》). Xishi (西施), a famous beauty in Chinese history, often frowned because of her heart disease. The ugly Dongshi (東施) of the same village imitated Xishi to try to be as beautiful as Xishi, but in turn made herself uglier and scared away the villagers.

Idiom

1. to imitate others only to make a fool of oneself; to attempt a crude or awkward imitation

對牛彈琴

Etymology

From the story of the Warring States-era musician Gongming Yi (公明儀) playing the zither to a cow, recorded in Mouzi Lihuolun (c. 3rd century AD).

Idiom

1. like talking to a brick wall; like casting pearls before swine; offering a treat to an unappreciative audience (due to the gap in knowledge or one's unromanticness)

實事求是

1. to seek truth from facts; to be practical and pragmatic

Antonyms

• 弄虛作假

不以為然

1. to not accept as correct; to disagree; to object; to disapprove

引人注目

1. to draw attention; to catch people's eyes; to stand out; to be conspicuous

不得而知

1. to be unable to know or find out; to remain unknown; to be unable to ascertain

眾所周知

1. as everyone knows; as is known to all; it is well-known that; it is common knowledge that

自暴自棄

1. to give in to despair

興高采烈

1. elated; ecstatic; jubilant; delighted

變本加厲

1. to get worse; to become aggravated; to intensify one's effort to do something wrong

同工同酬

1. equal pay for equal work

撲朔迷離

1. confusing; bewildering

成千上萬

1. by the thousands and tens of thousands; untold numbers; innumerable; thousands upon thousands

心不在焉

1. absent-minded; absent-mindedly; preoccupied

別有用心

1. to have an ulterior motive

別有洞天

1. being of or showing another level of scenery; (of a place) to be amazingly beautiful and unique

速戰速決

1. to take prompt action to achieve a quick victory; to adopt a blitzkrieg strategy

孤立無援

1. friendless isolation; struggling alone

前後矛盾

1. inconsistent; contradictory

四面八方

1. in all directions; all around; far and wide

Synonyms

• 四方八面

四面楚歌

Etymology

Literally: surrounded on four sides by the songs of Chu

During the Chu-Han contention, Xiang Yu found himself besieged in the city of Gaixia (垓下), by the coalition force of Han and the other kings. Jiujiang fell to Ying Bu and Liu Jia the preceding month, and most of the Kingdom of Chu was occupied by the Han army. When he heard the besieging troops singing songs in the Chu accent, Xiang Yu knew his kingdom had fallen.

Idiom

1. facing hostility, difficulty, or frustration on all sides

沸沸揚揚

1. tumultuous; noisy; hubbub

李下瓜田

1. Templat:zh-synonym

瓜田李下

Etymology

Originates from a longer phrase 瓜田不納履，李下不正冠. ("Do not put on shoes in a melon field; do not don a hat under a plum tree."), an idiom advising one to avoid appearances of impropriety.

Idiom

1. a position that invites suspicion; liable to lay oneself open to suspicion; be found in a suspicious position; in suspicious circumstances or surroundings
2. an idiom advising one to avoid suspicious situations, even under innocuous circumstances

突如其來

1. sudden; suddenly; abrupt; abruptly

一觸即發

1. could break out or flare up at any time (of a situation); on the verge of crisis; in a tense and volatile situation

不治之症

1. incurable disease

老馬識途

1. an experienced worker knows what to do; an old hand knows the ropes

老謀深算

1. experienced and astute; circumspect and far-seeing; scheming and calculating

旗幟鮮明

1. to have a clear-cut stand; one's attitude or position is clearly defined

茫然自失

1. to be stunned; to feel unsettled

大器晚成

1. a great talent takes time to mature; in the fullness of time, a major figure will develop into a pillar of the state

一事無成

1. to be unable to achieve anything; to be a total failure

進退兩難

1. between a rock and a hard place
2. in a bind; in a pickle
3. describes an awkward situation where one does not know what to do

Related terms

• 不上不下
• 進退維谷

不拘小節

1. to not worry about minor matters; to not worry about the details; to not be a stickler for details; not worry about dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's

日久生情

1. familiarity breeds fondness; love develops with time

Lihat pula: 一見鍾情

切磋琢磨

1. to learn by exchanging ideas and experiences; friendly competition; improvement by learning from others

對症下藥

1. to suit the medicine to the illness; to suit the remedy to the case; to prescribe the right remedy for an illness

三緘其口

1. keeping one's mouth shut more than once; be extremely selective in one's words

貧富懸殊

1. to have a wide gap between the rich and the poor

一本正經

1. absolutely serious; dead earnest
2. deadpan; with a poker face

意味深長

1. to have profound meanings; to be thought-provoking

愚公移山

Etymology

For more information, see the citations page.

Idiom

1. to be resolute in one's endeavor, no matter what hardships one encounters

齊頭並進

1. to go ahead together; to march together; to do something simultaneously; to do two or more things at once

齊東野語

1. unreliable talk

黨同伐異

1. to unite with those who agree and fight those who differ

鼓舌如簧

1. to wag one's tongue (for honeyed words, malicious gossip, etc.)

事在人為

1. it all depends on human effort; human effort can achieve everything; human effort is a decisive factor

事實勝於雄辯

1. facts speak louder than words; facts are stronger than rhetoric; facts are more convincing than eloquent theories

時過境遷

1. things change with the passage of time

事過境遷

1. the issue is in the past and the situation has changed; things change with the passage of time

支離破碎

1. torn to pieces; all broken up
2. shattered; fragmented

文過飾非

1. to cover up one's fault by clever use of words in writing

Synonyms

• 飾非文過

飾非文過

1. to cover up one's fault by clever use of words in writing

Synonyms

• 文過飾非

自生自滅

1. to (let something) emerge and perish on its own; to let something go its own way

龍飛鳳舞

1. vivid and vigorous flourishes in calligraphy

龍蛇混雜

1. good and bad people mixed up; wise and unwise huddled together

龍躍鳳鳴

1. bright and brilliant in intellect

龍肝鳳髓

1. rare delicacies

龍鳳呈祥

1. prosperity brought by the dragon and the phoenix

一帆風順

1. to have a favourable wind all the way
2. (of things) to run smoothly, without incident
3. bon voyage!

哽哽咽咽

Etymology

Reduplication of 哽咽.

Idiom

1. to choke with sobs

粗茶淡飯

1. to lead a simple life; to live without without fancy food or drink

急流勇退

1. withdrawing (receding, drawing back) while ahead (often so as to avoid disaster, etc.)

無話可說

1. to have nothing to say; to be wordless; can't say anything more
   1. to have no other opinion; to agree
   2. to have great resentment for unacceptable actions

無微不至

1. meticulous

一哄而散

1. to disperse in a hubbub
2. to abruptly stop initiated projects

爭先恐後

1. to vie to be first and fear to be last

一技之長

1. professional skill; proficiency

無能為力

1. powerless; helpless

無情無義

1. cold and ruthless

Antonyms

• 有情有義

提心吊膽

1. to be on tenterhooks
2. to be scared or jittery; to be cautious and anxious
3. to be in constant fear

恰到好處

1. it's perfect; it's just right

驚慌失措

1. to lose one's head over fear; to panic

人情世故

1. the ways of the world; traditional code of conduct; worldly wisdom

Synonyms

心神恍惚

1. to be out of sorts; to be agitated

是非顛倒

1. to confound right and wrong

是非曲直

1. right and wrong; proper and improper; truth and falsehood

是非黑白

1. right and wrong, good and bad

是非不分

1. to be unable to distinguish right and wrong

是非分明

1. to distinguish right from wrong

上天下地

1. everywhere
2. to leave no stones unturned; to spare no efforts

上天無路，入地無門

1. no way of escape; in desperate straits; in a desperate situation; at the end of the line

雞同鴨講

Etymology

Originally Cantonese.

Idiom

1. mutually unintelligible; unable to understand one another; talking about two different things; getting one's wires crossed

遠交近攻

1. collaborating with distant allies and attacking nearby enemies (from the Thirty-Six Stratagems)

上上下下

1. everybody; all; the whole
2. high and low; old and young; above and below; up and down

上上大吉

1. most auspicious (a phrase usually used in divination)

上氣不接下氣

1. to be out of breath; to gasp for breath

上山下鄉

1. to go and work in the countryside and mountain areas (of urban school-leavers)

上下其手

1. to practice fraid; to manoeuvre for some evil end; to get up to tricks
2. to signal as conspiratorial hint

上竄下跳

1. to run around on sinister errands

哀兵必勝

1. an army burning with indignation is bound to win

哀鴻遍野

1. a land of wailing and despair; land swarming with disaster victims; disaster victims moaning everywhere

藹然可親

1. kindly; amiable; affable

愛屋及烏

Etymology

From Shangshu Dazhuan (Templat:w2):

Idiom

1. love me, love my dog; love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof; involvement with somebody and everyone connected

安如磐石

1. as firm or solid as a rock

鞍馬勞頓

1. to be travel-worn; to be fatigued by a long journey

安土重遷

1. to hate to leave one's native land or where one has lived long; to love one's homeland and not wish to leave it

不可收拾

1. irremediable; unsalvageable; unmanageable; out of hand

朽木糞牆

1. a person whose spirit is rotten cannot benefit from education
2. an unsalvageable situation

難言之隱

1. something too embarrassing to mention; an embarrassing illness

口誅筆伐

1. to condemn in speech and writing; to denounce by word and pen

涇渭分明

1. to be entirely different; to be completely distinct (right and wrong; good and bad)

深入淺出

1. to explain a complex matter using simple language; simple and easy to understand; explaining in simple terms despite being immensely knowledgeable

混淆視聽

1. to mislead the public with prevarication and deliberate falsehoods; to obscure the facts

上行下效

1. subordinates follow the example of their superiors; if a leader sets a bad example it will be followed by his subordinates

五顏六色

1. multicoloured; colourful; variegated; of many colors

動手動腳

1. to come to blows
2. to take liberties (with women)

Synonyms

• (Cantonese) 喐手喐腳

改過自新

1. to turn over a new leaf

Synonyms

• 改行自新

改行自新

1. (rare) to turn over a new leaf

Synonyms

• 改過自新

天花亂墜

Etymology

Originally referring to a Buddhist priest expounding the Buddhist sutras, so flawless and persuasive that it moved the god of heaven, leading to a deluge of heavenly flowers.

Idiom

1. wild boast about something; extravagant embellishments; hype

上諂下驕

1. obsequious towards one's superiors and arrogant towards one's inferiors

上不著天，下不著地

1. to be suspended in midair

懸崖勒馬

1. to act in the nick of time; to wake up to danger at the last moment

懸崖峭壁

1. sheer precipices and overhanging rocks; perilous cliffs and precipices

懸崖絕壁

1. sheer precipices and overhanging rocks; perilous cliffs and precipices

黯然失色

1. to lose lustre in comparison; to be outshone; to be eclipsed; to be overshadowed

大江南北

1. (figuratively) all of China

東西南北

1. east, west, south and north; everywhere; all corners of the world

Derived terms

撫養成人

1. to bring up a child

撫棺痛哭

1. to mourn loudly over a coffin

撫躬自問

1. to perform self-examination; to examine one's conscience; to examine oneself

撫今追昔

1. to contemplate the present and recall the past with emotion; to recall the past and compare it with the present

扼喉撫背

1. to hold the best strategic positions which will render the enemy helpless; to occupy all military key points

憶昔撫今

1. to recall the past and compare it with the present; to reflect on the past in light of the present

撫髀興嘆

1. to sigh in disappointment (said of one living in retirement but still burning with ambition)

臥薪嘗膽

Etymology

From the story of the King Goujian of Yue (5th century B.C.), who forced himself to sleep on firewood and lick a gallbladder everyday to remember the humiliation of his previous defeat by the State of Wu.

Idiom

1. to undergo self-imposed hardships; to nurse vengeance; to endure hardships to accomplish some ambition

阿諛奉承

1. flattering and fawning, sweet-talking

喜怒哀樂

1. happiness, anger, sorrow and joy; the emotions of life

酸甜苦辣

1. sour, sweet, bitter and spicy; the joys and sorrows of life; the sweets and bitters of life

Synonyms

• 酸甜苦辣鹹

酸甜苦辣鹹

1. Templat:zh-synonym

不務正業

1. to not do an honest day's work; to not attend to one's duties

生老病死

1. (Buddhism) to be born, to get old, to become ill and to die; fate of humankind; mortality

青紅皂白

1. wheat and chaff; right and wrong

Derived terms

愛恨情仇

1. love and hatred

抑揚頓挫

1. rising and falling in cadence; intonation; speaking in measured tones; (of speech) cadenced

失魂落魄

1. driven to distraction; panic-stricken; to lose one's wits

你死我活

1. irreconcilable adversaries; two parties cannot coexist

形同陌路

1. to treat each other as passers-by; to act as if they are strangers

人生如夢

1. Life is but a dream.

漁夫之利

1. Templat:zh-synonym

並行不悖

1. to be not mutually exclusive

燙手山芋

1. hot potato (awkward or delicate problem)

居高臨下

1. to occupy the high ground; to overlook
2. to be condescending; to be arrogant based on one's social position

本末倒置

1. putting the cart before the horse

板上釘釘

1. that clinches it; an already decided and unalterable matter

舉手之勞

1. something that requires little effort; no trouble at all

背道而馳

1. to run in opposite directions, to run counter to, to be inconsistent with

泛泛而談

1. to talk in generalities

江河日下

1. to worsen by the day; to get worse with each passing day

敢做敢當

1. willing to take action, then live with the consequences

弱不禁風

1. (of a person, especially a woman; of a structure) so weak as to be unable to stand any breeze; too frail to stand a gust of wind

唾手可得

1. extremely easy to obtain

Synonyms

• (Taiwan) 垂手可得

梟首示眾

1. to behead somebody and display the head in public; to cut of a person's head and hang it up as a warning to all

出生入死

1. (literary) risking one's life; without regard to one's own life

五體投地

1. prostrating oneself before someone in admiration; to admire with the utmost sincerity

不愁衣食

1. very wealthy

妄自尊大

1. self-arrogance, megalomania

體無完膚

1. cuts and bruises all over; severely injured
2. completely refuted; scathingly criticised; to be picked to pieces

虎視眈眈

1. to glare like a tiger watching its prey; to glare at with fierceness; to keep a vigilant eye on; to eye covetously

朝夕難保

1. one's days are numbered; one is on the verge of death (or defeat etc.)

盤根錯節

1. great tangled root system; complicated affair; complicated and difficult to deal with

僧多粥少 / 粥少僧多

1. not enough to go around; having demands exceeding supply

靡靡之音

1. decadent or obscene music; cheap, low-class tunes; popular music

望風而靡

1. scattered by the winds
2. to be soundly defeated by the enemy; to be routed by the enemy

碌碌無為

1. seemingly always on the run, but actually achieving nothing; to lead a busy, but vain and humdrum life; plodding hard but accomplishing little of significance

落手落腳

1. (Cantonese) to get one's hands dirty; to involve oneself in doing work

合作無間

1. to have good collaboration with someone; to cooperate in perfect harmony

大智若愚

1. having great intelligence but appearing foolish; a man of great wisdom appearing slow-witted

電光石火

1. something that vanishes in a flash

混淆是非

1. to confuse right and wrong

天方夜譚

Etymology

The Chinese translation of the book series One Thousand and One Nights (also called Arabian Nights).

Idiom

1. fantasy story; absurd idea; nonsense

吃苦耐勞

1. to endure hardships and work hard

千辛萬苦

1. suffering untold hardships; trials and tribulations

殺雞儆猴

1. Kill the chicken to warn the monkey; make a public demonstration of punishing a wrongdoer in order to deter innocents who might mimic the example of the wrongdoer.

Synonyms

• 殺雞嚇猴
• 殺雞駭猴
• 殺一儆百
• (Min) 刣雞教猴
• (Hakka) 殺狗教猴 (sat-kiéu-kâu-hèu), 斬狗教猴 (chám-kiéu-kâu-hèu)

殺雞嚇猴

1. to punish an individual as an example to others

Synonyms

• 殺雞儆猴
• 殺雞駭猴
• 殺一儆百

殺一儆百

1. to warn by example

Synonyms

• 殺雞儆猴
• 殺雞駭猴
• 殺雞嚇猴

聰明伶俐

1. clever and quick-witted

泛濫成災

Idiom

1. to flood and cause disaster
2. to run rampant; to run wild; to run amok

眾志成城

Etymology

• 5th – 4th century B.C.:, Zuo Qiuming, zh:s:國語/秋水

  眾心成城，眾口鑠金。

  The hearts of the masses can forge a stronghold; the mouths of the masses can melt gold.

Idiom

1. The will of the masses forge a stronghold.

千載一遇

1. once in a lifetime

之乎者也

Etymology

The four common modal particles in Classical Chinese.

Idiom

1. unintelligible speech or article filled with archaisms; pedantic expressions; grandiloquent speech; semi-incomprehensible talk

身外之物

1. mere worldly possessions; things external to one's life

我行我素

1. to persist in one's old ways; to continue in one's own way no matter what others say

屢教不改

1. to have been taught many times, but still do wrong anyway; to be incorrigible

Synonyms

• 屢教屢犯
• 屢勸不改
• 屢勸屢犯
• 屢教不聽
• 屢勸不聽

難以置信

1. unbelievable; incredible

悠哉悠哉

1. (literary) extremely longing
2. leisurely and carefree; free and unconstrained

吃喝拉撒睡

1. to eat, to drink, to piss, to shit and to sleep; the routine of daily life

世外桃源

Idiom

1. The Peach Blossom Land; unexpectedly fantastic place off the beaten path, usually an unspoiled wilderness of great beauty

Synonyms

• 桃花源

挹彼注茲

1. to draw from one to make good the deficits of another

Lihat pula: 挹注

自吹自擂

1. to toot one's own horn; to boast about oneself

不可思議

Etymology

Literally: cannot ponder the significance of

Idiom

1. inconceivable; unimaginable; incomprehensible
2. (Buddhism) incomprehensible by the human mind
3. The number 10⁶⁴

入鄉隨俗

Etymology

Literally: When entering a village, follow the customs.

Idiom

1. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Synonyms

• 入境隨俗

大同小異

1. almost the same; almost identical; similar in most respects

天長地久

1. enduring as the universe; everlasting and unchanging

班門弄斧

1. show off one's inferior talent or skill in front of an expert

德高望重

1. (of a person) known and loved by all

事後諸葛亮

1. expert in hindsight; to have pseudo-intellectual opinion after the fact but not before

胡攪蠻纏

1. to pester somebody endlessly; to be unreasonable; to plague somebody with unreasonable demands; to argue tediously and vexatiously

全神貫注

1. to focus all of one's attention on

身陷囹圄

1. to be behind bars

鮮為人知

1. to be rarely known to anyone; to be secret to all but a few

傾家蕩產

1. to exhaust all of a family's financial resources; to break the bank; to bring a family to ruin

過河拆橋

1. to burn one's bridges; to abandon one's benefactor upon achieving one's goal

Synonyms

• 過河抽板
• 過橋拆橋
• 過橋抽板
• 忘恩負義

言歸於好

1. to bury the hatchet; to become reconciled

不揣冒昧

1. to venture to; presume; to take the liberty of

同病相憐

1. in the same boat; fellow sufferers sympathise with each other; misery loves company

淚流滿面

1. to have tears streaming down one's face; to be extremely sad or moved

Lihat pula: 內牛滿面

濫竽充數

Etymology

• c. 280–233 B.C.: Han Fei, Han Feizi/Chapter 30. Inner Assortment of Parables: The Seven Tactics, Part 1 (《韓非子·內儲說上七術第三十》)

  齊宣王使人吹竽，必三百人。南郭處士請爲王吹竽，宣王說之，廩食以數百人。宣王死，湣王立，好一一聽之，處士逃。

  (Whenever) King Xuan of Qi had men play the yu, there had to be 300 men (playing simultaneously). A reclusive scholar, (who was living near the) southern wall of the city,<ref>Because 南郭 has multiple meanings, the sentence could also be translated as:

a. "A reclusive scholar, from a city in the south, asked if he could play the yu for the king."

b. "A reclusive scholar, (whose surname was) Nanguo, asked if he could play the yu for the king."</ref> asked if he could play the yu for the king.<ref>Even though the man couldn't actually play the yu, he figured he could play silently among the 300 men, so that he could receive special treatment by the king.</ref> King Xuan was delighted by this, and dispensed enough food rations for several hundred (musicians). (Then) King Xuan died, and King Min took the throne. He preferred to listen to (the yu players) one-by-one, (so) the reclusive scholar fled. (Wiktionary translation)

Idiom

1. to fill a position without having the necessary qualifications; to be a token member of a group; to masquerade as having an ability; to sell secondss at best-quality prices

津津樂道

1. to take delight in talking about; to discuss enthusiastically; to love to talk about

津津有味

1. with great relish; with keen pleasure; with gusto

有頭無尾

1. to have a beginning but not an end; to fail to carry things through; to leave something unfinished

喧賓奪主

1. a minor issue takes precedence over a major one; a minor player upstages the main attraction

婦孺皆知

1. understood by everyone; well-known

摸稜兩可

2. equivocal

美其名曰

1. to call it by the fine-sounding name of

實話實說

1. to speak the truth; to call a spade a spade

派上用場

1. to come in handy; to become useful

嶄露頭角

1. (of talent) to come to the fore; to stand out as conspicuously brilliant

四海為家

1. to make one's home wherever one is; to consider the entire country, or world, to be one's own

弄假成真

1. to turn simulation into reality unintentionally; fantasy becomes reality

任人唯親

1. to appoint people by favouritism; nepotism

懸樑刺股

1. to study diligently

玩世不恭

1. to despise worldly conventions; to be cynical; frivolous

如意算盤

1. one's wishful thinking; counting the chickens before they are hatched

Derived terms

一臂之力

1. a helping hand

興致勃勃

1. full of interest and enthusiasm

不了了之

1. to leave something unresolved

守株待兔

Etymology

From a story in Han Feizi.

Idiom

1. to stand by a tree stump waiting for a hare; one who sticks to his folly and does nothing; waiting for something that will only happen once; to wait foolishly for a most unlikely windfall

狐假虎威

1. to use powerful connections to intimidate people

雪中送炭

1. to help someone in their hour of need

趁火打劫

1. to take advantage of chaos for one's own profit

Synonyms

• 趁火搶劫
• 趁哄打劫

逆水行舟

1. to diligently engage in one's studies (like a boat going against the currents)
2. to go against the tide

Derived terms

陳腔濫調

1. (usually of writing) hackneyed; unoriginal; innovative; stereotyped

陳詞濫調

1. old words and hackneyed talk; clichés; platitudes

無與倫比

1. beyond compare; incomparable; unrivaled; unequalled; in a class of its own

好學不倦

1. to like to learn without feeling tired

破財消災

1. to buy peace with one's money; to trade money for safety (often said to comfort someone who has suffered unexpected financial losses)

山崩地裂

Idiom

1. describes how a place looks after a great natural catastrophe; massively destructive

2. describes something that has prestige and is imposing; awesome

雷厲風行

1. (when carrying out orders, policies, etc.) vigorously and speedily; vigorously and resolutely; swift and decisive

如醉如痴

1. spellbound; fascinated

囂張跋扈

1. arrogant and despotic; domineering and aggressive

生意興隆

1. thriving and prosperous business or trade (often as a greeting)

形影不離

1. inseparable like form and shadow

靈機一動

1. to be struck by a brainwave; to hit upon a clever idea

上房揭瓦

1. to scale the roof to rip the tiles; to cause havoc in the house

Derived terms

沉魚落雁

Etymology

From Zhuangzi ("Discussion on Making All Things Equal"):

Mao Qiang and Li Ji [two beautiful courtesans] are what people consider beautiful, but if fish see them they will swim into the depths; if birds see them, they will fly away into the air; if deer see them, they will gallop away. Among these four, who knows what is rightly beautiful in the world?

Idiom

1. (of women) extremely beautiful; drop-dead gorgeous

風土人情

1. local customs and practices

賢妻良母

1. a Good Wife, Wise Mother; the ideal role for a woman in the traditional Chinese society

洪爐燎髮

1. (archaic) overkill; to go way overboard; to use a sledge hammer to crack a nut

Synonyms

• 鼓洪爐燎毛髮

淨身出戶

1. (usually of a man) to leave without taking any property after divorce; to leave a marriage with nothing (no possessions or properties)

耳熟能詳

1. heard a million times, to the point where one can recite it in one's sleep; well-worn (phrase)

笑掉大牙

1. to laugh one's head off; ridiculous and embarrassing

中流砥柱

Etymology

From the so-called Mount Dizhu (砥柱山), which is situated midstream of the Yellow River, splitting its flow.

Idiom

1. (figuratively) mainstay; cornerstone; chief support

一問一答

1. to ask and answer interchangeably or successively

特立獨行

1. independent in mind and action; unconventional and strong-minded

人云亦云

1. to say what others say; to follow the herd

胡言亂語

1. drivel; nonsense; gibberish; double Dutch
2. to talk nonsense; to drivel

一貧如洗

1. as poor as a church mouse; penniless

不痛不癢

1. not getting to the substance of the matter; perfunctory; superficial
2. hesitant and equivocal in attitude (when dealing with a matter)

如意郎君

1. ideal husband; Mr. Right; Prince Charming

身體力行

1. to practice what one preaches; to set an example by personally taking part

衣錦還鄉

1. to return home after making good; to return home in glory

青春年少

1. to be quite young

Lihat pula: 乳臭未乾

乳臭未乾

1. (figuratively) still very young; wet behind the ears

風塵碌碌

1. to be busy with worldly affairs; toiling over ordinary chores

春風化雨

1. (figuratively) benefits of education; positive influence of a teacher

大海撈針

1. find a needle in a haystack

Synonyms

• 海底撈針
• 海底摸針
• 東海撈針
• 水底撈針

誤人子弟

1. to lead students astray

孟母三遷

1. (of parents) to be concerned with their children's growth

危在旦夕

1. in imminent danger; on the brink of crisis

烏合之眾

1. disorderly group of people; mob; rabble

白手起家

1. to go from rags to riches; to start an enterprise from scratch; to build up from nothing; to start from scratch

Synonyms

• 白手成家

愣頭愣腦

1. rash; hotheaded; reckless
2. slow in movement; obtuse; stunned

永無止境

1. without an end; endless; never-ending; boundless

安於現狀

1. to be content with the status quo (and unwilling to progress); to take things as they are

強詞奪理

1. to use lame arguments and perverted logic; shoving false arguments down people's throats; sophistry

體貼入微

1. to be extremely considerate towards someone; to be very considerate and thoughtful; to look after with meticulous care

嫁禍於人

1. to shift the blame on others; to pass the buck

東山再起

Etymology

Based on Xie An (Templat:w2) of the Jin (晉) dynasty, who quit his office and lived in seclusion in Dongshan (a mountain in Zhejiang, China), but later returned to office.

Idiom

1. to come back from a previous failure; to rise again

自知之明

1. wisdom of self-knowledge

安家落戶

1. to set up home in a new place; to settle in a new place

可望而不可即

1. in sight but unattainable; within sight but beyond reach; inaccessible

莊周夢蝶

Etymology

From a tale in the book Zhuangzi:

Idiom

1. (figuratively, philosophy) one is never certain whether what one sees is reality or illusion; changeable nature of human life

皮包骨頭

1. emaciated; mere bag of bones

自相殘殺

1. to slaughter members of the same group; to kill each other

血氣方剛

1. (usually of youth) hot-blooded; full of vigour; buoyant and impetuous

聲名狼藉

1. infamous, having an extremely bad reputation

Synonyms

• 臭名昭著
• 名譽掃地

一言堂

1. arbitrary decision making (in which what one person says goes)
2. (archaic) no bargaining; fixed price

Antonyms

• 群言堂

群言堂

1. popular decision making (in which everyone has a say)

Antonyms

• 一言堂

有目無珠

1. Templat:zh-synonym

有眼無珠

1. (figuratively) lacking the ability to see or discern; to have a narrow vision; ignorant

脣齒相依

1. (figuratively) to be closely related and mutually dependent (like the lips and teeth)

Lihat pula: 脣亡齒寒

相依為命

1. to depend on each other for survival; to rely on one another for life. Usually said of siblings whose parents have deceased, or a parent and a child when the other parent is no longer around, etc.

脣亡齒寒

Etymology

From the Commentary of Zuo:

Idiom

1. to share a common lot; to share the same fate

娓娓動聽

1. talk in an impressive way; smooth-spoken; speak with absorbing interest; vivid and interesting

不堪一擊

1. cannot withstand a single blow; collapse at the first blow

破爛不堪

1. so tattered and torn (especially said of clothing) that it is totally unacceptable to present oneself in public in such a state

不堪回首

1. cannot bear to look back on; to find it unbearable to recall

千真萬確

1. absolutely true; one can swear it is true

面無表情

1. stolid; showing little expression on the face

不擇手段

1. (derogatory) to take any measures to do something; to stop at nothing; by hook or by crook; unscrupulously

直截了當

1. direct and plainspoken; straightforward

言過其實

Etymology

From Guanzi:

Idiom

1. to overstate the facts; to stretch the truth; to exaggerate

大顯身手

1. to display all of one's capabilities; to strut one's stuff

悶悶不樂

1. sulky; gloomy; in low spirits

沉默寡言

1. taciturn; reticent; to be of few words

壓力山大

Etymology

Similar-sounding rendition of 亞歷山大 (“Alexander; Alexandra”).

Idiom

1. (neologism, humorous) to be under great pressure

積少成多

1. to accumulate little by little; many small things add to something great

相濡以沫

Etymology

From Zhuangzi (ca. 3rd – 2nd centuries B.C.):

Idiom

1. (figuratively) to help each other pull through a crisis; mutual help when both are in humble situations
2. (figuratively, of a loving couple) to accompany each other through times of prosperity and hardships till the end of time

不予理睬

1. to ignore; to dismiss; to pay no attention to

付之一笑

1. to laugh something off; to dismiss with a laugh

去蕪存菁

1. to separate the wheat from the chaff

毋庸置疑

1. no need to question; without any doubt; undoubtedly

一頭霧水

1. to be completely muddle-headed; to be baffled

潛移默化

1. to influence secretly; to change due to unnoticeable influence

語無倫次

1. to speak incoherently; to ramble in one's statement; confused and incomprehensible speech

Related terms

• 紅番排隊去廁所

家常便飯

1. homely food; simple home-style meal
2. (figuratively) common occurrence; usual practice; routine

腰酸背痛

1. (medicine) to have a pain in the back, especially the lower back

一肚子壞水

1. (derogatory, of a person) to be full of tricks; to be full of evil intentions

千古罪人

1. someone who is condemned by history

條分縷析

1. to make a careful and detailed analysis; to analyze thoroughly point by point

化雨春風

1. (figuratively) benefits of education; positive influence of a teacher

東風化雨

1. (figuratively) good fortune and education

百年樹人

1. (figuratively) it takes a long time for good education to bear fruit

百年大計

1. (figuratively) matter of paramount importance; vital long-term project

百年不遇

1. (figuratively) once-in-a-hundred-years (event); not seen in a hundred years

不龜手藥

1. medicine that prevents frostbite on the hand

裝瘋賣傻

1. to play the fool; to feign ignorance or madness

大勢已去

1. the game is as good as lost; that ship has sailed

旁若無人

1. to selfishly do what one wants without regard to other people's wishes

口耳相傳

1. to be passed down orally (from generation to generation)

無一幸免

1. nobody was spared from the disaster; no one was fortunate enough to avoid

暗送秋波

1. (of a woman) to give someone the eye; to cast coquettish glances at someone
2. (derogatory) to curry favour with someone secretly

辭舊迎新

1. to ring out the old and ring in the new; to bid farewell to the old year and welcome in the new

Synonyms

• 送舊迎新

拖泥帶水

1. (derogatory) to do something in a long-drawn or slovenly manner; to be indecisive or beat about the bush

雕蟲小技

1. insignificant talent; minor accomplishment

債務累累

1. burdened with debt; crushing debt

以身作則

1. to set an example; to serve as a model

時不我待

Etymology

The word order features the inversion of verb (待) and object (我) in negative sentences in Classical Chinese.

Idiom

1. time waits for no one

光陰荏苒

1. time flies; tempus fugit

按部就班

1. to do something in an orderly manner; to follow the prescribed order
2. (figuratively) to keep to the conventional ways

悔過自新

1. to turn over a new leaf

錦囊妙計

1. bag of tricks; cunning masterplan

自告奮勇

1. to offer to do something voluntarily and enthusiastically; to volunteer for

當頭棒喝

1. (Buddhism, of a novice monk) to receive a blow with a stick or a yell by his master to bring about instant realization or awakening
2. (figuratively) stern warning; wake-up call

金盆洗手

1. (figuratively) to abandon one's life as an outlaw (after having made a fortune)
2. (by extension) to abandon one's decade-long career; to give up on something one does as a routine

開誠布公

1. to wear one's heart on one's sleeve; to be frank and sincere

突發奇想

1. to suddenly come up with an ingenious idea; to suddenly be inspired to do something

一筆勾銷

1. to write off at one stroke; to cancel once and for all

一廂情願

1. one's own wishful thinking; unilateral willingness; unrequited love

做牛做馬

1. to work one's butt off; to work extremely hard
2. to lower one's dignity to do everything and anything for someone

以貌取人

1. to judge a book by its cover; to judge people by their appearance

不依不撓

2. unforgiving; unwilling to pardon

不依不饒

1. unforgiving; unwilling to pardon

三令五申

1. to repeatedly admonish
2. to repeatedly warn

紅光滿面

1. (of complexion) glowing with health; ruddy and radiant

前後不一

1. inconsistent; unmatching

一勞永逸

1. once and for all

跳樑小丑

1. a buffoon who performs antics; a contemptible rebel; a clumsy mischief-maker

人間蒸發

1. inexplicably out of sight; to vanish into thin air

節哀順變

Etymology

From The Book of Rites:

Idiom

1. to restrain one's grief and accept fate (used to console family of a deceased person); my condolences; rest in peace

翻山越嶺

1. to pass over mountains and ridges; to trek over mountains; to make a long and difficult journey

垂涎三尺

1. to drool (over); to yearn for (certain food or an item); to covet

河水不犯井水

2. two things keeping to themselves

井水不犯河水

1. “wellwater not interfering with the river water”—two things keeping to themselves; everyone minding their own business

堅貞不屈

1. faithful and unyielding

愁眉不展

1. to wear a sad or distressed expression

早生貴子

1. to give birth to a son soon; wish you early birth of a healthy baby (propitiatory compliment to the newly-weds)

塚中枯骨

1. a deadbeat; a useless person; a person without any power or influence

披星戴月

1. (figuratively) to get up by starlight and not knock off work till the moon rises; to work or travel through night and day

徐娘半老

1. the woman in her thirty-forties; be already in her middle age

低三下四

1. (derogatory) obsequious; servile; lowly

面面相覷

1. to look at each other (in fear) without knowing what to do; to look at each other in blank dismay

跌打損傷

1. (traditional Chinese medicine) fractures or other injuries from falls, blows, contusions, sprains and so on; all musculoskeletal injuries

傷筋動骨

1. (traditional Chinese medicine) to have a sprain or fracture
2. (figuratively) to suffer from serious injury; to have major mishap or changes

Derived terms

一念之差

1. the difference caused by a single thought; momentary slip; ill-considered action

烏煙瘴氣

1. (of an atmosphere) filled with black smoke and toxic gas; turgid atmosphere; pandemonium

青梅竹馬

Etymology

From a poem by Tang dynasty poet Li Bai:

The same poem was also the source of the idiom 兩小無猜, which has a very similar meaning.

Idiom

1. a girl and a boy playing innocently together; a man and a woman who had an innocent affection for each other in childhood; childhood sweethearts

憤世嫉俗

1. to be cynical; to be embittered

守口如瓶

1. to keep one's mouth shut; to remain tight-lipped

曠日持久

1. long-drawn-out; protracted

啞口無言

1. not speaking in response to interrogated or refuted

千變萬化

1. an innumerable amount of changes; countless changes

人神共憤

1. hated and reviled

願賭服輸

1. If one participates a gamble willingly, one has to bear all the consequence of losing.

橫行無忌

1. to run amuck; to run wild

氣宇軒昂

1. one has a dignified bearing

經天緯地

Etymology

經 (to weave vertically) + 天 (the heavens) + 緯 (to weave horizontally) + 地 (the earth)

Idiom

1. (a talent for) managing affairs of state

Derived terms

進酒作樂

1. (literary) to pour wine for somebody and then toast them as one talks and laughs with that person

不可開交

1. unable to break away from one's duties or tasks; can't catch a break

Derived terms

不形於色

1. one's facial expression does not reveal any emotion; to not reveal any emotion on one's face

Derived terms

基情四射

Etymology

Based on 激情四射; see 基情 for more.

Idiom

1. (neologism, humorous) to radiate gay affection in all directions; gayish; overly brotherly love emanating from the scene

久而久之

1. in the course of time; over a long period of time

喊聲震天

1. loud screams and shouting seemingly shakes the heavens

皇親國戚

1. member of royalty or royal household; royal person
2. person having powerful connections

招降納順

1. (archaic) to entreat the enemy to surrender and allow those who are obedient (to the government) to rejoin society

惠風和暢

1. a gentle breeze is freely blowing

天下歸心

1. to win over the support and trust of the entire nation

半斤八兩

1. six of one, half a dozen of the other

Derived terms

人頭湧湧

1. (Cantonese) to have large crowds of people

拾金不昧

1. to not pocket the money or other valuables one picks up; to return lost property to its owner

一蹶不振

1. one stumble and thence unable to rise; (figuratively) unable to truly recover after a setback

淚如泉湧

1. tears gush out as if from a spring

鋪霜湧雪

Etymology

Literally: blanketed with frost and piled on with snow

Idiom

1. rapidly and continually increasing in number

鋤強扶弱

1. to suppress the strong and aid the weak

一派胡言

1. a load of nonsense

不可理喻

1. to defy reason; to be unreasonable because of stupidity or stubbornness

一掃而空

1. to sweep clean; to be swept clean away

一波三折

1. (originally) calligraphic flourish with many twists
2. (figuratively) to be full of ups and downs; to have many twists and turns

一表人才

1. (usually used to describe a man) to be a person of striking appearance; to be fine-looking and talented

不折不扣

1. unreservedly; fully; thoroughly; out and out; through and through

不明不白

1. unclear; vague; ambiguous
2. without a clear reason; for no reason; unjustly
3. shady; of an unclear source

不堪設想

1. too dreadful to contemplate; too horrible to imagine

八仙過海，各顯神通

1. everybody using their talents to achieve a common goal

不可或缺

1. necessary; must-have; indispensable

佛口蛇心

1. duplicitous; two-faced

Synonyms

• 人面獸心

趕盡殺絕

1. to drive away and kill all; to kill to the last one; to exterminate

天災人禍

1. natural disasters and man-made calamities; catastrophes

刀山火海

1. mountains of daggers and seas of flames; (figuratively) extreme danger

成行成市

1. (of many stalls and shops) to gather to become a brisk market; to be flourishing; to be booming

大錯特錯

1. to be as wrong as wrong can be; to be utterly wrong

愁眉苦臉

1. with knitted brows and a doleful look; looking distressed

無所事事

1. to have nothing to do

勞燕分飛

1. the shrike (伯勞) and the swallow (燕) part and fly in different directions
2. (figuratively) two lovers part

Lihat pula: 伯勞飛燕

批碗摔箸

1. (Min Nan) to lose one's temper to the point that one has a violent and frenzied behavior

再接再厲

1. to make persistent efforts; to redouble one's efforts; to keep up one's good work

猴年馬月

Etymology

From 驢年馬月 (“year of the donkey (in the Zodiac); God knows when”).

Alternatively, from dialectal 何年嘛月 (“what year, what month?”).

Idiom

1. an unknown and long time; donkey's years; God knows when

細思恐極

1. (neologism, slang) The more one thinks about it, the more petrified one becomes.

喜大普奔

Etymology

Acrostic-style contraction of four synonymous idioms (see below), producing a four-character word that resembles a genuine Chinese chengyu (idiom).

Idiom

1. (neologism, slang, sometimes sarcastic) used to announce uplifting news or express congratulations

一籌莫展

1. to be unable to find a solution; to be at wits' end

一馬當先

1. to gallop at the head; to take the lead; to be in the foremost rank

來歷不明

1. of unknown origins

不一而足

1. cannot be described only by one example; by no means an isolated case; to be numerous

不謀而合

1. happen to hold the same views; agree without previous collaboration

不勞而獲

1. to reap without sowing; to live off the toil of other people

不可多得

1. to be hard to come by; to be rare to have

不眠不休

1. to toil without taking a break to rest or sleep

不足為奇

1. to be commonplace and not at all surprising

乏人問津

1. to have few people making enquiries about the matter; to be unable to attract people's attention

朗朗上口

1. (of poetry) flowing off the tongue with ease
2. (of music) catchy

五彩繽紛

1. all the colours in profusion; full of bright colours; multicoloured; garish display

兄友弟恭

1. to show love and respect as good brothers should

冬暖夏涼

1. warm in the winter and cool in the summer

心高氣傲

1. proud and arrogant

百無一二

1. there are no more than a few people left

獨一無二

1. unique; unparalleled; unmatched

比手畫腳

1. to use movement of either the hands or of some other body limb in order to supplement that which can not be expressed in words; to use sign language; to communicate by using hand gestures

心知肚明

1. to be well aware

Synonyms

• 心中有數
• 心照不宣

心照不宣

1. A tacit understanding or verbal agreement.

可圈可點

1. (of performance, achievement, etc) praiseworthy; remarkable; commendable

矯枉過正

1. to overcorrect; to hypercorrect; to overcompensate

奄奄一息

1. dying; at one's last gasp

一塌糊塗

1. in a complete mess; in an awful condition; a kettle of fish

一模一樣

1. exactly the same; identical

一五一十

Etymology

From counting by fives.

Idiom

1. (of narrating) in full detail

空前絕後

1. unprecedented and never to be duplicated; the first and the last; unmatched; unique

騎驢找馬

1. (figuratively, colloquial) to settle for what one has for the moment (e.g. job, girlfriend, etc.) while actively looking for something better

Synonyms

• (Cantonese) 騎牛搵馬

過目難忘

1. to be hard to forget when one has run eyes over something; unforgettable

塵埃落定

Etymology

Compare the English phrase dust settle.

Idiom

1. (of a matter) to be finalised; to get sorted out

橫空出世

Etymology

From the 1935 poem 《念奴嬌·昆侖》 by Mao Zedong.

Idiom

1. to appear suddenly; to appear out of the ordinary; to be spectacular

一無所獲

1. have no gain

逃之夭夭

Etymology

Alteration of the originally unrelated idiom 桃之夭夭 (“splendid and lush flowers of the peaches”), by replacing 桃 (“peach”) with 逃 (“to escape”).

Idiom

1. to decamp; to take to one's heels

重蹈覆轍

1. to repeat the same mistake; to recommit the same error

壽終正寢

1. to die at a ripe old age

煥然一新

1. brand new; changed beyond recognition

落落大方

1. poised and uninhibited

味同嚼蠟

1. tastes as if one is chewing wax; insipid; tasteless

蟾宮折桂

Etymology

The phrase alludes to several Chinese legends: one that credited the phases of the moon to a great osmanthus tree (桂) growing and shedding its leaves and blossoms each month; another granting the immortal Chang'e an enormous mansion on the moon (月宮), whose grounds included the tree; another (older than the Chang'e stories) seeing a pareidolic toad in the shadows of the moon and associating the toad with good luck and wealth (金蟾). Branches of sweet-smelling blossoms from the tree were thought to (rarely) fall to Earth and grant good luck to whosoever found them. The association with the tests had to do with the holding of the examinations around the time of the blossoming of the osmanthus and the Mid-Autumn Festival honoring its connections to the moon and Chang'e.

Idiom

1. (historical) to pass the imperial examination

肺腑之言

1. words from the heart; heartfelt words

千言萬語

1. thousands and thousands of words

饑饉薦臻

1. (literary) famine occurring year after year

畢其功於一役

1. to accomplish the task in one stroke

不亦樂乎

Etymology

From The Analects:

Idiom

1. extremely; very; awfully

其樂無窮

1. it is a great joy to (do something); to find it an infinite delight (to do something)

空穴來風

1. (of a rumour, literary) to be not completely unsound; to have a basis for its existence
2. (of a rumour, in modern uses) to be completely unsound; to be utterly baseless

鬱鬱寡歡

1. depressed; melancholic

Synonyms

• 悒鬱寡歡

悒鬱寡歡

1. depressed; melancholic

Synonyms

• 鬱鬱寡歡

不求甚解

1. to not seek deep understanding; to read or know things on a superficial level

一言不發

1. to not say a word; to be silent

洛陽紙貴

Idiom

1. (of a literary work, e.g. a new book) to be all the rage for a time; to be immensely popular

飲鴆止渴

1. to do something harmful in order to seek temporary relief

魯魚亥豕

Etymology

Confusing the character 魯 with 魚, and 亥 with 豕.

Idiom

1. typographical errors caused by similar-looking characters

蛛絲馬跡

1. clue; trace; tiny hints

惺惺惜惺惺

1. people of intelligence and talent appreciate one another; like-minded people relate well to each other

為虎作倀

1. to assist a devil; to help a villain do evil

談笑風生

1. to talk in a jovial mood; to joke together; to talk cheerfully and wittily

敗兵折將

1. to suffer a major defeat in battle resulting in the loss of a number of soldiers and generals

折箭為誓

Etymology

The implication was that if one broke one's promise, one's fate would be similar to that of the arrow's.

Idiom

1. to make a solemn pledge

無痕無影

1. (Teochew) to disappear without a trace

海底摸針

1. to look for a needle in a haystack

Synonyms

• 大海撈針
• 海底撈針
• 東海撈針
• 水底撈針

四方八面

1. Templat:zh-synonym

Lihat pula: 圐圙

刣雞教猴

1. (Min) Templat:zh-synonym

蜜餞砒霜

1. sugarcoated poison; the flattering words of a vicious person

刀下留人

1. used as an exclamation requesting that the decapitation of a prisoner be stayed or suspended: Spare him / her!

返老還童

1. to recover one's youthful vigour; to become young again; to become rejuvenated in one's old age

原原本本

1. from beginning to end; in its entirety

一錘定音

1. to give the final word

秀外慧中

1. (usually of a girl) good-looking and intelligent

裡應外合

1. to work from the inside in coordination with elements from the outside

五勞七傷

1. (traditional Chinese medicine) “five strains and seven impairments”, five referring to the five viscera (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney), and seven to adverse effects on one's body as a result of: overeating (spleen)​, anger (liver)​, moisture (kidney)​, cold (lung)​, worry (heart)​, wind and rain (outer appearance)​ and fear (mind)​
2. (by extension) various disease risk factors and pathogenic factors
3. (figuratively) prone to various diseases

無動於衷

1. aloof; indifferent; unmoved; unconcerned

烏七八糟

1. everything in disorder; in a hideous mess; horribly messy
2. filthy; despicable; disgusting

死心塌地

1. to be hell-bent on; to be dead set on (following someone)

對號入座

1. (literally) to take one's seat according to the number (on the ticket); to take the assigned seat
2. (figuratively) to match people with descriptions; to associate oneself with something that appears similar; to take something personally

摩拳擦掌

1. to rub one's fists and wipe one's palms; to roll up one's sleeves for a battle

驕奢淫逸

1. extravagant and dissipated; decadent

渾水摸魚

1. to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain

鬼哭狼嚎

1. to wail like ghosts and howl like wolves

孤苦伶仃

1. solitary and impoverished

負隅頑抗

Etymology

A tale from Mencius:

Idiom

1. (figuratively) to make a last-ditch fight (relying on a strategically inaccessible place or other conditions)

出謀劃策

1. (sometimes derogatory) to put forward plans and ideas; to give advice

畢恭畢敬

1. reverent and respectful; extremely deferential

兩鬢斑白

1. to have grey hair at the temples; to be old-aged or have overworked oneself

流連忘返

1. to remain enjoying oneself and forget to go home; to be unable to tear oneself away; to linger

並駕齊驅

1. to keep pace with; to keep abreast of; to advance at an equal pace with; to run neck and neck; to be on a par with

首屈一指

Etymology

In Chinese culture, one common method of counting is to begin with an open hand, then begin folding the fingers into the palm starting with the thumb.

Idiom

1. first
2. number one; come first on the list; be matchless; be second to none; come out first; thumbs up

明鏡高懸

Etymology

According to Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital, Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, had a mirror which could show the good or evil of a person. This gave rise to the phrase.

Idiom

1. (figuratively) perspicacious and impartial in judgment

飢腸轆轆

1. one's stomach rumbles with hunger

沾沾自喜

1. to feel complacent; to be pleased with oneself

毛骨悚然

1. absolutely terrified

與眾不同

1. different; distinct; standing out from the crowd

開天闢地

1. creation of the world; dawn of heaven
2. (figuratively) heroic; first of its kind

身懷六甲

1. to be pregnant

葉公好龍

1. (figuratively) to pretend to be fond of something while actually fearing it

餓殍遍野

1. strewn with corpses of victims of starvation

一年之計在於春

1. early planning is the key to success

一年半載

1. about a year; quite a long while

屍橫遍野

1. dead corpses blanketing the countryside

力不從心

1. to be less capable than one wants; to be unable to reach one's wishes

下不為例

1. not to be repeated; just this once

金童玉女

Idiom

1. (Taoism) child attendants of the immortals
2. (figuratively) innocent and lovely young children
3. (figuratively) talented and good-looking couple; lovely young couple

七月流火

1. the summer heat recedes during the seventh lunar month, and the cold season becomes imminent
2. scorching heat during July

予取予求

1. (literally) to seek and ask (something) of me
2. (figuratively) to make unlimited demands; to demand everything
3. (figuratively) to do as one pleases

束之高閣

1. tied up in a bundle on a high shelf; to put something on the back burner

螳臂當車

1. (figuratively) to overrate oneself and attempt something impossible

義憤填膺

1. to feel indignant at injustice

一語成讖

1. one's careless words (inauspiciously) turned out to be a prophecy

好花插在牛糞上

Etymology

Literally: Pleasant flowers stuck into a pile of cow manure.

Idiom

1. a beautiful or talented woman marries an ugly or untalented husband

Synonyms

• 一朵鮮花插在牛糞上

干將莫邪

Idiom

1. sharp sword

朝秦暮楚

1. (figuratively) to be quick to switch sides

齊大非偶

1. (of someone from a humble background) to decline a marriage proposal from a rich family as one dare not aspire to such an honour

千錘百煉

1. hard work and numerous revisions

虛與委蛇

Etymology

From the book Zhuangzi:

Idiom

1. pretense at complying; sham gestures of politeness

審時度勢

1. to judge the hour and size up the situation; to take stock

前倨後恭

1. to change from arrogance to humility

叱吒風雲

1. able to command the sea and waves; to be all-powerful

自怨自艾

1. to be full of remorse and self-reproach

便宜行事

1. to act at one's discretion

暴虎馮河

1. (figuratively) bull-headed heroism

稗官野史

1. anecdotal history; romances

官運亨通

1. (of a political career) everything is going smoothly

厝火積薪

1. (figuratively) hidden danger

縱橫捭闔

1. (figuratively) to manoeuvre amongst various political groupings

怙惡不悛

1. to keep doing evil without a sense of repentance

博聞強識

1. erudite; widely read and knowledgeable

呼天搶地

1. to cry bitterly and loudly in excessive grief

罪行累累

1. committed numerous crimes

一曝十寒

1. to work for a bit then skimp

量體裁衣

1. to act according to actual circumstances

拾級而上

1. to walk slowly up a flight of steps

呶呶不休

1. to chatter away; to talk endlessly

歃血為盟

1. to smear the lips with blood when taking an oath

佶屈聱牙

1. (of a text) difficult to read and understand

揠苗助長

1. (figuratively) to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm

Synonyms

• 拔苗助長

拔苗助長

1. (figuratively) to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm

Synonyms

• 揠苗助長

不蔓不枝

1. (figuratively) succinct and to the point; written in a pithy and smooth style; concise

Derived terms

莘莘學子

1. a great number of students

載歌載舞

1. singing and dancing; festive celebrations

相形見絀

1. pale by comparison

椎心泣血

1. to be deeply grieved; deep sorrow

畏葸不前

1. to shrink back in fear

走火入魔

Idiom

1. (Taoism, qigong, etc.) to experience serious negative physiological and psychological changes resulting from the “improper” practice of qigong or other self-cultivation techniques; to develop meditation psychosis
2. (figuratively) to be obsessed with something as if one is possessed by demons; to be taken over by (something)

家徒四壁

1. (figuratively) very poor; wretched

一衣帶水

1. separated only by​ a narrow strip of water

有名無實

1. merely nominal

故弄玄虛

1. deliberately mystifying; to make something unnecessarily mysterious

火中取栗

Etymology

From the fable The Monkey and the Cat.

Idiom

1. to pull chestnuts out of the fire; to be someone's cat's-paw

見怪不怪

1. to keep one's calm in the face of the unexpected, not to wonder at strange sights

平分秋色

1. to both have an equal share of

虛懷若谷

1. (figuratively) modest and open-minded

螳螂捕蟬，黃雀在後

1. to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger

想入非非

1. to indulge in fantastical thoughts; to daydream

有恃無恐

1. to be emboldened in the knowledge that one has backing; to fear nothing with someone at one's back

事到如今

1. as things stand; currently; getting this far; up to this point

臨陣磨槍

1. (idiomatic) prepare at the last moment

探頭探腦

1. to pop one's head in and look about

飽經滄桑

1. to experience many vicissitudes; to have experienced many vicissitudes of life; to have lived through many changes

飽經風霜

1. weather-beaten; having has one's fill of hardships; having experienced the hardship of life

飽食終日

1. to spend the whole day eating (i.e. not doing any work)

Derived terms

飽學之士

Etymology

From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Idiom

1. erudite person; learned scholar; man of learning

飽以老拳

1. to spend the whole day eating (i.e. not doing any work)

報仇雪恥

1. to avenge a wrong and wipe out or erase humiliation; to take revenge for an insult

報喜不報憂

1. to report the good news but not the bad news; to report only what is good while withholding what is unpleasant

飽食終日，無所用心

1. to eat all day without thinking; to eat three square meals a day and do no work; to be sated with food and lead an idle life

飽漢不知餓漢飢

1. the well-fed do not know how the starving suffer; to have no realization of how others feel; to be oblivious

寶山空回

1. to fail to benefit from a visit to a great master, a center of learning, etc.

包治百病

1. guaranteed to cure all illnesses; cure-all

霸王硬上弓

Etymology

“Xiang Yu (the overlord) attaches the bowstring”.

It is said that the mighty leader Xiang Yu could bend a bow and attach the string with only one hand.

Idiom

1. (figuratively) to do something by force; (euphemistic) to force oneself upon (a female friend); to rape

半新不舊

1. no longer new; showing signs of wear; worn

半信半疑

1. half-believing, half-doubting; not quite convinced

包藏禍心

1. to harbor evil intentions; to conceal malice

包攬詞訟

1. to pettifog; to engage in legal pettifoggery; to practice chicanery

八面威風

1. intimidating, commanding presence; aura of awesome might

八面玲瓏

1. smooth and slick (in making social contacts)

Synonyms

• 八面光
• 八面見光

八面見光

1. smooth and slick (in making social contacts)

Synonyms

• 八面光
• 八面玲瓏

八面光

1. smooth and slick (in making social contacts)

Synonyms

• 八面見光
• 八面玲瓏

跋前疐後

1. to encounter obstacles ahead and behind; to be beset with difficulties; to be surrounded by problems

跋山涉水

1. to travel afar under difficult conditions; to travel over land and water

把水攪渾

1. to create confusion

白璧微瑕

1. minor blemish in a thing of beauty; slight defect in a person of integrity

開花結果

1. (figuratively) to yield positive results

包辦代替

1. to take away somebody else's work; to run things all by oneself without consulting others

遍體鱗傷

1. to be covered all over with cuts and bruises; to be seriously wounded

老夫老妻

1. old married couple

怏怏不樂

1. to look sullen and unhappy; to seem as though one is unhappy

三姑六婆

Etymology

Refers to the three 姑:

• 尼姑 (“Buddhist nun”),
• 道姑 (“Taoist nun”), and
• 卦姑 (“female fortune teller”),

and the six 婆:

• 牙婆 (“female human trafficker”),
• 媒婆 (“female matchmaker”),
• 師婆 (“sorceress”),
• 虔婆 (“female brothel keeper”),
• 藥婆 (“female doctor”), and
• 穩婆 (“female midwife”).

In ancient China, women of these occupations often swindled money from people and were not reputable.

Idiom

1. women with disreputable or illegal professions
2. (figuratively) (female) gossipmongers

一天到晚

1. from morning till night; all day long

金城湯池

1. firm city; strongly fortified city

Synonyms

• (short form) 金湯

九牛二虎之力

1. (figuratively) tremendous strength

Pranala luar

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