Chinese idioms (chengyu)

Literally: draw legs on a snake

to ruin something by adding what isn't needed

你别再改了，那是画蛇添足。
Nǐ bié zài gǎi le, nà shì huàshétiānzú.
Stop editing, you'll only make it worse.

Literally: wait by a stump for a hare

to wait for luck instead of making an effort

好运不会自己来，不能守株待兔。
Hǎoyùn bú huì zìjǐ lái, bù néng shǒuzhūdàitù.
Luck won't come by itself, so don't just sit and wait.

Literally: play the zither to a cow

to speak to someone who can't understand

跟他讲道理是对牛弹琴。
Gēn tā jiǎng dàoli shì duìniútánqín.
Reasoning with him is pointless.

Literally: one's own spear against one's own shield

to contradict oneself

他说的话自相矛盾。
Tā shuō de huà zìxiāngmáodùn.
What he says contradicts itself.

Literally: give up halfway

to give up halfway

学汉语不要半途而废。
Xué hànyǔ bú yào bàntú'érfèi.
Don't give up on Chinese halfway.

Literally: enter a village, follow its customs

when in Rome, do as the Romans do

到了中国，要入乡随俗。
Dào le zhōngguó, yào rùxiāngsuísú.
In China, follow the local customs.

Literally: one move, two gains

to kill two birds with one stone

骑车上班，锻炼身体，一举两得。
Qí chē shàngbān, duànliàn shēntǐ, yìjǔliǎngdé.
Cycling to work is exercise too: two gains in one.

Literally: mend the pen after the sheep is lost

better late than never to fix a problem

现在开始复习，也算亡羊补牢。
Xiànzài kāishǐ fùxí, yě suàn wángyángbǔláo.
Starting to review now is better late than never.

Literally: a frog at the bottom of a well

a person with a narrow view of the world

多出去看看，别做井底之蛙。
Duō chūqù kànkan, bié zuò jǐngdǐzhīwā.
Get out more and don't be a frog in a well.

Literally: the old man at the frontier loses his horse

a blessing in disguise

丢了工作未必是坏事，真是塞翁失马。
Diū le gōngzuò wèibì shì huàishì, zhēn shì sàiwēngshīmǎ.
Losing a job isn't always bad: a blessing in disguise.

Literally: think three times, then act

to think carefully before acting

买房是大事，要三思而行。
Mǎi fáng shì dàshì, yào sānsī'érxíng.
Buying a home is a big deal, so think twice.

Literally: love is set at first sight

love at first sight

他们一见钟情，很快结婚了。
Tāmen yíjiànzhōngqíng, hěn kuài jiéhūn le.
It was love at first sight, and they soon married.

Literally: a thousand ways, a hundred plans

by every possible means

他千方百计想买到票。
Tā qiānfāngbǎijì xiǎng mǎidào piào.
He tried every way to get a ticket.

Literally: can't be thought of or discussed

unbelievable, incredible

这件事真不可思议！
Zhè jiàn shì zhēn bùkěsīyì!
This is really incredible!

Literally: chaotic seven, eight, mess

a complete mess

他的房间乱七八糟。
Tā de fángjiān luànqībāzāo.
His room is a complete mess.

Literally: with flavour and relish

with great relish

孩子们吃得津津有味。
Háizimen chī de jīnjīnyǒuwèi.
The children are eating with relish.

Literally: five colours, six hues

colourful, multicoloured

花园里有五颜六色的花。
Huāyuán lǐ yǒu wǔyánliùsè de huā.
The garden is full of colourful flowers.

Literally: seven up, eight down

to feel uneasy, on edge

考试前，我心里七上八下。
Kǎoshì qián, wǒ xīn lǐ qīshàngbāxià.
Before the exam I felt on edge.

Literally: one stone, two birds

to kill two birds with one stone

这个办法一石二鸟。
Zhè ge bànfǎ yìshí'èrniǎo.
This method solves two problems at once.

Literally: cover your ears and steal a bell

to deceive oneself

假装没看见是掩耳盗铃。
Jiǎzhuāng méi kànjiàn shì yǎn'ěrdàolíng.
Pretending not to see is fooling yourself.

Literally: the fox borrows the tiger's might

to bully others with a powerful backer's authority

他只是狐假虎威。
Tā zhǐ shì hújiǎhǔwēi.
He's only throwing around someone else's authority.

Literally: a bow's reflection in the cup looks like a snake

to be scared by imaginary dangers

你太紧张了，这是杯弓蛇影。
Nǐ tài jǐnzhāng le, zhè shì bēigōngshéyǐng.
You're too nervous; it's just imagined fear.

Literally: a finished bamboo in one's chest

to have a well-thought-out plan, confident

他对考试胸有成竹。
Tā duì kǎoshì xiōngyǒuchéngzhú.
He is confident about the exam.

Literally: mark the boat to find a dropped sword

to cling to outdated methods

时代变了，别再刻舟求剑。
Shídài biàn le, bié zài kèzhōuqiújiàn.
Times have changed, so stop clinging to the old ways.

Literally: love it too much to put down

to be unable to put something down

这本书我爱不释手。
Zhè běn shū wǒ àibúshìshǒu.
I can't put this book down.

Literally: pull the seedlings to help them grow

to harm something by impatient haste

教孩子不能拔苗助长。
Jiāo háizi bù néng bámiáozhùzhǎng.
Don't rush a child's learning.

Literally: smash the cauldrons, sink the boats

to burn one's bridges and commit fully

他破釜沉舟，辞职创业。
Tā pòfǔchénzhōu, cízhí chuàngyè.
He burned his bridges: quit and started a business.

Literally: talk about war on paper

armchair strategy, theory without practice

只看书不练习是纸上谈兵。
Zhǐ kàn shū bù liànxí shì zhǐshàngtánbīng.
Reading without practising is only theory.

Literally: a crouching tiger, a hidden dragon

hidden talents

这个公司卧虎藏龙。
Zhè ge gōngsī wòhǔcánglóng.
This company is full of hidden talent.

Literally: paint a dragon and dot its eyes

the finishing touch that brings it to life

最后这句话是画龙点睛。
Zuìhòu zhè jù huà shì huàlóngdiǎnjīng.
That last sentence is the finishing touch.

Literally: one hair from nine oxen

a drop in the ocean

这点钱对他只是九牛一毛。
Zhè diǎn qián duì tā zhǐ shì jiǔniúyìmáo.
That money is a drop in the ocean to him.

Literally: one word settles it

it's a deal

明天见，一言为定！
Míngtiān jiàn, yìyánwéidìng!
See you tomorrow, it's a deal!

Literally: one sail, a fair wind

smooth sailing

祝你一帆风顺！
Zhù nǐ yìfānfēngshùn!
Wishing you smooth sailing!

Literally: one heart, one mind

wholeheartedly

她一心一意地学习。
Tā yìxīnyíyì de xuéxí.
She studies with total focus.

Literally: three hearts, two minds

half-hearted, wavering

学习不能三心二意。
Xuéxí bù néng sānxīn'èryì.
You can't study half-heartedly.

Literally: four sides, eight directions

from all directions

游客从四面八方来。
Yóukè cóng sìmiànbāfāng lái.
Tourists come from all directions.

Literally: ten complete, ten beautiful

perfect in every way

没有十全十美的人。
Méiyǒu shíquánshíměi de rén.
Nobody is perfect.

Literally: a hundred shots, a hundred hits

to never miss

他射箭百发百中。
Tā shèjiàn bǎifābǎizhòng.
He never misses with a bow.

Literally: not one failure in ten thousand

foolproof

这样做万无一失。
Zhèyàng zuò wànwúyìshī.
Do it this way and nothing can go wrong.

Literally: heart sweet, feelings willing

perfectly willing

他心甘情愿帮助你。
Tā xīngānqíngyuàn bāngzhù nǐ.
He's glad to help you.

Literally: known throughout the world

world-famous

长城是举世闻名的古迹。
Chángchéng shì jǔshìwénmíng de gǔjì.
The Great Wall is a world-famous monument.

Literally: seek truth from facts

to be realistic, base it on facts

做研究要实事求是。
Zuò yánjiū yào shíshìqiúshì.
Research must stick to the facts.

Literally: by reason, naturally so

only natural, a matter of course

他觉得这是理所当然的。
Tā juéde zhè shì lǐsuǒdāngrán de.
He takes it for granted.

Literally: not a hair of hesitation

without hesitation

她毫不犹豫地答应了。
Tā háobùyóuyù de dāying le.
She agreed without hesitation.

Literally: decide at once at the right moment

to make a snap decision

他当机立断，关了电源。
Tā dāngjīlìduàn, guān le diànyuán.
He acted at once and cut the power.

Literally: pressed, unable to wait

can't wait

孩子迫不及待地打开礼物。
Háizi pòbùjídài de dǎkāi lǐwù.
The child couldn't wait to open the present.

Literally: high spirits, bright mood

in high spirits

大家兴高采烈地唱歌。
Dàjiā xìnggāocǎiliè de chànggē.
Everyone sings happily.

Literally: no spirit, no sparkle

listless, in low spirits

他今天无精打采。
Tā jīntiān wújīngdǎcǎi.
He's listless today.

Literally: eyes wide, mouth open

dumbstruck

听到消息，我目瞪口呆。
Tīngdào xiāoxi, wǒ mùdèngkǒudāi.
I was dumbstruck by the news.

Literally: hands busy, feet in a muddle

to be flustered, in a frantic rush

客人突然来了，我手忙脚乱。
Kèrén tūrán lái le, wǒ shǒumángjiǎoluàn.
Guests suddenly arrived and I was in a flap.

Literally: flowing on and on without a break

to talk on and on

他说起话来滔滔不绝。
Tā shuōqǐ huà lái tāotāobùjué.
Once he starts talking, he never stops.

Literally: take strengths to cover weaknesses

to learn from each other's strengths

我们互相取长补短。
Wǒmen hùxiāng qǔchángbǔduǎn.
We make up for each other's weak points.

Literally: familiarity breeds skill

practice makes perfect

多练习，熟能生巧。
Duō liànxí, shúnéngshēngqiǎo.
Practise more; practice makes perfect.

Literally: hold on with constancy

to persevere

学语言要持之以恒。
Xué yǔyán yào chízhīyǐhéng.
Learning a language takes perseverance.

Literally: persist without slackening

to persevere tirelessly

她坚持不懈地练习。
Tā jiānchíbùxiè de liànxí.
She practises tirelessly.

Literally: whole heart, whole mind

wholeheartedly

医生全心全意为病人服务。
Yīshēng quánxīnquányì wèi bìngrén fúwù.
The doctor serves patients wholeheartedly.

Literally: seek better after good

to keep improving, strive for perfection

他对工作精益求精。
Tā duì gōngzuò jīngyìqiújīng.
He always strives to do his work better.

Literally: unlike the crowd

different from the rest

她的想法与众不同。
Tā de xiǎngfǎ yǔzhòngbùtóng.
Her ideas are different from everyone else's.

Literally: one, with no second

one of a kind

每个人都是独一无二的。
Měi gè rén dōu shì dúyìwú'èr de.
Everyone is one of a kind.

Literally: seen so often it's ordinary

a common sight

这种事在这里司空见惯。
Zhè zhǒng shì zài zhèlǐ sīkōngjiànguàn.
Such things are common here.

Literally: the horse arrives, success follows

instant success (a wish)

祝你马到成功！
Zhù nǐ mǎdàochénggōng!
Wishing you swift success!

Literally: a safe road all the way

bon voyage, safe journey

祝你一路平安！
Zhù nǐ yílùpíng'ān!
Have a safe trip!

Literally: ten thousand things as you wish

may everything go as you wish

新年快乐，万事如意！
Xīnnián kuàilè, wànshìrúyì!
Happy New Year, may all go well!

Literally: what the heart wants comes true

may your wishes come true

祝你心想事成！
Zhù nǐ xīnxiǎngshìchéng!
May all your wishes come true!

Literally: congratulations, get rich

wishing you prosperity

新年好，恭喜发财！
Xīnnián hǎo, gōngxǐfācái!
Happy New Year and prosperity!

Literally: new by the day, different by the month

changing rapidly

这座城市日新月异。
Zhè zuò chéngshì rìxīnyuèyì.
This city changes by the day.

Literally: strengthen yourself without rest

to strive constantly to improve

我们要自强不息。
Wǒmen yào zìqiángbùxī.
We must keep striving to improve.

Literally: find joy in helping others

to take pleasure in helping others

他以助人为乐。
Tā yǐ zhùrénwéilè.
He enjoys helping others.

Literally: seen much, knows widely

experienced and well-informed

她走过很多地方，见多识广。
Tā zǒuguo hěn duō dìfang, jiànduōshíguǎng.
She has travelled widely and knows a lot.

Literally: broad and profound

vast and profound

中国文化博大精深。
Zhōngguó wénhuà bódàjīngshēn.
Chinese culture is vast and profound.

Literally: distant source, long stream

with a long history

汉字的历史源远流长。
Hànzì de lìshǐ yuányuǎnliúcháng.
Chinese characters have a long history.

Literally: did not come easily

hard-won

成绩来之不易。
Chéngjì láizhībúyì.
The result was hard-won.

Literally: what everyone knows

as everyone knows

众所周知，北京是首都。
Zhòngsuǒzhōuzhī, běijīng shì shǒudū.
As everyone knows, Beijing is the capital.

Literally: to put it all together

in short, in a word

总而言之，我同意。
Zǒng'éryánzhī, wǒ tóngyì.
In short, I agree.

Literally: nothing can be done

helpless, no way out

他无可奈何地笑了。
Tā wúkěnàihé de xiào le.
He gave a helpless smile.

Literally: not knowing, not noticing

unconsciously, before one knows it

不知不觉，天黑了。
Bùzhībùjué, tiān hēi le.
Before we knew it, it was dark.

Literally: clear without saying

self-evident

这个道理不言而喻。
Zhè ge dàoli bùyán'éryù.
This is self-evident.

Literally: coincide without agreeing beforehand

to act in unison without prior arrangement

大家不约而同地笑了。
Dàjiā bùyuē'értóng de xiào le.
Everyone laughed at the same moment.

Literally: not under one's own control

involuntarily

我不由自主地哭了。
Wǒ bùyóuzìzhǔ de kū le.
I burst into tears involuntarily.

Literally: follow what the heart wants

to do as one pleases

在这里不能随心所欲。
Zài zhèlǐ bù néng suíxīnsuǒyù.
You can't do whatever you like here.

Literally: hard on the left, hard on the right

caught in a dilemma

两个都好，我左右为难。
Liǎng gè dōu hǎo, wǒ zuǒyòuwéinán.
Both are good, and I can't choose.

Literally: hard to advance or retreat

stuck between a rock and a hard place

我现在进退两难。
Wǒ xiànzài jìntuìliǎngnán.
I'm in a bind right now.

Literally: never existed before

unprecedented

这是前所未有的机会。
Zhè shì qiánsuǒwèiyǒu de jīhuì.
This is an unprecedented opportunity.

Literally: joyfully heading for flourishing

thriving, flourishing

市场欣欣向荣。
Shìchǎng xīnxīnxiàngróng.
The market is thriving.

Literally: can't name what's so strange

baffling, for no reason at all

他莫名其妙地生气了。
Tā mòmíngqímiào de shēngqì le.
He got angry for no reason.

Literally: carefully, like folded wings

very carefully

她小心翼翼地走过去。
Tā xiǎoxīnyìyì de zǒuguòqù.
She walked over very carefully.

Literally: light and easy to lift

easy, effortless

这对他轻而易举。
Zhè duì tā qīng'éryìjǔ.
This is easy for him.

Literally: fight to be first, fear being last

to scramble to be first

大家争先恐后地上车。
Dàjiā zhēngxiānkǒnghòu de shàng chē.
Everyone scrambles to get on the bus.

Literally: talk to oneself

to talk to oneself

他常常自言自语。
Tā chángcháng zìyánzìyǔ.
He often talks to himself.

Literally: live by one's own strength

self-reliance

我们要自力更生。
Wǒmen yào zìlìgēngshēng.
We must rely on ourselves.

Literally: from one, infer three

to learn by analogy, draw inferences

学习要学会举一反三。
Xuéxí yào xuéhuì jǔyìfǎnsān.
In studying, learn to generalise from one example.

Literally: review the old to know the new

to gain new insights from old knowledge

复习旧课可以温故知新。
Fùxí jiù kè kěyǐ wēngùzhīxīn.
Reviewing old lessons brings new insight.

Literally: three in the morning, four in the evening

fickle, changing one's mind all the time

他做事朝三暮四。
Tā zuòshì zhāosānmùsì.
He's fickle in everything he does.

Literally: give the medicine that fits the illness

to apply the right remedy

要对症下药才有用。
Yào duìzhèngxiàyào cái yǒuyòng.
Only the right remedy will work.

Literally: send charcoal in the snow

to help in time of need

你的帮助是雪中送炭。
Nǐ de bāngzhù shì xuězhōngsòngtàn.
Your help came just when it was needed.

Literally: add flowers to brocade

the icing on the cake

这笔奖金是锦上添花。
Zhè bǐ jiǎngjīn shì jǐnshàngtiānhuā.
This bonus is the icing on the cake.

Literally: the man of Qi fears the sky will fall

groundless worries

别担心，不要杞人忧天。
Bié dānxīn, bú yào qǐrényōutiān.
Don't worry over nothing.

Literally: the foolish old man moves the mountain

perseverance that moves mountains

学汉语需要愚公移山的精神。
Xué hànyǔ xūyào yúgōngyíshān de jīngshén.
Learning Chinese takes a never-give-up spirit.

Literally: the old horse knows the way

experience knows the way

他是老马识途，听他的。
Tā shì lǎomǎshítú, tīng tā de.
He knows the ropes, so listen to him.

Literally: follow its natural course

to let things take their course

结果如何，顺其自然吧。
Jiéguǒ rúhé, shùnqízìrán ba.
Let's see what happens.