Chinese Idioms (Chengyu)

Hanzirama — Most Popular · Idioms · HSK 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7-9 · AboutChinese Idioms (Chengyu)

先发制人 (xiān fā zhì rén) — To strike first and gain control. Originally meant that the one who acts first gains the dominant position and can control the opponent. Now generally means taking the initiative by acting first to subdue the other party.

前所未有 (qián suǒ wèi yǒu) — Something that has never existed before; unprecedented.

众所周知 (zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī) — Something that everyone knows; common knowledge.

引人注目 (yǐn rén zhù mù) — To attract attention; eye-catching; conspicuous.

无论如何 (wú lùn rú hé) — No matter what; in any case; regardless of circumstances. Indicates that the result remains unchanged no matter how conditions vary.

坚定不移 (jiān dìng bù yí) — Firm and unwavering; steadfast and resolute.

理所当然 (lǐ suǒ dāng rán) — As it should be; naturally; a matter of course. According to reason, it ought to be so.

千方百计 (qiān fāng bǎi jì) — By every possible means; using all available methods; leaving no stone unturned.

当务之急 (dāng wù zhī jí) — The most urgent matter at hand; the pressing task of the moment.

独立自主 (dú lì zì zhǔ) — Independent and self-reliant; maintaining sovereignty without being controlled or manipulated by others. Often refers to nations or political parties maintaining their autonomy.

一意孤行 (yī yì gū xíng) — To insist on having one's own way; to act willfully without heeding others' advice; to be obstinate.

讨价还价 (tǎo jià huán jià) — To haggle; to bargain. The seller asks a high price, the buyer offers low, and both sides negotiate back and forth. Also used metaphorically for negotiating terms or setting conditions when accepting tasks.

显而易见 (xiǎn ér yì jiàn) — Obviously; clearly evident; plain to see. Something so obvious it's extremely easy to perceive.

韬光养晦 (tāo guāng yǎng huì) — To hide one's capabilities and bide one's time; to conceal one's talents and avoid the limelight.

所作所为 (suǒ zuò suǒ wéi) — One's actions and conduct; what someone does; deeds and behavior.

史无前例 (shǐ wú qián lì) — Unprecedented in history; never before seen in recorded history.

不可思议 (bù kě sī yì) — Inconceivable; unimaginable; beyond comprehension. Originally had a mystical, profound meaning. Now mostly means impossible to imagine or difficult to understand.

实事求是 (shí shì qiú shì) — To seek truth from facts; to be practical and realistic. Means proceeding from actual conditions to explore the internal connections and developmental patterns of things, recognizing their essence. Usually refers to handling matters according to actual circumstances.

一如既往 (yī rú jì wǎng) — Just as before; as always; consistently the same. Indicates that one's attitude or manner has not changed at all from before.

举足轻重 (jǔ zú qīng zhòng) — To hold the balance of power; to play a decisive role. Moving one's foot just slightly affects the balance on both sides. Describes being in such an important position that every action can influence the overall situation.

出人意料 (chū rén yì liào) — Unexpected; beyond expectations; contrary to what people anticipated.

成千上万 (chéng qiān shàng wàn) — Thousands and tens of thousands; a great many; countless.

相提并论 (xiāng tí bìng lùn) — To mention in the same breath; to place on equal footing; to compare as equals. Putting different people or different matters together for discussion or evaluation.

轩然大波 (xuān rán dà bō) — A great uproar; a huge commotion; a major disturbance. Originally described high, towering waves. Now used metaphorically for a major dispute or upheaval.

可想而知 (kě xiǎng ér zhī) — It goes without saying; one can well imagine; obviously. Can be imagined without needing explanation.

循序渐进 (xún xù jiàn jìn) — To proceed step by step; to advance gradually in proper sequence. Refers to learning or working according to certain steps, gradually going deeper or improving.

十面埋伏 (shí miàn mái fú) — Ambush on all sides; to be surrounded by enemies. Means setting up ambush troops on all sides to encircle and annihilate the enemy.

不以为然 (bù yǐ wéi rán) — To not think so; to disagree; to take exception. Does not consider something to be correct. Expresses disagreement or disapproval.

不得而知 (bù dé ér zhī) — Cannot know; have no way of knowing; remains unknown.

针锋相对 (zhēn fēng xiāng duì) — Tit for tat; to meet head-on; diametrically opposed. Needle tip against needle tip. Describes two sides being sharply opposed in strategies, arguments, or courses of action.

不约而同 (bù yuē ér tóng) — To agree without prior consultation; to coincide without arrangement; to act the same way without having agreed beforehand.

全力以赴 (quán lì yǐ fù) — To go all out; to spare no effort; to give one's all. To commit all one's strength to something.

截然不同 (jié rán bù tóng) — Completely different; totally distinct; poles apart. Having absolutely nothing in common.

源源不断 (yuán yuán bù duàn) — In an endless stream; continuously; flowing without cease. Describes things coming one after another without interruption.

有目共睹 (yǒu mù gòng dǔ) — Obvious to all; plain for everyone to see; there for all to witness. So obvious that everyone can see it.

变本加厉 (biàn běn jiā lì) — To intensify; to become worse; to go from bad to worse. Originally meant to develop further from the original. Now means the situation has become more serious than before.

铤而走险 (tǐng ér zǒu xiǎn) — To take a desperate risk; to make a reckless move out of desperation. To take risky action when there's no other way out.

错综复杂 (cuò zōng fù zá) — Intricate and complex; tangled and complicated. Having many intertwined threads and complicated circumstances.

别有用心 (bié yǒu yòng xīn) — To have ulterior motives; to have hidden intentions; to harbor secret designs. Having a different calculation in mind. Refers to words or actions concealing an undisclosed agenda.

速战速决 (sù zhàn sù jué) — A quick battle and quick decision; to fight a quick battle to force a quick decision; blitzkrieg. Using rapid tactics to end a battle. Also used metaphorically for completing tasks quickly.

沸沸扬扬 (fèi fèi yáng yáng) — Bubbling and seething; in a hubbub; creating a great commotion. Like boiling water - describes noisy, excited discussion or uproar among people.

突如其来 (tū rú qí lái) — To come suddenly and unexpectedly; out of the blue; catching one off guard.

不言而喻 (bù yán ér yù) — Self-evident; goes without saying; obvious without needing explanation.

不遗余力 (bù yí yú lì) — To spare no effort; to do one's utmost; holding nothing back. Using all one's strength without reservation.

一触即发 (yī chù jí fā) — Ready to go off at a touch; on the verge of breaking out; hair-trigger situation. Originally meant an arrow fitted to the bowstring, ready to be released. Now describes a tense situation that could explode at any moment.

忧心忡忡 (yōu xīn chōng chōng) — Deeply worried; heavy-hearted; filled with anxiety. Describes being weighed down with troubles and extremely worried.

迫不及待 (pò bù jí dài) — Too impatient to wait; can hardly wait; eager and anxious. So urgent one cannot wait.

紧锣密鼓 (jǐn luó mì gǔ) — Intense and hurried preparations; a flurry of activity; beating drums urgently. The gongs and drums are beaten rapidly. Describes the tense atmosphere and publicity buildup before an open event.

耐人寻味 (nài rén xún wèi) — Thought-provoking; providing food for thought; intriguing. Worth careful pondering and reflection due to its deep meaning.

脱颖而出 (tuō yǐng ér chū) — To stand out; to distinguish oneself; to rise above the crowd. Like the sharp tip of an awl poking through a bag. Describes fully displaying one's abilities.

咄咄逼人 (duō duō bī rén) — Overbearing; aggressive; pushing someone into a corner. Originally an exclamation of surprise. Describes an aggressive manner that makes others uncomfortable. Also describes a rapidly developing situation that creates pressure.

一无所知 (yī wú suǒ zhī) — To know nothing at all; completely ignorant; totally unaware.

息息相关 (xī xī xiāng guān) — Closely linked; intimately connected; bound together. Breathing is interconnected. Describes an extremely close relationship.

举世瞩目 (jǔ shì zhǔ mù) — Attracting worldwide attention; watched by the whole world; of global interest.

不择手段 (bù zé shǒu duàn) — By any means necessary; unscrupulous; stopping at nothing. Using any method available to achieve one's goal.

掉以轻心 (diào yǐ qīng xīn) — To take lightly; to be careless about; to not give due attention. Taking a casual, careless attitude toward something.

想方设法 (xiǎng fāng shè fǎ) — To try every possible way; to think of all sorts of methods; to rack one's brains for solutions.

意想不到 (yì xiǎng bù dào) — Unexpected; beyond imagination; unforeseen. Something not anticipated.

不得人心 (bù dé rén xīn) — Unpopular; not winning people's hearts; failing to gain public support. Not receiving the support or approval of the people.

层出不穷 (céng chū bù qióng) — Emerging endlessly; appearing in an unending stream; one after another without end.

竭尽全力 (jié jìn quán lì) — To exhaust all one's strength; to do one's utmost; to give everything one has.

肆无忌惮 (sì wú jì dàn) — Unbridled; wanton; without any scruples. Completely unrestrained with no fear of consequences.

来之不易 (lái zhī bù yì) — Hard-won; not easily obtained; achieved through difficulty. Indicates that acquiring something or achieving success was not easy.

艰苦奋斗 (jiān kǔ fèn dòu) — To struggle arduously; to work hard despite difficulties; persistent effort in the face of hardship.

与日俱增 (yǔ rì jù zēng) — To grow with each passing day; to increase daily; constantly growing.

大张旗鼓 (dà zhāng qí gǔ) — With great fanfare; on a grand scale; with much publicity. Displaying banners and beating war drums. Describes a large-scale offensive or public activity.

有朝一日 (yǒu zhāo yī rì) — One day in the future; someday; when the time comes.

长治久安 (cháng zhì jiǔ ān) — Long-term peace and stability; lasting order and security. Describes a nation remaining stable and secure over a long period.

不合时宜 (bù hé shí yí) — Out of step with the times; untimely; inappropriate for the current situation. Not fitting the needs and trends of the era.

一举一动 (yī jǔ yī dòng) — Every move and action; every single action; everything one does.

顺理成章 (shùn lǐ chéng zhāng) — Following naturally; as a matter of course; logical consequence. Writing or doing things smoothly by following the proper sequence. Also describes how certain conditions naturally produce certain results.

首当其冲 (shǒu dāng qí chōng) — To bear the brunt; to be the first to be affected; in the front line. To be first to face attack or disaster.

迫在眉睫 (pò zài méi jié) — Imminent; extremely urgent; right before one's eyes. The matter has reached one's eyes - the situation is extremely pressing.

取而代之 (qǔ é dài zhī) — To replace; to take over someone's position; to supplant. Originally meant seizing another's position to take their place. Now also means substituting one thing for another.

独一无二 (dú yī wú èr) — One and only; unique; unparalleled. Having no equal or comparison.

拭目以待 (shì mù yǐ dài) — To wait and see; to watch with eager anticipation. Wiping one's eyes clean to watch. Describes eager expectation or confidence that something will definitely happen.

训练有素 (xùn liàn yǒu sù) — Well-trained; well-drilled; highly disciplined. Having always received strict training.

兵戎相见 (bīng róng xiāng jiàn) — To meet in battle; to resort to arms; to settle disputes through war. Using military force to resolve conflicts.

小心翼翼 (xiǎo xīn yì yì) — Very carefully; with great caution; gingerly. Originally meant solemn and respectful. Now describes being extremely careful without the slightest negligence.

一年一度 (yī nián yī dù) — Once a year; annual; yearly.

明目张胆 (míng mù zhāng dǎn) — Brazenly; openly and boldly; barefaced. Originally meant having courage and daring to act. Now describes openly doing bad things without shame.

无可奈何 (wú kě nài hé) — Helpless; having no alternative; at one's wit's end. Feeling there is no solution - this is the only way.

口口声声 (kǒu kǒu shēng shēng) — To keep saying; to repeat constantly; to profess again and again.

空穴来风 (kōng xué lái fēng) — Where there's smoke, there's fire; no smoke without fire. Having a hole allows wind to enter. Rumors and news don't spread without some basis. Also describes how rumors spread when given opportunity.

名副其实 (míng fù qí shí) — Worthy of the name; living up to one's reputation; the reality matches the name.

如意算盘 (rú yì suàn pán) — Wishful thinking; counting one's chickens before they hatch. Planning only from one's own desires, considering only the favorable outcomes.

绳之以法 (shéng zhī yǐ fǎ) — To bring to justice; to punish according to law; to prosecute.

背道而驰 (bèi dào ér chí) — To run counter to; to go in the opposite direction; diametrically opposed. Running in opposite directions. Describes purposes or methods being completely contrary.

行之有效 (xíng zhī yǒu xiào) — Effective in practice; proven effective; tried and tested. A method or measure that has been implemented and proven very effective.

卓有成效 (zhuó yǒu chéng xiào) — Highly effective; remarkably successful; fruitful. Having outstanding results and achievements.

甚嚣尘上 (shèn xiāo chén shàng) — Creating a great clamor; much talked about; rampant. People making noise with dust flying. Originally described an army busily preparing. Later used for widespread news and heated discussions. Now often refers to reactionary views being very vocal.

接二连三 (jiē èr lián sān) — One after another; in quick succession; continuously.

如火如荼 (rú huǒ rú tú) — In full swing; with great vigor; like wildfire. Originally compared to military grandeur - red like fire, white like reeds. Now describes large-scale activities with great momentum and enthusiasm.

当家作主 (dāng jiā zuò zhǔ) — To be master of one's own house; to be in charge; to have a say in matters. Originally meant managing household affairs with decision-making authority. Now metaphorically describes having ownership status in an organization or nation.

推波助澜 (tuī bō zhù lán) — To add fuel to the fire; to fan the flames; to make things worse. Big waves. Metaphor for encouraging and strengthening the momentum and development of something (usually negative), expanding its influence.

微乎其微 (wēi hū qí wēi) — Infinitesimal; negligible; tiny. Describes something extremely small or very few.

万无一失 (wàn wú yī shī) — Absolutely safe; foolproof; surefire. No chance of error. Describes being completely confident with no possibility of mistakes.

卷土重来 (juǎn tǔ chóng lái) — To stage a comeback; to make a fresh start after defeat; to rise again from the ashes. When horses run, dust swirls up. Metaphor for regaining power after failure.

雪上加霜 (xuě shàng jiā shuāng) — Adding frost to snow; to make matters worse; one disaster after another. Metaphor for suffering consecutive disasters with increasingly severe damage.

无能为力 (wú néng wéi lì) — Powerless; unable to help; incapable of doing anything. Cannot exert strength. Describes being unable to contribute or lacking the ability to handle something.

不好意思 (bù hǎo yì sī) — Embarrassed; sorry; excuse me. 1) Due to social considerations, one can only do or cannot do something. 2) Shy; feeling awkward.

剑拔弩张 (jiàn bá nǔ zhāng) — At daggers drawn; swords drawn and bows bent; tense and ready for conflict. Originally described powerful calligraphy strokes. Now describes an aggressive manner or a tense situation on the verge of breaking out.

自力更生 (zì lì gēng shēng) — Self-reliance; to rely on one's own efforts; to stand on one's own feet. Not depending on outside help but relying on one's own strength to revive and get things done.

一席之地 (yī xí zhī dì) — A place to sit; a foothold; a position. The space for one seat. Metaphor for having a rightful place or position.

自始至终 (zì shǐ zhì zhōng) — From beginning to end; throughout; all along.

悬崖勒马 (xuán yá lè mǎ) — To rein in at the edge of a cliff; to pull back from the brink; to stop before it's too late. At a high, steep cliff, pull the horse to a stop. Metaphor for waking up and turning back at the edge of danger.

十字路口 (shí zì lù kǒu) — Crossroads; at a crossroads; turning point. Where two roads cross. Metaphor for being at a point where important decisions must be made.

东山再起 (dōng shān zài qǐ) — To make a comeback; to stage a return to power; to rise again. Originally meant returning to an important government position. Also metaphorically describes regaining power after losing it.

大势所趋 (dà shì suǒ qū) — The general trend; the way things are going; inevitable tendency. The direction in which the overall situation is developing.

一波三折 (yī bō sān zhé) — Full of twists and turns; many ups and downs; complicated. Originally described calligraphy strokes with varied movements. Now metaphorically describes writing with complex structure, or things progressing with many unexpected changes.

自欺欺人 (zì qī qī rén) — To deceive oneself and others; self-deception.

此起彼伏 (cǐ qǐ bǐ fú) — As one falls, another rises; one after another; continuously. Rising here, falling there. Describes things happening in continuous succession.

青天白日 (qīng tiān bái rì) — Broad daylight; in plain sight. Also metaphorically describes something obvious or noble character.

求同存异 (qiú tóng cún yì) — To seek common ground while reserving differences; to find consensus while acknowledging disagreements.

不堪设想 (bù kān shè xiǎng) — Dreadful to contemplate; too horrible to imagine; unthinkable. The future situation cannot be imagined. Indicates expecting things to develop very badly.

轻而易举 (qīng ér yì jǔ) — Easy as pie; effortless; a piece of cake. Describes something easy to do without much effort.

防不胜防 (fáng bù shèng fáng) — Impossible to guard against; too many to prevent; cannot be adequately defended against.

置之不理 (zhì zhī bù lǐ) — To ignore; to disregard; to pay no attention to. Put it aside and don't bother with it.

自相矛盾 (zì xiāng máo dùn) — Self-contradictory; to contradict oneself. Spear for attacking; shield for protecting. Metaphor for one's words or actions being inconsistent.

扑朔迷离 (pū shuò mí lí) — Confusing and complicated; hard to make heads or tails of. Originally described difficulty telling male from female rabbits. Describes situations too complex to understand clearly.

信誓旦旦 (xìn shì dàn dàn) — To pledge solemnly; to swear earnestly; with solemn vows. Sincere oaths. Vows spoken with genuine trustworthiness.

根深蒂固 (gēn shēn dì gù) — Deep-rooted; firmly established; entrenched. Describes a foundation being deep and firm, not easily shaken.

突飞猛进 (tū fēi měng jìn) — Advancing by leaps and bounds; developing rapidly; making dramatic progress.

停滞不前 (tíng zhì bù qián) — At a standstill; stagnating; making no progress. Stopping without continuing forward.

出乎意料 (chū hū yì liào) — Beyond expectations; unexpected; contrary to what was anticipated.

深思熟虑 (shēn sī shú lǜ) — To think deeply and carefully; after careful consideration; well thought out.

恶性循环 (è xìng xún huán) — Vicious cycle; negative spiral. Many bad things causing each other, cycling endlessly, getting worse and worse.

欢欣鼓舞 (huān xīn gǔ wǔ) — Elated and inspired; filled with joy and enthusiasm; jubilant.

为所欲为 (wéi suǒ yù wéi) — To do as one pleases; to act willfully; to do whatever one wants. Originally meant doing what one wants to do. Now means doing whatever one wishes.

直言不讳 (zhí yán bù huì) — To speak frankly; to speak one's mind; not mincing words. Speaking straightforwardly without any reservations.

左右逢源 (zuǒ yòu féng yuán) — To be able to achieve one's goals from every direction; to find help at every turn; versatile and resourceful. Originally meant having broad learning and ready answers. Now also describes doing things smoothly with great ease.

不相上下 (bù xiāng shàng xià) — About the same; neck and neck; equally matched. Cannot distinguish higher or lower quality. Describes comparable levels.

突然袭击 (tū rán xí jī) — A surprise attack; to catch off guard; an unexpected assault.

水落石出 (shuǐ luò shí chū) — When the water recedes, the rocks appear; the truth comes to light; everything becomes clear. When water level drops, the rocks at the bottom are revealed. Metaphor for the complete revelation of truth.

直截了当 (zhí jié liǎo dàng) — Straightforward; direct; to the point. Describes speaking or acting decisively without beating around the bush.

耸人听闻 (sǒng rén tīng wén) — Sensational; shocking; hair-raising. To alarm people. Exaggerating or fabricating facts to make people feel startled or shocked when they hear it.

迫不得已 (pò bù dé yǐ) — Compelled by circumstances; having no choice; forced by necessity. Being pushed to the point where there's no other option.

供不应求 (gōng bù yìng qiú) — Supply falls short of demand; in short supply; demand exceeds supply.

在所难免 (zài suǒ nán miǎn) — Inevitable; unavoidable; hard to prevent. Due to certain limitations, it's difficult to avoid.

严阵以待 (yán zhèn yǐ dài) — To be on full alert; to stand ready in battle formation; prepared and waiting. Being fully prepared for battle, waiting for the enemy.

大吃一惊 (dà chī yī jīng) — To be greatly surprised; to be taken aback; startled. Describes feeling something is very unexpected.

捉襟见肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu) — Pulling at one's collar exposes the elbows; unable to make ends meet; in dire straits. Originally described ragged clothes. Now metaphorically describes being at one's wit's end, unable to cope.

一针见血 (yī zhēn jiàn xiě) — To hit the nail on the head; incisive; straight to the point. Metaphor for speaking directly and cutting to the heart of the matter.

一模一样 (yī mó yī yàng) — Exactly the same; identical; spitting image.

如出一辙 (rú chū yī zhé) — As if from the same mold; cut from the same cloth; remarkably similar. Like coming from the same wheel rut. Describes two things being very alike.

莫名其妙 (mò míng qí miào) — Baffling; inexplicable; puzzling. Cannot explain its mystery. Describes something strange with no apparent reason.

异口同声 (yì kǒu tóng shēng) — With one voice; unanimously; in unison. Different mouths saying the same words. Everyone says the same thing.

刮目相看 (guā mù xiāng kàn) — To look at someone with new eyes; to see in a new light. Indicates that someone has made progress and should not be viewed with old prejudices.

无可厚非 (wú kě hòu fēi) — Beyond reproach; understandable; excusable. Cannot be severely criticized. Though there may be shortcomings, there is still merit that deserves understanding.

归根结底 (guī gēn jié dǐ) — In the final analysis; ultimately; at bottom. Getting to the fundamental root.

得不偿失 (dé bù cháng shī) — The gains don't offset the losses; not worth the candle; more trouble than it's worth.

津津乐道 (jīn jīn lè dào) — To talk about with great relish; to speak of enthusiastically. Speaking with great interest without stopping.

日新月异 (rì xīn yuè yì) — Changing rapidly; making progress every day; constantly improving. Updating daily, changing monthly. Describes rapid development or progress with new things constantly appearing.

荡然无存 (dàng rán wú cún) — Completely gone; wiped out; nothing left. Describes something being completely lost without a trace.

生死存亡 (shēng sǐ cún wáng) — A matter of life and death; survival or extinction. The development of a situation or struggle has reached its final critical moment.

不失时机 (bù shī shí jī) — To seize the opportunity; not to miss the chance; timely. Not missing the current opportunity. Doing things at the right time with favorable conditions.

焦头烂额 (jiāo tóu làn é) — In a terrible mess; at one's wit's end; desperate. Burned head and scorched forehead. Describes being in a very difficult predicament. Sometimes describes being so busy one doesn't know what to do.

不足为奇 (bù zú wéi qí) — Nothing to be surprised about; not unusual; nothing strange.

暴露无遗 (bào lù wú yí) — Completely exposed; fully revealed; laid bare.

轻举妄动 (qīng jǔ wàng dòng) — To act rashly; to make reckless moves; thoughtless action. Acting without careful consideration.

难以置信 (nán yǐ zhì xìn) — Hard to believe; incredible; unbelievable.

议论纷纷 (yì lùn fēn fēn) — Much discussion; many opinions; heated debate. Describes diverse opinions with much talk.

不了了之 (bù liǎo liǎo zhī) — To let something peter out; to drop the matter; to leave unresolved. Using no conclusion as a conclusion. Leaving things aside without handling them.

铺天盖地 (pū tiān gài dì) — Overwhelming; blotting out the sky and covering the earth; all-pervasive. Describes a powerful, sweeping force.

不知不觉 (bù zhī bù jué) — Unconsciously; unknowingly; before one realizes it.

悬而未决 (xuán ér wèi jué) — Pending; hanging in the balance; unresolved. Remaining undecided and unsettled.

视而不见 (shì ér bù jiàn) — To turn a blind eye; to ignore deliberately; looking but not seeing.

随心所欲 (suí xīn suǒ yù) — To do as one pleases; to follow one's heart's desire; at will.

见义勇为 (jiàn yì yǒng wéi) — To act bravely for a just cause; to do what is right. Seeing righteous action and bravely doing it.

一目了然 (yī mù liǎo rán) — Clear at a glance; obvious; crystal clear.

花花公子 (huā huā gōng zǐ) — Playboy; dandy; man about town. A well-dressed idle rich person who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun.

无中生有 (wú zhōng shēng yǒu) — To make something out of nothing; to fabricate; pure invention. Daoists believed all things came from being, and being from non-being. Making up something that doesn't exist.

措手不及 (cuò shǒu bù jí) — Caught off guard; unprepared; taken by surprise. No time to take action. Something unexpected happens that cannot be dealt with immediately.

忍无可忍 (rěn wú kě rěn) — At the end of one's patience; the last straw; cannot endure any longer.

袖手旁观 (xiù shǒu páng guān) — To stand by with folded arms; to look on with indifference; not to lift a finger. Keeping hands in sleeves while watching. Staying uninvolved, neither helping nor asking questions.

有条不紊 (yǒu tiáo bù wěn) — Orderly; methodical; systematic. Having order without confusion.

无动于衷 (wú dòng yú zhōng) — Unmoved; indifferent; apathetic. Not touched in the heart. Not caring about matters one should care about.

不可收拾 (bù kě shōu shí) — Beyond salvage; out of control; past remedy. Things have deteriorated beyond repair.

记忆犹新 (jì yì yóu xīn) — Still fresh in memory; as vivid as if it just happened.

子虚乌有 (zǐ xū wū yǒu) — Fictitious; nonexistent; purely imaginary. Things that are hypothetical, don't exist, or aren't real.

水到渠成 (shuǐ dào qú chéng) — When water flows, a channel is formed; when conditions are ripe, success follows naturally.

蠢蠢欲动 (chǔn chǔn yù dòng) — Ready to make trouble; on the point of starting; stirring restlessly. Like insects wriggling. Describes enemies preparing to attack or troublemakers plotting.

风云人物 (fēng yún rén wù) — A man of the hour; a person of influence; prominent figure. Someone active whose words and actions can influence the overall situation.

无所作为 (wú suǒ zuò wéi) — Accomplishing nothing; making no achievements; inactive. Content with the status quo, lacking creativity.

迎刃而解 (yíng rèn ér jiě) — To be easily solved; to solve readily. When splitting bamboo, once the first few sections break open, the rest splits easily along the blade. Metaphor for handling matters smoothly.

众说纷纭 (zhòng shuō fēn yún) — Opinions vary; many different views; much discussion and disagreement.

罪魁祸首 (zuì kuí huò shǒu) — The chief culprit; the main offender; the ringleader.

风风雨雨 (fēng fēng yǔ yǔ) — Through thick and thin; trials and tribulations; stormy times. Constant wind and rain. Metaphor for many obstacles. Also describes turbulent times with many rumors.

深入人心 (shēn rù rén xīn) — Deeply rooted in people's hearts; widely accepted; taken to heart. Describes theories, policies, etc. being deeply understood and believed.

自然而然 (zì rán ér rán) — Naturally; as a matter of course; spontaneously. Developing freely and inevitably. Happening naturally without human intervention.

安居乐业 (ān jū lè yè) — To live and work in peace and contentment; settled and happy life.

无独有偶 (wú dú yǒu ǒu) — Not unique; it so happens that; coincidentally there's a similar case. Not just one, but actually a matching pair. Indicates two things or people are very similar.

未雨绸缪 (wèi yǔ chóu móu) — To prepare for a rainy day; to take precautions. Tying up doors and windows before it rains. Metaphor for preparing in advance.

应运而生 (yìng yùn ér shēng) — To emerge as the times require; to arise at the opportune moment; born of the times.

理直气壮 (lǐ zhí qì zhuàng) — To have justice on one's side; with full confidence; boldly. When reason is on your side, you speak with conviction.

风云变幻 (fēng yún bià huàn) — Rapidly changing situation; volatile; unpredictable. Changing like wind and clouds. Describes a rapidly changing situation with unpredictable developments.

比比皆是 (bǐ bǐ jiē shì) — Can be found everywhere; very common; ubiquitous.

万众一心 (wàn zhòng yī xīn) — Ten thousand hearts as one; united as one; of one mind. Describes complete unity.

匪夷所思 (fěi yí suǒ sī) — Unimaginable; beyond comprehension; inconceivable. Not what ordinary people could imagine based on common sense.

来龙去脉 (lái lóng qù mài) — The ins and outs; the whole story; cause and effect. Originally referred to the course and direction of mountain ranges. Now metaphorically describes the origins and development of a matter.

惊心动魄 (jīng xīng dòng pò) — Soul-stirring; breathtaking; thrilling. Originally described writing so beautiful and profound that it deeply moves and shocks readers. Now often describes something extremely alarming or nerve-wracking.

全军覆没 (quán jūn fù mò) — The entire army wiped out; total annihilation; complete failure. The whole army destroyed. Metaphorically describes complete failure.

淋漓尽致 (lín lí jìn zhì) — Vividly and thoroughly; to the fullest extent; with great gusto. Describes expressing something very fully and thoroughly in writing or speech, or doing something very satisfyingly.

如愿以偿 (rú yuàn yǐ cháng) — To have one's wish fulfilled; to get what one wants; dreams come true.

何去何从 (hé qù hé cóng) — What course to take; which way to turn; at a crossroads. Which way to leave, which path to follow. Often describes needing to make a major decision about direction.

遥遥无期 (yáo yáo wú qī) — Indefinitely; with no end in sight; in the distant future with no set date.

不折不扣 (bù zhé bù kòu) — One hundred percent; out-and-out; without any discount. Complete and thorough, without reduction.

危言耸听 (wēi yán sǒng tīng) — Alarmist talk; to spread scare stories; sensationalism. Exaggerated words meant to alarm listeners.

有恃无恐 (yǒu shì wú kǒng) — Emboldened by having support; fearless because of backing. Having something to rely on and therefore showing no fear.

执迷不悟 (zhí mí bù wù) — To persist in one's errors; obstinately refusing to see the truth; incorrigible.

出尔反尔 (chū ěr fǎn ěr) — To go back on one's word; to contradict oneself; inconsistent.

三位一体 (sān wèi yī tǐ) — Trinity; three in one; three-pronged approach.

刻不容缓 (kè bù róng huǎn) — Admitting no delay; extremely urgent; brook no delay.

梦寐以求 (mèng mèi yǐ qiú) — To dream of; long-cherished desire; something one has always wanted.

虎视眈眈 (hǔ shì dān dān) — To eye covetously; watching like a tiger eyeing its prey; with predatory intent.

轰轰烈烈 (hōng hōng liè liè) — Vigorous and dynamic; in full swing; with great fanfare.

大惊小怪 (dà jīng xiǎo guài) — To make a fuss over nothing; to get worked up over trifles.

耿耿于怀 (gěng gěng yú huái) — To brood over; unable to forget; weighing on one's mind.

一脉相承 (yī mài xiāng chéng) — Coming down in one continuous line; of the same origin; inherited tradition.

马不停蹄 (mǎ bù tíng tí) — Without stopping; nonstop; at full gallop without rest.

敲诈勒索 (qiāo zhà lè suǒ) — Extortion and blackmail; to squeeze money through threats.

微不足道 (wēi bù zú dào) — Negligible; insignificant; not worth mentioning.

束手无策 (shù shǒu wú cè) — At a loss what to do; helpless; with hands tied.

混为一谈 (hùn wéi yī tán) — To confuse one thing with another; to lump together; to mix up.

兴致勃勃 (xìng zhì bó bó) — Full of enthusiasm; in high spirits; with great interest.

家喻户晓 (jiā yù hù xiǎo) — Known to every household; widely known; a household name.

安然无恙 (ān rán wú yàng) — Safe and sound; unharmed; in good condition.

同归于尽 (tóng guī yú jìn) — To perish together; mutual destruction; both sides destroyed.

虚张声势 (xū zhāng shēng shì) — To bluff; to make an empty show of strength; saber-rattling.

任重道远 (rèn zhòng dào yuǎn) — A heavy burden and a long road; great responsibility with far to go.

昭然若揭 (zhāo rán ruò jiē) — Abundantly clear; obvious; as clear as day.

形形色色 (xíng xíng sè sè) — Of all kinds; all sorts and varieties; diverse.

力所能及 (lì suǒ néng jí) — Within one's power; as much as one can; to the best of one's ability.

适得其反 (shì dé qí fǎn) — To produce the opposite effect; to backfire; counterproductive.

家常便饭 (jiā cháng biàn fàn) — Daily fare; a common occurrence; nothing unusual.

力不从心 (lì bù cóng xīn) — The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak; unable to do as one wishes; powerless despite good intentions.

穷兵黩武 (qióng bīng dú wǔ) — To exhaust military resources in waging war; militaristic; war-mongering.

始作俑者 (shǐ zuò yǒng zhě) — The originator of an evil practice; the first to do something bad; the one who started it.

源远流长 (yuán yuǎn liú cháng) — Having a long history; of long standing; with deep roots.

挺身而出 (tǐng shēn ér chū) — To step forward bravely; to come forward courageously; to stand up.

国计民生 (guó jì mín shēng) — National economy and people's livelihood; matters vital to the nation.

逍遥法外 (xiāo yáo fǎ wài) — To be at large; beyond the reach of law; getting away with crimes.

大起大落 (dà qǐ dà luò) — Great ups and downs; dramatic fluctuations; roller coaster.

得寸进尺 (dé cùn jìn chǐ) — Give an inch and they'll take a mile; to push for more; insatiable.

义无反顾 (yì wú fǎn gù) — To proceed without hesitation; duty-bound not to turn back; determined.

滥用职权 (làn yòng zhí quán) — Abuse of power; to misuse authority.

一帆风顺 (yī fán fēng shùn) — Smooth sailing; everything going well; plain sailing.

屡见不鲜 (lǚ jiàn bù xiān) — Common occurrence; nothing new; frequently seen.

坚持不懈 (jiān chí bù xiè) — To persevere; persistent; unremitting effort.

嗤之以鼻 (chī zhī yǐ bí) — To sneer at; to scoff at; to turn up one's nose.

拳打脚踢 (quán dǎ jiǎo tī) — To beat with fists and kicks; to give a thorough beating; physical assault.

说三道四 (shuō sān dào sì) — To gossip; to make irresponsible remarks; to criticize.

接连不断 (jiē lián bù duàn) — In quick succession; one after another; continuously.

名列前茅 (míng liè qián máo) — To be among the best; to rank among the top; to be at the forefront.

每况愈下 (měi kuàng yù xià) — Going from bad to worse; deteriorating; declining steadily.

不屑一顾 (bù xiè yī gù) — To disdain to look at; beneath one's notice; to dismiss with contempt.

同日而语 (tóng rì ér yǔ) — To mention in the same breath; to compare with; on the same level.

出谋划策 (chū móu huà cè) — To offer advice and plans; to give counsel; to strategize.

戒备森严 (jiè bèi sēn yán) — Heavily guarded; tight security; strict vigilance.

继往开来 (jì wǎng kāi lái) — To carry on the past and open up the future; to inherit and develop.

令人发指 (lìng rén fà zhǐ) — Making one's hair stand on end; outrageous; infuriating.

不甘示弱 (bù gān shì ruò) — Unwilling to show weakness; not to be outdone; refusing to back down.

小心谨慎 (xiǎo xīn jǐn shèn) — Careful and cautious; prudent; circumspect.

处心积虑 (chǔ xīn jī lǜ) — To deliberately plot; to scheme painstakingly; calculated.

首屈一指 (shǒu qū yī zhǐ) — Second to none; the best; foremost.

声势浩大 (shēng shì hào dà) — Great in momentum; on a grand scale; imposing.

络绎不绝 (luò yì bù jué) — In an endless stream; a continuous flow; coming and going constantly.

势均力敌 (shì jūn lì dí) — Evenly matched; equal in strength; neck and neck.

寥寥无几 (liáo liáo wú jǐ) — Very few; only a handful; scarce.

触目惊心 (chù mù jīng xīn) — Shocking to the eye; appalling; startling sight.

前车之鉴 (qián chē zhī jiàn) — A lesson from the past; learning from others' mistakes; take warning from the failure of one's predecessor.

无济于事 (wú jì yú shì) — Of no avail; to no purpose; useless.

呼之欲出 (hū zhī yù chū) — Ready to come out; about to emerge; on the tip of one's tongue.

兴风作浪 (xīng fēng zuò làng) — To stir up trouble; to make waves; to create disturbances.

万不得已 (wàn bù dé yǐ) — As a last resort; only if absolutely necessary; having no other choice.

权宜之计 (quán yí zhī jì) — A stopgap measure; expedient; makeshift solution.

销声匿迹 (xiāo shēng nì jì) — To vanish without a trace; to disappear; to lie low.

千丝万缕 (qiān sī wàn lǚ) — A thousand threads and countless connections; intricately connected; countless ties.

不可开交 (bù kě kāi jiāo) — Inextricable; unable to stop; locked in endless conflict.

既成事实 (jì chéng shì shí) — Fait accompli; established fact; done deal.

岌岌可危 (jí jí kě wēi) — In imminent danger; precarious; on the verge of collapse.

刻骨铭心 (kè gǔ míng xīn) — Engraved in one's heart and bones; unforgettable; deeply etched in memory.

堂而皇之 (táng ér huáng zhī) — Openly and brazenly; without shame; in broad daylight.

拒之门外 (jù zhī mén wài) — To shut out; to refuse entry; to exclude.

一应俱全 (yī yīng jù quán) — Everything available; complete with all essentials; fully equipped.

默默无闻 (mò mò wú wén) — Unknown to the public; obscure; unheralded.

当之无愧 (dāng zhī wú kuì) — Worthy of; fully deserving; living up to.

意味深长 (yì wèi shēn cháng) — Thought-provoking; full of meaning; significant.

迎头赶上 (yíng tóu gǎn shàng) — To catch up head-on; to overtake; to make up for lost ground.

孤注一掷 (gū zhù yī zhì) — To stake everything on a single throw; to put all eggs in one basket; a desperate gamble.

大相径庭 (dà xiāng jìng tíng) — Poles apart; vastly different; diametrically opposed.

情不自禁 (qíng bù zì jìn) — Unable to restrain oneself; involuntarily; can't help but.

两败俱伤 (liǎng bài jù shāng) — Both sides suffer; mutual destruction; lose-lose situation.

声东击西 (shēng dōng jī xī) — To feint to the east and attack in the west; to create a diversion.

毁于一旦 (huǐ yú yī dàn) — To be destroyed overnight; ruined in a single day; to collapse suddenly.

高瞻远瞩 (gāo zhān yuǎn zhǔ) — Far-sighted; visionary; to have great foresight.

后顾之忧 (hòu gù zhī yōu) — Worries about what may happen behind one's back; future troubles; concerns about home while away.

得天独厚 (dé tiān dú hòu) — Blessed by nature; uniquely favored; having special advantages.

指日可待 (zhǐ rì kě dài) — Just around the corner; within sight; soon to be realized.

相辅相成 (xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng) — Complementary to each other; mutually reinforcing; working together.

一反常态 (yī fǎn cháng tài) — Contrary to one's usual behavior; out of character; breaking from the norm.

大有人在 (dà yǒu rén zài) — There are many such people; plenty of people like that; not uncommon.

大获全胜 (dà huò quán shèng) — To win a complete victory; overwhelming success; total triumph.

一清二楚 (yī qīng èr chǔ) — Crystal clear; perfectly clear; unmistakable.

浑身解数 (hún shēn xiè shù) — To use every trick in the book; to give it everything one's got; all one's skills.

堂堂正正 (táng táng zhèng zhèng) — Open and aboveboard; fair and square; upright.

一分为二 (yī fēn wéi èr) — To divide into two; to see both sides; dialectical approach.

字里行间 (zì lǐ háng jiān) — Between the lines; implied meaning; reading between the lines.

不知去向 (bù zhī qù xiàng) — Whereabouts unknown; disappeared without a trace.

全心全意 (quán xīn quán yì) — Wholeheartedly; with all one's heart; completely devoted.

化整为零 (huà zhěng wéi líng) — To break up the whole into parts; to divide into smaller units; decentralize.

总而言之 (zǒng ér yán zhī) — In short; in a word; to sum up.

土崩瓦解 (tǔ bēng wǎ jiě) — To collapse like a house of cards; to fall apart; total disintegration.

置若罔闻 (zhì ruò wǎng wén) — To turn a deaf ear; to ignore completely; as if not hearing.

蒸蒸日上 (zhēng zhēng rì shàng) — Flourishing day by day; thriving; on the rise.

苦心经营 (kǔ xīn jīng yíng) — Painstaking efforts to build; carefully managed; laboriously cultivated.

不可动摇 (bù kě dòng yáo) — Unshakeable; rock-solid; immovable.

断章取义 (duàn zhāng qǔ yì) — To quote out of context; to distort meaning; to cherry-pick.

自强不息 (zì qiáng bù xī) — Constantly striving to improve; never ceasing self-improvement; relentless self-strengthening.

进退两难 (jǐn tuì liǎng nán) — Caught between a rock and a hard place; in a dilemma; neither advancing nor retreating works.

臭名昭著 (chòu míng zhāo zhù) — Notorious; infamous; widely known for wrongdoing.

雄心壮志 (xióng xīn zhuàng zhì) — Great ambition; lofty aspirations; bold vision.

兴高采烈 (xìng gāo cǎi liè) — In high spirits; elated; jubilant.

审时度势 (shěn shí duó shì) — To assess the situation; to read the times; to judge the circumstances.

大街小巷 (dà jiē xiǎo xiàng) — Streets and alleys; everywhere in the city; all over town.

欣欣向荣 (xīn xīn xiàng róng) — Thriving; flourishing; prosperous.

庞然大物 (páng rán dà wù) — A colossus; huge creature; something enormous.

事与愿违 (shì yǔ yuàn wéi) — Things don't go as hoped; contrary to expectations; not turning out as planned.

一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù) — Accomplished in one stroke; achieved overnight; instant success.

潜移默化 (qián yí mò huà) — Subtle influence; imperceptible transformation; gradual change.

有机可乘 (yǒu jī kě chéng) — An opportunity to exploit; a chance to take advantage; loopholes to use.

遥遥领先 (yáo yáo lǐng xiān) — Far ahead; leading by a wide margin; way out front.

大打出手 (dà dǎ chū shǒu) — To come to blows; to start fighting; to throw punches.

天方夜谭 (tiān fāng yè tán) — Arabian Nights fantasy; pipe dream; impossible tale.

围魏救赵 (wéi wèi jiù zhào) — To relieve Zhao by besieging Wei; indirect approach; attacking the enemy's rear.

各式各样 (gè shì gè yàng) — All kinds and varieties; of every description; diverse.

攻心为上 (gōng xīn wèi shàng) — Psychological warfare is best; winning hearts and minds; attack the mind first.

无稽之谈 (wú jī zhī tán) — Groundless talk; nonsense; unfounded remarks.

大有作为 (dà yǒu zuò wéi) — To have great potential; capable of great achievements; promising.

目瞪口呆 (mù dèng kǒu dāi) — Dumbfounded; stunned; jaw-dropping.

习以为常 (xí yǐ wéi cháng) — To be accustomed to; to take for granted; used to.

真相大白 (zhēn xiàng dà bái) — The truth comes out; the facts are revealed; everything becomes clear.

千千万万 (qiān qiān wàn wàn) — Millions upon millions; countless; innumerable.

不绝于耳 (bù jué yú ěr) — Ringing in one's ears; continuously heard; never-ending sounds.

有生力量 (yǒu shēng lì liàng) — Effective strength; combat-ready forces; vital forces.

玩忽职守 (wán hū zhí shǒu) — Dereliction of duty; neglecting one's responsibilities.

五花八门 (wǔ huā bā mén) — Of all kinds and descriptions; multifarious; varied and numerous.

蒙混过关 (méng hùn guò guān) — To muddle through; to bluff one's way past; to get away with.

战战兢兢 (zhàn zhàn jīng jīng) — Trembling with fear; anxious and cautious; walking on eggshells.

犹豫不决 (yóu yù bù jué) — Hesitant and indecisive; wavering; unable to make up one's mind.

发扬光大 (fā yáng guāng dà) — To carry forward and develop; to promote and expand; to build upon.

合情合理 (hé qíng hé lǐ) — Reasonable and fair; sensible; logical.

不计其数 (bù jì qí shù) — Countless; innumerable; too many to count.

出其不意 (chū qí bù yì) — To catch off guard; unexpectedly; by surprise.

无家可归 (wú jiā kě guī) — Homeless; without a home to return to.

轻描淡写 (qīng miáo dàn xiě) — To touch on lightly; to downplay; to gloss over.

心有余悸 (xīn yǒu yú jì) — Still feeling shaken; lingering fear; trembling at the memory.

斩钉截铁 (zhǎn dīng jié tiě) — Categorically; decisively; with finality.

不堪一击 (bù kān yī jī) — Cannot withstand a single blow; extremely vulnerable; paper tiger.

一口咬定 (yī kǒu yǎo dìng) — To insist categorically; to maintain stubbornly; adamant.

与众不同 (yǔ zhòng bù tóng) — Different from the rest; unique; standing out from the crowd.

并驾齐驱 (bìng jià qí qū) — Running neck and neck; keeping pace with; on equal footing.

从头到尾 (cóng tóu dào wěi) — From beginning to end; from start to finish; throughout.

近在咫尺 (jìn zài zhǐ chǐ) — Very close at hand; within arm's reach; just around the corner.

危机四伏 (wēi jī sì fú) — Dangers lurking everywhere; crisis on all sides; perilous situation.

旷日持久 (kuàng rì chí jiǔ) — Protracted; long-drawn-out; dragging on.

赞不绝口 (zàn bù jué kǒu) — Full of praise; can't stop praising; lavish with compliments.

死灰复燃 (sǐ huī fù rán) — Dying embers flare up again; revival; resurgence.

古今中外 (gǔ jīn zhōng wài) — Throughout all time and places; ancient and modern, Chinese and foreign; universal.

望而却步 (wàng ér què bù) — To shrink back at the sight; to be deterred; to flinch.

急转直下 (jí zhuǎn zhí xià) — To take a sudden turn for the worse; rapid deterioration; nosedive.

热火朝天 (rè huǒ cháo tiān) — Bustling with activity; in full swing; with great enthusiasm.

冠冕堂皇 (guān miǎn táng huáng) — High-sounding; dignified in appearance; ostensibly proper.

惨不忍睹 (cǎn bù rěn dǔ) — Too horrible to look at; appalling; ghastly.

一心一意 (yī xīn yī yì) — Single-mindedly; wholeheartedly; with undivided attention.

居安思危 (jū ān sī wēi) — To think of danger in times of peace; to be vigilant; preparing for the worst.

惊涛骇浪 (jīng tāo hài làng) — Terrifying waves; stormy seas; dangerous upheaval.

翻天覆地 (fān tiān fù dì) — Earth-shaking; world-changing; revolutionary.

举国上下 (jǔ guó shàng xià) — The whole nation; from top to bottom; nationwide.

矢口否认 (shǐ kǒu fǒu rèn) — To flatly deny; to emphatically reject; categorical denial.

曾几何时 (céng jǐ hé shí) — Before long; not long ago; how quickly time flies.

火上浇油 (huǒ shàng jiāo yóu) — To add fuel to the fire; to make things worse; to inflame.

旗帜鲜明 (qí zhì xiān míng) — With clear colors flying; taking a clear stand; unambiguous.

了如指掌 (liǎo rú zhǐ zhǎng) — To know like the back of one's hand; thoroughly familiar.

蛛丝马迹 (zhū sī mǎ jì) — Telltale signs; clues; traces.

绞尽脑汁 (jiǎo jìn nǎo zhī) — To rack one's brains; to think hard; to squeeze every drop.

长驱直入 (cháng qū zhí rù) — To drive straight in; to advance rapidly; direct assault.

弄虚作假 (nòng xū zuò jiǎ) — To practice fraud; to falsify; to be deceptive.

违法乱纪 (wéi fǎ luàn jì) — To violate laws and discipline; lawless; illegal.

风平浪静 (fēng píng làng jìng) — Calm winds and smooth waves; all quiet; peaceful.

风吹草动 (fēng chuī cǎo dòng) — The slightest sign of trouble; any little movement; stirring.

不可告人 (bù kě gào rén) — Cannot be told to others; unspeakable; secret.

捕风捉影 (bǔ fēng zhuō yǐng) — Chasing shadows; groundless; grasping at straws.

可乘之机 (kě chéng zhī jī) — An opportunity to exploit; a chance to take advantage of.

天经地义 (tiān jīng dì yì) — A matter of course; self-evident truth; natural and right.

口诛笔伐 (kǒu zhū bǐ fá) — To condemn in speech and writing; verbal and written attacks.

不容置疑 (bù róng zhì yí) — Beyond doubt; unquestionable; indisputable.

齐心协力 (qí xīn xié lì) — To work together with one heart; united effort; in concert.

屈指可数 (qū zhǐ kě shǔ) — Can be counted on one's fingers; very few; a handful.

平起平坐 (píng qǐ píng zuò) — On an equal footing; as equals; at the same level.

迎头痛击 (yíng tóu tòng jī) — To strike head-on; a frontal blow; to confront directly.

痴人说梦 (chī rén shuō mèng) — A fool's raving; pipe dream; idiotic fantasy.

耀武扬威 (yào wǔ yáng wēi) — To flaunt military might; to swagger; to show off power.

聚精会神 (jù jīng huì shén) — To concentrate fully; with rapt attention; absorbed.

骇人听闻 (hài rén tīng wén) — Shocking to hear; horrifying; appalling.

一见钟情 (yī jiàn zhōng qíng) — Love at first sight.

名正言顺 (míng zhèng yán shùn) — Legitimate and proper; with full justification; above board.

无与伦比 (wú yǔ lún bǐ) — Unparalleled; matchless; beyond compare.

我行我素 (wǒ xíng wǒ sù) — To go one's own way; doing as one pleases; independent.

似是而非 (sì shì ér fēi) — Specious; apparently right but actually wrong; deceptive.

争先恐后 (zhēng xiān kǒng hòu) — Vying to be first; scrambling; eager not to fall behind.

不伦不类 (bù lún bù lèi) — Neither fish nor fowl; nondescript; out of place.

精兵强将 (jīng bīng qiáng jiàng) — Crack troops and able commanders; elite forces.

遥相呼应 (yáo xiāng hū yìng) — To echo from afar; to coordinate from a distance; mutual support.

震耳欲聋 (zhèn ěr yù lóng) — Deafening; ear-splitting; thunderous.

后来居上 (hòu lái jū shàng) — The latecomer surpasses; newcomers overtaking veterans.

通力合作 (tōng lì hé zuò) — To join forces; to cooperate fully; working together.

大同小异 (dà tóng xiǎo yì) — Largely similar with minor differences; pretty much the same.

义不容辞 (yì bù róng cí) — Duty-bound; obligated; cannot decline.

心甘情愿 (xīn gān qíng yuàn) — Willingly and gladly; of one's own free will; happy to.

大名鼎鼎 (dà míng dǐng dǐng) — Famous; renowned; of great reputation.

彻头彻尾 (chè tóu chè wěi) — Through and through; from head to tail; completely.

白纸黑字 (bái zhǐ hēi zì) — In black and white; written proof; clearly documented.

一塌糊涂 (yī tā hú tú) — In a complete mess; totally chaotic; a shambles.

借题发挥 (jiè tí fā huī) — To use a topic as a pretext; to seize on something to make a point.

浩浩荡荡 (hào hào dàng dàng) — Vast and mighty; in great numbers; grandiose.

知己知彼 (zhī jǐ zhī bǐ) — Know yourself and know your enemy; mutual understanding.

四面八方 (sì miàn bā fāng) — From all directions; from all sides; everywhere.

用武之地 (yòng wǔ zhī dì) — A place to use one's abilities; scope for action; outlet for talents.

不翼而飞 (bù yì ér fēi) — To vanish into thin air; to disappear without a trace.

不见经传 (bù jiàn jīng zhuàn) — Not found in the classics; unprecedented; unknown.

从天而降 (cóng tiān ér jiàng) — To fall from the sky; to appear out of nowhere; unexpected arrival.

走马上任 (zǒu mǎ shàng rèn) — To take up a new post; to assume office; to start a new job.

蒙在鼓里 (méng zài gǔ lǐ) — Kept in the dark; unaware; out of the loop.

痛定思痛 (tòng dìng sī tòng) — To reflect on painful lessons; learning from suffering.

分崩离析 (fēn bēng lí xī) — To fall apart; to disintegrate; breaking into pieces.

深恶痛绝 (shēn wù tòng jué) — To hate deeply; to abhor; intense loathing.

身体力行 (shēn tǐ lì xíng) — To practice what one preaches; to set an example personally.

百废待兴 (bǎi fèi dài xīng) — Everything needs rebuilding; starting from scratch.

至高无上 (zhì gāo wú shàng) — Supreme; paramount; the highest.

掩人耳目 (yǎn rén ěr mù) — To deceive people; to cover up; to pull wool over eyes.

心中有数 (xīn zhōng yǒu shù) — To know what one is doing; to have a clear idea; confident.

纸上谈兵 (zhǐ shàng tán bīng) — Armchair strategist; theoretical but impractical; all talk.

水涨船高 (shuǐ zhǎng chuán gāo) — When the water rises, the boat goes up; rising with the tide.

大错特错 (dà cuò tè cuò) — Completely wrong; dead wrong; totally mistaken.

无法无天 (wú fǎ wú tiān) — Lawless; defying all laws; utterly unscrupulous.

讳莫如深 (huì mò rú shēn) — Tightly guarded secret; hush-hush; deeply concealed.

数一数二 (shǔ yī shǔ èr) — Among the best; top-ranking; first-rate.

久而久之 (jiǔ ér jiǔ zhī) — In the course of time; as time goes by; eventually.

一筹莫展 (yī chóu mò zhǎn) — At the end of one's rope; at a complete loss; helpless.

不知所措 (bù zhī suǒ cuò) — At a loss what to do; not knowing how to react; bewildered.

软硬兼施 (ruǎn yìng jiān shī) — Using both soft and hard tactics; carrot and stick approach; employing both persuasion and coercion.

东窗事发 (dōng chuāng shì fā) — The plot is exposed; the secret is out; the scheme has been revealed.

另起炉灶 (lìng qǐ lú zào) — To start afresh; to make a new beginning; to start from scratch.

四分五裂 (sì fēn wǔ liè) — Torn apart; split into pieces; fragmented and disunited.

唇齿相依 (chún chǐ xiāng yī) — As close as lips and teeth; mutually dependent; closely related.

秘而不宣 (mì ér bù xuān) — Kept secret; not made public; confidential.

双管齐下 (shuāng guǎn qí xià) — To work on two things simultaneously; dual approach; two-pronged strategy.

网开一面 (wǎng kāi yī miàn) — To leave a way out; to show mercy; to give someone a chance.

改弦更张 (gǎi xián gēng zhāng) — To change one's approach; to make a fresh start; to reform.

哗众取宠 (huá zhòng qǔ chǒng) — To play to the gallery; to court popularity; sensationalism.

异乎寻常 (yì hū xún cháng) — Extraordinary; unusual; out of the ordinary.

不堪入目 (bù kān rù mù) — Too horrible to look at; offensive to the eye; unsightly.

分庭抗礼 (fēn tíng kàng lǐ) — To stand as equals; to be on par with; to match in status.

恰到好处 (qià dào hǎo chù) — Just right; perfectly appropriate; hitting the mark.

愤愤不平 (fèn fèn bù píng) — Feeling indignant; resentful; filled with righteous anger.

背水一战 (bèi shuǐ yī zhàn) — To fight with one's back to the water; to make a last-ditch stand; desperate battle.

一己之私 (yī jǐ zhī sī) — Personal selfishness; one's own private interests; selfish motives.

分道扬镳 (fēn dào yáng biāo) — To part ways; to go separate ways; to split up.

归根到底 (guī gēn dào dǐ) — In the final analysis; ultimately; at the end of the day.

责无旁贷 (zé wú páng dài) — Duty-bound; obligatory; one's unavoidable responsibility.

不闻不问 (bù wén bù wèn) — To pay no attention; to turn a deaf ear; to completely ignore.

再接再厉 (zài jiē zài lì) — To make continued efforts; to keep on fighting; to persevere.

提心吊胆 (tí xīn diào dǎn) — On tenterhooks; with one's heart in one's mouth; extremely anxious.

方兴未艾 (fāng xīng wèi ài) — In the ascendant; still developing; far from over.

自给自足 (zì jǐ zì zú) — Self-sufficient; self-reliant; economically independent.

不辱使命 (bù rǔ shǐ mìng) — To live up to one's mission; to fulfill one's duty; to accomplish the task successfully.

大政方针 (dà zhèng fāng zhēn) — Major policies and guidelines; fundamental principles; overall direction.

众矢之的 (zhòng shǐ zhī dì) — Target of public criticism; under attack from all sides; the focus of everyone's arrows.

名存实亡 (míng cún shí wáng) — Existing in name only; nominal existence; defunct in all but name.

土生土长 (tǔ shēng tǔ zhǎng) — Born and raised locally; native; homegrown.

三缄其口 (sān jiān qí kǒu) — To keep one's mouth sealed; to remain tight-lipped; to say nothing.

水泄不通 (shuǐ xiè bù tōng) — Packed to capacity; impenetrable; completely blocked.

重蹈覆辙 (chóng dǎo fù zhé) — To repeat the same mistake; to follow the same disastrous path; to fall into the same trap.

忍气吞声 (rěn qì tūn shēng) — To swallow one's anger; to put up with humiliation silently; to grin and bear it.

统筹兼顾 (tǒng chóu jiān gù) — Overall planning with due consideration for all; comprehensive coordination; balancing all aspects.

胡作非为 (hú zuò fēi wéi) — To run amok; to act recklessly; to commit all manner of outrages.

模棱两可 (mó léng liǎng kě) — Ambiguous; noncommittal; wishy-washy.

身家性命 (shēn jiā xìng mìng) — Life and property; everything one has; one's entire fortune and life.

尽如人意 (jìn rú rén yì) — To be entirely satisfactory; to meet all expectations; perfect.

在所不惜 (zài suǒ bù xī) — At any cost; regardless of the price; sparing nothing.

天壤之别 (tiān rǎng zhī bié) — A world of difference; poles apart; as different as heaven and earth.

聪明才智 (cōng míng cái zhì) — Intelligence and ability; wisdom and talent; mental faculties.

繁荣富强 (fán róng fù qiáng) — Prosperous and powerful; thriving and strong; flourishing.

左右为难 (zuǒ yòu wéi nán) — In a dilemma; between a rock and a hard place; caught in the middle.

忐忑不安 (tǎn tè bù ān) — Anxious and uneasy; on pins and needles; fidgety.

物美价廉 (jià lián wù měi) — Good quality at low price; excellent value; cheap and good.

荷枪实弹 (hé qiāng shí dàn) — Fully armed; armed to the teeth; carrying loaded weapons.

摇身一变 (yáo shēn yī biàn) — To transform oneself; to undergo a complete change; to metamorphose.

听之任之 (tīng zhī rèn zhī) — To let things take their course; to leave alone; laissez-faire.

眼花缭乱 (yǎn huā liáo luàn) — Dazzled; bewildered; overwhelmed by variety.

大是大非 (dà shì dà fēi) — Fundamental principles of right and wrong; matters of major importance.

人心惶惶 (rén xīn huáng huáng) — Public panic; everyone in a state of anxiety; widespread alarm.

按捺不住 (àn nà bù zhù) — Unable to contain oneself; unable to restrain; can't hold back.

繁荣昌盛 (fán róng chāng shèng) — Prosperous and thriving; flourishing; booming.

开诚布公 (kāi chéng bù gōng) — To be frank and open; sincere and aboveboard; candid.

马首是瞻 (mǎ shǒu shì zhān) — To follow someone's lead; to take cues from; to look to for direction.

一网打尽 (yī wǎng dǎ jìn) — To catch all in one net; to round up the whole lot; to make a clean sweep.

畅通无阻 (chàng tōng wú zǔ) — Unimpeded; flowing smoothly; without any obstacles.

怨声载道 (yuàn shēng zài dào) — Complaints fill the roads; widespread grievances; public discontent everywhere.

侃侃而谈 (kǎn kǎn ér tán) — To talk with confidence and composure; to speak fluently; to hold forth.

无所适从 (wú suǒ shì cóng) — Not knowing which way to turn; at a loss; not knowing whom to follow.

见缝插针 (jiàn fèng chā zhēn) — To use every bit of available space or time; to exploit every opportunity; squeezing in wherever possible.

方便之门 (fāng biàn zhī mén) — A convenient way; an easy approach; opening the door of convenience.

不可一世 (bù kě yī shì) — Extremely arrogant; insufferably conceited; thinking oneself unequaled.

一蹶不振 (yī jué bù zhèn) — Unable to recover from a setback; never to rise again after a fall; permanently weakened.

必由之路 (bì yóu zhī lù) — The only way; the inevitable path; the necessary route.

煞有介事 (shà yǒu jiè shì) — Putting on airs; acting as if it were serious business; making a big show.

千载难逢 (qiān zǎi nán féng) — Once in a thousand years; extremely rare opportunity; a chance in a lifetime.

绰绰有余 (chuò chuò yǒu yú) — More than enough; ample; plenty to spare.

大声疾呼 (dà shēng jí hū) — To cry out loudly; to appeal strongly; to call out urgently.

不明不白 (bù míng bù bái) — Unclear; dubious; shady.

绝无仅有 (jué wú jǐn yǒu) — Unique; one of a kind; extremely rare.

今非昔比 (jīn fēi xī bǐ) — Things are different now; times have changed; the present cannot be compared with the past.

亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo) — To mend the fold after the sheep are lost; better late than never; to take preventive measures after suffering a loss.

渐入佳境 (jiàn rù jiā jìng) — Getting better and better; improving gradually; entering the best part.

一盘散沙 (yī pán sǎn shā) — Like a plate of loose sand; disunited; lacking cohesion.

耳熟能详 (ěr shú néng xiáng) — So familiar that one can recite it in detail; something one has heard so often it's well known.

苦不堪言 (kǔ bù kān yán) — Suffering beyond words; too miserable for words; unspeakably bitter.

天下第一 (tiān xià dì yī) — Number one in the world; the best under heaven; unrivaled.

不谋而合 (bù móu ér hé) — To agree without prior consultation; to coincide; to happen to have the same view.

避重就轻 (bì zhòng jiù qīng) — To avoid the important and dwell on the trivial; to sidestep serious issues; dodging responsibility.

无可置疑 (wú kě zhì yí) — Beyond doubt; unquestionable; indisputable.

胡说八道 (hú shuō bā dào) — Talking nonsense; speaking rubbish; spouting gibberish.

信以为真 (xìn yǐ wéi zhēn) — To take something as true; to believe something to be genuine; to be taken in.

置身事外 (zhì shēn shì wài) — To stand aloof; to stay out of the matter; to remain uninvolved.

缓兵之计 (huǎn bīng zhī jì) — Delaying tactics; stalling strategy; buying time.

一成不变 (yī chéng bù biàn) — Fixed and unchanging; immutable; set in stone.

崭露头角 (zhǎn lù tóu jiǎo) — To begin to show one's talent; to make one's mark; emerging talent.

火上加油 (huǒ shàng jiā yóu) — To add fuel to the fire; to make things worse; to inflame the situation.

瞠目结舌 (chēng mù jié shé) — Dumbstruck; struck speechless; staring in stunned silence.

狂轰滥炸 (kuáng hōng làn zhà) — Indiscriminate bombing; massive bombardment; carpet bombing.

不寒而栗 (bù hán ér lì) — To shiver without being cold; to tremble with fear; terrifying.

游刃有余 (yóu rèn yǒu yú) — To handle with ease; more than capable; having room to maneuver.

一丝不挂 (yī sī bù guà) — Completely naked; without a stitch of clothing; stark naked. Originally a Buddhist term meaning free of all worldly attachments.

灭顶之灾 (miè dǐng zhī zāi) — Overwhelming disaster; catastrophic calamity; total destruction.

承前启后 (chéng qián qǐ hòu) — To carry on the past and open up the future; linking past and future; building on heritage.

恼羞成怒 (nǎo xiū chéng nù) — To fly into a rage from shame; to become angry from embarrassment.

座无虚席 (zuò wú xū xí) — Every seat taken; a full house; packed audience.

你死我活 (nǐ sǐ wǒ huó) — Life-and-death struggle; mortal combat; fight to the death.

丰功伟绩 (fēng gōng wěi jì) — Great achievements; outstanding accomplishments; remarkable feats.

脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì) — Down-to-earth; practical and realistic; having one's feet firmly planted on the ground.

货真价实 (huò zhēn jià shí) — Genuine goods at fair prices; the real thing; authentic.

急功近利 (jí gōng jìn lì) — Eager for quick success and instant benefits; seeking immediate gains; short-sighted.

波澜壮阔 (bō lán zhuàng kuò) — Magnificent; grand in scale; majestic like mighty waves.

分工合作 (fēn gōng hé zuò) — Division of labor and cooperation; working together with assigned roles.

倒行逆施 (dào xíng nì shī) — To go against the tide; to act perversely; running counter to common sense.

热泪盈眶 (rè lèi yíng kuàng) — Eyes brimming with tears; moved to tears; eyes filling with emotion.

无计可施 (wú jì kě shī) — At one's wit's end; having no way out; without any solution.

化为乌有 (huà wéi wū yǒu) — To vanish into thin air; to come to nothing; to disappear completely.

以暴易暴 (yǐ bào yì bào) — To replace violence with violence; to substitute one tyranny for another.

价廉物美 (jià lián wù měi) — Good quality at low prices; excellent value for money; cheap but good.

心急如焚 (xīn jí rú fén) — Burning with anxiety; extremely worried; anxious as if on fire.

赫赫有名 (hè hè yǒu míng) — Illustrious; renowned; famous and distinguished.

汗马功劳 (hàn mǎ gōng láo) — Distinguished service; outstanding contribution; meritorious service in battle.

见怪不怪 (jiàn guài bù guài) — Not surprised by strange things; taking oddities in stride; being unperturbed by the unusual.

一视同仁 (yī shì tóng rén) — To treat everyone equally; impartial; without discrimination.

跃跃欲试 (yuè yuè yù shì) — Eager to have a go; itching to try; raring to start.

语重心长 (yǔ zhòng xīn cháng) — Speaking with deep feeling and earnest concern; sincere and weighty words.

步步为营 (bù bù wéi yíng) — To advance cautiously step by step; consolidating each position before moving forward.

不胜枚举 (bù shèng méi jǔ) — Too numerous to list; countless; innumerable.

气急败坏 (qì jí bài huài) — Flustered and exasperated; beside oneself with rage; in a fluster.

历历在目 (lì lì zài mù) — Vividly visible; as clear as if before one's eyes; fresh in memory.

琳琅满目 (lín láng mǎn mù) — A feast for the eyes; a dazzling array; glittering with fine things.

旗鼓相当 (qí gǔ xiāng dāng) — Well-matched; evenly matched; on equal footing.

一石二鸟 (yī shí èr niǎo) — To kill two birds with one stone; achieving two goals with one action.

有生之年 (yǒu shēng zhī nián) — For the rest of one's life; in one's remaining years; while still alive.

扬长而去 (yáng cháng ér qù) — To swagger off; to leave with a flourish; to stride away.

手无寸铁 (shǒu wú cùn tiě) — Unarmed; bare-handed; without any weapon.

半壁江山 (bàn bì jiāng shān) — Half the country; partial territory remaining after enemy invasion.

不欢而散 (bù huān ér sàn) — To part on bad terms; to break up unhappily; to end in discord.

无影无踪 (wú yǐng wú zōng) — Without a trace; vanished completely; disappeared entirely.

寿终正寝 (shòu zhōng zhèng qǐn) — To die a natural death at home; to come to its natural end. Now used metaphorically for the demise of something.

如法炮制 (rú fǎ páo zhì) — To follow the same method; to do the same thing; to repeat the procedure.

不能自拔 (bù néng zì bá) — Unable to extricate oneself; deeply involved; unable to free oneself.

光明正大 (guāng míng zhèng dà) — Open and aboveboard; fair and square; straightforward and honest.

自以为是 (zì yǐ wéi shì) — Self-righteous; opinionated; thinking oneself always right.

高枕无忧 (gāo zhěn wú yōu) — To rest easy; without worries; complacent.

公平合理 (gōng píng hé lǐ) — Fair and reasonable; just and sensible; equitable.

大显身手 (dà xiǎn shēn shǒu) — To display one's talents; to show what one can do; to demonstrate one's abilities.

各自为政 (gè zì wéi zhèng) — Each doing things their own way; working at cross purposes; lack of coordination.

指手画脚 (zhǐ shǒu huà jiǎo) — To gesticulate; to make wild gestures while talking; to point and gesture critically.

大有可为 (dà yǒu kě wéi) — There's much that can be done; great potential; promising prospects.

勇往直前 (yǒng wǎng zhí qián) — To forge ahead courageously; to advance bravely; to press forward with indomitable will.

感慨万千 (gǎn kǎi wàn qiān) — Filled with deep emotion; overcome with feelings; having a thousand thoughts.

箭在弦上 (jiàn zài xián shàng) — The arrow is on the string; the die is cast; forced by circumstances to act.

因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí) — To adapt to local conditions; to suit measures to local circumstances.

平分秋色 (píng fēn qiū sè) — To share equally; to divide evenly; fifty-fifty.

大刀阔斧 (dà dāo kuò fǔ) — Bold and decisive; drastic measures; sweeping actions.

有利可图 (yǒu lì kě tú) — Profitable; having something to gain; with benefits to be had.

空头支票 (kōng tóu zhī piào) — Empty promise; bad check; promise that won't be kept.

量力而行 (liàng lì ér xíng) — To act within one's capabilities; to do what one is able to; to bite off no more than one can chew.

乐此不疲 (lè cǐ bù pí) — To take delight in something without getting tired; to enjoy it tirelessly.

就事论事 (jiù shì lùn shì) — To discuss the matter as it stands; to deal with a matter on its own merits.

奉公守法 (fèng gōng shǒu fǎ) — To serve the public interest and abide by the law; law-abiding.

难能可贵 (nán néng kě guì) — Rare and praiseworthy; commendable under difficult circumstances; all the more valuable because of the difficulty.

风云突变 (fēng yún tū biàn) — A sudden change in the situation; dramatic turn of events; sudden upheaval.

风起云涌 (fēng qǐ yún yǒng) — Rising like wind and clouds; surging forward; growing vigorously in great momentum.

走投无路 (zǒu tóu wú lù) — At the end of one's rope; in desperate straits; with nowhere to turn.

南辕北辙 (nán yuán běi zhé) — Going south by driving the chariot north; acting contrary to one's stated aims; moving in the opposite direction.

火中取栗 (huǒ zhōng qǔ lì) — To pull chestnuts out of the fire; to be a cat's paw; to risk oneself for another's benefit.

倾家荡产 (qīng jiā dàng chǎn) — To lose everything; to be ruined financially; to go bankrupt.

温文尔雅 (wēn wén ěr yǎ) — Gentle and refined; cultured and courteous; urbane.

卧薪尝胆 (wò xīn cháng dǎn) — To sleep on brushwood and taste gall; to endure hardships to accomplish revenge; extreme self-discipline for future success.

天罗地网 (tiān luó dì wǎng) — A tight encirclement; inescapable net; surrounded on all sides.

司空见惯 (sī kōng jiàn guàn) — A common sight; nothing unusual; commonplace.

投桃报李 (tóu táo bào lǐ) — To reciprocate; tit for tat; to return a favor.

天衣无缝 (tiān yī wú fèng) — Perfect; flawless; seamless.

叹为观止 (tàn wéi guān zhǐ) — To acclaim as the acme of perfection; the ultimate; couldn't be better.

谈何容易 (tán hé róng yì) — Easier said than done; not as easy as it sounds.

一臂之力 (yī bì zhī lì) — A helping hand; assistance; lending support.

日日夜夜 (rì rì yè yè) — Day and night; around the clock; constantly.

胸有成竹 (xiōng yǒu chéng zhú) — To have a well-thought-out plan; to have a card up one's sleeve; to know what one is doing.

言之凿凿 (yán zhī záo záo) — Speaking with absolute certainty; stated categorically; said convincingly.

按部就班 (àn bù jiù bān) — To follow the prescribed order; to proceed step by step; to do things by the book.

亦步亦趋 (yì bù yì qū) — To follow in someone's footsteps; to imitate blindly; to ape.

生死攸关 (shēng sǐ yōu guān) — A matter of life and death; vital; crucial.

力挽狂澜 (lì wǎn kuáng lán) — To stem the tide; to save a desperate situation; to turn the tide.

不置可否 (bù zhì kě fǒu) — To be noncommittal; to hedge; neither confirming nor denying.

大开眼界 (dà kāi yǎn jiè) — To be an eye-opener; to broaden one's horizons; enlightening.

逃之夭夭 (táo zhī yāo yāo) — To flee; to make a hasty escape; to run away. A homophonic play on 'peach blossoms in full bloom.'

对症下药 (duì zhèng xià yào) — To prescribe the right remedy; to suit the remedy to the case; targeted solution.

漏洞百出 (lòu dòng bǎi chū) — Full of loopholes; riddled with errors; full of flaws.

贪官污吏 (tān guān wū lì) — Corrupt officials; venal bureaucrats.

年复一年 (nián fù yī nián) — Year after year; year in year out.

当机立断 (dāng jī lì duàn) — To make a prompt decision; to decide on the spot; decisive.

守口如瓶 (shǒu kǒu rú píng) — Tight-lipped; keeping one's mouth shut; discreet as a sealed bottle.

得心应手 (dé xīn yìng shǒu) — With skill and ease; handy; doing something with facility.

始终不渝 (shǐ zhōng bù yú) — Unswerving from beginning to end; constant; steadfast.

颠倒黑白 (diān dǎo hēi bái) — To confuse black and white; to distort the truth; to call white black.

有声有色 (yǒu shēng yǒu sè) — Vivid; lively; with great verve.

时过境迁 (shí guò jìng qiān) — Times change and circumstances alter; with the passage of time, things change.

自相残杀 (zì xiāng cán shā) — To kill one another; internal strife; mutual destruction.

调兵遣将 (diào bīng qiǎn jiàng) — To deploy troops and dispatch generals; to mobilize forces; to arrange personnel.

一丝不苟 (yī sī bù gǒu) — Meticulous; scrupulous; not the slightest bit careless.

同仇敌忾 (tóng chóu dí kài) — Sharing a common hatred for the enemy; united against a common foe.

野心勃勃 (yě xīn bó bó) — Extremely ambitious; full of wild ambition; harboring grand designs.

和睦相处 (hé mù xiāng chǔ) — To live in harmony; to get along well together; peaceful coexistence.

小道消息 (xiǎo dào xiāo xī) — Grapevine news; unofficial information; rumor.

改头换面 (gǎi tóu huàn miàn) — To change in appearance but not in substance; to present in a new guise; superficial change.

负隅顽抗 (fù yú wán kàng) — To put up a desperate resistance; fighting to the last ditch; resisting stubbornly from a position of strength.

和而不同 (hé ér bù tóng) — Harmony without uniformity; agreeing to disagree; unity in diversity.

格格不入 (gé gé bù rù) — Incompatible; out of place; like square pegs in round holes.

供过于求 (gōng guò yú qiú) — Supply exceeds demand; oversupply.

言外之意 (yán wài zhī yì) — Hidden meaning; implication; reading between the lines.

顾全大局 (gù quán dà jú) — To take the overall situation into account; considering the bigger picture; for the sake of the whole.

各个击破 (gè gè jī pò) — To defeat one by one; to destroy in detail; divide and conquer.

招兵买马 (zhāo bīng mǎi mǎ) — To recruit soldiers and buy horses; to build up one's forces; to expand personnel.

无人问津 (wú rén wèn jīn) — Nobody cares; nobody shows any interest; completely ignored.

如临大敌 (rú lín dà dí) — As if facing a formidable enemy; treating something as extremely serious; on high alert.

不可磨灭 (bù kě mó miè) — Indelible; unforgettable; imperishable.

通风报信 (tōng fēng bào xìn) — To tip someone off; to leak information; to pass on secret news.

克敌制胜 (kè dí zhì shèng) — To defeat the enemy and win victory; to vanquish the foe.

同心同德 (tóng xīn tóng dé) — Of one heart and one mind; united in purpose; working together.

反败为胜 (fǎn bài wéi shèng) — To turn defeat into victory; to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

博大精深 (bó dà jīng shēn) — Broad and profound; extensive and profound; vast and deep.

锦上添花 (jǐn shàng tiān huā) — To add flowers to brocade; to make something good even better; icing on the cake.

不负众望 (bù fù zhòng wàng) — To live up to expectations; to not disappoint the masses; to fulfill everyone's hopes.

居心叵测 (jū xīn pǒ cè) — Harboring evil intentions; sinister designs; having unfathomable motives.

不屈不挠 (bù qū bù náo) — Unyielding; indomitable; refusing to bend or submit.

不偏不倚 (bù piān bù yǐ) — Impartial; unbiased; fair and just.

师出无名 (shī chū wú míng) — To wage war without just cause; having no legitimate reason; unjustified action.

弄巧成拙 (nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō) — To outsmart oneself; to be too clever by half; cleverness defeated by its own ingenuity.

冷眼旁观 (lěng yǎn páng guān) — To look on coldly; to be a detached observer; watching from the sidelines.

不以为意 (bù yǐ wéi yì) — To pay no attention to; to take lightly; to not care about.

束手就擒 (shù shǒu jiù qín) — To allow oneself to be captured; to surrender without resistance; to give up tamely.

念念不忘 (niàn niàn bù wàng) — To bear constantly in mind; to never forget; always remembering.

波涛汹涌 (bō tāo xiōng yǒng) — Surging waves; turbulent seas; tempestuous.

瞒天过海 (mán tiān guò hǎi) — To deceive heaven and cross the sea; to practice deception; pulling the wool over everyone's eyes.

诸如此类 (zhū rú cǐ lèi) — Things like this; and so on; and such like.

艰苦卓绝 (jiān kǔ zhuó jué) — Extraordinarily arduous; marked by exceptional hardship; remarkably persevering.

生机勃勃 (shēng jī bó bó) — Full of vitality; vigorous; teeming with life.

釜底抽薪 (fǔ dǐ chōu xīn) — To remove the firewood from under the cauldron; to take drastic measures; getting to the root of the problem.

混淆视听 (hùn xiáo shì tīng) — To confuse the public; to mislead; to muddy the waters.

异想天开 (yì xiǎng tiān kāi) — Fantastic notion; a wild idea; pie in the sky.

一朝一夕 (yī zhāo yī xī) — In a short time; overnight; within a day.

本来面目 (běn lái miàn mù) — True colors; original appearance; real nature.

随时随地 (suí shí suí dì) — At any time and any place; whenever and wherever; constantly.

不由自主 (bù yóu zì zhǔ) — Involuntarily; can't help oneself; acting unconsciously.

沆瀣一气 (hàng xiè yī qì) — Birds of a feather; conspiring together; in cahoots.

无可争辩 (wú kě zhēng biàn) — Indisputable; irrefutable; beyond argument.

面目全非 (miàn mù quán fēi) — Completely changed beyond recognition; totally different.

玩火自焚 (wán huǒ zì fén) — He who plays with fire gets burned; self-destruction from risky behavior.

漠不关心 (mò bù guān xīn) — Indifferent; apathetic; unconcerned.

长此以往 (cháng cǐ yǐ wǎng) — If this continues; in the long run; if things go on like this.

啼笑皆非 (tí xiào jiē fēi) — Not knowing whether to laugh or cry; both ludicrous and annoying; caught between tears and laughter.

铜墙铁壁 (tóng qiáng tiě bì) — Walls of bronze and iron; an impregnable fortress; unbreakable defense.

据理力争 (jù lǐ lì zhēng) — To argue strongly on just grounds; to defend with reason; to fight for one's rights.

坐以待毙 (zuò yǐ dài bì) — To sit and await death; to await doom with folded arms; passive resignation to fate.

不期而遇 (bù qī ér yù) — To meet by chance; an unexpected encounter; running into someone.

视若无睹 (shì ruò wú dǔ) — To turn a blind eye; to ignore; to pretend not to see.

多事之秋 (duō shì zhī qiū) — A troubled time; eventful period; time of many difficulties.

一拥而上 (yī yōng ér shàng) — To swarm up; to rush up together; to crowd forward.

特立独行 (tè lì dú xíng) — Independent and unconventional; going one's own way; standing apart from the crowd.

明争暗斗 (míng zhēng àn dòu) — Open strife and covert struggle; fighting overtly and covertly; overt and covert conflict.

脱胎换骨 (tuō tāi huàn gǔ) — To be reborn; complete transformation; thorough reform.

挖空心思 (wā kōng xīn sī) — To rack one's brains; to exhaust one's wits; thinking hard.

非同小可 (fēi tóng xiǎo kě) — No small matter; not to be taken lightly; of great importance.

纵横捭阖 (zòng héng bǎi hé) — Political maneuvering; diplomatic manipulation; wheeling and dealing.

玉石俱焚 (yù shí jù fén) — Jade and stone alike will be burned; good and bad perish together; mutual destruction.

始终如一 (shǐ zhōng rú yī) — Consistent from beginning to end; always the same; unwavering.

投石问路 (tóu shí wèn lù) — To throw a stone to test the way; to test the waters; a trial balloon.

真心实意 (zhēn xīn shí yì) — Sincere and wholehearted; with genuine feeling; heartfelt.

不在话下 (bù zài huà xià) — Not worth mentioning; goes without saying; a foregone conclusion.

煞费苦心 (shà fèi kǔ xīn) — To take great pains; to rack one's brains; painstaking effort.

后发制人 (hòu fā zhì rén) — To gain the initiative by striking after the enemy; to wait and then strike.

挨家挨户 (āi ji āi hù) — From door to door; house to house; every household.

不自量力 (bù zì liàng lì) — To overestimate one's abilities; to overreach oneself; biting off more than one can chew.

整装待发 (zhěng zhuāng dài fā) — Packed and ready to go; ready to set off; all geared up.

从中渔利 (cóng zhōng yú lì) — To profit from others' conflict; fishing in troubled waters; taking advantage.

和盘托出 (hé pán tuō chū) — To reveal everything; to lay all one's cards on the table; to come clean.

言过其实 (yán guò qí shí) — To exaggerate; to overstate; words exceeding the facts.

扬眉吐气 (yáng méi tǔ qì) — To feel proud and elated; to hold one's head high; relieved of frustration.

情有可原 (qíng yǒu kě yuán) — Pardonable; excusable; understandable under the circumstances.

信口开河 (xìn kǒu kāi hé) — To speak recklessly; to shoot one's mouth off; to talk off the top of one's head.

一败涂地 (yī bài tú dì) — To suffer a crushing defeat; to fail utterly; to be routed completely.

丧权辱国 (sàng quán rǔ guó) — To forfeit sovereignty and humiliate the nation; treasonous and disgraceful.

先天不足 (xiān tiān bù zú) — Congenital deficiency; born with weaknesses; inherently flawed.

暗渡陈仓 (àn dù chén cāng) — To cross Chencang secretly; to do something under cover; a covert operation.

不动声色 (bù dòng shēng sè) — Without turning a hair; maintaining composure; showing no emotion.

垂涎三尺 (chuí xián sān chǐ) — Drooling with desire; mouth-watering; coveting.

不攻自破 (bù gōng zì pò) — To collapse without being attacked; to fall apart on its own; self-defeating.

各抒己见 (gè shū jǐ jiàn) — Each expressing their own views; everyone speaking their mind.

差强人意 (chā qiáng rén yì) — Just passable; barely satisfactory; somewhat acceptable.

明明白白 (míng míng bái bái) — Crystal clear; perfectly plain; obvious and unambiguous.

含糊其辞 (hán hú qí cí) — To speak evasively; to be vague; to hedge one's words.

休养生息 (xiū yǎng shēng xī) — To rest and recuperate; to rehabilitate; restoration after turmoil.

灰头土脸 (huī tóu tǔ liǎn) — Dust-covered; disheveled; looking dirty and dejected.

公之于众 (gōng zhī yú zhòng) — To make public; to announce to all; to reveal to the masses.

光天化日 (guāng tiān huà rì) — In broad daylight; under the sun; openly.

掩耳盗铃 (yǎn ěr dào líng) — To cover one's ears while stealing a bell; to deceive oneself; self-deception.

从长计议 (cóng cháng jì yì) — To consider at length; to discuss over time; to take time to think it over.

异军突起 (yì jūn tū qǐ) — A new force suddenly emerging; a dark horse appearing; rising unexpectedly.

功亏一篑 (gōng kuī yī kuì) — To fail at the last hurdle; to fall short by one basketful of earth; so near yet so far.

恰如其分 (qià rú qí fèn) — Just right; appropriate; fitting perfectly.

只字不提 (zhī zì bù tí) — Not to mention a single word; complete silence about; total omission.

谈笑风生 (tán xiào fēng shēng) — To talk and laugh cheerfully; animated conversation; witty and jovial.

黯然失色 (àn rán shī sè) — To pale in comparison; to be outshone; to lose one's luster.

以牙还牙 (yǐ yá huán yá) — A tooth for a tooth; tit for tat; to fight fire with fire.

大言不惭 (dà yán bù cán) — To boast without shame; to brag shamelessly; making grandiose claims.

烟消云散 (yān xiāo yún sàn) — To vanish like smoke and clouds; to disappear completely; to melt away.

改弦易辙 (gǎi xián yì zhé) — To change one's tune; to alter course; to adopt a new approach.

无所不在 (wú suǒ bù zài) — Omnipresent; ubiquitous; everywhere.

狗急跳墙 (gǒu jí tiào qiáng) — A cornered dog will leap over a wall; desperation drives one to desperate measures.

神出鬼没 (shén chū guǐ mò) — To appear and disappear mysteriously; elusive; unpredictable movements.

无所顾忌 (wú suǒ gù jì) — Without any scruples; having no qualms; uninhibited.

开花结果 (kāi huā jié guǒ) — To blossom and bear fruit; to yield results; to come to fruition.

必争之地 (bì zhēng zhī dì) — A strategic location that must be contested; key position both sides must fight for.

乘虚而入 (chéng xū ér rù) — To exploit a weak point; to take advantage of a gap; to strike when defenses are down.

煽风点火 (shān fēng diǎn huǒ) — To fan the flames; to stir up trouble; to instigate.

四面楚歌 (sì miàn chǔ gē) — Besieged on all sides; embattled; surrounded by enemies.

患得患失 (huàn dé huàn shī) — Worried about personal gains and losses; anxious about getting and losing.

坚不可摧 (jiān bù kě cuī) — Indestructible; impregnable; unbreakable.

接踵而来 (jiē zhǒng ér lái) — To come one after another; in quick succession; following on each other's heels.

莫衷一是 (mò zhōng yī shì) — Unable to reach consensus; opinions differ; no agreement on what's right.

独占鳌头 (dú zhàn áo tóu) — To come first; to top the list; to be number one.

无足轻重 (wú zú qīng zhòng) — Of no consequence; insignificant; negligible.

一穷二白 (yī qióng èr bái) — Poor and blank; economically backward and culturally undeveloped.

狭路相逢 (xiá lù xiāng féng) — To meet on a narrow path; enemies coming face to face; unavoidable confrontation.

心照不宣 (xīn zhào bù xuān) — Understood without being stated; tacit understanding; unspoken agreement.

望尘莫及 (wàng chén mò jí) — Unable to catch up; far behind; can't hold a candle to.

口不择言 (kǒu bù zé yán) — Speaking without choosing words; blurting out; speaking rashly.

大动干戈 (dà dòng gān gē) — To resort to force; to make a big fuss; to go to great lengths.

瞬息万变 (shùn xī wàn biàn) — Changing rapidly; kaleidoscopic; ever-changing.

杯水车薪 (bēi shuǐ chē xīn) — A cup of water on a burning cart of firewood; a drop in the bucket; wholly inadequate.

操之过急 (cāo zhī guò jí) — To act with undue haste; too hasty; rushing things.

麻木不仁 (má mù bù rén) — Numb and unfeeling; apathetic; insensitive.

屡试不爽 (lǚ shì bù shuǎng) — Tried and true; never failing; working every time.

老生常谈 (lǎo shēng cháng tán) — Platitude; cliché; hackneyed talk.

不义之财 (bù yì zhī cái) — Ill-gotten gains; dirty money; dishonest wealth.

庐山真面 (lú shān zhēn miàn) — The true face of Mount Lu; the real nature of something; true colors.

人满为患 (rén mǎn wéi huàn) — Overcrowded; packed to capacity causing problems.

劳民伤财 (láo mín shāng cái) — To waste manpower and resources; costly and troublesome.

滔滔不绝 (tāo tāo bù jué) — To talk endlessly; flowing continuously; eloquent and unstoppable.

以身作则 (yǐ shēn zuò zé) — To set an example with one's own conduct; to practice what one preaches.

财大气粗 (cái dà qì cù) — Rich and arrogant; throwing one's weight around because of wealth.

顺藤摸瓜 (shùn téng mō guā) — To follow the vine to find the melon; to track down by following clues.

一劳永逸 (yī láo yǒng yì) — Once and for all; to get it done once with lasting benefits.

戛然而止 (jiá rán ér zhǐ) — To stop abruptly; to come to a sudden halt.

昙花一现 (tán huā yī xiàn) — A flash in the pan; short-lived; fleeting appearance.

无孔不入 (wú kǒng bù rù) — To seize every opportunity; to exploit every opening; omnipresent infiltration.

沾沾自喜 (zhān zhān zì xǐ) — Smug; complacent; self-satisfied.

鞭长莫及 (biān cháng mò jí) — Beyond one's reach; too far away to help; unable to exert influence.

峰回路转 (fēng huí lù zhuǎn) — The path twists around the peak; a sudden turn of events; unexpected development.

一举两得 (yī jǔ liǎng dé) — To kill two birds with one stone; to achieve two goals with one action.

风尘仆仆 (fēng chén pú pú) — Travel-worn; dusty from the journey; weary from traveling.

付诸东流 (fù zhū dōng liú) — To be washed away; to go down the drain; to come to nothing.

相形见绌 (xiāng xíng jiàn chù) — To pale by comparison; to be shown up; to appear inferior.

摇旗呐喊 (yáo qí nà hǎn) — To wave flags and shout battle cries; to cheer on; to root for.

指手划脚 (zhǐ shǒu huà jiǎo) — To gesticulate; to point and gesture; to criticize officiously.

言听计从 (yán tīng jì cóng) — To follow someone's every word and suggestion; to defer to completely.

摇摇欲坠 (yáo yáo yù zhuì) — Tottering; on the verge of collapse; about to fall.

恨之入骨 (hèn zhī rù gǔ) — To hate to the bone; to despise utterly; deep-seated hatred.

求之不得 (qiú zhī bù dé) — Something one desperately wants; exactly what one wished for.

欣喜若狂 (xīn xǐ ruò kuáng) — Wild with joy; overjoyed; ecstatic.

高楼大厦 (gāo lóu dà shà) — High-rise buildings; tall buildings and mansions.

忘乎所以 (wàng hū suǒ yǐ) — To forget oneself; to get carried away; to lose one's head.

皆大欢喜 (jiē dà huān xǐ) — To everyone's satisfaction; all are happy; a happy ending for all.

迥然不同 (jiǒng rán bù tóng) — Entirely different; vastly different; worlds apart.

不解之缘 (bù jiě zhī yuán) — An indissoluble bond; a lasting connection; inseparable relationship.

举世闻名 (jǔ shì wén míng) — World-famous; renowned throughout the world.

不堪回首 (bù kān huí shǒu) — Unbearable to look back on; too painful to recall.

打击报复 (dǎ jī bào fù) — To retaliate; to strike back in revenge.

开门见山 (kāi mén jiàn shān) — To come straight to the point; direct and frank; without beating around the bush.

发号施令 (fā hào shī lìng) — To issue orders; to call the shots; to give commands.

不可逾越 (bù kě yú yuè) — Insurmountable; impassable; cannot be crossed.

反复无常 (fǎn fù wú cháng) — Changeable; fickle; inconsistent.

反客为主 (fǎn kè wéi zhǔ) — The guest becomes the host; to turn the tables; to take the initiative.

一落千丈 (yī luò qiān zhàng) — To plummet; to drop sharply; a steep decline.

拨乱反正 (bō luàn fǎn zhèng) — To bring order out of chaos; to restore normality; to set things right.

纷至沓来 (fēn zhì tà lái) — To come thick and fast; to arrive in droves; coming one after another.

费尽心机 (fèi jìn xīn jī) — To rack one's brains; to scheme exhaustively; to spare no effort in plotting.

完美无缺 (wán měi wú quē) — Perfect; flawless; without any defect.

谨言慎行 (jǐn yán shèn xíng) — To be careful in word and deed; to watch what one says and does.

全神贯注 (quán shén guàn zhù) — To be fully absorbed; completely focused; undivided attention.

铁板一块 (tiě bǎn yī kuài) — A monolithic bloc; completely unified; solid and unbreakable.

装腔作势 (zhuāng qiāng zuò shì) — To put on airs; to strike a pose; to be pretentious.

杀鸡儆猴 (shā jī jǐng hóu) — To kill the chicken to scare the monkey; to punish one as a warning to others.

崇山峻岭 (chóng shān jùn lǐng) — Towering mountains and lofty peaks; high mountains.

丧心病狂 (sàng xīn bìng kuáng) — Deranged; frenzied; out of one's mind.

一语道破 (yī yǔ dào pò) — To hit the nail on the head; to expose in one sentence.

朝夕相处 (zhāo xī xiāng chǔ) — Together day and night; constant companions; living together closely.

草木皆兵 (cǎo mù jiē bīng) — Every bush and tree looks like an enemy soldier; paranoid; seeing enemies everywhere.

排山倒海 (pái shān dǎo hǎi) — Overwhelming; earth-shaking; with tremendous force.

眉来眼去 (méi lái yǎn qù) — Making eyes at each other; exchanging amorous glances.

时不我待 (shí bù wǒ dài) — Time waits for no one; time is pressing; we must act now.

内忧外患 (nèi yōu wài huàn) — Domestic troubles and foreign aggression; problems from within and without.

大势已去 (dà shì yǐ qù) — The game is up; all is lost; the situation is hopeless.

一无所有 (yī wú suǒ yǒu) — To have nothing at all; penniless; destitute.

千疮百孔 (qiān chuāng bǎi kǒng) — Riddled with holes; full of flaws; battered and scarred.

冲锋陷阵 (chōng fēng xiàn zhèn) — To charge and break through enemy lines; to fight bravely at the front.

油然而生 (yóu rán ér shēng) — To arise spontaneously; to well up naturally.

势不可挡 (shì bù kě dǎng) — Irresistible; unstoppable; overwhelming.

弥天大谎 (mí tiān dà huǎng) — A monstrous lie; a whopping falsehood; an outrageous fabrication.

起死回生 (qǐ sǐ huí shēng) — To bring back from the dead; to snatch from the jaws of death; miraculous revival.

应有尽有 (yīng yǒu jìn yǒu) — To have everything one needs; complete; fully equipped.

如日中天 (rú rì zhōng tiān) — Like the sun at high noon; at the peak of one's power; at its zenith.

气势汹汹 (qì shì xiōng xiōng) — Aggressive; truculent; in a threatening manner.

滔天罪行 (tāo tiān zuì xíng) — Heinous crimes; monstrous crimes; unforgivable offenses.

不同凡响 (bù tóng fán xiǎng) — Out of the ordinary; exceptional; outstanding.

轻重缓急 (qīng zhòng huǎn jí) — Priorities; relative importance and urgency; what's important and what can wait.

咬牙切齿 (yǎo yá qiè chǐ) — To gnash one's teeth; burning with hatred; seething with rage.

惊慌失措 (jīng huāng shī cuò) — Panic-stricken; flustered; losing one's composure.

头破血流 (tóu pò xuè liú) — Head broken and bleeding; badly battered; suffering a crushing defeat.

从容应对 (cóng róng yìng duì) — To respond calmly; to handle with composure; unhurried response.

一拍即合 (yī pāi jí hé) — To hit it off immediately; instant rapport; clicking right away.

远见卓识 (yuǎn jiàn zhuó shí) — Far-sighted and sagacious; great vision and insight; foresight and wisdom.

万里长城 (wàn lǐ cháng chéng) — The Great Wall; a bulwark of defense; an invaluable defender of the nation.

支离破碎 (zhī lí pò suì) — Torn apart; fragmented; in pieces.

知难而退 (zhī nán ér tuì) — To withdraw when facing difficulties; to back off when things get tough.

耳目一新 (ěr mù yī xīn) — Refreshing; a breath of fresh air; making everything seem new.

势如破竹 (shì rú pò zhú) — Like splitting bamboo; overwhelming momentum; sweeping all before one.

热血沸腾 (rè xuè fèi téng) — Blood boiling with passion; fired up; burning with righteous indignation.

枪林弹雨 (qiāng lín dàn yǔ) — A hail of bullets; heavy gunfire; in the thick of battle.

手忙脚乱 (shǒu máng jiǎo luàn) — In a flurry; in a tizzy; all in a rush.

望而生畏 (wàng ér shēng wèi) — To inspire awe at first sight; intimidating; daunting.

急于求成 (jí yú qiú chéng) — Anxious for quick results; impatient for success; rushing for results.

急起直追 (jí qǐ zhí zhuī) — To spring into action and catch up; to make a quick start and race to catch up.

战无不胜 (zhàn wú bù shèng) — Ever-victorious; invincible; winning every battle.

众志成城 (zhòng zhì chéng chéng) — Unity is strength; united we stand; when people are united, they become like a fortress.

自圆其说 (zì yuán qí shuō) — To make one's argument consistent; to justify oneself; to explain away inconsistencies.

声嘶力竭 (shēng sī lì jié) — Hoarse from shouting; at the top of one's lungs; shouting oneself hoarse.

招摇过市 (zhāo yáo guò shì) — To parade through the streets; to show off in public; to flaunt oneself.

一唱一和 (yī chàng yī hè) — To sing in unison; to echo each other; to work in concert.

息事宁人 (xī shì níng rén) — To settle matters and pacify people; to smooth things over; to keep the peace.

大摇大摆 (dà yáo dà bǎi) — Swaggering; strutting; walking with an air of self-importance.

无庸置疑 (wú yōng zhì yí) — Beyond doubt; unquestionable; indubitable.

改朝换代 (gǎi cháo huàn dài) — Dynastic change; change of regime; new government replacing the old.

无懈可击 (wú xiè kě jī) — Unassailable; without a weak point; leaving no opening for attack.

振奋人心 (zhèn fèn rén xīn) — Inspiring; rousing; uplifting.

风雨飘摇 (fēng yǔ piāo yáo) — Tossed by wind and rain; precarious; unstable.

彬彬有礼 (bīn bīn yǒu lǐ) — Refined and courteous; polished in manner; well-mannered.

相安无事 (xiāng ān wú shì) — Living together in peace; getting along without incident; peaceful coexistence.

兵临城下 (bīng lín chéng xià) — Enemy troops at the city gates; imminent danger; crisis at hand.

失之交臂 (shī zhī jiāo bì) — To miss by a hair's breadth; to narrowly miss; to let slip.

年富力强 (nián fù lì qiáng) — In the prime of life; young and vigorous; in one's prime.

奋不顾身 (fèn bù gù shēn) — To dash ahead regardless of personal safety; to risk one's life fearlessly.

锲而不舍 (qiè ér bù shě) — To persevere; persistent; never giving up.

欢聚一堂 (huān jù yī táng) — To gather together happily; a joyful reunion; all together in celebration.

盘根错节 (pán gēn cuò jié) — Tangled roots and gnarled branches; complicated and intertwined; intricate.

抛头露面 (pāo tóu lù miàn) — To show one's face in public; to make a public appearance.

平心而论 (píng xīn ér lùn) — In all fairness; speaking objectively; to be fair.

稳扎稳打 (wěn zhā wěn dǎ) — Steady and sure; step by step without haste; making steady progress.

委曲求全 (wěi qǔ qiú quán) — To compromise for the sake of the overall good; to swallow one's pride; to yield for peace.

一览无余 (yī lǎi wú yú) — To take in everything at a glance; commanding a complete view; nothing hidden.

难以为继 (nán yǐ wéi jì) — Difficult to carry on; hard to sustain; unsustainable.

乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo) — In a mess; topsy-turvy; chaotic.

意气风发 (yì qì fēng fā) — Full of spirit and vigor; high-spirited; dynamic and enthusiastic.

忍辱负重 (rěn rǔ fù zhòng) — To endure humiliation to carry out an important mission; bearing a heavy burden while suffering disgrace.

所见所闻 (suǒ jiàn suǒ wén) — What one sees and hears; personal experience; one's observations.

鱼目混珠 (yú mù hùn zhū) — To pass off fish eyes as pearls; to palm off a fake as genuine; to pass off the sham as the genuine.

滴水不漏 (dī shuǐ bù lòu) — Watertight; absolutely secure; without any loopholes.

入不敷出 (rù bù fū chū) — Income falling short of expenditure; unable to make ends meet; spending more than earning.

死里逃生 (sǐ lǐ táo shēng) — To escape death by a hair's breadth; a narrow escape; to cheat death.

随机应变 (suí jī yìng biàn) — To adapt to circumstances; to play it by ear; flexibility in response.

勾心斗角 (gōu xīn dòu jiǎo) — To scheme against each other; intrigue and rivalry; backstabbing.

古往今来 (gǔ wǎng jīn lái) — From ancient times to the present; throughout history; from time immemorial.

连篇累牍 (lián piān lěi dú) — Writing page after page; lengthy and tedious; at great length.

人心所向 (rén xīn suǒ xiàng) — Where people's hearts incline; what the people support; popular sentiment.

漫不经心 (màn bù jīng xīn) — Careless; casual; absent-minded.

哑口无言 (yǎ kǒu wú yán) — Struck dumb; speechless; at a loss for words.

牢不可破 (láo bù kě pò) — Unshakeable; rock-solid; impregnable.

老调重弹 (lǎo diào zhòng dàn) — To harp on the same old tune; the same old story; rehashing old arguments.

守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù) — Waiting for windfalls; expecting gains without effort; clinging to outdated methods.

富国强兵 (fù guó qiáng bīng) — To make the country rich and the army strong; national prosperity and military strength.

旧事重提 (jiù shì zhòng tí) — To bring up old matters again; to rehash the past; dredging up old issues.

后患无穷 (hòu huàn wú qióng) — Endless future troubles; leaving problems for later; consequences that never end.

喋喋不休 (dié dié bù xiū) — To chatter endlessly; to go on and on; prattling without stop.

不敢苟同 (bù gǎn gǒu tóng) — Cannot readily agree; beg to differ; must respectfully disagree.

闭关自守 (bì guān zì shǒu) — Closed-door policy; isolationism; cutting oneself off from the outside world.

若无其事 (ruò wú qí shì) — As if nothing had happened; nonchalant; unperturbed.

大兴土木 (dà xīng tǔ mù) — To launch major construction projects; to build on a grand scale.

故伎重演 (gù jì zhòng yǎn) — Same old tricks; repeating the same old tactics.

千差万别 (qiān chā wàn bié) — Vastly different; all kinds of differences; a world of difference.

心惊肉跳 (xīn jīng ròu tiào) — Trembling with fear; heart pounding with fright; scared stiff.

争分夺秒 (zhēng fēn duó miǎo) — To race against time; making every second count; not wasting a moment.

接踵而至 (jiē zhǒng ér zhì) — To come in endless succession; one after another; in rapid succession.

举棋不定 (jǔ qí bù dìng) — To be undecided; hesitant; unable to make up one's mind.

并行不悖 (bìng xíng bù bèi) — To proceed in parallel without conflict; mutually compatible; not mutually exclusive.

十全十美 (shí quán shí měi) — Perfect in every way; flawless; impeccable.

痛心疾首 (tòng xīn jí shǒu) — With bitter resentment; with deep sorrow and indignation; heartbroken and furious.

成群结队 (chéng qún jié duì) — In groups and crowds; in droves; in large numbers.

路人皆知 (lù rén jiē zhī) — Known to everyone; an open secret; common knowledge.

石沉大海 (shí chén dà hǎi) — Like a stone sinking into the sea; disappearing without a trace; no response.

义愤填膺 (yì fèn tián yīng) — Filled with righteous indignation; burning with anger at injustice.

见仁见智 (jiàn rén jiàn zhì) — Different people have different views; opinions differ; a matter of perspective.

脱口而出 (tuō kǒu ér chū) — To blurt out; to say without thinking; speaking off the cuff.

春暖花开 (chūn nuǎn huā kāi) — Spring warmth and blooming flowers; the beauty of spring; a wonderful time.

担惊受怕 (dān jīng shòu pà) — To live in fear and anxiety; worried and scared; on tenterhooks.

出生入死 (chū shēng rù sǐ) — To go through fire and water; to risk one's life; braving mortal danger.

万劫不复 (wàn jié bù fù) — Beyond redemption; eternally doomed; never to recover.

敲山震虎 (qiāo shān zhèn hǔ) — To beat the mountain to startle the tiger; to warn through indirect means; an oblique warning.

干净利落 (gān jìng lì luò) — Clean and efficient; neat and tidy; done with dispatch.

惊世骇俗 (jīng shì hài sú) — Shocking; unconventional; startling the world.

惊天动地 (jīng tiān dòng dì) — Earth-shaking; world-shaking; of tremendous significance.

体无完肤 (tǐ wú wán fū) — Covered with wounds; torn to shreds; thoroughly refuted.

如鱼得水 (rú yú dé shuǐ) — Like a fish in water; in one's element; finding the perfect match.

一相情愿 (yī xiāng qíng yuàn) — Wishful thinking; one-sided wish; unilateral desire.

死于非命 (sǐ yú fēi mìng) — To die an unnatural death; to meet a violent end.

混水摸鱼 (hùn shuǐ mō yú) — To fish in troubled waters; to take advantage of chaos; profiting from confusion.

载歌载舞 (zài gē zài wǔ) — Singing and dancing at the same time. Describes joyful celebration.

水深火热 (shuǐ shēn huǒ rè) — The suffering of common people becoming deeper like water and hotter like fire. A metaphor for people living in extreme misery.

大权在握 (dà quán zài wò) — To hold great power in one's hands.

幸灾乐祸 (xìng zāi lè huò) — Taking pleasure in others' misfortune. Describes a person lacking goodwill who feels happy when others encounter disaster.

得意洋洋 (dé yì yáng yáng) — Looking extremely pleased with oneself. Describes being self-satisfied and smug.

血流成河 (xuè liú chéng hé) — Blood flowing to form a river. Describes an extremely large number of people being killed.

参差不齐 (cēn cī bù qí) — Uneven in length or height. Describes varying levels of quality or very uneven arrangement.

安营扎寨 (ān yíng zhā zhài) — To set up camp. 'An' and 'zha' mean to establish or set up; 'zhai' is a defensive stockade. Refers to troops making camp. Also used metaphorically for establishing a temporary work base.

深信不疑 (shēn xìn bù yí) — To believe deeply without any doubt.

众望所归 (zhòng wàng suǒ guī) — Where all hopes converge. 'Zhongwang' means the hopes of the masses; 'gui' means to gather toward. Refers to receiving the trust of the masses.

衣食住行 (yī shí zhù xíng) — Clothing, food, housing, and transportation. Refers to the basic necessities of life.

顺水推舟 (shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu) — Pushing a boat along with the current. A metaphor for going along with a trend or taking advantage of favorable circumstances to speak or act.

步调一致 (bù diào yī zhì) — Marching in step. 'Budiao' means the pace of marching. A metaphor for acting in harmony and coordination.

前因后果 (qián yīn hòu guǒ) — Causes and consequences. Refers to the entire process of an event from beginning to end.

有的放矢 (yǒu dǐ fàng shǐ) — Shooting arrows at a target. 'Di' means the target; 'shi' means arrow. A metaphor for speaking or acting with clear purpose and relevance.

欲盖弥彰 (yù gài mí zhāng) — The more one tries to cover up, the more conspicuous it becomes. 'Gai' means to conceal; 'mi' means more; 'zhang' means obvious. Trying to hide something bad only makes it more apparent.

胆大妄为 (dǎn dà wàng wéi) — Bold and reckless. 'Wangwei' means acting recklessly. Doing bad things without any scruples.

异曲同工 (yì qǔ tóng gōng) — Different tunes, equally skillful. 'Gong' means skillful; 'yi' means different. Different methods achieving the same excellent result. Also describes different expressions conveying the same meaning.

孤立无援 (gū lì wú yuán) — Isolated and without help. Having only one's own strength with no external support.

无缘无故 (wú yuán wú gù) — Without any reason or cause whatsoever.

化为泡影 (huà wéi pāo yǐng) — To vanish into thin air. 'Pao' means bubble. To disappear like water bubbles and shadows - quickly and completely.

毛骨悚然 (máo gǔ sǒng rán) — Hair standing on end and spine tingling. 'Songran' means a frightened appearance. Describes extreme fear.

善罢甘休 (shàn bà gān xiū) — To let the matter drop willingly. To settle a dispute easily and stop willingly.

千里迢迢 (qiān lǐ tiáo tiáo) — A thousand miles away. 'Tiaotiao' means distant. Describes a very long journey.

一以贯之 (yī yǐ guàn zhī) — One principle running through everything. 'Guan' means to thread through. Using one fundamental principle to connect everything from beginning to end.

有名无实 (yǒu míng wú shí) — Having the name but not the substance. Having only an empty title without the reality.

怀恨在心 (huái hèn zài xīn) — To harbor resentment in one's heart. Describes remembering a grudge and waiting for an opportunity for revenge.

多此一举 (duō cǐ yī jǔ) — An unnecessary action. 'Ju' means action. Refers to a superfluous, unnecessary move.

道听途说 (dào tīng tú shuō) — Hearsay. 'Dao' and 'tu' mean road. Things heard and spread on the road. Refers to unfounded rumors.

三足鼎立 (sān zú dǐng lì) — A tripod standing on three legs. A metaphor for a three-way standoff.

平易近人 (píng yì jìn rén) — Approachable and easy to get along with. Describes being amiable without airs, making people feel comfortable approaching. Also describes writing that is easy to understand.

因小失大 (yīn xiǎo shī dà) — To lose the big for the small. Suffering major losses for the sake of minor benefits.

无事生非 (wú shì shēng fēi) — To stir up trouble where there is none. Finding fault without reason, deliberately creating problems.

吹灰之力 (chuī huī zhī lì) — The effort of blowing away dust. A metaphor for extremely minimal effort.

流离失所 (liú lí shī suǒ) — Wandering homeless. 'Liuli' means to drift and scatter. Having no place to settle, wandering everywhere.

不厌其烦 (bù yàn qí fán) — Not finding it troublesome. 'Yan' means to dislike. Not minding the trouble.

事出有因 (shì chū yǒu yīn) — Things happen for a reason. There is a cause behind the occurrence.

畅所欲言 (chàng suǒ yù yán) — To speak freely and fully. 'Chang' means freely, without restraint. To express everything one wants to say openly.

疲于奔命 (pí yú bēn mìng) — Exhausted from running about on orders. Originally meant being worn out from carrying out commands. Now also means being extremely busy rushing about to deal with things.

引人入胜 (yǐn rén rù shèng) — Leading one into wonderful places. 'Sheng' means a beautiful place. To draw people into excellent scenery or content. Now mostly used to describe scenery or literary works that are particularly captivating.

风口浪尖 (fēng kǒu làng jiān) — At the crest of wind and waves. A metaphor for being at the forefront of intense social struggle.

欢呼雀跃 (huān hū qué yué) — Cheering and jumping for joy like sparrows. Describes being extremely happy.

表面文章 (biǎo miàn wén zhāng) — Superficial work. A metaphor for exaggerated, impractical, or perfunctory actions.

一举成名 (yī jǔ chéng míng) — To become famous in one stroke. Originally meant becoming famous throughout the land after passing the imperial examinations. Now means suddenly becoming famous.

人山人海 (rén shān rén hǎi) — Mountains and seas of people. Describes a very large crowd of people gathered together.

以逸待劳 (yǐ yì dài láo) — Waiting for the exhausted enemy while resting. 'Yi' means at ease; 'lao' means tired. In warfare, being fully prepared and well-rested to strike the weary enemy when they arrive.

风和日丽 (fēng hé rì lì) — Gentle breeze and beautiful sunshine. Describes clear, warm, and pleasant weather.

灰飞烟灭 (huī fēi yān miè) — Ashes flying and smoke vanishing. A metaphor for something completely disappearing.

颠三倒四 (diān sān dǎo sì) — Topsy-turvy. 'San' and 'si' represent disorder. Describes speech or actions being confused and chaotic.

公平交易 (gōng píng jiāo yì) — Fair dealing. A transaction conducted fairly and reasonably.

先声夺人 (xiān shēng duó rén) — Overwhelming others with initial momentum. First broadcasting one's power to suppress the opponent. Also means getting a head start in doing things.

落井下石 (luò jǐng xià shí) — Throwing stones at someone who has fallen into a well. Seeing someone about to fall into a pit, not reaching out to save them, but instead pushing them in and throwing stones. A metaphor for taking advantage of someone's difficulties to harm them.

青红皂白 (qīng hóng zào bái) — Blue, red, black, and white. 'Zao' means black. These four colors represent right and wrong or the facts of a matter.

凤毛麟角 (fèng máo lín jiǎo) — Phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. A metaphor for something or someone extremely rare and precious.

奄奄一息 (yǎn yǎn yī xī) — Barely breathing. 'Yanyan' describes weak breathing. Having only one breath left. Describes being near death.

身经百战 (shēn jīng bǎi zhàn) — Having personally experienced a hundred battles. A metaphor for extensive experience.

浑水摸鱼 (hún shuǐ mō yú) — Fishing in muddy waters. 'Hunshui' means murky water. A metaphor for taking advantage of chaos to profit.

取长补短 (qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn) — Learning from others' strengths to make up for one's weaknesses. Also generally refers to taking the strengths of one thing to compensate for the weaknesses of another.

众目睽睽 (zhòng mù kuí kuí) — Under the watchful eyes of many. 'Kuikui' describes staring eyes. Many people watching intently. Refers to being under public scrutiny.

满载而归 (mǎn zài ér guī) — Returning fully loaded. 'Zai' means to load; 'gui' means to return. Coming back with a full load. Describes having great gains or harvests.

设身处地 (shè shēn chǔ dì) — Putting oneself in another's position. 'She' means to imagine. Imagining oneself in someone else's situation. Refers to considering things from another's perspective.

赤身裸体 (chì shēn luǒ tǐ) — Naked. 'Chi' means bare. Having most or all of the body unclothed.

依依不舍 (yī yī bù shě) — Reluctant to part. 'Yiyi' describes a feeling of attachment; 'she' means to give up. Describes being unwilling to leave.

债台高筑 (zhài tái gāo zhù) — Debts piled high like a tower. Describes being deeply in debt.

东躲西藏 (dōng duǒ xī cáng) — Hiding here and there. Describes fleeing and hiding everywhere to escape disaster.

避而不谈 (bì ér bù tán) — Avoiding the topic and not discussing it. Deliberately avoiding facts.

栩栩如生 (xǔ xǔ rú shēng) — Lifelike and vivid. 'Xuxu' describes being lively and animated. Describes artistic images being so realistic they seem alive.

艰难困苦 (jiān nán kùn kǔ) — Hardships and difficulties. Describes being in difficult circumstances with many troubles.

待价而沽 (dài jià ér gū) — Waiting for a good price to sell. 'Gu' means to sell. Waiting for a good offer before selling. A metaphor for offering one's services to whoever provides the best terms.

监守自盗 (jiān shǒu zì dào) — Stealing what one is supposed to guard. 'Jianshou' means to supervise; 'dao' means to steal. Embezzling property that one is officially responsible for protecting.

无关紧要 (wú guān jǐn yào) — Of no importance. 'Jinyao' means urgent or important. Not important, won't affect the overall situation.

自顾不暇 (zì gù bù xiá) — Too busy looking after oneself. 'Xia' means leisure. Having no time even to look after oneself. Describes having no capacity to help others.

本末倒置 (běn mò dào zhì) — Putting the cart before the horse. 'Ben' means tree root; 'mo' means tree tip; 'zhi' means to place. A metaphor for reversing the order of importance or priority.

炙手可热 (zhì shǒu kě rè) — So hot it burns the hand. Describes someone so powerful that their influence is overwhelming, making people afraid to approach.

无可非议 (wú kě fēi yì) — Beyond reproach. 'Feiyi' means to criticize or blame. Nothing to find fault with. Indicates something done properly.

恍然大悟 (huǎng rán dà wù) — Suddenly seeing the light. 'Huangran' describes suddenly becoming aware; 'wu' means to understand. Suddenly understanding completely.

乌合之众 (wū hé zhī zhòng) — A motley crowd. Like a temporarily gathered flock of crows. A metaphor for a disorganized, undisciplined group hastily assembled.

故弄玄虚 (gù nòng xuán xū) — Deliberately mystifying. 'Gu' means intentionally; 'nong' means to play; 'xuanxu' means deceptive tricks to confuse people. Deliberately playing tricks to confuse and deceive people.

趁火打劫 (chèn huǒ dǎ jié) — Looting during a fire. 'Chen' means taking advantage of. Robbing while someone's house is on fire. A metaphor for exploiting others' misfortune for personal gain.

偷梁换柱 (tōu liáng huàn zhù) — Secretly switching the beams and pillars. A metaphor for covertly substituting something genuine with something fake, or something good with something inferior.

独当一面 (dú dāng yī miàn) — Taking sole charge of one aspect. Being solely responsible for one area of work.

言而有信 (yán ér yǒu xìn) — Being true to one's word. Speaking reliably with credibility.

合而为一 (hé ér wéi yī) — Combining into one. Bringing scattered things together as one.

打草惊蛇 (dǎ cǎo jīng shé) — Beating the grass and startling the snake. Originally meant punishing one person as a warning to another. Now mostly means acting carelessly and alerting the target.

敬而远之 (jìng ér yuǎn zhī) — Respecting but keeping at a distance. Outwardly showing respect but actually unwilling to get close. Also used sarcastically for not wanting to be near someone.

运筹帷幄 (yùn chóu wéi wò) — Planning strategy in the command tent. 'Chou' means strategy or planning; 'weiwo' is the army tent in ancient times. Refers to formulating battle strategies. Extended to mean planning and directing.

当头一棒 (dāng tóu yī bàng) — A blow to the head. A metaphor for receiving a serious warning or sudden shock.

兢兢业业 (jīng jīng yè yè) — Careful and conscientious. 'Jingjing' describes being cautious; 'yeye' describes being apprehensive. Describes doing work carefully and diligently.

群龙无首 (qún lóng wú shǒu) — A group of dragons without a leader. A metaphor for having no leader and being unable to act in unison.

精益求精 (jīng yì qiú jīng) — Striving for ever greater perfection. 'Jing' means perfect or excellent; 'yi' means even more. Already good but seeking to be even better.

呼风唤雨 (hū fēng huàn yǔ) — Summoning wind and rain. Originally referred to the magical powers of immortals and Taoist priests. Now a metaphor for having great power to control nature. Can also describe rampant reactionary forces.

光明磊落 (guāng míng lěi luò) — Open and aboveboard. 'Leiluo' describes an open and honest heart. Having an upright and honest character.

约定俗成 (yuè dìng sú chéng) — Established by common consent. Refers to names of things or social customs often being determined or formed through long social practice by the people.

哭笑不得 (kū xiào bù dé) — Not knowing whether to laugh or cry. It's not right to cry, and it's not right to laugh either. Describes an awkward situation.

天下大乱 (tiān xià dà luàn) — Great chaos under heaven. 'Tianxia' refers to China or the world. The situation of the whole country or world is in turmoil.

苦口婆心 (kǔ kǒu pó xīn) — Earnest and patient advice. 'Kukou' means repeated exhortation; 'poxin' means a kind heart. A metaphor for well-intentioned and patient persuasion.

按兵不动 (àn bīng bù dòng) — Holding back troops without moving. 'An' means to hold back. Keeping the army temporarily stationary. Now also means temporarily not starting work.

面面俱到 (miàn miàn jù dào) — Covering all aspects. Taking care of all sides without omission. Also describes being thorough in all aspects but perhaps lacking depth.

前赴后继 (qián fù hòu jì) — The front ranks fall and the rear ranks continue. Those in front charge forward and those behind follow closely. Describes continuous fighting with brave charges.

欺人之谈 (qī rén zhī tán) — Deceptive talk. Lies meant to deceive people.

是非曲直 (shì fēi qǔ zhí) — Right and wrong, reasonable and unreasonable. Refers to the merits of a case.

数不胜数 (shǔ bù shèng shǔ) — Too many to count. 'Shu' means to calculate. Describes an extremely large quantity that is difficult to enumerate.

德高望重 (dé gāo wàng zhòng) — Of high virtue and great prestige. 'De' means moral character; 'wang' means reputation. Having noble morals and great renown.

不可终日 (bù kě zhōng rì) — Unable to last even a day. 'Zhongri' means from morning to evening, one day. Describes an extremely critical situation or extreme anxiety and fear.

形迹可疑 (xíng jì kě yí) — Suspicious in appearance and behavior. Actions and expressions that arouse doubt.

不一而足 (bù yī ér zú) — Too many to enumerate. 'Zu' means sufficient. Indicates there are many similar things, impossible to list completely.

罪大恶极 (zuì dà è jí) — Crimes and evil of the greatest magnitude. Wickedness that has reached the extreme.

叱咤风云 (chì zhà fēng yún) — Commanding wind and clouds with a shout. 'Chizha' means an angry shout. A single shout can stir up wind and clouds. Describes immense power.

当仁不让 (dāng rén bù ràng) — Not yielding when it comes to benevolence. Originally meant taking benevolence as one's duty without being modest. Now means actively taking on tasks that should be done, without declining.

内外交困 (nèi wài jiāo kùn) — Beset with difficulties both inside and outside. 'Jiao' means simultaneously; 'kun' means difficulty. Being in a difficult situation both internally and externally.

金字招牌 (jīn zì zhāo pái) — A gold-lettered signboard. In old times, shops used gold leaf for signboard lettering to show wealth. Now a metaphor for a prestigious name or title that can be boasted about. Also refers to a good reputation.

奋发图强 (fèn fā tú qiáng) — To rouse oneself and strive for strength. 'Tu' means to seek. To rally one's spirit in pursuit of becoming strong.

动之以情 (dòng zhī yǐ qíng) — To move someone with emotion. Using feelings to touch someone's heart.

弹丸之地 (dàn wán zhī dì) — A place the size of a pellet. 'Danwan' refers to the iron or clay ball used in a slingshot. A tiny piece of land. Describes an extremely small place.

以身殉职 (yǐ shēn xùn zhí) — To die in the line of duty. 'Xun' means sacrificing one's life to achieve a goal. Giving one's life out of devotion to one's work.

一事无成 (yī shì wú chéng) — Having accomplished nothing. Not having succeeded in even one thing. Describes complete lack of achievement.

因势利导 (yīn shì lì dǎo) — Guiding according to the trend. 'Yin' means following; 'shi' means trend; 'lidao' means to guide. Guiding things according to their natural development.

危在旦夕 (wēi zài dàn xī) — Danger is imminent. 'Danxi' means morning and evening, describing a short time. Describes danger being right before one's eyes.

言行不一 (yán xíng bù yī) — Words and actions don't match. Saying one thing but doing another.

一鸣惊人 (yī míng jīng rén) — Amazing everyone with a single feat. 'Ming' means a bird's call. One call that startles people. A metaphor for someone who has shown no outstanding performance suddenly achieving remarkable results.

顾此失彼 (gù cǐ shī bǐ) — Attending to one thing and losing another. Being so busy or flustered that taking care of one thing means neglecting another.

进退维谷 (jìn tuì wéi gǔ) — In a dilemma whether advancing or retreating. 'Wei' is equivalent to 'is'; 'gu' is a metaphor for a difficult situation. Being in difficulty whether moving forward or backward. Describes being caught between two equally problematic choices.

节外生枝 (jié wài shēng zhī) — Growing branches where there shouldn't be any. A metaphor for new problems arising beyond the original issue. Often refers to deliberately creating obstacles to prevent smooth resolution.

相得益彰 (xiāng dé yì zhāng) — Bringing out the best in each other. 'Xiangde' means complementing each other; 'yi' means more; 'zhang' means obvious. When two people or things complement each other, their abilities and effects become more apparent.

引火烧身 (yǐn huǒ shāo shēn) — Bringing fire upon oneself. Originally meant inviting trouble or self-destruction. Now often means voluntarily exposing one's own shortcomings and mistakes to seek criticism and help from others.

直接了当 (zhí jiē liǎo dàng) — Straightforward and to the point. Describes speaking or acting without beating around the bush, being direct and decisive. Same as '直截了当'.

三令五申 (sān lìng wǔ shēn) — Repeated orders and admonitions. 'Ling' means command; 'shen' means to explain or express. Ordering and warning multiple times.

掷地有声 (zhì dì yǒu shēng) — Resounding when thrown to the ground. Like the clear, beautiful sound of bells and chimes when they hit the ground. A metaphor for writing with elegant diction and powerful language.

指名道姓 (zhǐ míng dào xìng) — Pointing out name and surname. Clearly specifying someone's full name.

喜出望外 (xǐ chū wàng wài) — Joy beyond expectation. 'Wang' means hope or expectation. Being extremely happy because of unexpected good fortune.

血迹斑斑 (xuè jì bān bān) — Bloodstains everywhere. Describes many traces of blood left behind.

板上钉钉 (bǎn shàng dìng dīng) — Nailing it on the board. Like driving a nail into a plank. A metaphor for something being decided and unchangeable.

相持不下 (xiāng chí bù xià) — Deadlocked with neither side yielding. Both sides opposing each other, neither willing to give way.

三番五次 (sān fān wǔ cì) — Three times and five times. 'Fan' means number of times. Again and again, multiple times.

现身说法 (xiàn shēn shuō fǎ) — Teaching by personal example. A Buddhist term meaning Buddha's power is so great he can appear in various human forms to preach. Now means using one's own experience to illustrate a point.

昏迷不醒 (hūn mí bù xǐng) — Unconscious and not waking up. In a coma, unaware of one's surroundings.

白手起家 (bái shǒu qǐ jiā) — Starting from nothing. 'Baishou' means empty-handed; 'qijia' means building a family business. Building a career through one's own efforts without any foundation or under poor conditions.

心灰意冷 (xīn huī yì lěng) — Heart turned to ash and spirit grown cold. Describes feeling discouraged and dispirited.

各有千秋 (gè yǒu qiān qiū) — Each has its own lasting value. 'Qianqiu' means a thousand years, extended to mean long-lasting. Each has its own value of existence. A metaphor for each person having their own strengths or characteristics.

平心静气 (píng xīn jìng qì) — Calm and composed. Having a peaceful mind and tranquil attitude.

夜以继日 (yè yǐ jì rì) — Night following day. Working through the night into the day. Describes working or studying intensively.

华而不实 (huá ér bù shí) — Flashy but unsubstantial. 'Hua' means flowering. Flowers that look beautiful but bear no fruit. A metaphor for something that looks good on the outside but lacks substance.

缓不济急 (huǎn bù jì jí) — Slow action can't meet urgent needs. 'Huan' means slow; 'ji' means to help. Slow measures are useless in emergencies.

山水相连 (shān shuǐ xiāng lián) — Mountains and waters connected. Describes borders or territories that are contiguous.

黄金时代 (huáng jīn shí dài) — The golden age. The most precious period of a person's life. Also refers to the most prosperous period of a nation's politics, economy, and culture.

争权夺利 (zhēng quán duó lì) — Scrambling for power and profit. Competing for power and benefits.

隐姓埋名 (yǐn xìng mái míng) — Concealing one's name and identity. Hiding one's true name so others won't know.

歌舞升平 (gē wǔ shēng píng) — Singing and dancing in times of peace. 'Shengping' means peaceful times. Singing and dancing to celebrate peace. Has the connotation of putting on a facade of prosperity.

星罗棋布 (xīng luó qí bù) — Scattered like stars and spread like chess pieces. 'Luo' means arrayed; 'bu' means distributed. Distributed like stars in the sky or pieces on a chess board. Describes something numerous and widely distributed.

半信半疑 (bàn xìn bàn yí) — Half believing, half doubting. Having some belief but also some doubt. Unable to be certain about truth or falsehood.

如释重负 (rú shì zhòng fù) — As if relieved of a heavy burden. 'Shi' means to put down; 'zhongfu' means heavy load. Like putting down a heavy burden. Describes the relief after tension has passed.

引以为戒 (yǐn yǐ wéi jiè) — Taking as a warning. 'Yin' means to use; 'jie' means lesson. Taking past mistakes as a warning to avoid repeating them.

花团锦簇 (huā tuán jǐn cù) — Clusters of flowers and brocade. 'Jin' means patterned silk; 'cu' means clustered together. Describes colorful, brilliant, and gorgeous scenery. Also describes writing with ornate diction.

三思而行 (sān sī ér xíng) — Think thrice before acting. 'San' means again and again, multiple times. Consider carefully before taking action.

各自为战 (gè zì wéi zhàn) — Each fighting their own battle. Each becoming an independent unit in combat.

拍案而起 (pāi àn ér qǐ) — Slapping the table and rising. Slapping the table and suddenly standing up. Describes extreme indignation.

分化瓦解 (fēn huà wǎ jiě) — To divide and disintegrate. 'Fenhua' means to split; 'wajie' is a metaphor for breaking apart and collapsing. Causing the opponent's forces to scatter and disintegrate.

斤斤计较 (jīn jīn jì jiào) — Haggling over every detail. 'Jinjin' describes being overly meticulous. Being petty about trivial matters.

金童玉女 (jīn tóng yù nǚ) — Golden boy and jade girl. In Taoism, refers to the boy and girl attendants serving immortals. Later generally refers to innocent boys and girls.

缩手缩脚 (suō shǒu suō jiǎo) — Shrinking hands and feet. The posture of being unable to stretch one's limbs due to cold. Also describes being timid, having many reservations, and not daring to act freely.

尽善尽美 (jìn shàn jìn měi) — Perfectly good and perfectly beautiful. Extremely perfect and excellent. Describes something without any flaws.

远交近攻 (yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng) — Befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones. Making alliances with distant countries while attacking neighboring ones. This was a diplomatic strategy used by Qin during the Warring States period. Later also refers to a tactic in dealing with people.

坐立不安 (zuò lì bù ān) — Unable to sit or stand at ease. Can't sit still, can't stand still. Describes feeling nervous and restless.

随波逐流 (suí bō zhú liú) — Drifting with the waves and following the current. 'Zhu' means to follow. Rising and falling with the waves, drifting with the current. A metaphor for having no firm stance, lacking ability to judge right from wrong, and just following others.

所向披靡 (suǒ xiàng pī mǐ) — Sweeping all before it. 'Suoxiang' refers to where force reaches; 'pimi' means to collapse in defeat. A metaphor for force sweeping away all obstacles wherever it goes.

别出心裁 (bié chū xīn cái) — Coming up with something original. 'Bie' means different; 'xincai' means a design or plan in one's mind. Having a different conception or design. Describes thinking of a method different from others.

满目疮痍 (mǎn mù chuāng yí) — Devastation as far as the eye can see. A metaphor for seeing scenes of disaster and destruction everywhere.

街头巷尾 (jiē tóu xiàng wěi) — On street corners and in alleyways. Refers to all over the streets, in the main thoroughfares and small lanes.

粉墨登场 (fěn mò dēng chǎng) — Putting on makeup and going on stage. 'Fen' and 'mo' are face powder and eyebrow pencil for makeup. Originally meant actors putting on makeup to perform. A metaphor for bad people dolling themselves up to enter the political stage.

当头棒喝 (dāng tóu bàng hè) — A blow and a shout to the head. In Buddhist Chan practice, masters would hit beginners with a stick or shout loudly to awaken them. A metaphor for a severe warning that makes someone suddenly come to their senses.

不甘寂寞 (bù gān jì mò) — Unwilling to be lonely. 'Gan' means content; 'jimo' means lonely or neglected. Describes being unwilling to be neglected or eager to participate in something.

男女老少 (nán nǚ lǎo shào) — Men and women, old and young. Refers to everyone, all people.

里应外合 (lǐ yìng wài hé) — Coordinating from inside and outside. 'Ying' means to respond; 'he' means to coordinate. Attacking from outside while having support from inside.

痛哭流涕 (tòng kū liú tì) — Crying bitterly with tears streaming. 'Ti' means tears. Describes being extremely sad.

事半功倍 (shì bàn gōng bèi) — Half the effort, double the result. Doing things the right way, thus expending little effort but achieving great results.

目中无人 (mù zhōng wú rén) — Having no one in one's eyes. Seeing no one else. Describes being arrogant, conceited, and looking down on others.

偷偷摸摸 (tōu tōu mō mō) — Secretly and stealthily. Describes doing things behind others' backs, not wanting others to know.

保家卫国 (bǎo jiā wèi guó) — Protecting home and defending the nation. Defending one's homeland and country.

发人深省 (fā rén shēn xǐng) — Thought-provoking and inspiring reflection. 'Fa' means to inspire; 'xing' means to awaken. Inspiring people to think deeply and gain insight.

精神抖擞 (jīng shén dǒu sǒu) — Full of vigor and energy. 'Dousou' means to shake, extended to mean to invigorate. Describes being spirited and energetic.

千呼万唤 (qiān hū wàn huàn) — Calling a thousand times, summoning ten thousand times. Describes urging repeatedly.

井井有条 (jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáo) — Well-organized and orderly. 'Jingjing' describes being orderly. Describes speaking or doing things in an organized manner.

同床异梦 (tóng chuáng yì mèng) — Sharing a bed but dreaming different dreams. 'Yi' means different. Originally referred to a married couple living together but with incompatible feelings. A metaphor for people doing the same thing but with different intentions.

朝气蓬勃 (zhāo qì péng bó) — Full of youthful vigor. 'Zhaoqi' means morning air, extended to mean fresh, upward, and striving spirit; 'pengbo' describes flourishing. Describes being full of life and vitality.

为期不远 (wéi qī bù yuǎn) — The appointed time is not far off. 'Wei' means as; 'qi' means date or deadline. The set or calculated day is approaching soon.

谦虚谨慎 (qiān xū jǐn shèn) — Modest and prudent. Describes being humble and careful.

扶老携幼 (fú lǎo xié yòu) — Supporting the old and leading the young. 'Xie' means to lead by the hand. Supporting elderly people while leading children.

短兵相接 (duǎn bīng xiāng jiē) — Crossing swords at close quarters. 'Duanbing' means short weapons like swords; 'jie' means to engage in battle. Describes close-range combat. A metaphor for intense face-to-face confrontation.

可歌可泣 (kě gē kě qì) — Worthy of being sung and wept over. 'Qi' means to weep silently. Worthy of being praised and sung about, moving people to tears. Describes heroic and tragic deeds.

添油加醋 (tiān yóu jiā cù) — Adding oil and vinegar. A metaphor for exaggerating when narrating events or passing on someone's words, adding content that wasn't originally there.

狼狈为奸 (láng bèi wéi jiān) — The wolf and the bei colluding to do evil. The wolf and bei (a mythical creature) go out together to harm livestock - the wolf uses its front legs, the bei uses its back legs, so they can run fast and climb high. A metaphor for people colluding to do bad things.

人才济济 (rén cái jǐ jǐ) — An abundance of talented people. 'Jiji' describes many. Having many capable people.

一锤定音 (yī chuí dìng yīn) — One hammer blow determines the tone. The final hammer blow in making a gong determines its tone. A metaphor for making the final decision with one word.

以退为进 (yǐ tuì wéi jìn) — Using retreat as advance. Originally meant making moral progress through modesty. Later means using the appearance of retreat as a means to advance.

说来说去 (shuō lái shuō qù) — Talking back and forth. (1) Explaining repeatedly. (2) Equivalent to saying 'in the end' or 'after all'.

机关算尽 (jī guān suàn jìn) — Having exhausted all schemes. 'Jiguan' means elaborate, clever schemes. A metaphor for having used up all one's mental resources.

声名狼藉 (shēng míng láng jí) — Reputation in complete ruin. 'Shengming' means reputation; 'langji' means in utter disorder. Reputation corrupted to the extreme.

无可比拟 (wú kě bǐ nì) — Beyond comparison. 'Bini' means to compare. Nothing that can be compared to it.

一手遮天 (yī shǒu zhē tiān) — Covering the sky with one hand. Using one hand to block out the sky. Describes relying on power and using tricks to deceive the masses.

柳暗花明 (liǔ àn huā míng) — Dark willows and bright flowers. Dense willows and brilliant flowers. Describes spring scenery with willows in shade and flowers in full bloom. Also a metaphor for finding a way forward in a difficult situation.

惨无人道 (cǎn wú rén dào) — Cruel and inhuman. 'Can' means cruel, brutal. Extremely cruel and brutal, like a wild beast.

挑拨离间 (tiǎo bō lí jiàn) — Sowing discord. Stirring up trouble and causing disunity among people.

一箭双雕 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo) — Killing two vultures with one arrow. Originally meant exceptional archery skill, shooting two vultures with one arrow. Now a metaphor for achieving two goals with one action.

日复一日 (rì fù yī rì) — Day after day. 'Fu' means again. One day after another. Describes a long period of time. Also describes time passing idly.

一鼓作气 (yī gǔ zuò qì) — Rousing spirits with the first drum beat. 'Yigu' means the first drum beat; 'zuo' means to rouse; 'qi' means courage. Spirits are roused at the first drum beat. A metaphor for seizing the moment when enthusiasm is high to complete a task in one go.

诚心诚意 (chéng xīn chéng yì) — Wholeheartedly sincere. Describes being extremely genuine and sincere.

自由自在 (zì yóu zì zài) — Free and unrestrained. Describes being without constraints, completely carefree and at ease.

如虎添翼 (rú hǔ tiān yì) — Like a tiger with wings. Like a tiger that has grown wings. A metaphor for a powerful person becoming even more powerful after receiving help.

风声鹤唳 (fēng shēng hè lì) — The sound of wind and the cry of cranes. 'Li' means crane's call. Describes being so panicked that even the sound of wind and cranes seems like enemy troops approaching.

束之高阁 (shù zhī gāo gé) — Putting on a high shelf. 'Gaoge' means a high rack for storing things. Tying something up and placing it on a high shelf. A metaphor for leaving something unused.

引经据典 (yǐn jīng jù diǎn) — Citing classics and quoting authorities. Using classic texts as evidence for one's arguments.

一无是处 (yī wú shì chù) — Without a single merit. 'Shi' means correct, right. Not a single thing that is right or good. Describes complete worthlessness.

雷厉风行 (léi lì fēng xíng) — As fierce as thunder and as swift as wind. 'Li' means fierce. As fierce as thunder, as fast as wind. A metaphor for implementing policies swiftly and strictly. Also describes acting vigorously and quickly.

以德报怨 (yǐ dé bào yuàn) — Repaying grievance with kindness. 'De' means kindness; 'yuan' means resentment. Not remembering others' grudges but treating them with kindness instead.

名符其实 (míng fú qí shí) — Living up to one's name. Reputation or title matching reality. Same as '名副其实'.

奇耻大辱 (qí chǐ dà rǔ) — Extraordinary shame and great humiliation. 'Qi' means unusual. An extreme disgrace.

渔翁之利 (yú wēng zhī lì) — The fisherman's profit. Same as '渔人之利' (the profit gained by a third party when two others are fighting).

一往无前 (yī wǎng wú qián) — Pressing forward with indomitable will. Going straight ahead with nothing blocking the way. Describes advancing bravely and fearlessly.

鼓舞人心 (gǔ wǔ rén xīn) — Inspiring and encouraging. 'Guwu' means to invigorate and inspire. Boosting people's confidence and courage.

言犹在耳 (yán yóu zài ěr) — Words still ringing in one's ears. 'You' means still. The words spoken are still in one's ears. A metaphor for remembering clearly what was said.

扬长避短 (yáng cháng bì duǎn) — Emphasizing strengths and avoiding weaknesses. Developing or displaying advantages while overcoming or avoiding disadvantages.

屡战屡败 (lǚ zhàn lǜ bài) — Fighting repeatedly and losing repeatedly. 'Lü' means many times. Fighting many battles and losing each time.

埋头苦干 (mái tóu kǔ gàn) — Working hard with head down. Concentrating single-mindedly on hard work.

以假乱真 (yǐ jiǎ luàn zhēn) — Passing off the fake as genuine. 'Yi' means to use; 'luan' means to confuse. Using fake things to impersonate or mix with genuine ones.

一统天下 (yī tǒng tiān xià) — Unifying all under heaven. 'Tianxia' means the whole country. Originally referred to a unified nation. Now often refers to a region or organization becoming an independent kingdom by not following higher directives. Also refers to a field monopolized by a few people.

骑虎难下 (qí hǔ nán xià) — Riding a tiger and unable to dismount. Being on a tiger's back and unable to get off. A metaphor for being in a situation where continuing is difficult but stopping midway is not an option, caught in a dilemma.

私相授受 (sī xiāng shòu shòu) — Private transfer between parties. 'Shou' means to give; 'shou' means to receive. Giving and receiving that is not done publicly.

灵丹妙药 (líng dān miào yào) — Magic elixir and miraculous medicine. 'Ling' means effective. An extremely effective medicine that can bring the dead back to life. A metaphor for an imagined method that can solve all problems.

毛遂自荐 (máo suí zì jiàn) — Mao Sui recommending himself. A metaphor for volunteering to take on a task, recommending oneself for a job.

弱肉强食 (ruò ròu qiáng shí) — The weak are meat for the strong. Originally referred to weaker animals being eaten by stronger ones. A metaphor for the strong preying on the weak.

例行公事 (lì xíng gōng shì) — Routine official business. Business handled according to custom. Now often refers to rigid, formalistic work.

利令智昏 (lì lìng zhì hūn) — Blinded by greed. 'Ling' means to cause; 'zhi' means reason; 'hun' means confused. Losing one's reason and forgetting everything due to greed for profit.

言而无信 (yán ér wú xìn) — Speaking without keeping one's word. Not keeping promises, being untrustworthy.

立竿见影 (lì gān jiàn yǐng) — Set up a pole and see its shadow immediately. Setting up a pole in sunlight and immediately seeing its shadow. A metaphor for seeing immediate results.

雨后春笋 (yǔ hòu chūn sǔn) — Bamboo shoots after spring rain. Refers to bamboo shoots sprouting rapidly after spring rain. A metaphor for things emerging quickly in large numbers.

似曾相识 (sì céng xiāng shí) — Seemingly familiar. As if one has seen something before. Describes something reappearing that one has seen before.

渔翁得利 (yú wēng dé lì) — The fisherman profits. Taking advantage while two parties are locked in dispute. Same as '渔人得利'.

雪中送炭 (xuě zhōng sòng tàn) — Sending charcoal in the snow. Giving someone charcoal for warmth during a snowstorm. A metaphor for providing material or spiritual help when someone is in desperate need.

齐头并进 (qí tóu bìng jìn) — Advancing together on all fronts. Moving forward simultaneously on multiple aspects. Often describes several tasks or projects being carried out at the same time.

秋高气爽 (qiū gāo qì shuǎng) — Autumn sky high and air crisp. Describes the clear, cloudless sky and refreshing weather of autumn.

弦外之音 (xián wài zhī yīn) — Overtones beyond the strings. Originally referred to the lingering notes of music. A metaphor for implied meaning - what is indirectly suggested rather than stated directly.

问心无愧 (wèn xīn wú kuì) — Asking one's heart and feeling no shame. 'Wenxin' means asking oneself. Examining one's conscience and having nothing to feel guilty about.

无恶不作 (wú è bù zuò) — Committing every kind of evil. There is no evil deed one hasn't done. Describes having done every possible bad thing.

无穷无尽 (wú qióng wú jìn) — Endless and infinite. 'Qiong' means to end. Having no end, no limit.

振振有词 (zhèn zhèn yǒu cí) — Speaking with apparent conviction. Having a self-righteous appearance. Describes someone who believes they have good reasons and talks on and on.

萎靡不振 (wěi mǐ bù zhèn) — Listless and dispirited. 'Weimi' means dejected. Describes lacking energy and having low morale.

呕心沥血 (ǒu xīn lì xuè) — Vomiting one's heart and dripping blood. 'Ou' means to vomit; 'li' means to drip. A metaphor for exhausting one's thoughts. Often describes the painstaking effort put into work or artistic creation.

为国捐躯 (wèi guó juān qū) — Giving one's life for the country. 'Juan' means to contribute; 'qu' means body, referring to life. Sacrificing one's life for the nation.

将信将疑 (jiāng xìn jiāng yí) — Half believing, half doubting. 'Jiang' means moreover, also. Having some belief but also some doubt.

切肤之痛 (qiè fū zhī tòng) — Pain felt in one's own flesh. 'Qiefu' means personal, firsthand. Pain personally experienced. A metaphor for deeply felt suffering.

舍近求远 (shě jìn qiú yuǎn) — Ignoring what's near to seek what's far. Abandoning what's close at hand to pursue what's distant. Describes taking an unnecessarily roundabout approach.

真心诚意 (zhēn xīn chéng yì) — With genuine heart and sincere intent. Heart and intentions being true and sincere, without pretense.

豁然开朗 (huò rán kāi lǎng) — Suddenly becoming clear and bright. 'Huoran' describes being open and spacious; 'kailang' means bright and open. Going from dark and narrow to spacious and bright. A metaphor for suddenly understanding a principle.

真枪实弹 (zhēn qiāng shí dàn) — Real guns and live ammunition. Weapons and ammunition used in actual battle. Often a metaphor for actual combat or real action.

真刀真枪 (zhēn dāo zhēn qiāng) — Real swords and real spears. (1) Actual weapons. (2) A metaphor for being genuine and earnest, without pretense.

深谋远虑 (shēn móu yuǎn lǜ) — Deep planning and far-sighted consideration. Making careful plans and thinking far ahead.

匹夫有责 (pǐ fū yǒu zé) — Every common person has responsibility. National affairs are everyone's responsibility.

无时无刻 (wú shí wú kè) — At all times. Every moment. Indicates being continuous without interruption.

集思广益 (jí sī guǎng yì) — Pooling wisdom and broadening benefits. 'Ji' means to gather; 'si' means thoughts, opinions; 'guang' means to expand. Gathering the wisdom of the masses and broadly absorbing beneficial opinions.

亲密无间 (qīn mì wú jiàn) — Intimate with no gap between. 'Jian' means crack or gap. Having a close relationship with no estrangement. Describes being very close without any barrier.

捷报频传 (jié bào pín chuán) — Victory reports coming frequently. 'Jiebao' means news of victory; 'pin' means frequently. Good news of victories coming continuously.

一纸空文 (yī zhǐ kōng wén) — Just a piece of empty paper. Something written on paper that hasn't been or can't be fulfilled.

易如反掌 (yì rú fǎn zhǎng) — As easy as turning over one's palm. As simple as flipping a hand. A metaphor for something being very easy to do.

磨刀霍霍 (mó dāo huò huò) — Sharpening knives with a swishing sound. Now mostly describes enemies being very active before taking action.

穷凶极恶 (qióng xiōng jí è) — Extremely fierce and utterly evil. 'Qiong' means extreme. Describes extreme brutality and viciousness.

摩拳擦掌 (mó quán cā zhǎng) — Rubbing fists and wiping palms. Describes being spirited and eager before battle or work, itching to try.

适可而止 (shì kě ér zhǐ) — Stopping when appropriate. 'Shike' means just right. Stopping at the appropriate point, not overdoing it.

千家万户 (qiān jiā wàn hù) — A thousand families and ten thousand households. Refers to numerous families and households.

来者不拒 (lái zhě bù jù) — Not refusing those who come. 'Ju' means to refuse. Not refusing anyone who comes seeking something or anything delivered.

海市蜃楼 (hǎi shì shèn lóu) — Mirage. 'Shen' means a giant clam. Originally referred to illusions of buildings appearing in the air by the sea or in deserts due to refraction of light. Now mostly a metaphor for illusory things.

虚情假意 (xū qíng jiǎ yì) — False affection and fake intentions. 'Xu' means false. Pretending to be warm toward someone without genuine sincerity.

开国元勋 (kāi guó yuán xūn) — Founding fathers of a nation. 'Yuanxun' means person of great merit. Those who made great contributions to establishing a new nation or dynasty.

绝处逢生 (jué chù féng shēng) — Finding life in a desperate situation. 'Juechu' means a dead end. Finding a way to survive in the most dangerous situation.

心腹大患 (xīn fù dà huàn) — A serious hidden danger at the heart. A major threat in a vital area or a serious hidden problem. Same as '心腹重患'.

后起之秀 (hòu qǐ zhī xiù) — A rising star of the younger generation. An excellent person who has emerged or grown up later.

投鼠忌器 (tóu shǔ jì qì) — Hesitating to throw at a rat for fear of breaking the vase. 'Tou' means to throw; 'ji' means to fear, have reservations. Wanting to throw something at a rat but fearing damage to nearby objects. A metaphor for having reservations about doing something and not daring to act freely.

外强中干 (wài qiáng zhōng gān) — Strong on the outside, weak on the inside. 'Gan' means dried up, depleted. Describes appearing strong externally but being hollow inside.

纠缠不清 (jiū chán bù qīng) — Entangled and unclear. Describes being confused with no way to sort things out. Also means deliberately finding fault and not letting go of a point.

偷工减料 (tōu gōng jiǎn liào) — Cutting corners and skimping on materials. Originally referred to merchants secretly lowering product quality and reducing materials to make excessive profits. Now also means doing things carelessly and perfunctorily.

轻车简从 (qīng chē jiǎn cóng) — Light carriage and simple entourage. Traveling with simple equipment and few attendants (usually refers to people of high status).

同心协力 (tóng xīn xié lì) — Working together with one heart. 'Xin' means thought; 'xie' means together. United as one and working together.

横行霸道 (héng xíng bà dào) — Acting tyrannically and being a bully. 'Hengxing' means acting recklessly, doing bad things by force; 'badao' means being unreasonable. Relying on power to do evil.

裹足不前 (guǒ zú bù qián) — Feet bound and not advancing. 'Guo' means to wrap. Not moving forward, as if one's feet were bound.

夸大其词 (kuā dà qí cí) — Exaggerating one's words. Describing things beyond their actual degree.

从头至尾 (cóng tóu zhì wěi) — From beginning to end. From the start to the finish. Refers to the entire process or complete content of something.

背信弃义 (bèi xìn qì yì) — Breaking faith and abandoning righteousness. 'Bei' means to violate; 'xin' means trust; 'qi' means to discard; 'yi' means principles. Violating promises and abandoning moral principles.

徇私舞弊 (xùn sī wǔ bì) — Acting for personal gain through corruption. 'Xun' means to comply with; 'wu' means to play tricks. Using deceptive methods to do illegal things for personal relationships.

大失所望 (dà shī suǒ wàng) — Greatly disappointed. Original hopes completely dashed.

偃旗息鼓 (yǎn qí xī gǔ) — Lowering flags and silencing drums. 'Yan' means to lie down, extended to mean lowering. Lowering flags and stopping drums. Originally meant concealing military movements to avoid detection by the enemy. Now a metaphor for ending an activity or reducing intensity.

杞人忧天 (qǐ rén yōu tiān) — The man of Qi worrying about the sky falling. Qi was a Zhou dynasty state in present-day Qi County, Henan. A man of Qi worried the sky would fall. A metaphor for unnecessary or groundless worry.

大呼小叫 (dà hū xiǎo jiào) — Shouting and yelling. Crying out loudly in a disorderly manner.

大发雷霆 (dà fā léi tíng) — Flying into a thunderous rage. 'Ting' means extremely loud thunder, a metaphor for fury. A metaphor for losing one's temper violently and scolding loudly.

反唇相讥 (fǎn chún xiāng jī) — Returning mockery with one's lips. 'Fanchun' means to talk back. When criticized, not accepting it and instead mocking the other person.

独善其身 (dú shàn qí shēn) — Perfecting oneself alone. 'Du' means only; 'shan' means good, to maintain. Originally meant cultivating oneself when one cannot become an official. Now means only looking after oneself without caring about others.

不可理喻 (bù kě lǐ yù) — Impossible to reason with. 'Yu' means to explain, enlighten. Unable to make someone understand through reason. Describes someone being unreasonable or stubborn.

背井离乡 (bèi jǐng lí xiāng) — Leaving one's native place. 'Bei' means to leave; 'jing' anciently referred to eight households as one well, extended to mean hometown. Leaving one's hometown for another place.

霸王别姬 (bà wáng bié jī) — The Hegemon-King's farewell to his concubine. 'Ji' refers to Consort Yu, the beloved of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu. Describes the tragic scene of a hero's final moments. Now often a metaphor for autocratic behavior leading to isolation and eventual downfall.

独断专行 (dú duàn zhuān xíng) — Making decisions and acting alone. Acting arbitrarily without considering others' opinions. Describes an undemocratic style.

卑躬屈膝 (bēi gōng qū xī) — Bowing and bending the knee. 'Beigong' means bowing low; 'quxi' means kneeling. Describes lacking backbone, being servile and fawning.

打抱不平 (dǎ bào bù píng) — Fighting against injustice. Stepping forward when encountering unfairness to help the one being bullied.

从容不迫 (cóng róng bù pò) — Calm and unhurried. 'Congrong' means composed, calm; 'bipo' means not rushed. Not flustered, calm and composed.

独断独行 (dú duàn dú xíng) — Making decisions and acting alone. Acting arbitrarily without considering others' opinions. Describes an undemocratic style.

登峰造极 (dēng fēng zào jí) — Reaching the peak and attaining the ultimate. 'Deng' means to climb; 'feng' means mountaintop; 'zao' means to reach; 'ji' means the highest point. A metaphor for learning or skill reaching the highest level.

勃然大怒 (bó rán dà nù) — Flying into a sudden rage. 'Boran' means suddenly. Suddenly changing expression and losing one's temper.

踌躇不前 (chóu chú bù qián) — Hesitating and not advancing. 'Chouchu' describes hesitancy and indecision. Hesitating and not daring to move forward.

不省人事 (bù xǐng rén shì) — Unconscious. 'Xing' means awareness. Being in a coma, losing consciousness. Also means not understanding worldly affairs.

不胫而走 (bù jìng ér zǒu) — Spreading without legs. 'Jing' means shank; 'zou' means to run. Running without legs. A metaphor for things spreading rapidly without being promoted.

各取所需 (gè qǔ suǒ xū) — Each taking what they need. Each person selecting what they require.

不务正业 (bù wù zhèng yè) — Not attending to proper duties. 'Wu' means to engage in. Abandoning one's proper work to do other things.

百花齐放 (bǎi huā qí fàng) — A hundred flowers blooming together. Describes flowers blooming abundantly and colorfully. A metaphor for various forms and styles of art developing freely. Also describes prosperity in the arts.

灯火辉煌 (dēng huǒ huī huáng) — Brilliant lights. Describes the bright and prosperous scene of lights at night.

充耳不闻 (chōng ěr bù wén) — Plugging one's ears and not listening. 'Chong' means to block. Blocking one's ears and not listening. Describes deliberately ignoring others' opinions.

德才兼备 (dé cái jiān bèi) — Having both virtue and ability. 'De' means character; 'cai' means talent; 'bei' means to possess. Having both good moral character and work capability.

奋起直追 (fèn qǐ zhí zhuī) — Rising up to catch up. Rallying oneself and pursuing closely.

各持己见 (gè chí jǐ jiàn) — Each holding to their own opinion. 'Chi' means to hold firmly. Everyone insisting on their own view.

殚精竭虑 (dān jīng jié lǜ) — Exhausting one's mind and thoughts. 'Dan' means to exhaust; 'lü' means thoughts. Describes using up all mental effort.

歌功颂德 (gē gōng sòng dé) — Singing praises and extolling virtues. 'Ge' and 'song' mean to praise. Praising achievements and virtues.

自食其言 (zì shí qí yán) — Eating one's own words. Not keeping one's word.

好事多磨 (hǎo shì duō mó) — Good things come with difficulties. 'Mo' means obstacles, difficulties. Good things often encounter many twists and turns before they are realized or succeed.

灵机一动 (líng jī yī dòng) — A flash of inspiration. 'Lingji' means quick wit. A sudden turn of thought in a moment of urgency (usually referring to coming up with a solution on the spot).

临危不惧 (lín wēi bù jù) — Fearless in the face of danger. 'Lin' means to encounter; 'wei' means danger; 'ju' means to fear. Not being afraid at all when facing danger.

林林总总 (lín lín zǒng zǒng) — In great variety and abundance. 'Linlin' describes many; 'zongzong' describes many and varied. Describes great variety and number.

引狼入室 (yǐn láng rù shì) — Leading a wolf into the house. 'Yin' means to invite. Inviting a wolf into the room. A metaphor for bringing bad people or enemies into one's midst.

心平气和 (xīn píng qì hé) — Calm in mind and gentle in manner. Mind at peace and attitude mild. Not agitated, not angry.

好大喜功 (hào dà xǐ gōng) — Fond of grandiosity and eager for glory. Wanting to do great things and achieve great merit regardless of whether conditions allow. Often describes an exaggerated style.

不由分说 (bù yóu fēn shuō) — Not allowing any explanation. 'You' means to follow; 'fenshuo' means to explain. Not allowing someone to explain or defend themselves.

假戏真做 (jiǎ xì zhēn zuò) — Taking a fake play seriously. Describes acting so realistically it seems genuine, or treating something fake as if it were real.

不二法门 (bù èr fǎ mén) — The one and only way. 'Buer' means not being two extremes; 'famen' is the path to enlightenment. Originally a Buddhist term meaning the direct path to enlightenment that cannot be transmitted by words. Later a metaphor for the best or only method.

风风火火 (fēng fēng huǒ huǒ) — Hurried and reckless. Describes being in a rush and acting carelessly.

海阔天空 (hǎi kuò tiān kōng) — Vast as the sea and boundless as the sky. Describing the vastness of nature. A metaphor for speech or discussion being without limits or focus.

熙熙攘攘 (xī xī rǎng rǎng) — Bustling and crowded. 'Xixi' describes a harmonious appearance; 'rangrang' describes a chaotic scene. Describes many people coming and going, very lively and crowded.

风度翩翩 (fēng dù piān piān) — Elegant and graceful bearing. 'Fengdu' means demeanor and manner; 'pianpian' means refined. Having elegant and graceful bearing.

将计就计 (jiāng jì jiù jì) — Using the opponent's own stratagem against them. Using the strategy employed by the other side to counter them.

一概而论 (yī gài ér lùn) — Treating everything the same way. 'Yigai' means by the same standard. Handling matters without distinguishing their nature, treating everything with the same standard.

熟视无睹 (shú shì wú dǔ) — Looking but not seeing. 'Shushi' means seeing often; 'wudu' means not seeing. Seeing something so often it's as if not seeing it. Also means seeing a phenomenon but not caring, treating it as if unseen.

过街老鼠 (guò jiē lǎo shǔ) — A rat crossing the street. A metaphor for someone despised and hated by everyone.

心惊胆战 (xīn jīng dǎn zhàn) — Heart alarmed and gall bladder trembling. 'Zhan' is the same as 'chan' (tremble). Describes extreme fear.

贼喊捉贼 (zéi hǎn zhuō zéi) — The thief shouting 'catch the thief.' A metaphor for a wrongdoer deliberately creating confusion to escape, shifting the target and blaming others.

自知之明 (zì zhī zhī míng) — Self-awareness. 'Zizhi' means knowing oneself; 'ming' means the ability to see things clearly. Understanding one's own situation and having a correct assessment of oneself.

得意忘形 (dé yì wàng xíng) — So pleased as to lose one's composure. 'Xing' means form, appearance. So happy that one loses normal behavior.

兼而有之 (jiān ér yǒu zhī) — Having both at the same time. Possessing or having several things simultaneously.

不亦乐乎 (bù yì lè hū) — Isn't it a joy? 'Hu' is a classical particle for questions or rhetorical questions, here equivalent to 'ma' (isn't it). Used to express an extreme degree, meaning extremely or to the fullest.

茶余饭后 (chá yú fàn hòu) — After tea and dinner. Generally refers to leisure or spare time.

青黄不接 (qīng huáng bù jiē) — The gap between green and yellow. 'Qing' means green seedlings; 'huang' means ripe grain. Old grain has been consumed but new grain hasn't been harvested yet. Also a metaphor for talent or resources not connecting.

艰难险阻 (jiān nán xiǎn zǔ) — Hardships and dangers. 'Xianzu' means dangers and obstacles. Difficulties, dangers, and obstacles on the path forward.

坚韧不拔 (jiān rèn bù bá) — Firm and unyielding. 'Jian' means firm; 'ren' means flexible but strong. Describes determination that is unwavering.

战火纷飞 (zhàn huǒ fēn fēi) — War flames flying everywhere. Describes frequent and fierce battles.

顶礼膜拜 (dǐng lǐ mó bài) — Prostrating in worship. 'Dingli' is the highest Buddhist ritual where one kneels, places hands on the ground, and touches the recipient's feet with one's head; 'mobai' is another Buddhist ritual with hands raised to the forehead while kneeling. Worshipping with utmost devotion.

满不在乎 (mǎn bù zài hū) — Completely unconcerned. 'Man' means completely; 'zaihu' means to care about. Not caring at all. Describes not taking something seriously at all.

一飞冲天 (yī fēi chōng tiān) — Soaring to the sky in one flight. A bird spreads its wings and flies straight up to the clouds. A metaphor for someone with no special performance suddenly achieving remarkable results.

大手大脚 (dà shǒu dà jiǎo) — Big hands and big feet. Originally described someone with large hands and feet. Later used to describe being extravagant with money or things.

一面之词 (yī miàn zhī cí) — One side's words. The words of one party in a dispute.

唇枪舌剑 (chún qiāng shé jiàn) — Lips like spears and tongue like a sword. Tongue like a sword, lips like a spear. Describes fierce debate with sharp words, like spears and swords clashing.

趋之若鹜 (qū zhī ruò wù) — Rushing there like ducks. 'Qu' means to walk quickly; 'wu' means wild duck. Running there in groups like ducks. A metaphor for many people rushing to the same place.

腰缠万贯 (yāo chán wàn guàn) — Having ten thousand strings of cash around one's waist. 'Yaochan' means the wealth one carries; 'guan' was an ancient way of stringing coins, with a thousand coins per string. A metaphor for being extremely wealthy.

深山老林 (shēn shān lǎo lín) — Remote mountains and old forests. Mountain ranges and forests far from civilization, rarely visited by people.

妄自菲薄 (wàng zì fěi bó) — Excessively belittling oneself. 'Wang' means foolishly; 'feibo' means to look down on, belittle. Underestimating oneself too much. Describes having low self-esteem.

杀一儆百 (shā yī jǐng bǎi) — Killing one to warn a hundred. 'Jing' means to warn. Executing one person to serve as a warning to many.

感情用事 (gǎn qíng yòng shì) — Acting on emotion. Handling matters based on personal likes and dislikes or momentary emotional impulses.

如履薄冰 (rú lǚ bó bīng) — As if treading on thin ice. 'Lü' means to step on. Like walking on thin ice. A metaphor for acting extremely cautiously with wariness.

花言巧语 (huā yán qiǎo yǔ) — Flowery words and clever speech. Originally meant elaborate, empty words or writing. Now mostly refers to deceptive, sweet-sounding words meant to trick people.

有求必应 (yǒu qiú bì yìng) — Granting every request. As long as someone asks for help, one always agrees.

互通有无 (hù tōng yǒu wú) — Exchanging what one has for what one lacks. 'Tong' means to exchange. Offering what one has in surplus to others in exchange for what one lacks.

自食其果 (zì shí qí guǒ) — Eating the fruits of one's own actions. Suffering the consequences or punishment for one's own bad deeds.

赶尽杀绝 (gǎn jìn shā jué) — Driving out and killing completely. Driving out completely and annihilating totally. A metaphor for being cruel and merciless, leaving no room.

刚柔相济 (gāng róu xiāng jì) — Hardness and softness complementing each other. The strong and the gentle mutually regulating each other.

悬崖峭壁 (xuán yá qiào bì) — Sheer cliffs and precipices. 'Qiaobi' means steep rock face. Describes steep mountain terrain.

肃然起敬 (sù rán qǐ jìng) — Arising respect with solemnity. 'Suran' describes a respectful manner; 'qijing' means to develop feelings of admiration. Describes developing serious feelings of respect.

心心相印 (xīn xīn xiāng yìn) — Hearts matching hearts. 'Xinxin' means thoughts and feelings; 'yin' means to match. Understanding each other's thoughts without needing to speak. Describes complete agreement of thoughts and feelings.

不可多得 (bù kě duō dé) — Hard to come by. Describes something very rare and difficult to obtain (often refers to talent or rare items).

拂袖而去 (fú xiù ér qù) — Flicking one's sleeves and leaving. 'Fuxiu' means flicking sleeves, showing anger. Describes getting angry, flicking sleeves and leaving.

惟利是图 (wéi lì shì tú) — Seeking only profit. Single-mindedly pursuing profit, disregarding everything else.

一望无际 (yī wàng wú jì) — Stretching as far as the eye can see. 'Ji' means edge. Can't see the boundary in one glance. Describes extreme vastness.

百感交集 (bǎi gǎn jiāo jí) — A hundred feelings flooding in at once. 'Gan' means thoughts and feelings; 'jiao' means occurring simultaneously. Various feelings interweaving together. Describes having many emotions and a complex state of mind.

一气呵成 (yī qì hē chéng) — Completing in one breath. Finishing in one go. Describes writing with tight structure and continuous flow. Also a metaphor for doing something quickly and without interruption.

玩世不恭 (wán shì bù gōng) — Treating the world with frivolity. 'Wanshi' means treating life with a negative, playful attitude; 'bugong' means not being serious. Adopting a frivolous, irreverent attitude toward life due to dissatisfaction with reality.

如坐针毡 (rú zuò zhēn zhān) — As if sitting on a cushion of needles. Like sitting on a felt mat stuck with needles. Describes feeling restless and uneasy.

闻所未闻 (wén suǒ wèi wén) — Hearing what one has never heard before. 'Wen' means to hear. Hearing something never heard of before. Describes something new and rare.

腹背受敌 (fù bèi shòu dí) — Being attacked front and back. 'Fu' means the front; 'bei' means the back. Being attacked by enemies from both front and rear.

阳奉阴违 (yáng fèng yīn wéi) — Obeying openly but opposing secretly. 'Yang' means openly; 'feng' means to obey; 'yin' means secretly. Playing double-faced tactics, outwardly complying but secretly defying.

洪水猛兽 (hóng shuǐ měng shòu) — Floods and fierce beasts. 'Mengshou' means wild beasts that prey on humans and livestock. A metaphor for extremely great calamity.

横生枝节 (héng shēng zhī jié) — Complications arising unexpectedly. 'Zhijie' is a metaphor for minor or tangential matters. A metaphor for unexpected complications arising during problem-solving.

硕果仅存 (shuò guǒ jǐn cún) — The only remaining large fruit. The sole survivor. A metaphor for the only person or thing remaining after the passage of time.

照本宣科 (zhào běn xuān kē) — Reading from the text. 'Zhao' means according to; 'ben' means book; 'xuan' means to read; 'ke' means regulations. Reading from the book. Describes lecturing or speaking rigidly according to the text without elaboration or liveliness.

横冲直撞 (héng chōng zhí zhuàng) — Charging recklessly in all directions. Rushing about wildly and acting unreasonably.

如影随形 (rú yǐng suí xíng) — Like a shadow following a form. Like a shadow always following the body. A metaphor for two people being very close, always together.

粗制滥造 (cū zhì làn zào) — Crudely made and mass-produced. 'Lan' means excessive, without restraint. Writing or making things carelessly, valuing quantity over quality.

见死不救 (jiàn sǐ bù jiù) — Seeing death and not rescuing. Seeing someone in mortal danger and not helping.

离心离德 (lí xīn lí dé) — Hearts and minds divided. 'Xin' and 'de' mean thoughts and beliefs. Thoughts not unified, beliefs inconsistent. Describes not being of one mind.

狂妄自大 (kuáng wàng zì dà) — Wildly arrogant and conceited. 'Kuangwang' means extremely self-important. Extremely presumptuous, self-important, seeing no one else.

手足无措 (shǒu zú wú cuò) — Not knowing where to put one's hands and feet. 'Cuo' means to place. Not knowing where to put one's hands and feet. Describes acting flustered or being at a loss.

据为己有 (jù wéi jǐ yǒu) — Claiming as one's own. Taking others' things and making them one's own.

城下之盟 (chéng xià zhī méng) — Treaty under the city walls. A treaty of submission signed under coercion when enemy forces are at the city walls.

石破天惊 (shí pò tiān jīng) — Rocks split and heaven startled. Originally described the sound of the konghou (a harp-like instrument), suddenly high then low, unexpected, with indescribable wonder. Now often describes writing or opinions being astonishingly novel.

励精图治 (lì jīng tú zhì) — Exerting oneself to govern well. 'Li' means to strive; 'tu' means to plan; 'zhi' means to govern the country well. Rousing one's spirit and finding ways to govern the country well.

志同道合 (zhì tóng dào hé) — Like-minded. 'Dao' means path. Having the same aspirations and views.

常备不懈 (cháng bèi bù xiè) — Always prepared without slackening. 'Chang' means always; 'bei' means prepared; 'xie' means to slacken. Always being prepared without relaxing.

逐字逐句 (zhú zì zhú jù) — Word by word and sentence by sentence. Following the sequence, one word and one sentence at a time.

头面人物 (tóu miàn rén wù) — Prominent figure. A person with significant reputation or power in society who often appears in public.

颐指气使 (yí zhǐ qì shǐ) — Commanding with chin and expression. 'Yizhi' means using chin movements to direct others; 'qishi' means ordering people with expressions. Not speaking but using facial expressions to give orders. Describes the arrogant attitude of those in power when commanding others.

难分难解 (nán fēn nán jiě) — Describes a situation where two parties are locked in a struggle, fight, or competition that neither can break away from. Sometimes also describes an extremely close relationship that is hard to separate.

先入为主 (xiān rù wéi zhǔ) — Refers to when words heard first or impressions gained first tend to dominate one's thinking, making it difficult to accept different opinions later.

近水楼台 (jìn shuǐ lóu tái) — A tower by the water catches the moonlight first. Metaphor for having a position or relationship that gives one priority access to benefits or convenience.

惊弓之鸟 (jīng gōng zhī niǎo) — A bird frightened by the bow cannot settle easily. Metaphor for someone who has been scared and becomes extremely nervous at the slightest disturbance.

十有八九 (shí yǒu bā jiǔ) — Refers to the vast majority, roughly accurate, more or less.

以理服人 (yǐ lǐ fú rén) — To convince people through reasoning.

一掷千金 (yī zhì qiān jīn) — To spend money carelessly, throwing away large sums at once.

车水马龙 (chē shuǐ mǎ lóng) — Carriages flow like water, horses move like dragons. Describes a scene of heavy traffic with continuous streams of vehicles and horses, bustling and lively.

前仆后继 (qián pū hòu jì) — Pu: to fall; Ji: to follow, to continue. Those in front fall, those behind immediately follow. Describes the heroic and valiant nature of struggle.

举一反三 (jǔ yī fǎn sān) — Fan: to infer by analogy. Metaphor for being able to infer many things from one example.

溃不成军 (kuì bù chéng jūn) — Kui: to rout, to scatter. To be beaten into disorganized fragments, no longer forming a proper army. Describes a devastating defeat.

快马加鞭 (kuài mǎ jiā biān) — Adding another whip to an already fast-running horse to make it run even faster. Metaphor for increasing speed, accelerating progress.

三五成群 (sān wǔ chéng qún) — In groups of three to five people.

闭关锁国 (bì guān suǒ guó) — Biguan: closing the gates; Suo: locking. Closing gates and locking the country, refusing contact with foreign nations.

左邻右舍 (zuǒ lín yòu shè) — Neighbors on the left and right. Also refers to other units with relatively close relationships.

贪污腐化 (tān wū fǔ huà) — Using one's position to illegally obtain wealth and living an extravagant and corrupt lifestyle.

投机取巧 (tóu jī qǔ qiǎo) — Using improper means to seek personal gain. Also refers to taking advantage through petty cleverness.

蔚然成风 (wèi rán chéng fēng) — Weiran: the appearance of lush vegetation. Describes something gradually developing and flourishing, becoming a good trend.

原封不动 (yuán fēng bù dòng) — Yuanfeng: not opened. The original seal has not been disturbed. Metaphor for keeping everything exactly as it was without any changes.

一马当先 (yī mǎ dāng xiān) — Originally meant charging ahead on horseback in battle. Describes being in the lead. Also metaphor for being ahead of the masses in work, actively taking the lead.

良莠不齐 (liáng yǒu bù qí) — You: foxtail grass, which resembles grain and often mixes with crops. Good and bad people mixed together.

疏而不漏 (shū ér bù lòu) — Means that Heaven's justice is fair - evil will be punished. Though it may seem loose-meshed, ultimately no evildoer will escape. Metaphor that wrongdoers cannot escape the law's punishment.

坐失良机 (zuò shī liáng jī) — To lose a good opportunity by sitting idle without taking timely action.

一技之长 (yī jì zhī cháng) — Ji: skill, ability; Chang: expertise, strong point. Having a particular skill or specialty.

精力充沛 (jīng lì chōng pèi) — Having strong physical energy and abundant spirit.

坐收渔利 (zuò shōu yú lì) — Metaphor for profiting from others' conflicts.

慷慨解囊 (kāng kǎi jiě náng) — Kangkai: generous, magnanimous; Jienang: opening one's purse to take out money. Describes being extremely generous in providing financial help to others.

庸人自扰 (yōng rén zì rǎo) — Zirao: causing trouble for oneself. When there is actually nothing wrong, creating one's own troubles.

冰天雪地 (bīng tiān xuě dì) — Describes ice and snow covering heaven and earth.

孜孜以求 (zī zī yǐ qiú) — Zizi: diligent appearance. To seek tirelessly without fatigue.

遍地开花 (biàn dì kāi huā) — Metaphor for good things emerging everywhere or developing universally.

踌躇满志 (chóu chú mǎn zhì) — Chouchu: composed and self-satisfied appearance; Man: fulfilled; Zhi: aspiration. Describes being very pleased with one's achievements.

变幻莫测 (biàn huàn mò cè) — Bianhuan: changes that cannot be measured. Many changes that cannot be predicted.

语焉不详 (yǔ yān bù xiáng) — Though something is mentioned, it is not explained in detail.

单枪匹马 (dān qiāng pí mǎ) — Originally meant going into battle alone. Metaphor for acting without help from anyone.

捷足先登 (jié zú xiān dēng) — Metaphor that those who act quickly reach their goal first or get what they want first.

项庄舞剑 (xiàng zhuāng wǔ jiàn) — Metaphor for speech or action having a hidden ulterior motive. Same as 'Xiang Zhuang performs a sword dance with intent on Pei Gong.'

真知灼见 (zhēn zhī zhuó jiàn) — Zhuo: clear, thorough. Correct and penetrating insight.

多才多艺 (duō cái duō yì) — Having many talents and skills.

咎由自取 (jiù yóu zì qǔ) — Jiu: disaster, calamity. The disaster or fault is brought upon oneself. Means reaping what one has sown.

兴师动众 (xīng shī dòng zhòng) — Xing: to mobilize; Zhong: a large force. Originally meant launching a large-scale military campaign. Now mostly means mobilizing many people to do something.

锣鼓喧天 (luó gǔ xuān tiān) — Xuan: loud sound. Gongs and drums resound to the sky. Originally described beating gongs and drums in battle to direct advance and retreat. Later mostly describes scenes of celebration and joy.

千奇百怪 (qiān qí bǎi guài) — Describes all kinds of strange things.

步履维艰 (bù lǚ wéi jiān) — Walking with difficulty, movement inconvenient.

举世无双 (jǔ shì wú shuāng) — No second to be found in the whole world.

麻痹大意 (má bì dà yì) — Mabi: loss of sensation and motor function in limbs, metaphor for loss of vigilance. Refers to being careless and negligent, insensitive to things, losing alertness.

跃然纸上 (yuè rán zhǐ shàng) — Appearing vividly on paper. Describes literary works with realistic and vivid narration and description.

形影不离 (xíng yǐng bù lí) — Like a body and its shadow that cannot be separated. Describes a very close relationship, always being together.

翻箱倒柜 (fān xiāng dǎo guì) — Fan: to turn over, reverse. Turning boxes and cabinets upside down. Describes searching thoroughly.

威风凛凛 (wēi fēng lǐn lǐn) — Weifeng: imposing manner; Linlin: stern and awe-inspiring appearance. Describes a presence or bearing that inspires awe and respect.

可有可无 (kě yǒu kě wú) — Can exist or not exist. Indicates something is unimportant either way.

科班出身 (kē bān chū shēn) — Metaphor for having qualifications from regular education or training.

化险为夷 (huà xiǎn wéi yí) — Xian: danger; Yi: peaceful. Turning danger into safety. Metaphor for turning a crisis into security.

称王称霸 (chēng wáng chēng bà) — Wang: emperor; Ba: ancient leader of allied states. Metaphor for dominating an area through power, or arrogantly considering oneself the leader.

画地为牢 (huà dì wéi láo) — Drawing a circle on the ground to serve as a prison. Metaphor for only being allowed to act within a designated area.

重见天日 (chóng jiàn tiān rì) — Seeing heaven and sun again. Metaphor for escaping darkness and seeing light again.

不知所终 (bù zhī suǒ zhōng) — Zhong: end, conclusion. Not knowing the ending or whereabouts.

地利人和 (dì lì rén hé) — Dili: geographical advantage; Renhe: winning people's hearts. Indicates favorable geographical conditions and popular support.

泣不成声 (qǐ bù chéng shēng) — Crying so hard that one chokes and cannot make sounds. Describes extreme grief.

千变万化 (qiān biàn wàn huà) — Describes extremely numerous changes.

半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) — Fei: to stop. Unable to persist to the end, stopping midway, starting but not finishing.

发家致富 (fā jiā zhì fù) — Developing one's family business to become wealthy.

暴跳如雷 (bào tiào rú léi) — Bao: violent, agitated. Jumping angrily as fierce as thunder. Describes being furious, throwing a tantrum.

救死扶伤 (jiù sǐ fú shāng) — Fu: to assist, to care for. Rescuing those near death, caring for the injured. Now describes the spirit of medical workers serving the people wholeheartedly.

千军万马 (qiān jūn wàn mǎ) — Describes a mighty army or grand momentum.

震撼人心 (zhèn hàn rén xīn) — Han: to shake. Something that deeply moves or shakes people's hearts.

翻山越岭 (fān shān yuè lǐng) — Fan: to cross over; Yue: to pass over; Ling: mountain ridges. Crossing many mountains. Describes the hardship of outdoor work or travel.

满城风雨 (mǎn chéng fēng yǔ) — Wind and rain throughout the city. Originally described the rainy scene before the Double Ninth Festival. Later metaphor for news spreading widely with everyone talking about it.

芒刺在背 (máng cì zài bèi) — Mangci: fine thorns. Like having thorns and prickles stuck in one's back. Describes feeling uneasy and restless with inner anxiety.

漫天要价 (màn tiān yào jià) — Asking exorbitant prices without limit. Describes setting conditions or demands too high.

多如牛毛 (duō rú niú máo) — As numerous as the hair on an ox. Describes extremely many.

破釜沉舟 (pò fǔ chén zhōu) — Metaphor for making a determined effort to see something through to the end.

唇亡齿寒 (chún wáng chǐ hán) — Without lips, teeth feel cold. Metaphor for closely related interests.

扶摇直上 (fú yáo zhí shàng) — Fuyao: a whirlwind spiraling rapidly upward. Describes rising very quickly. Metaphor for a successful career.

立足之地 (lì zú zhī dì) — A place to stand. Also metaphor for a place to settle or exist.

心力交瘁 (xīn lì jiāo cuì) — Jiao: together, simultaneously; Cui: exhausted. Both mentally and physically extremely exhausted.

同流合污 (tóng liú hé wū) — Liu: vulgar customs; Wu: filthy. Going along with bad people to do bad things.

见多识广 (jiàn duō shí guǎng) — Shi: to know. Having seen much and knowing broadly. Describes having deep experience and extensive knowledge.

寸步难行 (cùn bù nán xíng) — Unable to advance even an inch. Describes difficulty in walking. Also metaphor for a difficult situation.

独到之处 (dú dào zhī chù) — A unique place or insight different from others. Has positive connotation.

风土人情 (fēng tú rén qíng) — Fengtu: general term for natural environment, climate, customs; Renqing: people's temperament and habits. General term for a place's unique natural environment, customs, etiquette, and habits.

喜闻乐见 (xǐ wén lè jiàn) — Happy to hear, pleased to see. Indicates something is very popular.

飞檐走壁 (fēi yán zǒu bì) — In old novels, describes people with martial arts skills being so agile they can jump onto eaves and run along walls.

喜气洋洋 (xǐ qì yáng yáng) — Yangyang: a pleased appearance. Filled with joyful expression or atmosphere.

打得火热 (dǎ dé huǒ rè) — Describes an extremely close relationship.

物是人非 (wù shì rén fēi) — Things remain the same but people have changed. Often used to express how things have changed over time, thus remembering old friends.

误入歧途 (wù rù qí tú) — Wu: to be misled; Qitu: wrong path. Going down the wrong path due to being misled.

建功立业 (jiàn gōng lì yè) — Jian: to establish; Gong: meritorious deeds; Ye: enterprise. Establishing merit and achieving great undertakings.

锋芒毕露 (fēng máng bì lù) — Bilu: completely revealed. Sharp edge and talent fully displayed. Often refers to people who like to show off.

将心比心 (jiāng xīn bǐ xīn) — To put oneself in another's place and think for them.

巧立名目 (qiǎo lì míng mù) — Inventing various names through trickery to achieve improper purposes.

授人以柄 (shòu rén yǐ bǐng) — Handing the sword handle to someone else. Metaphor for giving power to others or letting others catch one's weaknesses and mistakes, putting oneself at a disadvantage.

斗志昂扬 (dòu zhì áng yáng) — Angyang: high spirits. The will to fight is vigorous.

其貌不扬 (qí mào bù yáng) — Buyang: not good-looking. Describes someone with an unattractive appearance.

不知所云 (bù zhī suǒ yún) — Yun: to say. Not knowing what is being said. Describes speech content that is confused and incomprehensible.

两手空空 (liǎng shǒu kōng kōng) — Describes someone having no money, being broke.

一笑置之 (yī xiào zhì zhī) — Laughing once and putting it aside. Indicates not taking something seriously.

草菅人命 (cǎo jiān rén mìng) — Caojian: wild grass. Treating human life like wild grass. Metaphor for reactionary rulers killing people arbitrarily.

与人为善 (yǔ rén wéi shàn) — Yu: to approve, to assist; Wei: to do; Shan: good deeds. Originally meant approving of people learning good. Now means helping others with good intentions.

语无伦次 (yǔ wú lún cì) — Lunxi: order, coherence. Speech that is jumbled and incoherent.

炉火纯青 (lú huǒ chún qīng) — Chun: pure. Taoist alchemists believed their elixir was successful when the furnace emitted a pure blue flame. Later used as metaphor for skills reaching a state of pure perfection.

不共戴天 (bù gòng dài tiān) — Dai: to wear on or support with the head. Unwilling to exist under the same sky as one's enemy. Describes extremely deep hatred.

交相辉映 (jiāo xiāng huī yìng) — Various lights and colors reflecting and shining upon each other.

小题大作 (xiǎo tí dà zuò) — Making a big fuss over a small topic. Metaphor for treating small matters as if they were major issues.

祸不单行 (huò bù dān xíng) — Huo: disaster. Misfortunes do not come singly. Refers to unfortunate events happening one after another.

不假思索 (bù jiǎ sī suǒ) — Jia: to borrow, to rely on. Describes responding or acting quickly and skillfully without needing to think.

有言在先 (yǒu yán zài xiān) — Having said something beforehand. Refers to having given advance notice.

狼子野心 (láng zǐ yě xīn) — Langzi: wolf cub. Though wolf cubs are young, they have a fierce nature. Metaphor for fierce people with vicious hearts whose nature is hard to change.

残缺不全 (cán quē bù quán) — Can: broken; Que: lacking; Quan: complete. Broken, lacking, very incomplete.

张牙舞爪 (zhāng yá wǔ zhǎo) — Zhang: to open; Wu: to wave. Describes fierce beasts as terrifying. Also metaphor for being wild and ferocious.

清水衙门 (qīng shuǐ yá mén) — Metaphor for an organization or place with no opportunities for corruption.

视死如归 (shì sǐ rú guī) — Viewing death as calmly as returning home. Describes not fearing to sacrifice one's life.

大难不死 (dà nàn bù sǐ) — Nan: disaster. Surviving a great disaster without dying. Describes being lucky to escape danger.

前功尽弃 (qián gōng jìn qì) — Gong: merit; Jin: completely; Qi: to discard. All previous achievements are lost. Also means all previous efforts were wasted.

同舟共济 (tóng zhōu gòng jì) — Zhou: boat; Ji: to cross, to ford. Sitting in the same boat, crossing the river together. Metaphor for unity, mutual assistance, and working together to overcome difficulties. Also metaphor for sharing common interests.

雾里看花 (wù lǐ kàn huā) — Originally described poor eyesight in old age, seeing things hazily. Later also metaphor for not seeing things clearly.

大快人心 (dà kuài rén xīn) — Kuai: gratifying. When bad people or bad deeds are punished or struck, everyone feels very gratified.

急不可耐 (jí bù kě nài) — So urgent one cannot wait. Describes extreme eagerness or pressing circumstances.

徒劳无功 (tú láo wú gōng) — Working in vain with no results.

心血来潮 (xīn xuè lái cháo) — Laichao: the tide rises. The heart suddenly or occasionally conceives an idea.

大江南北 (dà jiāng nán běi) — Refers to the vast areas on both banks of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

唯利是图 (wéi lì shì tú) — Wei: only; Tu: to seek, to pursue. Only pursuing profit; willing to do anything for gain.

五湖四海 (wǔ hú sì hǎi) — Refers to all parts of the country, sometimes also the whole world. Now sometimes also metaphor for broad unity.

稍纵即逝 (shāo zòng jí shì) — Zong: to release; Shi: to disappear. Disappearing at the slightest release. Describes how time or opportunity passes easily.

故技重演 (gù jì chóng yǎn) — Old tricks or old methods being used again.

功成身退 (gōng chéng shēn tuì) — Shen: oneself, self. After achieving great success, withdrawing into seclusion, not returning to public life.

病入膏肓 (bìng rù gāo huāng) — Gaohuang: Ancient people called the fat near the heart 'gao' and the area between heart and diaphragm 'huang.' Describes an extremely serious illness that cannot be cured. Metaphor for a situation that cannot be saved.

厚颜无耻 (hòu yán wú chǐ) — Yan: face. Describes someone thick-skinned, knowing no shame.

孤家寡人 (gū jiā guǎ rén) — Ancient self-designation of emperors. Later refers to someone isolated from the masses, alone and helpless.

红杏出墙 (hóng xìng chū qiáng) — Describes spring colors in full bloom, full of charm.

体贴入微 (tǐ tiē rù wēi) — Titie: understanding others' feelings and situations considerately, giving care and attention; Ruwei: reaching a minute degree. Describes being extremely thoughtful and thorough in caring for someone.

无所畏惧 (wú suǒ wèi jù) — Weiju: to fear. Fearing nothing. Describes being very brave.

固若金汤 (gù ruò jīn tāng) — A city made of metal, a moat formed of boiling water. Describes fortifications as incomparably solid.

仁至义尽 (rén zhì yì jìn) — Zhi: extreme, utmost; Jin: completely used. Exhausting the ways of benevolence and righteousness. Describes someone's goodwill and help having reached the maximum extent.

名不副实 (míng bù fù shí) — Fu: to match, to correspond. Name or reputation doesn't match reality. Means having an undeserved reputation.

明知故犯 (míng zhī gù fàn) — Clearly knowing something cannot be done, yet deliberately violating it.

高屋建瓴 (gāo wū jiàn líng) — Jian: to pour water; Ling: a water bottle. Pouring water from a bottle atop a tall building. Metaphor for being in a commanding position, unstoppable.

后继有人 (hòu jì yǒu rén) — Ji: to succeed, to inherit. Having successors to carry on one's work.

不卑不亢 (bù bēi bù kàng) — Bei: low, self-deprecating; Kang: arrogant. Having proper measure with people, neither servile nor arrogant.

含糊其词 (hán hú qí cí) — Hanhu: unclear, ambiguous; Ci: words. Deliberately speaking ambiguously, unclearly, indefinitely.

胆大包天 (dǎn dà bāo tiān) — Bao: to contain. Describes having extremely great audacity.

高人一等 (gāo rén yī děng) — Higher than others by one grade. Refers to surpassing ordinary people.

一门心思 (yī mén xīn sī) — Single-mindedly focused.

大有裨益 (dà yǒu bì yì) — Piyi: benefit, advantage. Describes having great benefit.

公报私仇 (gōng bào sī chóu) — Using public affairs as a pretext to avenge private grievances.

果不其然 (guǒ bù qí rán) — Indeed as expected. The development of events matches predictions.

洋洋洒洒 (yáng yáng sǎ sǎ) — Yangyang: grand, numerous appearance; Sasa: clear, fluent appearance. Describes writing or speech that is rich, lively, and continuous.

天伦之乐 (tiān lún zhī lè) — Tianlun: traditionally refers to family relationships like father-son, brothers. Generally refers to the joy of family life.

自言自语 (zì yán zì yǔ) — Talking quietly to oneself.

移花接木 (yí huā jiē mù) — Grafting a branch or bud from one plant onto another. Metaphor for secretly using tricks to substitute people or things to deceive others.

言行一致 (yán xíng yī zhì) — Words and deeds are completely consistent.

酸甜苦辣 (suān tián kǔ là) — Refers to various flavors. Metaphor for happiness, pain, and various circumstances in life.

只言片语 (zhī yán piàn yǔ) — Individual words or fragmentary phrases.

不时之需 (bù shí zhī xū) — Bushi: not at a predetermined time. Needs that may arise unexpectedly.

无所不能 (wú suǒ bù néng) — Nothing that cannot be done. Describes being capable of everything.

蛊惑人心 (gǔ huò rén xīn) — Guhuo: to bewitch. Using deceit and enticement to confuse people and disturb their thinking.

怒气冲冲 (nù qì chōng chōng) — Appearance of being in a rage.

太平盛世 (tài píng shèng shì) — A time of stability and prosperity.

奔走相告 (bēn zǒu xiāng gào) — When there is major news, people run about informing each other.

感同身受 (gǎn tóng shēn shòu) — Gan: gratitude; Shen: personally. Feeling so grateful as if one had personally experienced it.

无人之境 (wú rén zhī jìng) — A place where no one lives.

天下无敌 (tiān xià wú dí) — Having no rivals under heaven. Describes being invincible, having no opponent.

猝不及防 (cù bù jí fáng) — Cu: suddenly, unexpectedly. Something happens so suddenly there is no time to prepare.

刚愎自用 (gāng bì zì yòng) — Bi: obstinate; Gangbi: stubbornly unyielding; Ziyong: self-righteous. Extremely stubborn and self-confident, not considering others' opinions.

不出所料 (bù chū suǒ liào) — Events develop as expected. Describes accurate prediction.

拿手好戏 (ná shǒu hǎo xì) — Originally referred to plays an actor excels at. Generally refers to one's best skill or specialty.

拐弯抹角 (guǎi wān mò jiǎo) — Mojiao: going around corners along walls. Walking along winding paths. Metaphor for speaking indirectly, not straightforwardly.

毫不讳言 (háo bù huì yán) — Huiyan: having reservations, unwilling to speak the truth. Not the slightest concealment in speaking.

十恶不赦 (shí è bù shè) — Refers to crimes so heinous they are unforgivable.

难言之隐 (nán yán zhī yǐn) — A hidden reason or matter in the heart that is difficult to speak of.

五颜六色 (wǔ yán liù sè) — Describes complex colors or various patterns. By extension, various kinds.

墨守成规 (mò shǒu chéng guī) — Moshou: during the Warring States period, Mo Di was skilled at defending cities; Chenggui: existing or long-established rules and methods. Describes being conservative in thinking, sticking to old rules and unwilling to change.

以强凌弱 (yǐ qiáng líng ruò) — Using one's strength to bully the weak.

足不出户 (zú bù chū hù) — Not stepping foot outside the door.

高谈阔论 (gāo tán kuò lùn) — Gao: profound; Kuo: broad. Mostly refers to making sweeping remarks without substance.

心安理得 (xīn ān lǐ dé) — De: suitable. Feeling that what one has done is reasonable and having no qualms.

和衷共济 (hé zhōng gòng jì) — Zhong: inner heart; Ji: to cross. Everyone with one heart, crossing the river together. Metaphor for working together in harmony to overcome difficulties.

津津有味 (jīn jīn yǒu wèi) — Jinjin: appearance of great interest. Describes eating with great relish or discussing with great interest.

饮食起居 (yǐn shí qǐ jū) — Refers to a person's daily life.

人之常情 (rén zhī cháng qíng) — Feelings that ordinary people commonly have.

东拉西扯 (dōng lā xī chě) — Talking about one thing then another. Describes speech that is disorderly and has no focus.

招架不住 (zhāo jià bù zhù) — Zhaojia: to ward off. Unable to resist or lacking strength to continue.

尽人皆知 (jìn rén jiē zhī) — Jin: all, everyone. Everyone knows.

忠心耿耿 (zhōng xīn gěng gěng) — Gengeng: appearance of loyalty. Describes being extremely loyal.

居高临下 (jū gāo lín xià) — Ju: to stand, to be situated; Lin: to face. Occupying high ground, looking down. Describes occupying a very advantageous position.

百战百胜 (bǎi zhàn bǎi shèng) — Winning every battle. Describes being invincible.

合二为一 (hé èr wéi yī) — Combining two things into one whole.

冷嘲热讽 (lěng cháo rè fěng) — Leng: cold, not warm, implying harshness; Re: hot temperature, implying biting. Using sharp and biting language to mock and satirize.

而立之年 (ér lì zhī nián) — The age when a person at thirty can be independent. Later became a term for thirty years old.

搔首弄姿 (sāo shǒu nòng zī) — Sao: to scratch with fingers. Describes putting on airs and showing off one's charms.

反目成仇 (fǎn mù chéng chóu) — Fanmu: turning against each other. Turning against each other to become enemies. Generally refers to married couples becoming hostile due to discord and intensified conflicts.

衣锦还乡 (yì jǐn huán xiāng) — In old times, referred to returning to one's hometown after becoming wealthy. Contains the meaning of showing off to fellow villagers.

窒碍难行 (zhì ài nán xíng) — Zhi: to block, to obstruct. Too many obstacles, difficult to implement.

生生不息 (shēng shēng bù xī) — Shengsheng: Chinese philosophical term referring to change and the occurrence of new things; Buyi: without end. Continuously growing and reproducing.

寸步不让 (cùn bù bù ràng) — Not yielding even an inch to others. Describes not making the slightest concession or compromise.

艰苦朴素 (jiān kǔ pǔ sù) — Refers to the style of working hard, enduring hardship, and being thrifty and frugal.

孜孜不倦 (zī zī bù juàn) — Zizi: diligent, untiring. Working or studying diligently without knowing fatigue.

大材小用 (dà cái xiǎo yòng) — Using large timber as small timber. Metaphor for improper use, wasting talent.

分而治之 (fēn ér zhì zhī) — ①Governing separately. ②Using tactics to cause division in a country, nation, or religion, then controlling and ruling them.

不速之客 (bù sù zhī kè) — Su: to invite. An uninvited guest who arrives suddenly.

是是非非 (shì shì fēi fēi) — Recognizing what is right as right and what is wrong as wrong. Metaphor for distinguishing right from wrong, good from bad very clearly.

造谣生事 (zào yáo shēng shì) — Fabricating rumors and stirring up trouble.

损兵折将 (sǔn bīng zhé jiàng) — Sun: to lose. Both soldiers and generals suffer losses. Refers to losing a battle.

名利双收 (míng lì shuāng shōu) — Gaining both reputation and profit.

闻风而动 (wén fēng ér dòng) — Feng: wind, news. Upon hearing news, immediately rising to respond.

寸土必争 (cùn tǔ bì zhēng) — Even for the smallest piece of land, one must fight the enemy for it. Describes not yielding in the slightest in struggle against enemies.

劳师动众 (láo shī dòng zhòng) — Lao: to fatigue, to toil; Shi, Zhong: army; Dong: to mobilize. Originally meant deploying large armies. Now means mobilizing many people.

纵横交错 (zòng héng jiāo cuò) — Horizontal and vertical lines crossing each other. Also describes complex situations.

七零八落 (qī líng bā luò) — Describes a scattered and sparse appearance. Especially refers to things that were once numerous and orderly now being scattered.

两全其美 (liǎng quán qí měi) — Mei: good. Doing something that satisfies both parties, bringing benefits to both sides.

老谋深算 (lǎo móu shēn suàn) — Careful planning and far-sighted calculation. Describes someone who handles affairs shrewdly and expertly.

灯红酒绿 (dēng hóng jiǔ lǜ) — Lamp lights and wine colors, red and green reflecting each other, dazzling to the eyes. Describes an extravagant and dissipated lifestyle.

精打细算 (jīng dǎ xì suàn) — Da: to plan. Planning precisely and calculating carefully. Refers to calculating very carefully when using manpower and resources.

另辟蹊径 (lìng pì xī jìng) — Opening up a different path. Metaphor for creating a different style or method.

一五一十 (yī wú yī shí) — Five and ten are counting units. Counting numbers five and ten at a time. Metaphor for narrating from beginning to end, completely and thoroughly, without omission. Also describes counting items.

左支右绌 (zuǒ zhī yòu chù) — Zhi: to support; Chu: to bend, extended to mean insufficient. Originally described the posture of drawing a bow - left hand supporting, right hand bending. Indicates insufficient strength; handling one side causes problems on the other.

三天两头 (sān tiān liǎng tóu) — Every other day, or almost every day. Describes frequently, often.

各就各位 (gè jiù gè wèi) — Everyone goes to their own position.

顾名思义 (gù míng sī yì) — Gu: to look at; Yi: meaning, implication. Thinking of the meaning contained in the name.

语不惊人 (yǔ bù jīng rèn) — Yu: language, also written sentences. Language that is plain, with nothing astonishing.

大惊失色 (dà jīng shī sè) — So frightened that one's face changes color.

敷衍了事 (fū yǎn liǎo shì) — Fuyan: doing things carelessly; Liao: to complete. Handling matters carelessly, just wanting to get by.

水土不服 (shuǐ tǔ bù fú) — Unable to adapt to the climate or dietary habits of a place.

放任自流 (fàng rèn zì liú) — Letting things develop naturally without leadership or intervention.

无的放矢 (wú dì fàng shǐ) — Di: target center; Shi: arrow. Shooting arrows without a target. Metaphor for speaking or acting without a clear purpose, or not being practical.

东西南北 (dōng xī nán běi) — Refers to the four directions, everywhere, all places, the whole world; also refers to wandering everywhere with uncertain whereabouts.

临危受命 (lín wēi shòu mìng) — Accepting a mission during a crisis.

堆积如山 (duī jī rú shān) — Piling up like a small mountain. Describes an enormous quantity.

从中作梗 (cóng zhōng zuò gěng) — Geng: to obstruct, to hinder. Setting up obstacles during the course of events, deliberately making things difficult.

生灵涂炭 (shēng líng tú tàn) — Shengling: the common people; Tu: mud pit; Tan: charcoal fire. The people have fallen into mud pits and fire. Describes the people being in extremely dire straits.

排忧解难 (pái yōu jiě nán) — Eliminating worries and solving difficulties.

攻其不备 (gōng qí bù bèi) — Qi: pronoun, referring to the enemy. Attacking when the enemy is not yet prepared.

疾言厉色 (jí yán lì sè) — Ji: rapid. Speaking harshly with a severe expression. Describes the manner when angrily addressing someone.

自暴自弃 (zì bào zì qì) — Bao: to abuse, to harm; Qi: to abandon. Looking down on oneself, accepting being backward or degenerate.

倾巢出动 (qīng cháo chū dòng) — Qing: to pour out; Chao: nest. Metaphor for the enemy deploying all their forces for attack.

一衣带水 (yī yī dài shuǐ) — A strip of water as narrow as a clothing sash. Indicates that although separated by rivers, lakes, or seas, the distance is not far, not enough to be an obstacle to interaction.

痛改前非 (tòng gǎi qián fēi) — Tong: thoroughly; Fei: mistakes. Thoroughly correcting previous mistakes.

欺软怕硬 (qī ruǎn pà yìng) — Bullying the weak, fearing the strong.

民脂民膏 (mín zhī mín gāo) — Zhi, Gao: fat. Metaphor for wealth earned by the people through their blood and sweat. Often used to describe reactionary ruling classes exploiting the people to fatten themselves.

源源不绝 (yuán yuán bù jué) — Yuanyuan: appearance of continuous water flow. Describes an unending succession.

焕然一新 (huàn rán yī xīn) — Huanran: bright and shining appearance. Changing the old appearance, showing a completely new atmosphere.

看家本领 (kān jiā běn lǐng) — Refers to one's special expertise or skill.

不堪入耳 (bù kān rù ěr) — Kan: can, able; Ru'er: to hear. Words that are unbearable to listen to (usually referring to vulgar language).

强词夺理 (qiǎng cí duó lǐ) — Qiangci: forced argument; Duo: to seize. Making unreasonable forced arguments, insisting on being right when clearly wrong.

初出茅庐 (chū chū máo lú) — Maolu: thatched cottage. Originally compared to someone just emerging with new skills. Now metaphor for someone just leaving home or school to start working, lacking experience.

身不由己 (shēn bù yóu jǐ) — You: to obey. The body cannot act according to one's own will.

倒打一耙 (dào dǎ yī pá) — From 'Journey to the West' - Zhu Bajie used a rake as a weapon and often used the special technique of turning and striking back to defeat opponents. Making a mistake oneself, not only refusing others' criticism but counter-accusing them.

振振有辞 (zhèn zhèn yǒu cí) — Zhenzhen: appearance of being self-righteous. Describes someone who believes their reasons are sufficient and talks endlessly.

大功告成 (dà gōng gào chéng) — Gong: undertaking; Gao: to announce. A great project or important task is announced as completed.

寝食不安 (qǐn shí bù ān) — Unable to sleep or eat well. Describes being extremely worried and anxious.

一手包办 (yī shǒu bāo bàn) — Yishou: one person; Baoban: handling everything alone. One person monopolizing everything, not letting others participate.

代代相传 (dài dài xiāng chuán) — Passing down from generation to generation successively.

杀气腾腾 (shā qì téng téng) — Shaqi: murderous aura; Tengteng: appearance of vigorous momentum. Describes being filled with fierce murderous intent.

无边无际 (wú biān wú jì) — Ji: edge. Describes an extremely vast scope.

廉洁奉公 (lián jié fèng gōng) — Lianjie: honest and clean; Fenggong: serving public duty. Being honest and not corrupt, faithfully fulfilling public duties, devoted to the public interest.

阴差阳错 (yīn chā yáng cuò) — Metaphor for mistakes caused by chance factors.

天之骄子 (tiān zhī jiāo zǐ) — Jiaozi: a spoiled child indulged by parents. Heaven's favored child. Originally referred to the powerful northern Hu people, later also refers to a child spoiled by parents who is unruly.

盖棺定论 (gài guān dìng lùn) — A person's rights and wrongs can only be concluded after death. Same as 'final judgment at death.'

养尊处优 (yǎng zūn chǔ yōu) — Yang: refers to life. Living in circumstances where one is waited upon and conditions are superior.

面红耳赤 (miàn hóng ěr chì) — Face and ears both red. Describes blushing from excitement or embarrassment.

目不转睛 (mù bù zhuǎn jīng) — Eyes not moving at all, staring fixedly. Describes concentrated attention.

重男轻女 (zhòng nán qīng nǚ) — Valuing males and looking down on females. Refers to feudal thinking that discriminates against women.

不着边际 (bù zhuó biān jì) — Zhuo: to touch; Bianji: boundary, edge. Not touching the edges. Mostly describes speech that is vague and doesn't address practical matters.

出神入化 (chū shén rù huà) — Shen, Hua: marvelous realms. An extremely transcendent realm. Describes literature and art reaching the highest level of achievement.

坑蒙拐骗 (kēng méng guǎi piàn) — Using deceptive methods to obtain money and harm others.

燃眉之急 (rán méi zhī jí) — Ran: to burn. As urgent as fire burning one's eyebrows. Describes an extremely pressing situation.

敲锣打鼓 (qiāo luó dǎ gǔ) — ①Indicates celebration. ②Describes making a big fuss, extensively propagandizing through public opinion.

推陈出新 (tuī chén chū xīn) — Critically inheriting old culture, removing its dross, absorbing its essence, and creating new culture.

鬼使神差 (guǐ shǐ shén chāi) — Shi, Chai: to send. As if driven by ghosts and spirits, unconsciously doing something one hadn't planned to do.

趁热打铁 (chèn rè dǎ tiě) — Iron should be struck while it's red-hot. Metaphor for seizing favorable timing and conditions to act.

抛砖引玉 (pāo zhuān yǐn yù) — Throwing a brick to attract jade. Metaphor for using one's immature opinions or works to draw out better opinions or works from others.

眉飞色舞 (méi fēi sè wǔ) — Se: complexion. Describes someone's pleased and excited appearance.

应接不暇 (yìng jiē bù xiá) — Xia: leisure. Originally described scenery so abundant there was no time to appreciate it all. Later mostly describes so many people or things that one cannot handle them all.

苟延残喘 (gǒu yán cán chuǎn) — Gou: temporarily, barely; Yan: to continue; Canchuan: dying gasps. Barely continuing the dying gasps. Metaphor for temporarily and barely maintaining survival.

出人意外 (chū rén yì wài) — Beyond people's expectations, something no one anticipated.

以身试法 (yǐ shēn shì fǎ) — Shen: personally, in person; Shi: to try. Trying personally to do something that violates the law. Refers to knowingly breaking the law.

恶贯满盈 (è guàn mǎn yíng) — Guan: string for threading coins; Ying: full. Sins so numerous they are like threading coins - a full string's worth. Describes being extremely wicked, the time for punishment having come.

靠天吃饭 (kào tiān chī fàn) — Depending on natural conditions to make a living.

三言两语 (sān yán liǎng yǔ) — A few words. Describes speaking very briefly.

养家糊口 (yǎng jiā hú kǒu) — Barely managing to feed the family, preventing hunger.

赤膊上阵 (chì bó shàng zhèn) — Going into battle bare-chested. Metaphor for personally entering the fray, engaging in activities without concealment.

浴血奋战 (yù xuè fèn zhàn) — Describes fighting desperately and tenaciously.

门庭若市 (mén tíng ruò shì) — Ting: courtyard; Ruo: like; Shi: market. The gate and courtyard are crowded like a market. Originally described many people coming to offer advice. Now describes many visitors, very lively.

一哄而散 (yī hōng ér sàn) — Hong: uproar. Describes a group of people suddenly dispersing noisily.

等闲视之 (děng xián shì zhī) — Dengxian: ordinary, common. Regarding it as an ordinary matter, not taking it seriously.

大放厥词 (dà fàng jué cí) — Jue: his; Ci: rhetoric, words. Originally meant elaborating on rhetoric or speaking freely. Now used to mean making grand pronouncements.

众口一词 (zhòng kǒu yī cí) — Everyone saying the same thing.

混淆是非 (hùn xiáo shì fēi) — Hunxiao: to confuse boundaries. Deliberately calling right wrong and wrong right.

浓墨重彩 (nóng mò zhòng cǎi) — Using thick ink and heavy colors to depict. Describes writing with emphasis and effort.

翻云覆雨 (fān yún fù yǔ) — Describes someone being fickle or skilled at playing tricks.

此起彼落 (cǐ qǐ bǐ luò) — This one rises, that one falls. Describes continuous succession.

落花流水 (luò huā liú shuǐ) — Originally described the declining scenery of late spring. Later commonly used as metaphor for being badly defeated.

别开生面 (bié kāi shēng miàn) — Shengmian: new appearance. Originally meant the portraits of meritorious officials in Lingyan Pavilion had faded, but after General Cao repainted them, they looked lively. Metaphor for creating a new form or situation.

落地生根 (luò dì shēng gēn) — Metaphor for settling down permanently or wholeheartedly devoting oneself to one's work.

汪洋大海 (wāng yáng dà hǎi) — Wangyang: describes vast and boundless water. Water of extremely great magnitude. Also metaphor for an extremely powerful momentum.

心狠手辣 (xīn hěn shǒu là) — Having a vicious heart and cruel methods.

乘风破浪 (chéng fēng pò làng) — A ship rides the wind and breaks through waves. Metaphor for overcoming difficulties and forging ahead bravely.

暧昧不明 (ài mèi bù míng) — Aimei: vague, unclear. Neither clear nor explicit. Describes attitudes or relationships that are not clear.

闪烁其辞 (shǎn shuò qí cí) — Shanshuo: light flickering, metaphor for speaking hesitantly. Speaking hesitantly, unwilling to reveal the truth or avoiding key issues.

千篇一律 (qiān piān yī lǜ) — A thousand articles all the same. Describes formulaic writing. Also metaphor for doing things by a single pattern, very mechanically.

师出有名 (shī chū yǒu míng) — Shi: army; Ming: name, extended to mean reason. Sending troops requires a legitimate reason. Later metaphor for doing something with sufficient justification.

大惑不解 (dà huò bù jiě) — Huo: confused; Jie: to understand. Feeling extremely confused and unable to understand.

约法三章 (yuè fǎ sān zhāng) — Originally meant establishing laws and agreeing with the people to obey them. Later generally refers to establishing simple terms.

横七竖八 (héng qī shù bā) — Some horizontal, some vertical, in complete disorder. Describes things lying about in disarray.

扫地出门 (sǎo dì chū mén) — Metaphor for completely removing bad things. Also means confiscating all property and expelling from home.

心旷神怡 (xīn kuàng shén yí) — Kuang: open and spacious; Yi: happy. Mind is open and spirit is joyful.

与虎谋皮 (yǔ hǔ móu pí) — Negotiating with a tiger to get its skin. Metaphor for negotiating with a villain to give up their own interests - absolutely impossible.

在天之灵 (zài tiān zhī líng) — Honorific term for the spirit of the deceased.

以攻为守 (yǐ gōng wéi shǒu) — Using offense as the means of defense.

回头是岸 (huí tóu shì àn) — Buddhist saying meaning that sinners who repent and change their ways can reach the 'other shore' and be saved. Later metaphor that evildoers who are determined to reform have a way out.

回味无穷 (huí wèi wú qióng) — Huiwei: the aftertaste after eating something. Metaphor for the more one reflects on something, the more interesting it becomes.

半推半就 (bàn tuī bàn jiù) — Tui: to refuse, to decline; Jiu: to approach, to welcome. Half refusing, half approaching. Describes pretending to decline while actually accepting.

死心塌地 (sǐ xīn tā dì) — Originally meant having given up hope, making no other plans. Later commonly describes having made up one's mind, absolutely not changing.

快人快语 (kuài rén kuài yǔ) — Kuai: straightforward, direct. A straightforward person speaks straightforward words.

声泪俱下 (shēng lèi jù xià) — Speaking while crying. Describes extreme grief.

怒不可遏 (nù bù kě è) — E: to stop. Anger that is hard to restrain. Describes extreme fury.

叫苦不迭 (jiào kǔ bù dié) — Budie: without stopping. Describes crying out in distress continuously.

退避三舍 (tuì bì sān shè) — She: in ancient times, an army's march was measured in units of 30 li per she. Voluntarily retreating 90 li. Metaphor for yielding and avoiding conflict.

吃喝玩乐 (chī hē wán lè) — Leading a life of wanton pleasure.

稳操胜券 (wén cāo shèng quàn) — Wen: having certainty; Cao: to grasp; Shengquan: a winning strategy. Having certainty of victory.

狂风暴雨 (kuáng fēng bào yǔ) — Refers to strong wind and heavy rain. Also metaphor for violent momentum or dangerous circumstances.

脍炙人口 (kuài zhì rén kǒu) — Kuai: finely sliced meat; Zhi: roasted meat. Both are foods people love to eat. Refers to delicious food everyone loves. Metaphor for good poetry and prose that receives praise and is widely circulated.

依然故我 (yī rán gù wǒ) — Describes oneself as being exactly the same as before, not having become better.

各执一词 (gè zhí yī cí) — Zhi: to maintain. Each person maintains their own version. Describes disagreement.

步履蹒跚 (bù lǚ pán shān) — Panshan: walking with a limp. Describes walking with unsteady legs, tottering.

予取予求 (yú qǔ yú qiú) — Yu: I, me. Originally meant taking from me, seeking from me (property). Later refers to taking at will.

一点一滴 (yī diǎn yī dī) — Describes tiny bits.

无所事事 (wú suǒ shì shì) — Shishi: the first 'shi' is a verb meaning to do; the second 'shi' is a noun meaning things. Idling about doing nothing.

百折不挠 (bǎi zhé bù náo) — Zhe: setback; Nao: to bend. Metaphor for having strong will, remaining unmoved and not retreating regardless of how many setbacks one faces.

在劫难逃 (zài jié nán táo) — Superstitious people of old believed that disasters fated by destiny were inescapable. Now sometimes also used to indicate that certain disasters are unavoidable.

言不由衷 (yán bù yóu zhōng) — You: from; Zhong: heart. Words not spoken from the heart, meaning not speaking one's true thoughts. Indicates inconsistency between words and heart.

穿针引线 (chuān zhēn yǐn xiàn) — Threading the end of thread through the needle's eye. Metaphor for making connections and bringing people together.

金戈铁马 (jīn gē tiě mǎ) — Halberds glinting with gold, horses equipped with iron armor. Metaphor for war. Also describes the heroic bearing of soldiers with spears on horses.

忧心如焚 (yōu xīn rú fén) — Rufen: like burning fire. Heart worried as if on fire. Describes extreme anxiety and worry.

心烦意乱 (xīn fán yì luàn) — Yi: mind. Mind disturbed and confused, not knowing what to do.

南征北战 (nán zhēng běi zhàn) — Describes fighting battles throughout north and south, having experienced many campaigns.

无可救药 (wú kě jiù yào) — Yao: medicine, treatment. The illness has reached such a serious stage that no medicine can cure it. Metaphor for a situation that has reached a point beyond saving.

力排众议 (lì pái zhòng yì) — Li: with effort; Pai: to push aside; Yi: opinions. Forcefully pushing aside various opinions to make one's own opinion prevail.

筋疲力尽 (jīn pí lì jìn) — Jin: muscles and bones; Jin: exhausted. Describes being extremely tired, having no strength left at all.

光宗耀祖 (guāng zōng yào zǔ) — Zong: clan; Zu: ancestors. Describes descendants becoming officials or famous, bringing glory to ancestors and family.

攻城掠地 (gōng chéng lüě dì) — Seizing cities and taking territory. Same as 'attacking cities and seizing territory.'

一哄而上 (yī hǒng ér shàng) — Acting all at once without careful preparation or organization. Same as 'rising in a commotion.'

礼尚往来 (lǐ shàng wǎng lái) — Shang: to value. Etiquette values reciprocity. Now also means responding to others with the same attitude or action.

同室操戈 (tóng shì sāo gē) — Tongshi: same family, meaning one's own people; Cao: to take up; Ge: ancient weapon. Family members taking up weapons. Refers to brothers quarreling. Generally refers to internal strife.

喜上眉梢 (xǐ shàng méi shāo) — Joy showing on the brows and eyes.

不甚了了 (bù shèn liǎo liǎo) — Shen: very; Liaoliao: clear, understanding. Not very clear, not well understood.

不苟言笑 (bù gǒu yán xiào) — Gou: carelessly, casually. Not laughing or talking casually. Describes a serious and dignified attitude.

相依为命 (xiāng yī wéi mìng) — Depending on each other to survive. Generally refers to mutual dependence where neither can be without the other.

沉默寡言 (chén mò guǎ yán) — Chenmo: not speaking; Gua: few. Not speaking, saying very little.

千夫所指 (qiān fū suǒ zhǐ) — Being pointed at by thousands of people. Describes arousing public anger.

食言而肥 (shí yán ér féi) — Shiyan: breaking one's word. Breaking one's word, only seeking personal advantage.

锒铛入狱 (láng kāng rù yù) — Langdang: the sound of iron chains clanking. Chained up and thrown into prison.

想入非非 (xiǎng rù fēi fēi) — Feifei: originally a Buddhist term meaning an illusory realm. Thinking about extremely mysterious and illusory things. Describes indulging in wild fantasies completely divorced from reality.

亡国灭种 (wáng guó miè zhǒng) — The nation destroyed, the race exterminated. Describes a country being completely annihilated.

举手投足 (jǔ shǒu tóu zú) — Raising a hand, moving a foot. Describes something extremely easy, requiring no effort.

孤军奋战 (gū jūn fèn zhàn) — Fenzhan: fighting with all one's might. An isolated army without help fighting alone against the enemy. Also metaphor for a person or group struggling without support or help.

捐弃前嫌 (juān qì qián xián) — Casting aside old grudges.

翻来覆去 (fān lái fù qù) — Describes doing something again and again. Also describes tossing and turning.

出言不逊 (chū yán bù xùn) — Xun: modest, polite. Speaking rudely and without manners.

欲罢不能 (yù bà bù néng) — Yu: to want; Ba: to stop. Wanting to stop but unable to.

苟且偷生 (gǒu qiě tōu shēng) — Gouqie: getting by carelessly; Tousheng: living carelessly. Getting by and barely living.

天花乱坠 (tiān huā luàn zhuì) — Legend has it that during Emperor Wu of Liang's time, a monk's preaching moved heaven, and flowers fell from the sky. Describes speaking vividly and fascinatingly (often referring to exaggeration that doesn't match reality).

天昏地暗 (tiān hūn dì àn) — Hun: dark. Heaven and earth dark without light. Describes sandstorms during a big windstorm. Also metaphor for corrupt politics and dark society.

一呼百应 (yī hū bǎi yìng) — One person calls out and many respond immediately.

原形毕露 (yuán xíng bì lù) — Yuanxing: original form; Bi: completely. Original appearance completely exposed. Describes a disguise being thoroughly revealed.

臭名远扬 (chòu míng yuǎn yáng) — Ming: reputation; Yang: to spread. A bad reputation that spreads far and wide.

天寒地冻 (tiān hán dì dòng) — Describes extremely cold weather.

欲擒故纵 (yù qín gù zòng) — Qin: to capture; Zong: to release. Deliberately letting someone go first to make them let down their guard and fully expose themselves, then catching them.

康庄大道 (kāng zhuāng dà dào) — Kangzhuang: level and broad. A wide, smooth road that leads in all directions. Metaphor for a bright future.

置之死地 (zhì zhī sǐ dì) — Deliberately putting someone in a position where they cannot survive.

日以继夜 (rì yǐ jì yè) — Night following day. Describes intensifying work or study.

世外桃源 (shì wài táo yuán) — Originally referred to an ideal realm isolated from real society with a peaceful and happy life. Later also refers to a quiet place with a comfortable life. Also refers to an imaginary beautiful world detached from reality's struggles.

无关痛痒 (wú guān tòng yǎng) — Tongyang: metaphor for suffering or important matters. Having no relation to one's own interests or being insignificant.

朝思暮想 (zhāo sī mù xiǎng) — Zhao: morning; Mu: evening. Thinking about it morning and evening. Describes thinking about something constantly or always having something on one's mind.

川流不息 (chuān liú bù xī) — Chuan: river. Describes people, vehicles, etc. flowing continuously like water.

攻守同盟 (gōng shǒu tóng méng) — Originally referred to alliances between nations agreeing to attack or defend together in wartime. Now mostly refers to villains conspiring to act together to cover up crimes.

精锐之师 (jīng ruì zhī shī) — Jingrui: describes well-equipped troops with strong combat capability; Shi: army. A military unit with very strong combat capability.

一言一行 (yī yán yī xíng) — Every word and every action.

泛滥成灾 (fàn làn chéng zāi) — Rivers, lakes, and ponds overflowing, causing disaster. Metaphor for bad writings or ideas spreading everywhere with extremely negative influence.

恃强凌弱 (shì qiáng líng ruò) — Ling: to bully. Relying on strength to bully the weak.

寡不敌众 (guǎ bù dí zhòng) — Gua: few; Di: to resist; Zhong: many. The few cannot resist the many.

前所未闻 (qián suǒ wèi wén) — Qian: before. Never heard of before.

一干二净 (yī gān èr jìng) — Describes being completely thorough, with nothing left at all.

比翼双飞 (bǐ yì shuāng fēi) — Biyi: wings touching. Shuangfei: flying as a pair. Metaphor for a married couple who are deeply in love, advancing together in their careers.

纸醉金迷 (zhǐ zuì jīn mí) — Originally meant being dazzled by glittering gold paper. Describes an extravagant environment that makes people lose themselves.

放虎归山 (fàng hǔ guī shān) — Letting a tiger return to the mountains. Metaphor for letting a villain return to their lair, leaving future trouble.

功成名就 (gōng chéng míng jiù) — Gong: achievement. Jiu: to attain. Achievements are made and reputation is established.

势不两立 (shì bù liǎng lì) — Liangli: both standing. Opposing sides cannot coexist. Metaphor for irreconcilable contradictions.

坐享其成 (zuò xiǎng qí chéng) — Xiang: to enjoy; Cheng: results. Enjoying the results of others' labor without contributing oneself.

先见之明 (xiān jiàn zhī míng) — Ming: vision. The ability to foresee problems. Refers to foresight about how things will develop.

胆战心惊 (dǎn zhàn xīn jīng) — Zhan: same as 'trembling,' to shiver. Describes being extremely frightened.

百战不殆 (bǎi zhàn bù dài) — Having experienced many battles without encountering danger. Describes being skilled in warfare.

像模像样 (xiàng mó xiàng yàng) — Describes something done properly or solemnly.

半夜三更 (bàn yè sān gēng) — A night is divided into five watches; the third watch is midnight at 12 o'clock. Refers to late at night.

以卵击石 (yǐ luǎn jī shí) — Throwing an egg against a stone. Metaphor for not assessing one's own strength and bringing destruction upon oneself.

小恩小惠 (xiǎo ēn xiǎo huì) — En, Hui: benefits given to others. Small benefits given to win people over.

一家之言 (yī jiā zhī yán) — Refers to a work with unique insights forming its own system.

天女散花 (tiān nǚ sàn huā) — Originally a Buddhist story where a heavenly maiden scattered flowers to test the spiritual attainment of bodhisattvas and disciples - flowers fell from bodhisattvas but stuck to disciples. Later mostly describes scattering things or heavy snowfall.

对答如流 (duì dá rú liú) — Duida: to answer. Answering questions as quickly as flowing water. Describes having good verbal skills and quick responses.

狼狈不堪 (láng bèi bù kān) — Langbei: appearance of being in a difficult situation. So distressed and embarrassed it's unbearable. Describes being extremely embarrassed.

手舞足蹈 (shǒu wǔ zú dǎo) — Dao: stamping feet on the ground. Both hands dancing, both feet jumping. Describes being extremely happy. Also describes wild gesturing with hands and feet.

心急火燎 (xīn jí huǒ liǎo) — Heart burning as if on fire. Describes being extremely anxious.

忘恩负义 (wàng ēn fù yì) — En: kindness; Fu: to violate; Yi: loyalty, gratitude. Forgetting the kindness others have shown and doing things that betray them.

掌上明珠 (zhǎng shàng míng zhū) — Metaphor for a child receiving parental love, especially a daughter.

从善如流 (cóng shàn rú liú) — Cong: to follow; Shan: good, correct; Ruliu: like water flowing downward, describing swiftness. Describes being able to quickly accept others' good advice.

信口雌黄 (xìn kǒu cí huáng) — Xin: at will, allowing; Cihuang: orpiment, a yellow mineral used as pigment. Ancients wrote on yellow paper; when they made mistakes, they used orpiment to cover and correct. Metaphor for speaking carelessly without regard for facts.

血流如注 (xuè liú rú zhù) — Zhu: to pour. Blood flowing as if being shot out. Describes blood flowing heavily and rapidly.

自我陶醉 (zì wǒ táo zuì) — Taozui: being intoxicated by something or some state, seeking inner comfort. Refers to blindly admiring oneself.

张冠李戴 (zhāng guān lǐ dài) — Putting Zhang's hat on Li's head. Metaphor for mistaking the target or getting facts wrong.

安于现状 (ān yú xiàn zhuàng) — Being accustomed to the current situation, unwilling to change.

徒有虚名 (tú yǒu xū míng) — Having only an empty reputation. Refers to having fame but no substance.

鹿死谁手 (lù sǐ shuí shǒu) — Originally a metaphor for not knowing whose hands political power would fall into. Now also generally refers to not knowing who will win in a competition.

惨绝人寰 (cǎn jué rén huán) — Renhuan: the human world. Nothing in the world is more tragic than this. Describes tragedy to the extreme.

星星之火 (xīng xīng zhī huǒ) — A tiny spark. Metaphor for something new that starts small but has great potential for development.

浮想联翩 (fú xiǎng lián piān) — Fuxiang: floating thoughts; Lianpian: like birds flying, metaphor for continuous succession. Many thoughts continuously emerging.

积重难返 (jī zhòng nán fǎn) — Zhong: degree of depth; Fan: to return. Thoughts, habits or ways formed over a long time are very difficult to change.

出类拔萃 (chū lèi bá cuì) — Ba: to rise above; Lei: same class; Cui: originally describes grass growing thickly, extended to mean gathered. Rising above one's class. Mostly refers to a person's moral character and talent.

生老病死 (shēng lǎo bìng sǐ) — Buddhist term for the four sufferings: birth, aging, illness, death. Now generally refers to life matters: childbirth, caring for the elderly, medical treatment, and burial.

望子成龙 (wàng zǐ chéng lóng) — Hoping one's children will achieve success in academics and career.

另眼相看 (lìng yǎn xiāng kàn) — Looking at someone with different eyes. Refers to treating a particular person differently from others. Also refers to someone previously disregarded receiving attention.

家家户户 (jiā jiā hù hù) — Every household. Refers to all families.

妻离子散 (qī lí zǐ sàn) — A family forced to separate and scatter.

无声无息 (wú shēng wú xī) — No sound, no breath. Metaphor for having no reputation, not being known.

出乎预料 (chū hū yù liào) — Beyond expectation.

自私自利 (zì sī zì lì) — Having strong selfish thoughts, only thinking of personal benefit.

心满意足 (xīn mǎn yì zú) — Describes being very satisfied in one's heart.

一念之差 (yī niàn zhī chā) — Nian: thought, idea; Cha: mistake. A mistake in one thought (causing serious consequences).

钻牛角尖 (zuān niú jiǎo jiān) — Metaphor for laboring to research problems not worth researching or that cannot be solved. Also refers to narrow thinking methods.

心直口快 (xīn zhí kǒu kuài) — Having a straightforward nature, speaking one's mind.

明哲保身 (míng zhé bǎo shēn) — Wise people are good at protecting themselves. Now refers to the attitude of avoiding principled struggles out of fear of getting involved.

倾巢而出 (qīng cháo ér chū) — Qing: to pour out; Chao: nest. Metaphor for the enemy deploying all their forces for invasion.

溜之大吉 (liū zhī dà jí) — Liu: to slip away unnoticed; Ji: auspicious. Best to sneak away.

令人作呕 (lìng rén zuò ǒu) — Ou: feeling nauseous, wanting to vomit. Metaphor for causing extreme disgust.

和蔼可亲 (hé ǎi kě qīn) — He'ai: gentle and kind. Having a warm manner, easy to approach.

惺惺作态 (xīng xīng zuò tài) — Xingxing: hypocritical appearance. Deliberately putting on a posture. Describes being hypocritical and insincere.

稳步前进 (wén bù qián jìn) — Advancing work at an appropriate pace.

神通广大 (shén tōng guǎng dà) — Shentong: originally a Buddhist term meaning magical powers. Magic powers vast and boundless. Describes having extraordinary abilities, capable of anything.

神乎其神 (shén hū qí shén) — Shen: marvelous; Hu: exclamatory particle. Mysterious and marvelous to the extreme. Describes something extremely mysterious and wonderful.

威胁利诱 (wēi xié lì yòu) — Using a combination of hard and soft tactics trying to make someone submit.

吃里扒外 (chī lǐ pá wài) — Receiving benefits from one side while working for the other. Also refers to leaking information about one's own side to the other.

破门而入 (pò mén ér rù) — Breaking down the door to enter. Mostly refers to the behavior of thieves.

行云流水 (xíng yún liú shuǐ) — Describes writing that is natural and unconstrained, like floating clouds and flowing water.

万全之策 (wàn quán zhī cè) — Ce: strategy, plan. An extremely thorough plan or method.

冲昏头脑 (chōng hūn tóu nǎo) — Having one's head turned by victory, unable to think coolly and act cautiously.

平淡无奇 (píng dàn wú qí) — Qi: special. Things or writings that are ordinary, with nothing attractive.

画饼充饥 (huà bǐng chōng jī) — Drawing a cake to relieve hunger. Metaphor for comforting oneself with empty fantasies.

甜言蜜语 (tián yán mì yǔ) — Words as sweet as honey. Metaphor for pleasant-sounding words meant to deceive.

貌合神离 (mào hé shén lí) — Mao: appearance; Shen: inner heart. On the surface the relationship seems close, but in reality they have different hearts.

山穷水尽 (shān qióng shuǐ jìn) — Mountains and water have both reached their end. Metaphor for having no way out, being in a hopeless situation.

四通八达 (sì tōng bā dá) — Roads leading in all four and eight directions. Describes extremely convenient transportation. Also describes reaching everywhere.

冒名顶替 (mào míng dǐng tì) — Mao: to impersonate. For one's own purposes, impersonating another's name to do things or usurp their power and position.

一决雌雄 (yī jué cí xióng) — Cixiong: metaphor for victory or defeat, high or low. Deciding victory or defeat, comparing who is better.

面面相觑 (miàn miàn xiāng qù) — Qu: to look. Looking at each other, not knowing what to do. Describes people looking at each other in shock or helplessness, none speaking.

付之一炬 (fù zhī yī jù) — Fu: to give; Zhi: it; Ju: torch. Burning it all with one torch.

论资排辈 (lùn zī pái bèi) — Lun: according to; Zi: qualifications, seniority; Bei: sequence by age or order. Determining rank and treatment based on depth of seniority and generational order.

天灾人祸 (tiān zāi rén huò) — Tian: natural. Natural disasters and man-made calamities. Also metaphor for harmful people (used as an insult).

登堂入室 (dēng táng rù shì) — Tang, Shi: ancient palace rooms - the front is the hall, the back is the chamber. Ascending to the hall and entering the inner chamber. Metaphor for learning or skill progressing from shallow to deep, reaching a high level.

活灵活现 (huó líng huó xiàn) — Describes expressions so vivid that one feels as if seeing it with one's own eyes.

穷困潦倒 (qióng kùn liáo dǎo) — Qiongkun: poverty, difficulty; Liaodao: discouraged. Living in poverty, discouraged and dejected.

铁证如山 (tiě zhèng rú shān) — Describes evidence that is conclusive and immovable like a mountain.

一丝一毫 (yī sī yī háo) — Si, Hao: ten si equals one hao, ten hao equals one li. The tiniest bit, extremely small or few.

出人意表 (chū rén yì biǎo) — Biao: outside. Beyond people's expectations.

高高在上 (gāo gāo zài shàng) — Originally referred to high position; now describes leaders being divorced from reality and the masses.

马放南山 (mǎ fàng nán shān) — Metaphor for the world being at peace, no more need for military forces. Now describes mental complacency.

自作自受 (zì zuò zì shòu) — Doing something foolish or bad and suffering the consequences oneself.

暗无天日 (àn wú tiān rì) — So dark one cannot see the sun in the sky. Describes the darkness of society under reactionary rule.

重整旗鼓 (chóng zhěng qí gǔ) — Zheng: to reorganize, to tidy up. Metaphor for reorganizing forces after failure, preparing to try again.

拔刀相助 (bá dāo xiāng zhù) — In old novels, often refers to fighting injustice.

价值连城 (jià zhí lián chéng) — Liancheng: many connected cities. Describes an extremely precious item.

欺上瞒下 (qī shàng mán xià) — Deceiving superiors to gain trust; hiding things from subordinates to conceal the truth.

海纳百川 (hǎi nà bǎi chuān) — Na: to contain, to include. The great sea can hold hundreds of rivers. Metaphor for including a vast array of things in great quantity.

风华正茂 (fēng huá zhèng mào) — Fenghua: elegance, talent; Mao: flourishing. Right in the prime of youth, charm, and talent. Describes the spirited and enterprising demeanor of young people.

品头论足 (pǐn tóu lùn zú) — Originally referred to idle people casually commenting on women's appearance and figure. Now also metaphor for nitpicking over small details. Same as 'commenting on head and feet.'

深不可测 (shēn bù kě cè) — So deep it cannot be measured. Metaphor for being unable to fathom the situation.

两面三刀 (liǎng miàn sān dāo) — Metaphor for harboring ill intentions, one way to your face, another behind your back.

巧取豪夺 (qiǎo qǔ háo duó) — Qiaoqu: tricking through soft deception; Haoduo: seizing by force. In old times described how officials and wealthy people obtained others' property. Now refers to obtaining wealth through various methods.

一走了之 (yī zǒu liǎo zhī) — Leaving without concern.

各得其所 (gè dé qí suǒ) — Originally meant everyone getting satisfaction. Later means everyone or everything getting the appropriate position or arrangement.

寸草不生 (cùn cǎo bù shēng) — Cuncao: even a tiny bit of grass. Describes land so barren that not even a blade of grass grows. Also describes severe disaster.

有备无患 (yǒu bèi wú huàn) — Huan: disaster, calamity. Being prepared in advance can avoid disasters.

束手束脚 (shù shǒu shù jiǎo) — Tying up hands and feet. Describes being timid and having many reservations.

通宵达旦 (tōng xiāo dá dàn) — Tongxiao: through the night, all night; Da: to reach; Dan: dawn. The whole night, from dark to light.

害群之马 (hài qún zhī mǎ) — A bad horse that harms the herd. Metaphor for a person who harms society or a group.

自得其乐 (zì dé qí lè) — Being able to find enjoyment in something by oneself.

不依不饶 (bù yī bù ráo) — Describes not giving up until one gets what one wants.

江河日下 (jiāng hé rì xià) — Rivers flowing downward day by day. Metaphor for a situation getting worse day by day.

揭竿而起 (jiē gān ér qǐ) — Jie: to raise high; Gan: bamboo pole, representing a banner. Cutting down tree trunks for weapons, raising bamboo poles as banners, and rebelling. Refers to a people's uprising.

不乏其人 (bù fá qí rén) — Fa: to lack; Qi: those. Such people are not few.

无出其右 (wú chū qí yòu) — Chu: to exceed; You: above, as ancients considered right as superior. No one can surpass him.

一笑了之 (yī xiào liǎo zhī) — Laughing once and letting it pass, indicating not taking something seriously.

望梅止渴 (wàng méi zhǐ kě) — Originally meant plums are sour; thinking of eating plums makes saliva flow, thus quenching thirst. Later metaphor for being unable to realize wishes and comforting oneself with fantasies.

受宠若惊 (shòu chǒng ruò jīng) — Chong: favor. Being both pleased and uneasy from receiving favor or recognition.

作奸犯科 (zuò jiān fàn kē) — Jian: evil deeds; Ke: legal articles. Doing evil and breaking the law.

无理取闹 (wú lǐ qǔ nào) — Making a fuss with someone for no reason. Refers to deliberate troublemaking.

咬紧牙关 (yǎo jīn yá guān) — Making the greatest effort to endure pain or overcome difficulty.

一字一句 (yī zì yī jù) — Describes someone speaking clearly and deliberately.

如获至宝 (rú huò zhì bǎo) — Zhi: extreme, most. Like obtaining an extremely precious treasure. Describes greatly treasuring and loving what one has obtained.

咬文嚼字 (yǎo wén jiáo zì) — Describes excessively deliberating over words and phrases. Often refers to being pedantic about wording while ignoring the essence.

自我解嘲 (zì wǒ jiě cháo) — Using words or actions to cover up or explain away something one has been mocked for.

寥寥可数 (liáo liáo kě shǔ) — Liaoliao: sparse, very few. Describes very few, able to be counted.

指鹿为马 (zhǐ lù wéi mǎ) — Pointing at a deer and calling it a horse. A metaphor for deliberately confusing right and wrong, distorting the truth.

避实就虚 (bì shí jiù xū) — Avoid the enemy's main force and attack their weak points. Also refers to evading the key issues when discussing problems.

循规蹈矩 (xún guī dǎo jǔ) — To follow rules and regulations. Originally meant to strictly observe rules without daring to violate them. Now also refers to rigidly adhering to old standards without daring to make any changes.

人尽其才 (rén jìn qí cái) — Everyone can fully utilize their talents.

天下太平 (tiān xià tài píng) — Peace and safety everywhere. Refers to an era of great order and governance.

抽丝剥茧 (chōu sī bāo jiǎn) — Pulling silk thread by thread and peeling a cocoon layer by layer. Describes analyzing things in extreme detail, step by step in an orderly manner.

七上八下 (qī shàng bā xià) — Describes feeling anxious and uneasy in one's heart.

数典忘祖 (shǔ diǎn wàng zǔ) — To enumerate the classics while forgetting one's ancestors. To discuss historical institutions and events while forgetting one's own ancestral duties. A metaphor for forgetting one's origins. Also refers to ignorance of one's country's history.

生气勃勃 (shēng qì bó bó) — Full of vigor and vitality. Describes a person or society full of youthful energy and life.

毫无二致 (háo wú èr zhì) — Not the slightest difference. Completely identical.

面不改色 (miàn bù gǎi sè) — Face unchanged in color. Describes remaining calm and composed.

赤手空拳 (chì shǒu kōng quán) — Bare hands and empty fists. Hands empty without any weapons. A metaphor for having nothing to rely on.

自取灭亡 (zì qǔ miè wáng) — To bring about one's own destruction through one's actions.

凭空捏造 (píng kōng niē zào) — To fabricate out of thin air without any basis.

绵里藏针 (mián lǐ cáng zhēn) — A needle hidden in silk cotton. Describes gentleness concealing firmness. Also a metaphor for appearing kind on the outside but being harsh inside.

疑神疑鬼 (yí shén yí guǐ) — Suspecting gods and suspecting ghosts. Describes being extremely suspicious of everything.

无以复加 (wú yǐ fù jiā) — Cannot be increased further. Describes reaching the extreme degree.

依然如故 (yī rán rú gù) — Still the same as before. Indicates that a person has made no progress and remains the same as before.

神经过敏 (shén jīng guò mǐn) — 1. A medical symptom where the nervous system's sensory function is abnormally acute, commonly seen in patients with neurasthenia. 2. Generally refers to being overly suspicious and making a big fuss over nothing.

男欢女爱 (nán huān nǚ ài) — An expression for intimate affection between men and women.

无地自容 (wú dì zì róng) — No place to hide oneself. Describes feeling extremely ashamed.

独树一帜 (dú shù yī zhì) — To stand alone as a flag-bearer. To raise a unique banner independently. A metaphor for being unique and original, forming one's own school.

丧尽天良 (sàng jìn tiān liáng) — To have completely lost one's conscience. Describes being extremely wicked.

不辞而别 (bù cí ér bié) — To leave without saying goodbye. To leave without taking one's leave, or to slip away quietly.

盛气凌人 (shèng qì líng rén) — To bully others with arrogant airs. Describes being arrogant and aggressive.

夸夸其谈 (kuā kuā qí tán) — Describes speaking boastfully without being practical.

低三下四 (dī sān xià sì) — Describes having a humble and lowly attitude. Also refers to work of a low and humble nature.

夸大其辞 (kuā dà qí cí) — To exaggerate something beyond its original degree. Same as 'exaggerate one's words.'

先斩后奏 (xiān zhǎn hòu zòu) — Originally meant that a minister would execute someone first and then report to the emperor. Now it's a metaphor for doing something without asking for permission first, creating a fait accompli, and then reporting to superiors.

贤妻良母 (xián qī liáng mǔ) — A good wife to one's husband and a good mother to one's children.

能上能下 (néng shàng néng xià) — Refers to cadres who don't care about position, whether in leadership roles or doing practical work at the grassroots level, can work diligently. Implementing this is an important reform of the lifelong tenure system for cadres.

因噎废食 (yīn yē fèi shí) — The original meaning is that because someone choked to death while eating, one would want everyone in the world to stop eating - this is absurd. A metaphor for giving up on doing something because a small problem occurred or for fear of problems.

鱼死网破 (yú sǐ wǎng pò) — Either the fish dies or the net breaks. Refers to fighting to the death.

一语双关 (yī yǔ shuāng guān) — A single phrase with two meanings.

省吃俭用 (shěng chī jiǎn yòng) — Describes living frugally, being thrifty with food and expenses.

门禁森严 (mén jìn sēn yán) — Describes having very strict security at the entrance.

鼻青脸肿 (bí qīng liǎn zhǒng) — Nose bruised and face swollen. Describes severe facial injuries.

空中楼阁 (kōng zhōng lóu gé) — A pavilion suspended in mid-air. A metaphor for illusory things or impractical fantasies.

无微不至 (wú wēi bù zhì) — Attending to every minute detail. Describes being extremely thoughtful and considerate in care.

引而不发 (yǐn ér bù fā) — To draw the bow but not release the arrow. A metaphor for being good at inspiring and guiding. Also a metaphor for making preparations but not acting yet, waiting for the right moment.

门当户对 (mén dāng hù duì) — In old times, referred to the social status and economic situation of both the man and woman being well-matched for marriage.

雨过天晴 (yǔ guò tiān qíng) — The sky clears after rain. Also a metaphor for political transformation from darkness to light.

临阵脱逃 (lín zhèn tuō táo) — To run away when facing battle. Also a metaphor for retreating and escaping at a critical moment.

一笔勾消 (yī bǐ gōu xiāo) — To cancel everything with one stroke. Same as 'write off with one stroke.'

吞吞吐吐 (tūn tūn tǔ tǔ) — Wanting to speak but not speaking freely. Describes speaking with reservations.

神采飞扬 (shén cǎi fēi yáng) — Describes being excited and pleased, full of spirit and radiance.

恋恋不舍 (liàn liàn bù shě) — Deeply attached and reluctant to part. Originally described being extremely devoted and unable to let go. Now mostly describes being very reluctant to leave.

实至名归 (shí zhì míng guī) — When substance arrives, reputation follows. When one has real knowledge, ability, or achievements, reputation naturally comes.

自生自灭 (zì shēng zì miè) — To arise naturally, grow, and perish naturally. Describes natural development without anyone caring.

不管不顾 (bù guǎn bù gù) — Not caring or looking after someone. Also refers to acting recklessly without regard for others.

扣人心弦 (kòu rén xīn xián) — To tug at the heartstrings. Describes something deeply moving.

飘洋过海 (piāo yáng guò hǎi) — To drift across the ocean. Mostly refers to going to a foreign land or distant place.

低声下气 (dī shēng xià qì) — Describes speaking and acting in a humble and submissive manner.

有口皆碑 (yǒu kǒu jiē bēi) — Everyone's mouth is a living monument. Everyone praises someone or something.

判若两人 (pàn ruò liǎng rén) — Describes someone whose words and actions before and after are so different they seem like two different people.

雷霆万钧 (léi tíng wàn jūn) — Thunder with the force of ten thousand jun (ancient unit of weight). Describes tremendous, unstoppable power.

姗姗来迟 (shān shān lái chí) — To come late in a leisurely manner.

闭门造车 (bì mén zào chē) — To build a cart behind closed doors. A metaphor for being divorced from reality and doing things based solely on subjective thinking.

一步登天 (yī bù dēng tiān) — To ascend to heaven in a single step. A metaphor for reaching a very high level in one leap. Sometimes used to describe someone suddenly gaining power and rising to a high position.

诱敌深入 (yòu dí shēn rù) — To lure the enemy deep into one's territory, putting them in an isolated position from which escape is difficult.

欺世盗名 (qī shì dào míng) — To deceive the world and steal a reputation.

丢人现眼 (diū rén xiàn yǎn) — To lose face and make a spectacle of oneself.

渔人之利 (yú rén zhī lì) — The fisherman's profit. A metaphor for a third party taking advantage when two sides are locked in dispute, both suffering losses.

逆来顺受 (nì lái shùn shòu) — To accept adversity with resignation. To adopt an attitude of compliance and endurance toward harsh environments or disrespectful treatment.

称兄道弟 (chēng xiōng dào dì) — To call each other brother. Describes a close relationship between friends.

漏网之鱼 (lòu wǎng zhī yú) — A fish that escaped the net. A metaphor for a criminal or enemy who narrowly escaped.

拖泥带水 (tuō ní dài shuǐ) — Dragging mud and carrying water. A metaphor for speaking or acting in an indecisive, not clean-cut manner.

自不量力 (zì bù liàng lì) — To not measure one's own strength. To overestimate one's own abilities.

流言蜚语 (liú yán fēi yǔ) — Groundless rumors. Refers to slanderous talk spread behind one's back.

身先士卒 (shēn xiān shì zú) — A general personally leads the charge, ahead of the soldiers. Now also used as a metaphor for leaders taking the lead, walking ahead of the masses.

喜笑颜开 (xǐ xiào yán kāi) — Face beaming with smiles. Describes being happy and full of smiles.

尸横遍野 (shī héng biàn yě) — Corpses strewn everywhere across the fields. Describes an extremely large number of dead.

无名英雄 (wú míng yīng xióng) — An unsung hero. A heroic person whose name is unknown. Also refers to someone who works hard without recognition.

诚惶诚恐 (chéng huáng chéng kǒng) — Truly anxious and truly fearful. Describes being so extremely careful and cautious as to feel afraid and uneasy.

无所不包 (wú suǒ bù bāo) — Nothing not included. Describes containing an extremely wide range of things.

一刀两断 (yī dāo liǎng duàn) — Cut in two with one stroke. A metaphor for decisively severing a relationship.

得道多助 (dé dào duō zhù) — Those who follow the right path receive much help.

僧多粥少 (sēng duō zhōu shǎo) — More monks than porridge. A metaphor for having too many people and too few things, not enough to go around.

妙趣横生 (miào qù héng shēng) — Wonderful interest overflowing. Brimming with delightful charm (mostly referring to language, writing, or artwork).

永垂不朽 (yǒng chuí bù xiǔ) — To hang down eternally without decay. Indicates that glorious deeds and great spirits will be passed down forever without fading.

乐在其中 (lè zài qí zhōng) — To find joy in something and derive pleasure from doing it.

落叶归根 (luò yè guī gēn) — Falling leaves return to their roots. A metaphor for things having a certain destination. Mostly refers to people living abroad eventually returning to their homeland.

两肋插刀 (liǎng lèi chā dāo) — To have knives inserted in both sides. Expresses not fearing death. A metaphor for making an extreme sacrifice.

七拼八凑 (qī pīn bā còu) — Describes putting together bits and pieces. Also means patching things together haphazardly.

鸣金收兵 (míng jīn shōu bīng) — To sound the gong and withdraw troops. A metaphor for temporarily ending a struggle or activity.

投其所好 (tóu qí suǒ hào) — To cater to someone's preferences and likes.

避人耳目 (bì rén ěr mù) — To avoid others' eyes and ears. Refers to avoiding information leaks.

包罗万象 (bāo luó wàn xiàng) — Including everything. Describes content being rich and all-encompassing.

五彩缤纷 (wǔ cǎi bīn fēn) — A profusion of colors. Describes a wide variety of beautiful colors.

年逾古稀 (nián yú gǔ xī) — Age exceeding the rare seventy years. Indicates being over seventy years old.

明辨是非 (míng biàn shì fēi) — To clearly distinguish right from wrong, correct from incorrect.

图谋不轨 (tú móu bù guǐ) — To plot something outside the rules. To scheme things that violate norms and laws.

理屈词穷 (lǐ qū cí qióng) — Argument fails and words are exhausted. Having nothing to say because one's reasoning is flawed.

备而不用 (bèi ér bù yòng) — Prepared but not used. Ready for emergency use but not needed at present.

赏心悦目 (shǎng xīn yuè mù) — Pleasing to the heart and delightful to the eye. Describes seeing beautiful scenery and feeling happy.

握手言欢 (wò shǒu yán huān) — To shake hands and talk happily. Often describes former enemies reconciling and becoming friendly again.

略胜一筹 (lüè shèng yī chóu) — Slightly better by one chip. Describes being a little bit better when compared.

做贼心虚 (zuò zéi xīn xū) — A thief has a guilty conscience. Having done something wrong and fearing others will find out, always feeling uneasy.

长途跋涉 (cháng tú bá shè) — A long journey of crossing mountains and wading through rivers. Describes traveling a long distance with hardship.

以讹传讹 (yǐ é chuán é) — To pass on errors as errors. To pass on incorrect information mistakenly, with errors accumulating.

水乳交融 (shuǐ rǔ jiāo róng) — Like water and milk blending together. A metaphor for very harmonious feelings or extremely close combination.

一往情深 (yī wǎng qíng shēn) — Deep affection that one cannot control. Describes pouring deep feelings into a person or thing, yearning uncontrollably.

为非作恶 (wéi fēi zuò è) — To do all kinds of evil things. Same as 'commit evil deeds.'

情同手足 (qíng tóng shǒu zú) — Feelings like hands and feet (brothers). Describes a very deep friendship, like that of brothers.

即兴之作 (jí xìng zhī zuò) — An impromptu work. A work created based on one's immediate inspiration and feelings.

烽火连天 (fēng huǒ lián tiān) — Beacon fires reaching to the sky. Describes war spreading throughout the land.

足智多谋 (zú zhì duō móu) — Full of wisdom and rich in strategies. Describes someone skilled at anticipating situations and making plans.

斩草除根 (zhǎn cǎo chú gēn) — When cutting grass, remove the roots to prevent it from growing again. A metaphor for eliminating the source of trouble to prevent future problems.

扪心自问 (mén xīn zì wèn) — To touch one's heart and ask oneself. Refers to self-reflection.

风烛残年 (fēng zhú cán nián) — The candle in the wind in one's remaining years. A candle in the wind that easily goes out; remaining years meaning not much time left in the world. A metaphor for being in one's final years close to death.

情真意切 (qíng zhēn yì qiè) — True feelings and sincere sentiments. Describes feelings that are very genuine and heartfelt.

祸国殃民 (huò guó yāng mín) — To bring disaster to the country and calamity to the people.

行色匆匆 (xíng sè cōng cōng) — Traveling in a hurry. Describes the manner of walking or departing being rushed and hasty.

不毛之地 (bù máo zhī dì) — Land where nothing grows. Describes a desolate, barren place.

取信于民 (qǔ xìn yú mín) — To gain the trust of the people.

惶恐不安 (huáng kǒng bù ān) — Fearful and uneasy. Describes being afraid and very unsettled inside.

全民皆兵 (quán mín jiē bīng) — The entire population are soldiers. Refers to arming all people capable of fighting, ready at any time to annihilate invading enemies.

屈打成招 (qū dǎ chéng zhāo) — To confess under torture to a false crime. An innocent person being wrongly tortured and forced to confess to a crime.

不露声色 (bù lù shēng sè) — Not revealing one's voice or expression. Not showing one's plans in one's speech or facial expression.

惺惺相惜 (xīng xīng xiāng xī) — The talented cherish the talented. People of similar character, aspirations, or circumstances showing mutual care, sympathy, and support.

醉生梦死 (zuì shēng mèng sǐ) — Living as if drunk and dreaming until death. Living in a dazed, confused state, wasting one's days.

众叛亲离 (zhòng pàn qīn lí) — The masses rebel and relatives leave. Everyone opposes and relatives desert. Describes being completely isolated.

付之东流 (fù zhī dōng liú) — Cast into the eastward-flowing water. A metaphor for hopes coming to nothing, achievements being lost, previous efforts wasted, as if washed away by flowing water.

轻车熟路 (qīng chē shú lù) — Driving a light carriage on a familiar road. A metaphor for something being both familiar and easy.

入乡随俗 (rù xiāng suí sú) — When entering a village, follow its customs. When going to a place, adapt to the local customs.

心慈手软 (xīn cí shǒu ruǎn) — Kind-hearted and soft-handed. Having a compassionate heart and being unable to act harshly.

打成一片 (dǎ chéng yī piàn) — To merge into one whole. Originally meant forming a unified whole. Now mostly describes feelings being harmonious and becoming one.

金蝉脱壳 (jīn chán tuō qiào) — The golden cicada sheds its shell. When a cicada becomes an adult, it must shed its old shell. A metaphor for using a stratagem to escape, so people don't realize it in time.

金碧辉煌 (jīn bì huī huáng) — Golden and jade-green brilliance. Describes buildings decorated magnificently with dazzling splendor.

分门别类 (fēn mén bié lèi) — Dividing into categories. To separate things according to their characteristics and features into various categories.

分进合击 (fēn jìn hé jī) — Advancing separately to strike together. The army advances from several directions to jointly surround and attack the same target.

今不如昔 (jīn bù rú xī) — The present is not as good as the past. Often used to express dissatisfaction with current conditions.

打退堂鼓 (dǎ tuì táng gǔ) — To beat the retreat drum. Originally referred to the drum beaten when feudal officials left the courtroom. Now a metaphor for backing out in the middle of doing something with others.

前呼后拥 (qián hū hòu yōng) — Calling from the front and crowding from behind. Describes officials of the past traveling with many attendants calling out to clear the way in front and providing protection from behind.

前无古人 (qián wú gǔ rén) — No predecessors before. Indicates something that nobody had ever done before. Also means unprecedented.

肺腑之言 (fèi fǔ zhī yán) — Words from the depths of one's heart. Sincere words that come from the innermost being.

戒骄戒躁 (jiè jiāo jiè zào) — Guard against arrogance and rashness. Be vigilant and prevent the emergence of arrogant and impatient emotions.

答非所问 (dá fēi suǒ wèn) — The answer doesn't match the question. The response doesn't address what was asked.

同出一辙 (tóng chū yī zhé) — Coming from the same track. Two statements or actions are exactly the same.

亲痛仇快 (qīn tòng chóu kuài) — Causing pain to loved ones and joy to enemies. One's actions should not cause loved ones to grieve and enemies to rejoice. Refers to actions that only benefit enemies and harm one's own side.

见猎心喜 (jiàn liè xīn xǐ) — To feel excited at the sight of hunting. Seeing others doing something one used to enjoy, one can't help but feel stirred and want to try it too.

青梅竹马 (qīng méi zhú mǎ) — Green plums and bamboo horse. Green plums are unripe plums; a bamboo horse is when children ride bamboo sticks as horses. Describes young children playing innocently. Now refers to boys and girls who were close in childhood.

书香门第 (shū xiāng mén dì) — A family with the fragrance of books. In old times, referred to a family where previous generations were scholars.

义正词严 (yì zhèng cí yán) — Righteous in meaning and stern in words. The reasoning is proper and fair, and the wording is serious.

爱不释手 (ài bù shì shǒu) — Love it so much one can't bear to put it down.

鸦雀无声 (yā què wú shēng) — Not even the sound of crows or sparrows. Describes complete silence.

东张西望 (dōng zhāng xī wàng) — Looking east and glancing west. Describes looking around in all directions.

新陈代谢 (xīn chén dài xiè) — Metabolism. The process by which living organisms constantly replace old matter with new matter. Also refers to new things constantly emerging and developing, replacing old things.

废寝忘食 (fèi qǐn wàng shí) — Forgetting to sleep and eat. Describes being so absorbed in something that one neglects sleep and food.

画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú) — Drawing legs on a snake. A metaphor for doing something superfluous that is not only unnecessary but also inappropriate. Also a metaphor for fabricating things that don't exist.

拔苗助长 (bá miáo zhù zhǎng) — Pulling up seedlings to help them grow. A metaphor for violating the objective laws of development, being too eager for success, and actually making things worse.

无忧无虑 (wú yōu wú lǜ) — Without worry or care. Having no concerns or anxieties at all.

称心如意 (chèn xīn rú yì) — Satisfying to the heart and as one wishes. Describes being completely satisfied, with things developing exactly as desired.

无精打采 (wú jīng dǎ cǎi) — Listless and dispirited. Describes being low in spirits and lacking energy.

饱经沧桑 (bǎo jīng cāng sāng) — Having fully experienced the vicissitudes of life. Having gone through many changes of the world, with extremely rich life experience.

狼吞虎咽 (láng tūn hǔ yàn) — Wolfing down food like wolves and tigers. Describes eating in a fierce and hurried manner.

深情厚谊 (shēn qíng hòu yì) — Deep feelings and profound friendship.

岂有此理 (qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ) — How can there be such reasoning? Indicates that someone's words or actions or some matter is extremely absurd.

苦尽甘来 (kǔ jìn gān lái) — When bitterness ends, sweetness comes. After difficult days pass, good days arrive.

丢三落四 (diū sān là sì) — Losing three and dropping four. Describes being careless and forgetful, always losing this or forgetting that.

知足常乐 (zhī zú cháng lè) — Those who are content are always happy. Knowing satisfaction brings constant happiness. Describes being content with what one has already gained in benefits and position.