Anyone has a list of PSLE chinese proverbs (chen yu)?
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ChiefKiasu
Taken from: http://www.davidpetersson.com/chinese-idioms/
| Simplified | pinyin | English Definition |
| 爱不释手 | ài bú shì shǒu | to fondle admiringly (lit. to love sth too much to part with it) |
| 爱憎分明 | ài zēng fēn míng | to be clear about whom or what to love or hate |
| 按部就班 | àn bù jiù bān | follow conventional procedures; in accordance with the prescribed order |
| 安居乐业 | ān jū lè yè | live in peace and work happily |
| 安然无恙 | ān rán wú yàng | to be in a good situation without any problem; usually pertaining to health |
| 按图索骥 | àn tú suǒ jì | follow clues to locate sth. (lit. looking for a fine horse using only a picture) |
| 安土重迁 | ān tǔ zhòng qiān | hate to leave a place where one has lived long; be attached to one’s native land and reluctant to leave |
| 拔苗助长 | bá miáo zhù zhǎng | spoil things by excessive zeal |
| 百步穿杨 | bǎi bù chuān yáng | shoot with great precision |
| 白首偕老 | bái shǒu xié lǎo | grow old together (as in a couple) |
| 半斤八两 | bàn jīn bā liǎng | much to choose between |
| 班门弄斧 | bān mén nòng fǔ | show off one’s slight talent/skill before an expert |
| 半途而废 | bàn tú ér fèi | to give up halfway; to leave something unfinished |
| 饱经沧桑 | bǎo jīng cāng sāng | having lived through many changes |
| 杯弓蛇影 | bēi gōng shé yǐng | be jittery; suffer from imaginary fears (lit. to see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake) |
| 背井离乡 | bèi jǐng lí xiāng | be forced to leave one’s home (for a remote place) |
| 本末倒置 | běn mò dào zhì | confusing cause and effect; to reverse the primary and secondary tasks (lit. to invert root and branch) |
| 必不可少 | bì bù kě shǎo | absolutely necessary |
| 闭门思过 | bì mén sī guò | shut oneself up and ponder one’s mistakes |
| 变化无常 | biàn huà wú cháng | irregular; capricious |
| 别具一格 | bié jù yì gé | to have a unique style; describes literature; art and architecture |
| 博大精深 | bó dà jīng shēn | wide-ranging and profound; broad and deep |
| 波涛汹涌 | bō tāo xiōng yǒng | tumultuous situations |
| 不加思索 | bù jiā sī suǒ | to not think; to talk or act without thinking. |
| 不可救药 | bù kě jiù yào | irremediable; hopeless |
| 不可磨灭 | bù kě mó miè | indelible |
| 不可思议 | bù kě sī yì | inconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomable |
| 不劳而获 | bù láo ér huò | reap without sowing |
| 不唯如此 | bù wéi rú cǐ | so is the case |
| 不相上下 | bù xiāng shàng xià | equally matched; about the same |
| 不屑一顾 | bú xiè yí gù | to disdain as beneath contempt |
| 不言而喻 | bù yán ér yù | obvious |
| 不约而同 | bù yuē ér tóng | a coincidence; taking the same action without prior consultation |
| 不择手段 | bù zé shǒu duàn | by fair means or foul; by hook or by crook; unscrupulously |
| 不知所措 | bù zhī suǒ cuò | not knowing what to do; refers to an awkward or confusing situation |
| 不自量力 | bú zì liàng lì | overrate one’s own abilities |
| 三言两语 | cān yán liǎng yǔ | just a few words |
| 草木皆兵 | cǎo mù jiē bīng | imaginary fears (lit. every tree or bush an enemy soldier) |
| 参差不齐 | cēn cī bù qí | non-uniformity; non-standard |
| 层出不穷 | céng chū bù qióng | more and more emerge; innumerable succession; breeding like flies |
| 长驱 | cháng qū | make long drive; push deep |
| 称心如意 | chèn xīn rú yì | after one’s heart; gratifying and satisfactory; everything one could wish |
| 程门立雪 | chéng mén lì xuě | honor the teacher and respect his teachings |
| 成千上万 | chéng qiān shàng wà | a massive amount (lit. by the thousands and tens of thousands) |
| 持之以恒 | chí zhī yǐ héng | persevere |
| 出口成章 | chū kǒu chéng zhāng | quick and clever talking; eloquent |
| 出人头地 | chū rén tóu dì | stand out among one’s fellows |
| 川流不息 | chuān liú bù xī | the stream flows without stopping; unending flow |
| 传宗接代 | chuán zōnɡ jiē dài | carry on the family name/line; produce a male heir to continue the family line; to carry on one’s ancestral line |
| 词不达意 | cí bù dá yì | the words fail to convey the idea – poorly expressed; senseless; inarticulate |
| 从容不迫 | cóng róng bú pò | calm; unruffled |
| 寸步不离 | cùn bù bù lí | very close; inseparable; usually refers to two or more people |
| 打草惊蛇 | dǎ cǎo jīng shé | inadvertently alert an enemy/opponent; punish sb. as a warning to others (lit. beat the grass to scare the snake) |
| 大吃一惊 | dà chī yì jīng | be greatly surprised |
| 大海捞针 | dà hǎi lāo zhēn | hard to find; like finding a needle in a haystack (lit. to fish a needle from the sea) |
| 大可不必 | dà kě bù bì | need not; unnecessary |
| 大器晚成 | dà qì wǎn chéng | great minds mature slowly; Rome wasn’t built in a day (lit. it takes a long time to make a big pot) |
| 大失所望 | dà shī suǒ wàng | extremely disappointing |
| 大同小异 | dà tóng xiǎo yì | similar in essential aspects; different in minor details |
| 大义灭亲 | dà yì miè qīn | uphold righteousness above one’s family |
| 当务之急 | dāng wù zhī jí | top priority job; matter of vital importance |
| 得不偿失 | dé bù cháng shī | (saying) the gains do not make up for the losses |
| 得天独厚 | dé tiān dú hòu | (of an area) rich in resources; (of a person) gifted or able |
| 得意忘形 | dé yì wàng xíng | carried away; beside oneself with joy |
| 地大物博 | dì dà wù bó | vast territory with abundant resources |
| 丢三落四 | diū sān là sì | to be forgetful; scatterbrained |
| 动人心弦 | dòng rén xīn xián | touching |
| 东山再起 | dōng shān zài qǐ | come back (lit. to return to office after living as a hermit on Mount Dongshan) |
| 东施效颦 | dōng shī xiào pín | ludicrous attempt to imitate |
| 东张西望 | dōng zhāng xī wàng | to look in all directions; to glance around |
| 独来独往 | dú lái dú wǎng | be free and alone; come and go freely |
| 独一无二 | dú yī wú èr | unlike any others; to be unique; one of a kind |
| 断断续续 | duàn duàn xù xù | intermittent; off and on; discontinuous; stop-go; stammering; disjointed; inarticulate |
| 对牛弹琴 | duì niú tán qín | cast pearls before swine; talk over sb.’s head |
| 对症下药 | duì zhèng xià yào | suit one’s methods to the situation (lit. to prescribe the right medicine for an illness) |
| 多此一举 | duō cǐ yì jǔ | unnecessary; to do more than is required |
| 多多益善 | duō duō yì shàn | the more the better |
| 尔虞我诈 | ěr yú wǒ zhà | deceive each other; engage in a battle of wits (lit. you hoodwink me and I cheat you) |
| 反复推敲 | fǎn fù tuī qiāo | repeated scrutiny |
| 飞禽走兽 | fēi qín zǒu shòu | birds and animals; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air |
| 丰富多彩 | fēng fù duō cǎi | diverse; rich and varied; rich and colorful; varied; eventful |
| 风和日丽 | fēng hé rì lì | gentle breeze and beautiful sun; describes the weather |
| 风土人情 | fēng tǔ rén qíng | local conditions and customs |
| 风雨无阻 | fēng yǔ wú zǔ | rain or shine |
| 负荆请罪 | fù jīng qǐng zuì | offer humble apologies (lit. to bring a bramble and ask for punishment) |
| 赴汤蹈火 | fù tāng dǎo huǒ | go through fire and water |
| 高而忘私 | gāo ér wàng sī | put the group ahead of self |
| 高山流水 | gāo shān liú shuǐ | bosom friend; refined music |
| 高枕无忧 | gāo zhěn wú yōu | sit back and relax; sleep an untroubled sleep |
| 各抒己见 | gè shū jǐ jiàn | a discussion where everyone has equal say |
| 根深蒂固 | gēn shēn dì gù | deep-rooted (problem etc) |
| 功败垂成 | gōng bài chuí chéng | fail when on verge of success |
| 供不应求 | gōng bú yìng qiú | supply does not meet demand |
| 归根到底 | guī gēn dào dǐ | to sum it up… |
| 邯郸学步 | hán dān xué bù | slavishly imitate others |
| 和蔼可亲 | hé ǎi kě qīn | friendly and amicable; usually refers to an elderly person |
| 后顾之忧 | hòu gù zhī yōu | fears of trouble in the rear; family worries (obstructing freedom of action); worries about the future consequences |
| 互补长短 | hù bǔ cháng duǎn | make up for each other’s shortcomings |
| 狐假虎威 | hú jiǎ hǔ wēi | bully people by flaunting one’s powerful connections (lit. the fox exploits the tiger’s might) |
| 囫囵吞枣 | hú lún tūn zǎo | lap up information without digesting it |
| 互助合作 | hù zhù hé zuò | co-operative |
| 画饼充饥 | huà bǐng chōng jī | feed on illusions (lit. to allay one’s hunger using a picture of a cake) |
| 画龙点睛 | huà lóng diǎn jīng | add touches that bring a work of art to life; add a word or two to clinch point |
| 画蛇添足 | huà shé tiān zú | to overdo it (lit. draw legs on a snake) |
| 黄粱美梦 | huáng liáng měi mèn | pipe dream; illusions of wealth and power (lit. dream of golden millet) |
| 恍然大悟 | huǎng rán dà wù | to suddenly realize; to suddenly see the light |
| 毁性伤情 | huǐ xìng shāng qíng | hurting one’s feelings deeply |
| 火上加油 | huǒ shàng jiā yóu | adding fuel to fire; to enrage people and make matters worse |
| 急功近利 | jí gōng jìn lì | seeking instant benefit; shortsighted vision; looking only for fast return |
| 继往开来 | jì wǎng kāi lái | to follow the past and herald the future; part of a historical transition; forming a bridge between earlier and later stages |
| 记忆犹新 | jì yì yóu xīn | to remain fresh is one’s memory; remember vividly |
| 急于求成 | jí yú qiú chéng | anxious for quick results; to demand instant success; impatient for result; impetuous |
| 家喻户晓 | jiā yù hù xiǎo | understood by everyone; well known; a household name |
| 健步如飞 | jiàn bù rú fēi | fleet footed (lit. running as fast as flying) |
| 见多识广 | jiàn duō shí guǎng | experienced and knowledgeable |
| 见义勇为 | jiàn yì yǒng wéi | to see what is right and act courageously; to stand up bravely for the truth; acting heroically in a just cause |
| 江郎才尽 | jiāng láng cái jìn | have used up one’s literary talent/energy |
| 竭尽全力 | jié jìn quán lì | to spare no effort; to do one’s utmost |
| 嗟来之食 | jiē lái zhī shí | food rudely offered; grudging handout; help grudgingly |
| 今非昔比 | jīn fēi xī bǐ | to see improvement in the present compared to the past (can be a fact or an opinion) |
| 津津有味 | jīn jīn yǒu wèi | with keen interest pleasure; with gusto; to relish; eagerly; with great interest |
| 金石为开 | jīn shí wéi kāi | sincerity can make metal and stone crack |
| 近水楼台 | jìn shuǐ lóu tái | waterfront pavilion; favorable position; point of vantage |
| 锦绣前程 | jǐn xiù qián chéng | a bright future; a rosy future; brilliant prospects |
| 精打细算 | jīng dǎ xì suàn | (saying) meticulous planning and careful accounting |
| 井底之蛙 | jǐng dǐ zhī wā | a person with a very limited outlook and experience; an ignorant person (lit. a frog in a well) |
| 兢兢业业 | jīng jīng yè yè | cautious and conscientious |
| 井井有条 | jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáo | in perfect order; neat and tidy |
| 精益求精 | jīng yì qiú jīng | to perfect sth that is already outstanding; constantly improving |
| 聚精会神 | jù jīng huì shén | to concentrate one’s attention |
| 举世闻名 | jǔ shì wén míng | (saying) world famous |
| 举世无匹 | jǔ shì wú pī | nothing can compare to this |
| 举世瞩目 | jǔ shì zhǔ mù | attract worldwide attention |
| 举一反三 | jǔ yī fǎn sān | learn by analogy; to deduce many things from one case (lit. to raise one and infer three) |
| 举足轻重 | jǔ zú qīng zhòng | a foot’s move sways the balance; to hold the balance of power; to play the decisive role |
| 开诚布公 | kāi chéng bù gōng | speak frankly and sincerely (lit. deal sincerely and fairly) |
| 开卷有益 | kāi juàn yǒu yì | the benefits of education (lit. opening a book is profitable) |
| 开天辟地 | kāi tiān pì dì | creation of the world; since the beginning of time |
| 刻不容缓 | kè bù róng huǎn | to brook no delay; to demand immediate action |
| 刻舟求剑 | kè zhōu qiú jiàn | take measures without regard to changes in circumstances (lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard) |
| 空前绝后 | kōng qián jué hòu | unprecedented and never to be duplicated; the first and the last; unmatched; unique |
| 口是心非 | kǒu shì xīn fēi | saying something that one does not mean (lit. mouth says yes; heart no) |
| 口说无凭 | kǒu shuō wú píng | oral expressions can not be taken as evidence; words of mouth alone don’t carry conviction |
| 苦尽甘来 | kǔ jìn gān lái | bitterness finishes; sweetness begins; the hard times are over; the good times just beginning |
| 滥竽充数 | làn yú chōng shù | fill a position just to make up the number (lit. to play the yú 竽 mouth organ to make up numbers) |
| 狼狈为奸 | láng bèi wéi jiān | villains collude together; to work hand in glove with sb. |
| 狼吞虎咽 | láng tūn hǔ yàn | to eat very quickly and ravenously |
| 老马识途 | lǎo mǎ shí tú | an old hand is a good guide; an experienced worker knows what to do |
| 乐不思蜀 | lè bù sī shǔ | indulge in pleasure and forget home and duty |
| 乐此不疲 | lè cǐ bù pí | to enjoy sth and never tire of it |
| 乐观进取 | lè guān jìn qǔ | be positive |
| 力不从心 | lì bù cóng xīn | the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak; not as strong as one would wish |
| 理所当然 | lǐ suǒ dāng rán | as it should be by rights; proper and to be expected as a matter of course; inevitable and right |
| 力所能及 | lì suǒ néng jí | as far as one’s capabilities extend; to the best of one’s ability; within one’s powers |
| 理直气壮 | lǐ zhí qì zhuàng | in the right and self-confident; to have the courage of one’s convictions; just and forceful |
| 两败俱伤 | liǎng bài jù shāng | lose-lose; both sides suffer |
| 两全其美 | liǎng quán qí měi | to the satisfaction of both parties; to have it both ways |
| 漏网之鱼 | lòu wǎng zhī yú | lucky survivor; fugitive; homeless exile (lit. fish that escaped the net) |
| 屡见不鲜 | lǚ jiàn bù xiān | common occurrence; nothing new |
| 乱七八糟 | luàn qī bā zāo | in a mess; in terrible disorder |
| 络绎不绝 | luò yì bù jué | continuously; in an endless stream |
| 马到成功 | mǎ dào chéng gōng | instant success; beginner’s luck |
| 满城风雨 | mǎn chéng fēng yǔ | talk of the town; a big scandal (lit. wind and rain through the town) |
| 满载而归 | mǎn zài ér guī | rewarding; to return from a rewarding journey |
| 冒充内行 | mào chōng nèi háng | pretend to be an expert |
| 没精打采 | méi jīng dǎ cǎi | to be listless or apathetic |
| 美中不足 | měi zhōng bù zú | having only one small flaw; everything is fine except for one small defect |
| 门当户对 | mén dāng hù duì | families of equal standing; be well-matched in social and economic status (for marriage); good [marriage] match |
| 门庭若市 | mén tíng ruò shì | much-visited house; the shop is doing booming business; the courtyard is like a fair |
| 孟母三迁 | mèng mǔ sān qiān | a wise mother would try to find a good environment for her children’s best education. |
| 面面俱到 | miàn miàn jù dào | cover everything |
| 面目一新 | miàn mù yì xīn | to change for the better; take on an entirely new look; take care of everything |
| 妙语如珠 | miào yǔ rú zhū | articulate (lit. smart words like a string of pearl) |
| 名副其实 | míng fù qí shí | not just in name only; but also in reality |
| 名落孙山 | míng luò sūn shān | fail in a competitive/imperial examination |
| 莫名其妙 | mò míng qí miào | unfathomable mystery; subtle and ineffable; unable to make head or tail of it; boring (e.g. movie) |
| 难能可贵 | nán néng kě guì | rare and commendable; estimable |
| 南辕北辙 | nán yuán běi zhé | diametrically opposite; act at cross-purposes; be poles apart |
| 囊萤夜读 | náng yíng yè dú | reading by the light of fireflies |
| 呕心沥血 | ǒu xīn lì xuè | throw all one’s energy into sth; to work one’s heart out (lit. to spit out one’s heart and spill blood) |
| 抛砖引玉 | pāo zhuān yǐn yù | used to offer a humble remark before distinguished speech (lit. to throw a brick to attract jade) |
| 鹏程万里 | péng chéng wàn lǐ | have a bright future |
| 飘忽无定 | piāo hū wú dìng | someone who changes their mind a lot; someone who wanders around and is difficult to find |
| 迫不及待 | pò bù jí dài | impatient; in a hurry; itching to get on with it |
| 破釜沉舟 | pò fǔ chén zhōu | burn one’s bridges |
| 剖腹藏珠 | pōu fù cáng zhū | die in pursuit of gain (lit. cutting one’s stomach to hide a pearl) |
| 扑朔迷离 | pū shuò mí chī | complicated and confusing; look both like a man and like a woman |
| 奇耻大辱 | qǐ chǐ dà rǔ | outrageous shame and deep humiliation; a crying shame |
| 迄今为止 | qì jīn wéi zhǐ | so far; up to now; still (not) |
| 歧路亡羊 | qí lù wáng yáng | go astray in a complex situation |
| 杞人忧天 | qǐ rén yōu tiān | groundless fears (lit. man of Qǐ fears the sky falling) |
| 七上八下 | qī shàng bā xià | uneasiness; in a mess |
| 齐心协力 | qí xīn xié lì | to work with a common purpose; to make concerted efforts; to pull together; to work as one |
| 岂有此理 | qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ | how can this be so?; preposterous; ridiculous; absurd |
| 恰到好处 | qià dào hǎo chù | it’s just perfect; it’s just right |
| 千差万别 | qiān chā wàn bié | unlike any other; different |
| 千方百计 | qiān fāng bǎi jì | a hundred plans; by every possible means (lit. thousand ways) |
| 千钧一发 | qiān jūn yī fà | in imminent peril; extremely delicate situation; extremely critical moment |
| 黔驴技穷 | qián lǘ jì qióng | sb. who has exposed his limited ability; to exhaust one’s limited abilities |
| 千丝万缕 | qiān sī wàn lǚ | countless ties; a thousand and one links; interrelated in innumerable ways |
| 千言万语 | qiān yán wàn yǔ | having much to say; talking nonstop |
| 潜移默化 | qián yí mò huà | imperceptible influence; to influence secretly |
| 强词夺理 | qiáng zí duó lǐ | lame arguments; to argue illogically (lit. powerful words devoid of sense) |
| 锲而不舍 | qiè ér bù shě | to chip away at a task and not abandon it; to chisel away at sth; to persevere; unflagging efforts |
| 青出于蓝 | qīng chū yú lán | surpass the master (lit. green is born of blue; but beats blue) |
| 轻而易举 | qīng ér yì jǔ | easy; with no difficulty |
| 秋高气爽 | qīu gāo qì shuǎng | better weather; clear and refreshing autumn weather |
| 全力以赴 | quán lì yǐ fù | do at all costs; make an all-out effort |
| 热泪盈眶 | rè lèi yíng kuàng | eyes brimming with tears of excitement; extremely moved |
| 人山人海 | rén shān rén hǎi | huge crowds of people |
| 任重道远 | rèn zhòng dào yuǎn | a heavy load and a long road; fig. to bear heavy responsibilities through a long struggle |
| 日新月异 | rì xīn yuè yì | to change very quickly; every day sees new developments |
| 日益频繁 | rì yì pín fán | increasingly common |
| 如火如荼 | rú huǒ rú tú | magnificent; daunting and vigorous momentum (lit. white cogon flower like fire) |
| 如鱼得水 | rú yú dé shuǐ | glad to be back in one’s proper surroundings (lit. like a fish back in water) |
| 孺子可教 | rú zǐ kě jiāo | this child is teachable |
| 三顾茅庐 | sān gù máo lú | repeatedly request sb. to take up a responsible post; earnestly seek the services of able and virtuous people |
| 三心二意 | sān xīn èr yì | half-hearted |
| 山明水秀 | shān míng shuǐ xìu | picturesque |
| 深情厚谊 | shēn qíng hòu yì | profound friendship |
| 事半功倍 | shì bàn gōng bèi | more with less; half the work; twice the effect |
| 事倍功半 | shì bèi gōng bàn | twice the effort for half the result |
| 十拿九稳 | shí ná jiǔ wěn | very likely to happen; success within reach; extremely certain |
| 十全十美 | shí quán shí měi | to be completely perfect; flawless; to be perfect |
| 实事求是 | shí shì qiú shì | to seek truth from facts; to be practical and realistic |
| 世外桃源 | shì wài táo yuán | haven of peace; utopia |
| 十之八九 | shí zhī bā jiǔ | most likely (lit. in eight or nine cases out of ten) |
| 手足情深 | shǒu zú qín shūn | brotherhood |
| 熟能生巧 | shú néng shēng qiǎo | skill comes from practice; with familiarity you learn the trick |
| 数一数二 | shǔ yī shǔ èr | one of the best; outstanding |
| 水滴石穿 | shuǐ dī shí chuān | constant perseverance yields success (lit. dripping water penetrates the stone) |
| 水土不服 | shuǐ tǔ bù fú | unaccustomed to a place; not acclimatized |
| 死灰复燃 | sǐ huī fù rán | resurgence; revival (lit. ashes burn once more) |
| 四面楚歌 | sì miàn chǔ gē | be besieged on all sides and without help (lit. on all sides; the songs of Chu) |
| 似是而非 | sì shì ér fēi | appeared right but actually was wrong |
| 四通八达 | sì tōng bā dá | extend in all directions; connected to all parts of the world |
| 肆无忌惮 | sì wú jì dàn | absolutely unrestrained; unbridled; without the slightest scruple |
| 私心窃喜 | sī xīn qiè xǐ | secretly happy 私心=selfish and self-indulgent; 窃= surreptitiously; 喜=happy; celebratory |
| 叹为观止 | tàn wéi guān zhǐ | acclaim sth. as the acme of perfection; to gasp in amazement |
| 谈笑自若 | tán xiào zì ruò | go on talking and laughing as if nothing had happened; be cheerful and composed (in face of danger) |
| 螳螂捕蝉 | táng láng bǔ chán | be unaware of impending danger; to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger |
| 讨价还价 | tǎo jià huán jià | bargain; haggle over a price |
| 滔滔不绝 | tāo tāo bù jué | unceasing torrent; talking non-stop; gabbling forty to the dozen |
| 天伦之乐 | tiān lún zhī lè | pleasure of heavenly agreement; family love and joy; domestic bliss |
| 田园之乐 | tián yuán zhī lè | heavenly happiness |
| 统筹兼顾 | tǒng chóu jiān gù | an overall plan taking into account all factors |
| 同舟共济 | tóng zhōu gòng jì | to get through a time of difficulty by settle one’s difference and working together |
| 投笔从戎 | tóu bǐ cóng róng | renounce the pen for the sword; join the military service (esp. of educated person) |
| 土头土脑 | tǔ tóu tǔ nǎo | rustic; uncouth; countrified |
| 拖泥带水 | tuō ní dài shuǐ | messy; sloppy; slovenly (lit. wading in mud and water) |
| 完璧归赵 | wán bì guī zhào | return sth. to the owner in good condition (lit. to return the jade annulus to Zhao) |
| 万事如意 | wàn shì rú yì | good luck; best wishes; all the best |
| 望尘莫及 | wàng chén mò jí | to be far too inferior (lit. to see only the other rider’s dust and have no hope of catching up) |
| 望梅止渴 | wàng méi zhǐ kě | to console oneself with illusions; feed on fancies (lit. to quench one’s thirst by thinking of plums) |
| 亡羊补牢 | wáng yáng bǔ láo | better late than never; to remedy the situation (lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost) |
| 微不足道 | wēi bù zú dào | negligible; insignificant |
| 微乎其微 | wēi hū qí wēi | very little; next to nothing |
| 为虎作伥 | wèi hǔ zuò chāng | to help a villain do evil; (lit. to act as accomplice to the tiger) |
| 闻鸡起舞 | wén jī qǐ wǔ | be roused into action |
| 卧薪尝胆 | wò xīn cháng dǎn | inure oneself for future trials |
| 无动于衷 | wú dòng yú zhōng | aloof; indifferent; unconcerned |
| 无价之宝 | wú jià zhī bǎo | an object that is priceless or an asset (can also refer to abstract things) |
| 无精打采 | wú jīng dǎ cǎi | dispirited and downcast; listless; in low spirits; washed out |
| 无可奉告 | wú kě fèng gào | “no comment” |
| 无可奈何 | wú kě nài hé | have no way out; have no alternative |
| 无理取闹 | wú lǐ qǔ nào | to make trouble without reason; deliberately awkward; pointless provocation; willful trouble maker |
| 物美价廉 | wù měi jià lián | cheap and fine; attractive in price and quality |
| 无能为力 | wú néng wéi lì | impotent; powerless; helpless |
| 无穷无尽 | wú qióng wú jìn | vast and limitless; endless span of time; no vestige of a beginning; no prospect of an end |
| 无微不至 | wú wēi bú zhì | in every possible way; meticulous |
| 无忧无虑 | wú yōu wú lǜ | carefree and without worries |
| 喜气洋洋 | xǐ qì yáng yáng | jubilant |
| 喜闻乐见 | xǐ wén lè jiàn | a delight to see; an attractive spectacle |
| 下不为例 | xià bù wéi lì | never again; just this once; not to be repeated |
| 显而易见 | xiǎn ér yì jiàn | clearly and easy to see; obviously |
| 先见之明 | xiān jiàn zhī míng | foresight |
| 想方设法 | xiǎng fāng shè fǎ | to think up every possible method; to devise ways and means; to try this; that and the other |
| 相辅相成 | xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng | to complement one another |
| 小心翼翼 | xiǎo xīn yì yì | cautious and solemn; very carefully; prudent; gently and cautiously |
| 心不在焉 | xīn bú zài yān | absent-minded |
| 新陈代谢 | xīn chén dài xiè | the new replaces the old (metabolism in biology) |
| 信口开河 | xìn kǒu kāi hé | empty promises; to talk off the cuff |
| 心口如一 | xīn kǒu rú yī | to be frank and unreserved; honest and straightforward (lit. heart and mouth as one) |
| 欣欣向荣 | xīn xīn xiàng róng | luxuriant growth; flourishing; thriving |
| 心直口快 | xīn zhí kǒu kuài | frank and outspoken; to say what one thinks |
| 兴高采烈 | xìng gāo cǎi liè | happy and excited; in high spirits; in great delight |
| 兴致勃勃 | xìng zhì bó bó | to become exhilarated; in high spirits; full of zest |
| 悬崖峭壁 | xuán yá qiào bì | sheer cliffs and precipitous rock faces |
| 雪上加霜 | xuě shàng jiā shuāng | to add hail to snow; one disaster on top of another; to make things worse in a bad situation |
| 雪中送炭 | xuě zhōng sòng tàn | timely assistance (lit. to send coal during snow) |
| 循序渐进 | xún xù jiàn jìn | in sequence; step by step; to make steady progress incrementally |
| 言行一致 | yán xíng yí zhì | practice what they preach |
| 养儿防老 | yǎng er fáng lǎo | (of parents) to bring up children for the purpose of being looked after in old age |
| 咬牙切齿 | yǎo yá qiè chǐ | gnashing one’s teeth; displaying extreme anger; fuming with rage between gritted teeth |
| 义不容辞 | yì bù róng cí | be duty bound |
| 一帆风顺 | yì fán fēng shùn | smooth sailing (lit. single sail; gentle wind) |
| 一见钟情 | yí jiàn zhōng qíng | to fall in love at first sight |
| 衣锦还乡 | yī jǐn huán xiāng | to return in glory (lit. to come back to one’s hometown in silken robes) |
| 一举两得 | yì jǔ liǎng dé | kill two birds with one stone (lit. one stone kills two birds) |
| 一鸣惊人 | yì míng jīng rén | become an overnight success |
| 一目了然 | yí mù liǎo rán | obvious at a glance |
| 一曝十寒 | yí pù shí hán | not persistent; sporadic effort; lack of sticking power; short attention span |
| 易如反掌 | yì rú fǎn zhǎng | very easy; no effort at all (lit. easy as a hand’s turn) |
| 一如既往 | yì rú jì wǎng | just as in the past; as before; continuing as always |
| 以身作则 | yǐ shēn zuò zé | lead by example |
| 一视同仁 | yí shì tóng rén | equal treatment; not to discriminate between people |
| 一丝不苟 | yì sī bù gǒu | not one thread loose; strictly according to the rules; meticulous; not one hair out of place |
| 一枝独秀 | yì zhī dú xiù | to outshine others |
| 因人而异 | yīn rén ér yì | to vary with each individual; to differ from person to person |
| 饮水思源 | yǐn shuǐ sī yuán | be grateful for all your blessings! (lit. when you drink water; think of its source) |
| 因小失大 | yīn xiǎo shī dà | missing the big picture; to save a little only to lose a lot |
| 引以为耻 | yǐn yǐ wéi chǐ | to regard it as a disgrace; to consider it shameful |
| 有利可图 | yǒu lì kě tú | profitable; economic |
| 优胜劣汰 | yōu shèng liè tài | survival of the fittest |
| 有条不紊 | yǒu tiáo bù wěn | regular and thorough; methodically arranged |
| 愚不可及 | yú bù kě jí | couldn’t be more foolish; be hopelessly stupid |
| 羽毛丰满 | yǔ máo fēng mǎ | adjective become full-fledged; mature |
| 与日俱增 | yǔ rì jù zēng | to increase steadily; to grow with each passing day |
| 再接再厉 | zài jiē zài lì | to continue the struggle; to persist; unremitting efforts |
| 斩钉截铁 | zhǎn dīng jié tiě | to chop the nail and slice the iron; resolute and decisive; unhesitating; definitely; without any doubt |
| 张口结舌 | zhāng kǒu jié shé | speechless (lit. agape and tongue-tied) |
| 朝气蓬勃 | zhāo qì péng bó | full of youthful energy; vigorous; energetic; a bright spark |
| 珍禽异兽 | zhēn qín yì shòu | rare birds and animals |
| 争先恐后 | zhēng xiān kǒng hòu | striving to be first and fearing to be last; outdoing one another |
| 志同道合 | zhì tóng dào hé | like-minded; fellow enthusiast |
| 知足常乐 | zhī zú cháng lè | satisfied with what one has |
| 众所周知 | zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī | as everyone knows |
| 追踪而去 | zhuī zōng ér qù | chasing closely (after someone) |
| 自力更生 | zì lì gēng shēng | regeneration through one’s own effort; self-reliance |
| 自食其果 | zì shí qí guǒ | suffer the consequences of one’s own doing; to reap what one sows (lit. to eat one’s own fruit) |
| 自相矛盾 | zì xiāng máo dùn | contradict oneself; self-contradictory; inconsistent |
| 自由自在 | zì yóu zì zài | free; carefree; leisurely |
| 自圆其说 | zì yuán qí shuō | to make one’s statement valid; to justify oneself |
| 总而言之 | zǒng ér yán zhī | in short; in a word; in brief; all in all |
| 走马看花 | zǒu mǎ kàn huā | to make a quick judgment based on inadequate information (lit. flower viewing from horseback) |
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