Attached here is a list of Chinese Idioms (or 成语) that will be available in the iHanzi flashcard app for iPhone.
Have I missed any more common and important? Perhaps made a character, pinyin or definition mistake?
I’d appreciate your input.
Simplified | Traditional | pinyin | English Definition |
爱不释手 | 愛不釋手 | ài bú shì shǒu | to fondle admiringly (lit. to love sth too much to part with it) |
爱憎分明 | 愛憎分明 | ài zēng fēn míng | to be clear about whom or what to love or hate |
按部就班 | 按部就班 | àn bù jiù bān | follow conventional procedures; in accordance with the prescribed order |
安居乐业 | 安居樂業 | ān jū lè yè | live in peace and work happily |
安然无恙 | 安然無恙 | ān rán wú yàng | to be in a good situation without any problem; usually pertaining to health |
按图索骥 | 按圖索驥 | àn tú suǒ jì | follow clues to locate sth. (lit. looking for a fine horse using only a picture) |
安土重迁 | 安土重遷 | 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 | 拔苗助長 | bá miáo zhù zhǎng | spoil things by excessive zeal |
百步穿杨 | 百步穿楊 | bǎi bù chuān yáng | shoot with great precision |
白首偕老 | 白首偕老 | bái shǒu xié lǎo | grow old together (as in a couple) |
半斤八两 | 半斤八兩 | bàn jīn bā liǎng | much to choose between |
班门弄斧 | 班門弄斧 | bān mén nòng fǔ | show off one’s slight talent/skill before an expert |
半途而废 | 半途而廢 | bàn tú ér fèi | to give up halfway; to leave something unfinished |
饱经沧桑 | 飽經滄桑 | bǎo jīng cāng sāng | having lived through many changes |
杯弓蛇影 | 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 | 背井離鄉 | bèi jǐng lí xiāng | be forced to leave one’s home (for a remote place) |
本末倒置 | 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 | 必不可少 | bì bù kě shǎo | absolutely necessary |
闭门思过 | 閉門思過 | bì mén sī guò | shut oneself up and ponder one’s mistakes |
变化无常 | 變化無常 | biàn huà wú cháng | irregular; capricious |
别具一格 | 別具一格 | bié jù yì gé | to have a unique style; describes literature; art and architecture |
博大精深 | 博大精深 | bó dà jīng shēn | wide-ranging and profound; broad and deep |
波涛汹涌 | 波濤洶湧 | bō tāo xiōng yǒng | tumultuous situations |
不加思索 | 不加思索 | bù jiā sī suǒ | to not think; to talk or act without thinking. |
不可救药 | 不可救藥 | bù kě jiù yào | irremediable; hopeless |
不可磨灭 | 不可磨滅 | bù kě mó miè | indelible |
不可思议 | 不可思議 | bù kě sī yì | inconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomable |
不劳而获 | 不勞而獲 | bù láo ér huò | reap without sowing |
不唯如此 | 不唯如此 | bù wéi rú cǐ | so is the case |
不相上下 | 不相上下 | bù xiāng shàng xià | equally matched; about the same |
不屑一顾 | 不屑一顧 | bú xiè yí gù | to disdain as beneath contempt |
不言而喻 | 不言而喻 | bù yán ér yù | obvious |
不约而同 | 不約而同 | bù yuē ér tóng | a coincidence; taking the same action without prior consultation |
不择手段 | 不擇手段 | bù zé shǒu duàn | by fair means or foul; by hook or by crook; unscrupulously |
不知所措 | 不知所措 | bù zhī suǒ cuò | not knowing what to do; refers to an awkward or confusing situation |
不自量力 | 不自量力 | bú zì liàng lì | overrate one’s own abilities |
三言两语 | 三言兩語 | cān yán liǎng yǔ | just a few words |
草木皆兵 | 草木皆兵 | cǎo mù jiē bīng | imaginary fears (lit. every tree or bush an enemy soldier) |
参差不齐 | 參差不齊 | cēn cī bù qí | non-uniformity; non-standard |
层出不穷 | 層出不窮 | céng chū bù qióng | more and more emerge; innumerable succession; breeding like flies |
长驱 | 長驅 | cháng qū | make long drive; push deep |
称心如意 | 稱心如意 | chèn xīn rú yì | after one’s heart; gratifying and satisfactory; everything one could wish |
程门立雪 | 程門立雪 | chéng mén lì xuě | honor the teacher and respect his teachings |
成千上万 | 成千上萬 | chéng qiān shàng wà | a massive amount (lit. by the thousands and tens of thousands) |
持之以恒 | 持之以恆 | chí zhī yǐ héng | persevere |
出口成章 | 出口成章 | chū kǒu chéng zhāng | quick and clever talking; eloquent |
出人头地 | 出人頭地 | chū rén tóu dì | stand out among one’s fellows |
川流不息 | 川流不息 | chuān liú bù xī | the stream flows without stopping; unending flow |
传宗接代 | 傳宗接代 | 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 | 詞不達意 | cí bù dá yì | the words fail to convey the idea – poorly expressed; senseless; inarticulate |
从容不迫 | 從容不迫 | cóng róng bú pò | calm; unruffled |
寸步不离 | 寸步不離 | cùn bù bù lí | very close; inseparable; usually refers to two or more people |
打草惊蛇 | 打草驚蛇 | 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 | 大吃一驚 | dà chī yì jīng | be greatly surprised |
大海捞针 | 大海撈針 | 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 | 大可不必 | dà kě bù bì | need not; unnecessary |
大器晚成 | 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 | 大失所望 | dà shī suǒ wàng | extremely disappointing |
大同小异 | 大同小異 | dà tóng xiǎo yì | similar in essential aspects; different in minor details |
大义灭亲 | 大義滅親 | dà yì miè qīn | uphold righteousness above one’s family |
当务之急 | 當務之急 | dāng wù zhī jí | top priority job; matter of vital importance |
得不偿失 | 得不償失 | dé bù cháng shī | (saying) the gains do not make up for the losses |
得天独厚 | 得天獨厚 | dé tiān dú hòu | (of an area) rich in resources; (of a person) gifted or able |
得意忘形 | 得意忘形 | dé yì wàng xíng | carried away; beside oneself with joy |
地大物博 | 地大物博 | dì dà wù bó | vast territory with abundant resources |
丢三落四 | 丟三落四 | diū sān là sì | to be forgetful; scatterbrained |
动人心弦 | 動人心弦 | dòng rén xīn xián | touching |
东山再起 | 東山再起 | dōng shān zài qǐ | come back (lit. to return to office after living as a hermit on Mount Dongshan) |
东施效颦 | 東施效顰 | dōng shī xiào pín | ludicrous attempt to imitate |
东张西望 | 東張西望 | dōng zhāng xī wàng | to look in all directions; to glance around |
独来独往 | 獨來獨往 | dú lái dú wǎng | be free and alone; come and go freely |
独一无二 | 獨一無二 | dú yī wú èr | unlike any others; to be unique; one of a kind |
断断续续 | 斷斷續續 | duàn duàn xù xù | intermittent; off and on; discontinuous; stop-go; stammering; disjointed; inarticulate |
对牛弹琴 | 對牛彈琴 | duì niú tán qín | cast pearls before swine; talk over sb.’s head |
对症下药 | 對症下藥 | duì zhèng xià yào | suit one’s methods to the situation (lit. to prescribe the right medicine for an illness) |
多此一举 | 多此一舉 | duō cǐ yì jǔ | unnecessary; to do more than is required |
多多益善 | 多多益善 | duō duō yì shàn | the more the better |
尔虞我诈 | 爾虞我詐 | 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 | 反復推敲 | fǎn fù tuī qiāo | repeated scrutiny |
飞禽走兽 | 飛禽走獸 | fēi qín zǒu shòu | birds and animals; the beasts of the field and the birds of the air |
丰富多彩 | 豐富多彩 | fēng fù duō cǎi | diverse; rich and varied; rich and colorful; varied; eventful |
风和日丽 | 風和日麗 | fēng hé rì lì | gentle breeze and beautiful sun; describes the weather |
风土人情 | 風土人情 | fēng tǔ rén qíng | local conditions and customs |
风雨无阻 | 風雨無阻 | fēng yǔ wú zǔ | rain or shine |
负荆请罪 | 負荊請罪 | fù jīng qǐng zuì | offer humble apologies (lit. to bring a bramble and ask for punishment) |
赴汤蹈火 | 赴湯蹈火 | fù tāng dǎo huǒ | go through fire and water |
高而忘私 | 高而忘私 | gāo ér wàng sī | put the group ahead of self |
高山流水 | 高山流水 | gāo shān liú shuǐ | bosom friend; refined music |
高枕无忧 | 高枕無憂 | gāo zhěn wú yōu | sit back and relax; sleep an untroubled sleep |
各抒己见 | 各抒己見 | gè shū jǐ jiàn | a discussion where everyone has equal say |
根深蒂固 | 根深蒂固 | gēn shēn dì gù | deep-rooted (problem etc) |
功败垂成 | 功敗垂成 | gōng bài chuí chéng | fail when on verge of success |
供不应求 | 供不應求 | gōng bú yìng qiú | supply does not meet demand |
归根到底 | 歸根到底 | guī gēn dào dǐ | to sum it up… |
邯郸学步 | 邯鄲學步 | hán dān xué bù | slavishly imitate others |
和蔼可亲 | 和藹可親 | hé ǎi kě qīn | friendly and amicable; usually refers to an elderly person |
后顾之忧 | 後顧之憂 | 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 | 互補長短 | hù bǔ cháng duǎn | make up for each other’s shortcomings |
狐假虎威 | 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 | 囫圇吞棗 | hú lún tūn zǎo | lap up information without digesting it |
互助合作 | 互助合作 | hù zhù hé zuò | co-operative |
画饼充饥 | 畫餅充飢 | huà bǐng chōng jī | feed on illusions (lit. to allay one’s hunger using a picture of a cake) |
画龙点睛 | 畫龍點睛 | 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 | 畫蛇添足 | huà shé tiān zú | to overdo it (lit. draw legs on a snake) |
黄粱美梦 | 黃粱美夢 | huáng liáng měi mèn | pipe dream; illusions of wealth and power (lit. dream of golden millet) |
恍然大悟 | 恍然大悟 | huǎng rán dà wù | to suddenly realize; to suddenly see the light |
毁性伤情 | 毀性傷情 | huǐ xìng shāng qíng | hurting one’s feelings deeply |
火上加油 | 火上加油 | huǒ shàng jiā yóu | adding fuel to fire; to enrage people and make matters worse |
急功近利 | 急功近利 | jí gōng jìn lì | seeking instant benefit; shortsighted vision; looking only for fast return |
继往开来 | 繼往開來 | 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 | 記憶猶新 | jì yì yóu xīn | to remain fresh is one’s memory; remember vividly |
急于求成 | 急於求成 | jí yú qiú chéng | anxious for quick results; to demand instant success; impatient for result; impetuous |
家喻户晓 | 家喻戶曉 | jiā yù hù xiǎo | understood by everyone; well known; a household name |
健步如飞 | 健步如飛 | jiàn bù rú fēi | fleet footed (lit. running as fast as flying) |
见多识广 | 見多識廣 | jiàn duō shí guǎng | experienced and knowledgeable |
见义勇为 | 見義勇為 | 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 | 江郎才盡 | jiāng láng cái jìn | have used up one’s literary talent/energy |
竭尽全力 | 竭盡全力 | jié jìn quán lì | to spare no effort; to do one’s utmost |
嗟来之食 | 嗟來之食 | jiē lái zhī shí | food rudely offered; grudging handout; help grudgingly |
今非昔比 | 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 | 津津有味 | jīn jīn yǒu wèi | with keen interest pleasure; with gusto; to relish; eagerly; with great interest |
金石为开 | 金石為開 | jīn shí wéi kāi | sincerity can make metal and stone crack |
近水楼台 | 近水樓台 | jìn shuǐ lóu tái | waterfront pavilion; favorable position; point of vantage |
锦绣前程 | 錦繡前程 | jǐn xiù qián chéng | a bright future; a rosy future; brilliant prospects |
精打细算 | 精打細算 | jīng dǎ xì suàn | (saying) meticulous planning and careful accounting |
井底之蛙 | 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 | 兢兢業業 | jīng jīng yè yè | cautious and conscientious |
井井有条 | 井井有條 | jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáo | in perfect order; neat and tidy |
精益求精 | 精益求精 | jīng yì qiú jīng | to perfect sth that is already outstanding; constantly improving |
聚精会神 | 聚精會神 | jù jīng huì shén | to concentrate one’s attention |
举世闻名 | 舉世聞名 | jǔ shì wén míng | (saying) world famous |
举世无匹 | 舉世無匹 | jǔ shì wú pī | nothing can compare to this |
举世瞩目 | 舉世矚目 | jǔ shì zhǔ mù | attract worldwide attention |
举一反三 | 舉一反三 | 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 | 舉足輕重 | 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 | 開誠布公 | kāi chéng bù gōng | speak frankly and sincerely (lit. deal sincerely and fairly) |
开卷有益 | 開卷有益 | kāi juàn yǒu yì | the benefits of education (lit. opening a book is profitable) |
开天辟地 | 開天闢地 | kāi tiān pì dì | creation of the world; since the beginning of time |
刻不容缓 | 刻不容緩 | kè bù róng huǎn | to brook no delay; to demand immediate action |
刻舟求剑 | 刻舟求劍 | 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 | 空前絕後 | kōng qián jué hòu | unprecedented and never to be duplicated; the first and the last; unmatched; unique |
口是心非 | 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 | 口說無憑 | kǒu shuō wú píng | oral expressions can not be taken as evidence; words of mouth alone don’t carry conviction |
苦尽甘来 | 苦盡甘來 | kǔ jìn gān lái | bitterness finishes; sweetness begins; the hard times are over; the good times just beginning |
滥竽充数 | 濫竽充數 | 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 | 狼狽為奸 | láng bèi wéi jiān | villains collude together; to work hand in glove with sb. |
狼吞虎咽 | 狼吞虎嚥 | láng tūn hǔ yàn | to eat very quickly and ravenously |
老马识途 | 老馬識途 | lǎo mǎ shí tú | an old hand is a good guide; an experienced worker knows what to do |
乐不思蜀 | 樂不思蜀 | lè bù sī shǔ | indulge in pleasure and forget home and duty |
乐此不疲 | 樂此不疲 | lè cǐ bù pí | to enjoy sth and never tire of it |
乐观进取 | 樂觀進取 | lè guān jìn qǔ | be positive |
力不从心 | 力不從心 | lì bù cóng xīn | the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak; not as strong as one would wish |
理所当然 | 理所當然 | 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 | 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 | 理直氣壯 | 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 | 兩敗俱傷 | liǎng bài jù shāng | lose-lose; both sides suffer |
两全其美 | 兩全其美 | liǎng quán qí měi | to the satisfaction of both parties; to have it both ways |
漏网之鱼 | 漏網之魚 | lòu wǎng zhī yú | lucky survivor; fugitive; homeless exile (lit. fish that escaped the net) |
屡见不鲜 | 屢見不鮮 | lǚ jiàn bù xiān | common occurrence; nothing new |
乱七八糟 | 亂七八糟 | luàn qī bā zāo | in a mess; in terrible disorder |
络绎不绝 | 絡繹不絕 | luò yì bù jué | continuously; in an endless stream |
马到成功 | 馬到成功 | mǎ dào chéng gōng | instant success; beginner’s luck |
满城风雨 | 滿城風雨 | mǎn chéng fēng yǔ | talk of the town; a big scandal (lit. wind and rain through the town) |
满载而归 | 滿載而歸 | mǎn zài ér guī | rewarding; to return from a rewarding journey |
冒充内行 | 冒充內行 | mào chōng nèi háng | pretend to be an expert |
没精打采 | 沒精打採 | méi jīng dǎ cǎi | to be listless or apathetic |
美中不足 | 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 | 門當戶對 | 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 | 門庭若市 | mén tíng ruò shì | much-visited house; the shop is doing booming business; the courtyard is like a fair |
孟母三迁 | 孟母三遷 | mèng mǔ sān qiān | a wise mother would try to find a good environment for her children’s best education. |
面面俱到 | 面面俱到 | miàn miàn jù dào | cover everything |
面目一新 | 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 | 妙語如珠 | miào yǔ rú zhū | articulate (lit. smart words like a string of pearl) |
名副其实 | 名副其實 | míng fù qí shí | not just in name only; but also in reality |
名落孙山 | 名落孫山 | míng luò sūn shān | fail in a competitive/imperial examination |
莫名其妙 | 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 | 難能可貴 | nán néng kě guì | rare and commendable; estimable |
南辕北辙 | 南轅北轍 | nán yuán běi zhé | diametrically opposite; act at cross-purposes; be poles apart |
囊萤夜读 | 囊螢夜讀 | náng yíng yè dú | reading by the light of fireflies |
呕心沥血 | 嘔心瀝血 | 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 | 拋磚引玉 | 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 | 鵬程萬裡 | péng chéng wàn lǐ | have a bright future |
飘忽无定 | 飄忽無定 | piāo hū wú dìng | someone who changes their mind a lot; someone who wanders around and is difficult to find |
迫不及待 | 迫不及待 | pò bù jí dài | impatient; in a hurry; itching to get on with it |
破釜沉舟 | 破釜沈舟 | pò fǔ chén zhōu | burn one’s bridges |
剖腹藏珠 | 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 | 撲朔迷離 | pū shuò mí chī | complicated and confusing; look both like a man and like a woman |
奇耻大辱 | 奇恥大辱 | qǐ chǐ dà rǔ | outrageous shame and deep humiliation; a crying shame |
迄今为止 | 迄今為止 | qì jīn wéi zhǐ | so far; up to now; still (not) |
歧路亡羊 | 歧路亡羊 | qí lù wáng yáng | go astray in a complex situation |
杞人忧天 | 杞人憂天 | qǐ rén yōu tiān | groundless fears (lit. man of Qǐ fears the sky falling) |
七上八下 | 七上八下 | qī shàng bā xià | uneasiness; in a mess |
齐心协力 | 齊心協力 | 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 | 豈有此理 | qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ | how can this be so?; preposterous; ridiculous; absurd |
恰到好处 | 恰到好處 | qià dào hǎo chù | it’s just perfect; it’s just right |
千差万别 | 千差萬別 | qiān chā wàn bié | unlike any other; different |
千方百计 | 千方百計 | qiān fāng bǎi jì | a hundred plans; by every possible means (lit. thousand ways) |
千钧一发 | 千鈞一髮 | qiān jūn yī fà | in imminent peril; extremely delicate situation; extremely critical moment |
黔驴技穷 | 黔驢技窮 | qián lǘ jì qióng | sb. who has exposed his limited ability; to exhaust one’s limited abilities |
千丝万缕 | 千絲萬縷 | qiān sī wàn lǚ | countless ties; a thousand and one links; interrelated in innumerable ways |
千言万语 | 千言萬語 | qiān yán wàn yǔ | having much to say; talking nonstop |
潜移默化 | 潛移默化 | qián yí mò huà | imperceptible influence; to influence secretly |
强词夺理 | 強詞奪理 | qiáng zí duó lǐ | lame arguments; to argue illogically (lit. powerful words devoid of sense) |
锲而不舍 | 鍥而不捨 | 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 | 青出於藍 | qīng chū yú lán | surpass the master (lit. green is born of blue; but beats blue) |
轻而易举 | 輕而易舉 | qīng ér yì jǔ | easy; with no difficulty |
秋高气爽 | 秋高氣爽 | qīu gāo qì shuǎng | better weather; clear and refreshing autumn weather |
全力以赴 | 全力以赴 | quán lì yǐ fù | do at all costs; make an all-out effort |
热泪盈眶 | 熱淚盈眶 | rè lèi yíng kuàng | eyes brimming with tears of excitement; extremely moved |
人山人海 | 人山人海 | rén shān rén hǎi | huge crowds of people |
任重道远 | 任重道遠 | rèn zhòng dào yuǎn | a heavy load and a long road; fig. to bear heavy responsibilities through a long struggle |
日新月异 | 日新月異 | rì xīn yuè yì | to change very quickly; every day sees new developments |
日益频繁 | 日益頻繁 | rì yì pín fán | increasingly common |
如火如荼 | 如火如荼 | rú huǒ rú tú | magnificent; daunting and vigorous momentum (lit. white cogon flower like fire) |
如鱼得水 | 如魚得水 | rú yú dé shuǐ | glad to be back in one’s proper surroundings (lit. like a fish back in water) |
孺子可教 | 孺子可教 | rú zǐ kě jiāo | this child is teachable |
三顾茅庐 | 三顧茅廬 | 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 | 三心二意 | sān xīn èr yì | half-hearted |
山明水秀 | 山明水秀 | shān míng shuǐ xìu | picturesque |
深情厚谊 | 深情厚誼 | shēn qíng hòu yì | profound friendship |
事半功倍 | 事半功倍 | shì bàn gōng bèi | more with less; half the work; twice the effect |
事倍功半 | 事倍功半 | shì bèi gōng bàn | twice the effort for half the result |
十拿九稳 | 十拿九穩 | shí ná jiǔ wěn | very likely to happen; success within reach; extremely certain |
十全十美 | 十全十美 | shí quán shí měi | to be completely perfect; flawless; to be perfect |
实事求是 | 實事求是 | shí shì qiú shì | to seek truth from facts; to be practical and realistic |
世外桃源 | 世外桃源 | shì wài táo yuán | haven of peace; utopia |
十之八九 | 十之八九 | shí zhī bā jiǔ | most likely (lit. in eight or nine cases out of ten) |
手足情深 | 手足情深 | shǒu zú qín shūn | brotherhood |
熟能生巧 | 熟能生巧 | shú néng shēng qiǎo | skill comes from practice; with familiarity you learn the trick |
数一数二 | 數一數二 | shǔ yī shǔ èr | one of the best; outstanding |
水滴石穿 | 水滴石穿 | shuǐ dī shí chuān | constant perseverance yields success (lit. dripping water penetrates the stone) |
水土不服 | 水土不服 | shuǐ tǔ bù fú | unaccustomed to a place; not acclimatized |
死灰复燃 | 死灰復燃 | sǐ huī fù rán | resurgence; revival (lit. ashes burn once more) |
四面楚歌 | 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 | 似是而非 | sì shì ér fēi | appeared right but actually was wrong |
四通八达 | 四通八達 | sì tōng bā dá | extend in all directions; connected to all parts of the world |
肆无忌惮 | 肆無忌憚 | sì wú jì dàn | absolutely unrestrained; unbridled; without the slightest scruple |
私心窃喜 | 私心竊喜 | sī xīn qiè xǐ | secretly happy 私心=selfish and self-indulgent; 窃= surreptitiously; 喜=happy; celebratory |
叹为观止 | 嘆為觀止 | tàn wéi guān zhǐ | acclaim sth. as the acme of perfection; to gasp in amazement |
谈笑自若 | 談笑自若 | 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 | 螳螂捕蟬 | táng láng bǔ chán | be unaware of impending danger; to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger |
讨价还价 | 討價還價 | tǎo jià huán jià | bargain; haggle over a price |
滔滔不绝 | 滔滔不絕 | tāo tāo bù jué | unceasing torrent; talking non-stop; gabbling forty to the dozen |
天伦之乐 | 天倫之樂 | tiān lún zhī lè | pleasure of heavenly agreement; family love and joy; domestic bliss |
田园之乐 | 田園之樂 | tián yuán zhī lè | heavenly happiness |
统筹兼顾 | 統籌兼顧 | tǒng chóu jiān gù | an overall plan taking into account all factors |
同舟共济 | 同舟共濟 | tóng zhōu gòng jì | to get through a time of difficulty by settle one’s difference and working together |
投笔从戎 | 投筆從戎 | tóu bǐ cóng róng | renounce the pen for the sword; join the military service (esp. of educated person) |
土头土脑 | 土頭土腦 | tǔ tóu tǔ nǎo | rustic; uncouth; countrified |
拖泥带水 | 拖泥帶水 | tuō ní dài shuǐ | messy; sloppy; slovenly (lit. wading in mud and water) |
完璧归赵 | 完璧歸趙 | wán bì guī zhào | return sth. to the owner in good condition (lit. to return the jade annulus to Zhao) |
万事如意 | 萬事如意 | wàn shì rú yì | good luck; best wishes; all the best |
望尘莫及 | 望塵莫及 | 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 | 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 | 亡羊補牢 | 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 | 微不足道 | wēi bù zú dào | negligible; insignificant |
微乎其微 | 微乎其微 | wēi hū qí wēi | very little; next to nothing |
为虎作伥 | 為虎作倀 | wèi hǔ zuò chāng | to help a villain do evil; (lit. to act as accomplice to the tiger) |
闻鸡起舞 | 聞雞起舞 | wén jī qǐ wǔ | be roused into action |
卧薪尝胆 | 臥薪嘗膽 | wò xīn cháng dǎn | inure oneself for future trials |
无动于衷 | 無動於衷 | wú dòng yú zhōng | aloof; indifferent; unconcerned |
无价之宝 | 無價之寶 | wú jià zhī bǎo | an object that is priceless or an asset (can also refer to abstract things) |
无精打采 | 無精打采 | wú jīng dǎ cǎi | dispirited and downcast; listless; in low spirits; washed out |
无可奉告 | 無可奉告 | wú kě fèng gào | “no comment” |
无可奈何 | 無可奈何 | wú kě nài hé | have no way out; have no alternative |
无理取闹 | 無理取鬧 | wú lǐ qǔ nào | to make trouble without reason; deliberately awkward; pointless provocation; willful trouble maker |
物美价廉 | 物美價廉 | wù měi jià lián | cheap and fine; attractive in price and quality |
无能为力 | 無能為力 | wú néng wéi lì | impotent; powerless; helpless |
无穷无尽 | 無窮無盡 | 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 | 無微不至 | wú wēi bú zhì | in every possible way; meticulous |
无忧无虑 | 無憂無慮 | wú yōu wú lǜ | carefree and without worries |
喜气洋洋 | 喜氣洋洋 | xǐ qì yáng yáng | jubilant |
喜闻乐见 | 喜聞樂見 | xǐ wén lè jiàn | a delight to see; an attractive spectacle |
下不为例 | 下不為例 | xià bù wéi lì | never again; just this once; not to be repeated |
显而易见 | 顯而易見 | xiǎn ér yì jiàn | clearly and easy to see; obviously |
先见之明 | 先見之明 | xiān jiàn zhī míng | foresight |
想方设法 | 想方設法 | 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 | 相輔相成 | xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng | to complement one another |
小心翼翼 | 小心翼翼 | xiǎo xīn yì yì | cautious and solemn; very carefully; prudent; gently and cautiously |
心不在焉 | 心不在焉 | xīn bú zài yān | absent-minded |
新陈代谢 | 新陳代謝 | xīn chén dài xiè | the new replaces the old (metabolism in biology) |
信口开河 | 信口開河 | xìn kǒu kāi hé | empty promises; to talk off the cuff |
心口如一 | 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 | 欣欣向榮 | xīn xīn xiàng róng | luxuriant growth; flourishing; thriving |
心直口快 | 心直口快 | xīn zhí kǒu kuài | frank and outspoken; to say what one thinks |
兴高采烈 | 興高采烈 | xìng gāo cǎi liè | happy and excited; in high spirits; in great delight |
兴致勃勃 | 興致勃勃 | xìng zhì bó bó | to become exhilarated; in high spirits; full of zest |
悬崖峭壁 | 懸崖峭壁 | xuán yá qiào bì | sheer cliffs and precipitous rock faces |
雪上加霜 | 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 | 雪中送炭 | xuě zhōng sòng tàn | timely assistance (lit. to send coal during snow) |
循序渐进 | 循序漸進 | xún xù jiàn jìn | in sequence; step by step; to make steady progress incrementally |
言行一致 | 言行一致 | yán xíng yí zhì | practice what they preach |
养儿防老 | 養兒防老 | yǎng er fáng lǎo | (of parents) to bring up children for the purpose of being looked after in old age |
咬牙切齿 | 咬牙切齒 | yǎo yá qiè chǐ | gnashing one’s teeth; displaying extreme anger; fuming with rage between gritted teeth |
义不容辞 | 義不容辭 | yì bù róng cí | be duty bound |
一帆风顺 | 一帆風順 | yì fán fēng shùn | smooth sailing (lit. single sail; gentle wind) |
一见钟情 | 一見鐘情 | yí jiàn zhōng qíng | to fall in love at first sight |
衣锦还乡 | 衣錦還鄉 | yī jǐn huán xiāng | to return in glory (lit. to come back to one’s hometown in silken robes) |
一举两得 | 一舉兩得 | yì jǔ liǎng dé | kill two birds with one stone (lit. one stone kills two birds) |
一鸣惊人 | 一鳴驚人 | yì míng jīng rén | become an overnight success |
一目了然 | 一目瞭然 | yí mù liǎo rán | obvious at a glance |
一曝十寒 | 一曝十寒 | yí pù shí hán | not persistent; sporadic effort; lack of sticking power; short attention span |
易如反掌 | 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 | 一如既往 | yì rú jì wǎng | just as in the past; as before; continuing as always |
以身作则 | 以身作則 | yǐ shēn zuò zé | lead by example |
一视同仁 | 一視同仁 | yí shì tóng rén | equal treatment; not to discriminate between people |
一丝不苟 | 一絲不苟 | yì sī bù gǒu | not one thread loose; strictly according to the rules; meticulous; not one hair out of place |
一枝独秀 | 一枝獨秀 | yì zhī dú xiù | to outshine others |
因人而异 | 因人而異 | yīn rén ér yì | to vary with each individual; to differ from person to person |
饮水思源 | 飲水思源 | yǐn shuǐ sī yuán | be grateful for all your blessings! (lit. when you drink water; think of its source) |
因小失大 | 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 | 引以為恥 | yǐn yǐ wéi chǐ | to regard it as a disgrace; to consider it shameful |
有利可图 | 有利可圖 | yǒu lì kě tú | profitable; economic |
优胜劣汰 | 優勝劣汰 | yōu shèng liè tài | survival of the fittest |
有条不紊 | 有條不紊 | yǒu tiáo bù wěn | regular and thorough; methodically arranged |
愚不可及 | 愚不可及 | yú bù kě jí | couldn’t be more foolish; be hopelessly stupid |
羽毛丰满 | 羽毛豐滿 | yǔ máo fēng mǎ | adjective become full-fledged; mature |
与日俱增 | 與日俱增 | yǔ rì jù zēng | to increase steadily; to grow with each passing day |
再接再厉 | 再接再厲 | zài jiē zài lì | to continue the struggle; to persist; unremitting efforts |
斩钉截铁 | 斬釘截鐵 | zhǎn dīng jié tiě | to chop the nail and slice the iron; resolute and decisive; unhesitating; definitely; without any doubt |
张口结舌 | 張口結舌 | zhāng kǒu jié shé | speechless (lit. agape and tongue-tied) |
朝气蓬勃 | 朝氣蓬勃 | zhāo qì péng bó | full of youthful energy; vigorous; energetic; a bright spark |
珍禽异兽 | 珍禽異獸 | zhēn qín yì shòu | rare birds and animals |
争先恐后 | 爭先恐後 | zhēng xiān kǒng hòu | striving to be first and fearing to be last; outdoing one another |
志同道合 | 志同道合 | zhì tóng dào hé | like-minded; fellow enthusiast |
知足常乐 | 知足常樂 | zhī zú cháng lè | satisfied with what one has |
众所周知 | 眾所周知 | zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī | as everyone knows |
追踪而去 | 追蹤而去 | zhuī zōng ér qù | chasing closely (after someone) |
自力更生 | 自力更生 | zì lì gēng shēng | regeneration through one’s own effort; self-reliance |
自食其果 | 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 | 自相矛盾 | zì xiāng máo dùn | contradict oneself; self-contradictory; inconsistent |
自由自在 | 自由自在 | zì yóu zì zài | free; carefree; leisurely |
自圆其说 | 自圓其說 | zì yuán qí shuō | to make one’s statement valid; to justify oneself |
总而言之 | 總而言之 | zǒng ér yán zhī | in short; in a word; in brief; all in all |
走马看花 | 走馬看花 | zǒu mǎ kàn huā | to make a quick judgment based on inadequate information (lit. flower viewing from horseback) |
I believe 不言儿喻 should be 不言而喻
Goes without saying :-)
Some of the Chinese pinyin is wrong
Nice idioms it really helps me thks for posting this!
P.S. How u find so many idioms?
Am I the only one who can’t find the iHanzi flashcard app?
A link to it would be nice or is it still in development?
Hi John,
Thanks for asking. I’m sorry but I have shelved the app as I got too busy with a ‘proper’ full-time job.
I’d strongly recommend Sticky Study.
David
Ah ok! Thnx for the response and suggestion!
This is great!thank you for your effort. Tack
How did you get so many deep idioms? I need to do presentation in front of my class but i don’t know what to say…i need a hardest n deepest that even my teacher is not so sure about to present. Could you help me?
I recently came accross a website that posts a new idiom every day with some examples as well.
Check http://www.chinese-idioms.com
Not sure how many idioms there are in total but a new one appears daily.
Hope it helps…
Sooo many idioms.well doñe!you are really really smart!thanks!!!