Indeks:Bahasa Tionghoa/Chengyu
TODO: Tambahkan pinyin; terjemahkan definisi
- sorrow, joy, separation and reunion; vicissitudes of life; sorrows and joys
- as one sows, so shall one reap; to reap what one has sown; you've made your bed, now lie in it
- potbellied; big-bellied
- to go through thick and thin together
- dress like a barbarian; uncivilised
- (historical) popular music in the state of Chu
- (figuratively) popular literature, music or art
- (figuratively) vulgar or low-quality literature, music or art
- (humble) one's own artwork or composition
- (Hubei Mandarin) dirty
- Antonyms
- "carved on one's bones and engraved in one's heart": unforgettable; etched in one's memory
- with outstanding results; highly effective; fruitful
- to take the initiative to subdue the enemy; to take preemptive measures
- to rely on one's own efforts; to become self-reliant
- to not come easily; to be hard-won or hard-earned
- appearing tough on the outside but actually being weak-willed or gentle
- a small sign can indicate a great trend
- everything one does
- Synonyms
- Etymology
From 莊子/山木.
- Idiom
- to undergo an earth-shattering change
- to work hard night and day; to burn the candle at both ends
- to be only right and proper; to be taken as a matter of course; naturally
- by every possible means; by hook or by crook
- to exceed people's expectations, or be unexpected
- to not be able to restrain oneself; to feel an irresistible urge (to do something); can't help but; involuntarily; spontaneously
- to be not just in name, but also in reality; to be worthy of the name; to live up to reputation
- the present cannot compare with the past; times have changed
- universally appreciated (especially of literary works); liked by many; appealing to the masses; on everyone's lips
- to ambush on all sides
- Ambush from Ten Sides (classical piece written for the pipa)
- like a steady stream; continuously
- to proceed in an orderly way, step by step; to follow the established order; to make steady progress incrementally
- to be diametrically opposed; to be in sharp opposition; to go toe-to-toe with somebody in action or speech; to give tit for tat
- to do all one can; to do one's utmost; to spare no effort; to go all-out
- Synonyms
- a few words; with a few mild comments; in a nutshell
- in the dead of the night
- marry a woman for her morality (rather than beauty)
- wretched hovel; living in poverty; poverty-stricken
- infra dig, beneath contempt, displeasing to look at, sneering
- to scorn, to sniff at, to dismiss (work or a suggestion)
- tattered
- pitifully poor
- to be desperately poor; to be hard up
- to have too many problems to handle at one time
- fickleness of human nature; changing of one's attitude to another according to social status
- to be hesitant or indecisive; to waver; to shilly-shally
- Synonyms
- Synonyms
- Etymology
A chengyu expressing the idea of "a mountain (山) of people (人), a sea (海) of people (人)".
- Idiom
- (figuratively) peace under a wise ruler
- (of an event, a story) convoluted and eccentric; complicated and bizarre
- Etymology
The idiom comes from the event in 960 when military commander Zhao Kuangyin removed child emperor Guo Zongxun from the throne and proclaimed himself a new emperor after being presented an imperial dragon robe by his subordinates.
After becoming emperor, Zhao, for fear that military figures might betray him like he betraying his emperor, invited them to a wine banquet and successfully persuaded them to retire. This happened in 961 and gave rise to another idiom, Templat:zh-m.
- Idiom
- to stage a coup d'état; overthrow a government; take the throne
- to be crowned (as a monarch, ruler, winner, champion, etc.)
- to act first and report later; to act first and seek permission therefor later
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- to impersonate; pretend to be someone
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Etymology
From "Gongsun Chou II", in Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑下》):
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- Idiom
- an unjust cause attracts little support
- Antonyms
- Etymology
From "Gongsun Chou II", in Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑下》):
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- Idiom
- a just cause attracts much support
- Antonyms
- public discontent is everywhere; discontent is publicly voiced; complaints rise all around
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- utterly hopeless; unable to be saved (helped); beyond the point of help
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- (archaic) to shelve; to table; to postpone consideration
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- Synonyms
- 明知故犯 (rules or law)
- Synonyms
- Etymology
Mencius, 3rd century B.C..
- 《孟子·梁惠王上》 (Mencius, Liang Hui Wang I; Translation: 1895, James Legge):
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- Idiom
- To pursue an end by impossible or unjustifiable means.
- may all your hopes be fulfilled; all the best
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- Synonyms
- (chiefly Cantonese) 萬事勝意
- to take a part for the whole; to generalise
- to be clearly structured (of a written text)
- to follow as a matter of course; to be logical or rational (of an outcome)
- not worth mentioning; insignificant
- to be radiant with smiles
- to gather in woods or mountains in response to whistles or shouts; to go to the greenwood (said of bandits)
- tangled and complicated; intricate
- Etymology
Literally: Enter an area, follow the local customs.
- Idiom
- (chiefly Taiwan) When in Rome, do as the Romans do
- Synonyms
- to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat; to become famous overnight; to set the world on fire; No one was expecting much and then with one act, everybody was amazed; a bolt from the blue
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- high-principled; open and aboveboard; just and honorable; frank and righteous; without artifice
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Synonyms
- in any case; at any rate; whatever happens; no matter what
- Synonyms
- straightforward and upright
- never get old; live forever; ageless; immortal
- Etymology
From a line in the Song-era poem 《寄吳德仁兼簡陳季常》, depicting Chen Zao's overbearing wife, who was originally from the Hedong Commandery.
- Idiom
- the "lioness's roar", used to describe the loud complaining of an overbearing wife from the perspective of her henpecked husband.
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- a clay ox entering the sea; gone forever; to disappear without a trace
- to engage in petty thievery
- to not do things in an open and above board manner
- graceful; well-poised
- Etymology
- Confucius: 論語·子張:「子夏曰:『仕而優則學,學而優則仕。』
- Idiom
- Derived terms
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- to negotiate back and forth; to bargain; to haggle
- Synonyms
- to force an impractical solution to a problem
- to hide one's talents, and bide one's time for the right opportunity
- Etymology
The idiom arose from a practice in ancient China, by which a royal lady, as an empress or empress dowager, was allowed to preside over the imperial court without actually being seen by her subjects, because women were prohibited from politics. This would usually be done by the mother of a child emperor.
- Idiom
- (historical) to rule in place of a monarch; to serve as regent
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- Etymology
Dari 以 ("to use") + 儆 ("to warn") + 效尤 ("to mimic the wrongdoing of others")..
- Idiom
- to make a public demonstration of punishing a wrongdoer in order to deter innocents who might mimic the example of the wrongdoer
- Synonyms
- to be completely different; to be poles apart
- Etymology
Popularized by Mao Zedong during the founding of the People's Republic of China, however usage may be attested before then.
- Idiom
- to be independent and one's own master
- to pursue a foreign policy of peaceful development, autonomy and self-reliance
- Related terms
- Etymology
Attested in Zuo Zhuan (c. 4th century B.C.), in the entry for the 30th year of Duke Xi's reign (《左傳·僖公三十年》): Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex". Uttered by Zhu Zhiwu (燭之武), a Zheng courtier, during his negotiation with the Count Mu of Qin (秦穆公) who was laying siege to the state of Zheng. Later used idomatically as a generic term for a host.
- Idiom
- host
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- to go without saying; to be self-evident
- Synonyms
- to clearly understand the inside scoop or principle
- to get saved at a critical moment; to survive a crisis; to be unexpectedly rescued from a desparate situation
- (of a person) having few accomplishments or virtues
- Antonyms
- Antonyms
- Synonyms
- (of talent) to be revealed; to come to the fore; to rise above others
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- unable to concentrate, inattentive and vacillating
- Synonyms
- to improve something unnecessarily; to gild the lily
- Synonyms
- to appear lifelike and vivid; vividly; realistically
- to knowingly do wrong
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Antonyms
- Etymology
Based on a story in "The Circling Sky", in Zhuangzi (《莊子·天運》). Xishi (西施), a famous beauty in Chinese history, often frowned because of her heart disease. The ugly Dongshi (東施) of the same village imitated Xishi to try to be as beautiful as Xishi, but in turn made herself uglier and scared away the villagers.
- Idiom
- Etymology
From the story of the Warring States-era musician Gongming Yi (公明儀) playing the zither to a cow, recorded in Mouzi Lihuolun (c. 3rd century AD).
- Idiom
- like talking to a brick wall; like casting pearls before swine; offering a treat to an unappreciative audience (due to the gap in knowledge or one's unromanticness)
- Antonyms
- to not accept as correct; to disagree; to object; to disapprove
- as everyone knows; as is known to all; it is well-known that; it is common knowledge that
- equal pay for equal work
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- by the thousands and tens of thousands; untold numbers; innumerable; thousands upon thousands
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- to have an ulterior motive
- Synonyms
- Etymology
Literally: surrounded on four sides by the songs of Chu
- During the Chu-Han contention, Xiang Yu found himself besieged in the city of Gaixia (垓下), by the coalition force of Han and the other kings. Jiujiang fell to Ying Bu and Liu Jia the preceding month, and most of the Kingdom of Chu was occupied by the Han army. When he heard the besieging troops singing songs in the Chu accent, Xiang Yu knew his kingdom had fallen.
- Idiom
- facing hostility, difficulty, or frustration on all sides
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- Etymology
Originates from a longer phrase 瓜田不納履,李下不正冠. ("Do not put on shoes in a melon field; do not don a hat under a plum tree."), an idiom advising one to avoid appearances of impropriety.
- Idiom
- a position that invites suspicion; liable to lay oneself open to suspicion; be found in a suspicious position; in suspicious circumstances or surroundings
- an idiom advising one to avoid suspicious situations, even under innocuous circumstances
- could break out or flare up at any time (of a situation); on the verge of crisis; in a tense and volatile situation
- an experienced worker knows what to do; an old hand knows the ropes
- experienced and astute; circumspect and far-seeing; scheming and calculating
- a great talent takes time to mature; in the fullness of time, a major figure will develop into a pillar of the state
- between a rock and a hard place
- in a bind; in a pickle
- describes an awkward situation where one does not know what to do
- Related terms
- to not worry about minor matters; to not worry about the details; to not be a stickler for details; not worry about dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's
- to learn by exchanging ideas and experiences; friendly competition; improvement by learning from others
- to suit the medicine to the illness; to suit the remedy to the case; to prescribe the right remedy for an illness
- Etymology
For more information, see the citations page.
- Idiom
- to go ahead together; to march together; to do something simultaneously; to do two or more things at once
- it all depends on human effort; human effort can achieve everything; human effort is a decisive factor
- facts speak louder than words; facts are stronger than rhetoric; facts are more convincing than eloquent theories
- torn to pieces; all broken up
- shattered; fragmented
- to cover up one's fault by clever use of words in writing
- Synonyms
- to cover up one's fault by clever use of words in writing
- Synonyms
- vivid and vigorous flourishes in calligraphy
- prosperity brought by the dragon and the phoenix
- to have a favourable wind all the way
- (of things) to run smoothly, without incident
- bon voyage!
- Etymology
Reduplication of 哽咽.
- Idiom
- to lead a simple life; to live without without fancy food or drink
- withdrawing (receding, drawing back) while ahead (often so as to avoid disaster, etc.)
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- to have nothing to say; to be wordless; can't say anything more
- to have no other opinion; to agree
- to have great resentment for unacceptable actions
- to vie to be first and fear to be last
- professional skill; proficiency
- Antonyms
- to lose one's head over fear; to panic
- the ways of the world; traditional code of conduct; worldly wisdom
- Synonyms
- to be out of sorts; to be agitated
- to be unable to distinguish right and wrong
- to distinguish right from wrong
- Etymology
Originally Cantonese.
- Idiom
- mutually unintelligible; unable to understand one another; talking about two different things; getting one's wires crossed
- collaborating with distant allies and attacking nearby enemies (from the Thirty-Six Stratagems)
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- most auspicious (a phrase usually used in divination)
- to be out of breath; to gasp for breath
- to go and work in the countryside and mountain areas (of urban school-leavers)
- to practice fraid; to manoeuvre for some evil end; to get up to tricks
- to signal as conspiratorial hint
- an army burning with indignation is bound to win
- a land of wailing and despair; land swarming with disaster victims; disaster victims moaning everywhere
- Etymology
From Shangshu Dazhuan (Templat:w2): Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Idiom
- love me, love my dog; love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof; involvement with somebody and everyone connected
- to hate to leave one's native land or where one has lived long; to love one's homeland and not wish to leave it
- something too embarrassing to mention; an embarrassing illness
- to explain a complex matter using simple language; simple and easy to understand; explaining in simple terms despite being immensely knowledgeable
- to mislead the public with prevarication and deliberate falsehoods; to obscure the facts
- subordinates follow the example of their superiors; if a leader sets a bad example it will be followed by his subordinates
- to come to blows
- to take liberties (with women)
- Synonyms
- (Cantonese) 喐手喐腳
- Synonyms
- (rare) to turn over a new leaf
- Synonyms
- Etymology
Originally referring to a Buddhist priest expounding the Buddhist sutras, so flawless and persuasive that it moved the god of heaven, leading to a deluge of heavenly flowers.
- Idiom
- wild boast about something; extravagant embellishments; hype
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- obsequious towards one's superiors and arrogant towards one's inferiors
- sheer precipices and overhanging rocks; perilous cliffs and precipices
- sheer precipices and overhanging rocks; perilous cliffs and precipices
- to lose lustre in comparison; to be outshone; to be eclipsed; to be overshadowed
- (figuratively) all of China
- Derived terms
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- to perform self-examination; to examine one's conscience; to examine oneself
- to contemplate the present and recall the past with emotion; to recall the past and compare it with the present
- to hold the best strategic positions which will render the enemy helpless; to occupy all military key points
- to sigh in disappointment (said of one living in retirement but still burning with ambition)
- Etymology
From the story of the King Goujian of Yue (5th century B.C.), who forced himself to sleep on firewood and lick a gallbladder everyday to remember the humiliation of his previous defeat by the State of Wu.
- Idiom
- to undergo self-imposed hardships; to nurse vengeance; to endure hardships to accomplish some ambition
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- flattering and fawning, sweet-talking
- Synonyms
- Derived terms
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- rising and falling in cadence; intonation; speaking in measured tones; (of speech) cadenced
- driven to distraction; panic-stricken; to lose one's wits
- irreconcilable adversaries; two parties cannot coexist
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- to treat each other as passers-by; to act as if they are strangers
- hot potato (awkward or delicate problem)
- to occupy the high ground; to overlook
- to be condescending; to be arrogant based on one's social position
- that clinches it; an already decided and unalterable matter
- something that requires little effort; no trouble at all
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- to run in opposite directions, to run counter to, to be inconsistent with
- to talk in generalities
- willing to take action, then live with the consequences
- (of a person, especially a woman; of a structure) so weak as to be unable to stand any breeze; too frail to stand a gust of wind
- Synonyms
- (Taiwan) 垂手可得
- to behead somebody and display the head in public; to cut of a person's head and hang it up as a warning to all
- prostrating oneself before someone in admiration; to admire with the utmost sincerity
- very wealthy
- self-arrogance, megalomania
- cuts and bruises all over; severely injured
- completely refuted; scathingly criticised; to be picked to pieces
- to glare like a tiger watching its prey; to glare at with fierceness; to keep a vigilant eye on; to eye covetously
- great tangled root system; complicated affair; complicated and difficult to deal with
- scattered by the winds
- to be soundly defeated by the enemy; to be routed by the enemy
- seemingly always on the run, but actually achieving nothing; to lead a busy, but vain and humdrum life; plodding hard but accomplishing little of significance
- (Cantonese) to get one's hands dirty; to involve oneself in doing work
- to have good collaboration with someone; to cooperate in perfect harmony
- having great intelligence but appearing foolish; a man of great wisdom appearing slow-witted
- Etymology
The Chinese translation of the book series One Thousand and One Nights (also called Arabian Nights).
- Idiom
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- Kill the chicken to warn the monkey; make a public demonstration of punishing a wrongdoer in order to deter innocents who might mimic the example of the wrongdoer.
- Synonyms
- to punish an individual as an example to others
- Synonyms
- to warn by example
- Synonyms
- clever and quick-witted
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- Idiom
- Etymology
- 5th – 4th century B.C.:, Zuo Qiuming, zh:s:國語/秋水
- Idiom
- The will of the masses forge a stronghold.
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- Etymology
The four common modal particles in Classical Chinese.
- Idiom
- unintelligible speech or article filled with archaisms; pedantic expressions; grandiloquent speech; semi-incomprehensible talk
- mere worldly possessions; things external to one's life
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- to have been taught many times, but still do wrong anyway; to be incorrigible
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- Synonyms
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- Idiom
- The Peach Blossom Land; unexpectedly fantastic place off the beaten path, usually an unspoiled wilderness of great beauty
- Synonyms
- to toot one's own horn; to boast about oneself
- Etymology
Literally: cannot ponder the significance of
- Idiom
- inconceivable; unimaginable; incomprehensible
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- (Buddhism) incomprehensible by the human mind
- The number 10<sup>64</sup>
- Etymology
Literally: When entering a village, follow the customs.
- Idiom
- Synonyms
- almost the same; almost identical; similar in most respects
- enduring as the universe; everlasting and unchanging
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- show off one's inferior talent or skill in front of an expert
- expert in hindsight; to have pseudo-intellectual opinion after the fact but not before
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- to pester somebody endlessly; to be unreasonable; to plague somebody with unreasonable demands; to argue tediously and vexatiously
- to be behind bars
- to burn one's bridges; to abandon one's benefactor upon achieving one's goal
- Synonyms
- to bury the hatchet; to become reconciled
- in the same boat; fellow sufferers sympathise with each other; misery loves company
- Etymology
- c. 280–233 B.C.: Han Fei, Han Feizi/Chapter 30. Inner Assortment of Parables: The Seven Tactics, Part 1 (《韓非子·內儲說上七術第三十》)
- a. "A reclusive scholar, from a city in the south, asked if he could play the yu for the king."
- b. "A reclusive scholar, (whose surname was) Nanguo, asked if he could play the yu for the king."</ref> asked if he could play the yu for the king.<ref>Even though the man couldn't actually play the yu, he figured he could play silently among the 300 men, so that he could receive special treatment by the king.</ref> King Xuan was delighted by this, and dispensed enough food rations for several hundred (musicians). (Then) King Xuan died, and King Min took the throne. He preferred to listen to (the yu players) one-by-one, (so) the reclusive scholar fled. (Wiktionary translation)
- Idiom
- to fill a position without having the necessary qualifications; to be a token member of a group; to masquerade as having an ability; to sell secondss at best-quality prices
- a minor issue takes precedence over a major one; a minor player upstages the main attraction
- to speak the truth; to call a spade a spade
- to come in handy; to become useful
- (of talent) to come to the fore; to stand out as conspicuously brilliant
- to turn simulation into reality unintentionally; fantasy becomes reality
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- to appoint people by favouritism; nepotism
- to study diligently
- to despise worldly conventions; to be cynical; frivolous
- Derived terms
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- full of interest and enthusiasm
- to leave something unresolved
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Etymology
From a story in Han Feizi.
- Idiom
- to stand by a tree stump waiting for a hare; one who sticks to his folly and does nothing; waiting for something that will only happen once; to wait foolishly for a most unlikely windfall
- to use powerful connections to intimidate people
- to help someone in their hour of need
- Synonyms
- to diligently engage in one's studies (like a boat going against the currents)
- to go against the tide
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- Derived terms
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- (usually of writing) hackneyed; unoriginal; innovative; stereotyped
- beyond compare; incomparable; unrivaled; unequalled; in a class of its own
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- to buy peace with one's money; to trade money for safety (often said to comfort someone who has suffered unexpected financial losses)
- Idiom
- Script error: The function "non_gloss_definition_t" does not exist.; massively destructive
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- Script error: The function "non_gloss_definition_t" does not exist.; awesome
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- (when carrying out orders, policies, etc.) vigorously and speedily; vigorously and resolutely; swift and decisive
- arrogant and despotic; domineering and aggressive
- thriving and prosperous business or trade (often as a greeting)
- inseparable like form and shadow
- Derived terms
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- Etymology
From Zhuangzi ("Discussion on Making All Things Equal"):
- Mao Qiang and Li Ji [two beautiful courtesans] are what people consider beautiful, but if fish see them they will swim into the depths; if birds see them, they will fly away into the air; if deer see them, they will gallop away. Among these four, who knows what is rightly beautiful in the world?
- Idiom
- a Good Wife, Wise Mother; the ideal role for a woman in the traditional Chinese society
- Synonyms
- (usually of a man) to leave without taking any property after divorce; to leave a marriage with nothing (no possessions or properties)
- heard a million times, to the point where one can recite it in one's sleep; well-worn (phrase)
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- Etymology
From the so-called Mount Dizhu (砥柱山), which is situated midstream of the Yellow River, splitting its flow.
- Idiom
- to ask and answer interchangeably or successively
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- independent in mind and action; unconventional and strong-minded
- drivel; nonsense; gibberish; double Dutch
- to talk nonsense; to drivel
- not getting to the substance of the matter; perfunctory; superficial
- hesitant and equivocal in attitude (when dealing with a matter)
- to practice what one preaches; to set an example by personally taking part
- to be quite young
- find a needle in a haystack
- Synonyms
- (of parents) to be concerned with their children's growth
- disorderly group of people; mob; rabble
- to go from rags to riches; to start an enterprise from scratch; to build up from nothing; to start from scratch
- Synonyms
- without an end; endless; never-ending; boundless
- to be content with the status quo (and unwilling to progress); to take things as they are
- to be extremely considerate towards someone; to be very considerate and thoughtful; to look after with meticulous care
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- to shift the blame on others; to pass the buck
- Etymology
Based on Xie An (Templat:w2) of the Jin (晉) dynasty, who quit his office and lived in seclusion in Dongshan (a mountain in Zhejiang, China), but later returned to office.
- Idiom
- wisdom of self-knowledge
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- in sight but unattainable; within sight but beyond reach; inaccessible
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- Etymology
From a tale in the book Zhuangzi:
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- Idiom
- (figuratively, philosophy) one is never certain whether what one sees is reality or illusion; changeable nature of human life
- to slaughter members of the same group; to kill each other
- (usually of youth) hot-blooded; full of vigour; buoyant and impetuous
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- infamous, having an extremely bad reputation
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Antonyms
- (figuratively) to be closely related and mutually dependent (like the lips and teeth)
- to depend on each other for survival; to rely on one another for life. Usually said of siblings whose parents have deceased, or a parent and a child when the other parent is no longer around, etc.
- Etymology
From the Commentary of Zuo:
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Idiom
- talk in an impressive way; smooth-spoken; speak with absorbing interest; vivid and interesting
- cannot withstand a single blow; collapse at the first blow
- so tattered and torn (especially said of clothing) that it is totally unacceptable to present oneself in public in such a state
- cannot bear to look back on; to find it unbearable to recall
- absolutely true; one can swear it is true
- stolid; showing little expression on the face
- (derogatory) to take any measures to do something; to stop at nothing; by hook or by crook; unscrupulously
- Etymology
From Guanzi:
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Idiom
- to overstate the facts; to stretch the truth; to exaggerate
- to display all of one's capabilities; to strut one's stuff
- Etymology
Similar-sounding rendition of 亞歷山大 (“Alexander; Alexandra”).
- Idiom
- to accumulate little by little; many small things add to something great
- Etymology
From Zhuangzi (ca. 3rd – 2nd centuries B.C.):
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Idiom
- (figuratively) to help each other pull through a crisis; mutual help when both are in humble situations
- (figuratively, of a loving couple) to accompany each other through times of prosperity and hardships till the end of time
- to laugh something off; to dismiss with a laugh
- to be completely muddle-headed; to be baffled
- to influence secretly; to change due to unnoticeable influence
- to speak incoherently; to ramble in one's statement; confused and incomprehensible speech
- Related terms
- (derogatory, of a person) to be full of tricks; to be full of evil intentions
- (figuratively) good fortune and education
- (figuratively) it takes a long time for good education to bear fruit
- (figuratively) once-in-a-hundred-years (event); not seen in a hundred years
- to play the fool; to feign ignorance or madness
- the game is as good as lost; that ship has sailed
- to be passed down orally (from generation to generation)
- (of a woman) to give someone the eye; to cast coquettish glances at someone
- (derogatory) to curry favour with someone secretly
- Synonyms
- (derogatory) to do something in a long-drawn or slovenly manner; to be indecisive or beat about the bush
- Etymology
The word order features the inversion of verb (待) and object (我) in negative sentences in Classical Chinese.
- Idiom
- to do something in an orderly manner; to follow the prescribed order
- (figuratively) to keep to the conventional ways
- to offer to do something voluntarily and enthusiastically; to volunteer for
- (Buddhism, of a novice monk) to receive a blow with a stick or a yell by his master to bring about instant realization or awakening
- (figuratively) stern warning; wake-up call
- (figuratively) to abandon one's life as an outlaw (after having made a fortune)
- (by extension) to abandon one's decade-long career; to give up on something one does as a routine
- to wear one's heart on one's sleeve; to be frank and sincere
- to suddenly come up with an ingenious idea; to suddenly be inspired to do something
- to write off at one stroke; to cancel once and for all
- to work one's butt off; to work extremely hard
- to lower one's dignity to do everything and anything for someone
- to judge a book by its cover; to judge people by their appearance
- once and for all
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- a buffoon who performs antics; a contemptible rebel; a clumsy mischief-maker
- Etymology
From The Book of Rites:
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Idiom
- to restrain one's grief and accept fate (used to console family of a deceased person); my condolences; rest in peace
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- two things keeping to themselves
- “wellwater not interfering with the river water”—two things keeping to themselves; everyone minding their own business
- faithful and unyielding
- to wear a sad or distressed expression
- to give birth to a son soon; wish you early birth of a healthy baby (propitiatory compliment to the newly-weds)
- a deadbeat; a useless person; a person without any power or influence
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- (figuratively) to get up by starlight and not knock off work till the moon rises; to work or travel through night and day
- the woman in her thirty-forties; be already in her middle age
- (traditional Chinese medicine) fractures or other injuries from falls, blows, contusions, sprains and so on; all musculoskeletal injuries
- (traditional Chinese medicine) to have a sprain or fracture
- (figuratively) to suffer from serious injury; to have major mishap or changes
- Derived terms
Script error: The function "der" does not exist.
- the difference caused by a single thought; momentary slip; ill-considered action
- (of an atmosphere) filled with black smoke and toxic gas; turgid atmosphere; pandemonium
- Etymology
From a poem by Tang dynasty poet Li Bai:
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
The same poem was also the source of the idiom 兩小無猜, which has a very similar meaning.
- Idiom
- a girl and a boy playing innocently together; a man and a woman who had an innocent affection for each other in childhood; childhood sweethearts
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- to be cynical; to be embittered
- to keep one's mouth shut; to remain tight-lipped
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- not speaking in response to interrogated or refuted
- an innumerable amount of changes; countless changes
- If one participates a gamble willingly, one has to bear all the consequence of losing.
- Etymology
經 (to weave vertically) + 天 (the heavens) + 緯 (to weave horizontally) + 地 (the earth)
- Idiom
- Derived terms
Script error: The function "der" does not exist.
- unable to break away from one's duties or tasks; can't catch a break
- Derived terms
Script error: The function "der" does not exist.
- one's facial expression does not reveal any emotion; to not reveal any emotion on one's face
- Derived terms
Script error: The function "der" does not exist.
- Etymology
Based on 激情四射; see 基情 for more.
- Idiom
- (neologism, humorous) to radiate gay affection in all directions; gayish; overly brotherly love emanating from the scene
- loud screams and shouting seemingly shakes the heavens
- (archaic) to entreat the enemy to surrender and allow those who are obedient (to the government) to rejoin society
- a gentle breeze is freely blowing
- Derived terms
Script error: The function "der" does not exist.
- Etymology
Literally: blanketed with frost and piled on with snow
- Idiom
- rapidly and continually increasing in number
- to suppress the strong and aid the weak
- to defy reason; to be unreasonable because of stupidity or stubbornness
- (originally) calligraphic flourish with many twists
- (figuratively) to be full of ups and downs; to have many twists and turns
- (usually used to describe a man) to be a person of striking appearance; to be fine-looking and talented
- unclear; vague; ambiguous
- without a clear reason; for no reason; unjustly
- shady; of an unclear source
- too dreadful to contemplate; too horrible to imagine
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- everybody using their talents to achieve a common goal
- Synonyms
- to drive away and kill all; to kill to the last one; to exterminate
- (of many stalls and shops) to gather to become a brisk market; to be flourishing; to be booming
- with knitted brows and a doleful look; looking distressed
- to have nothing to do
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- the shrike (伯勞) and the swallow (燕) part and fly in different directions
- (figuratively) two lovers part
- Etymology
From 驢年馬月 (“year of the donkey (in the Zodiac); God knows when”).
Alternatively, from dialectal 何年嘛月 (“what year, what month?”).
- Idiom
- Etymology
Acrostic-style contraction of four synonymous idioms (see below), producing a four-character word that resembles a genuine Chinese chengyu (idiom).
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Idiom
- (neologism, slang, sometimes sarcastic) Script error: The function "non_gloss_definition_t" does not exist.
- to gallop at the head; to take the lead; to be in the foremost rank
- to be commonplace and not at all surprising
- there are no more than a few people left
- to use movement of either the hands or of some other body limb in order to supplement that which can not be expressed in words; to use sign language; to communicate by using hand gestures
- to be well aware
- Synonyms
- A tacit understanding or verbal agreement.
- (of performance, achievement, etc) praiseworthy; remarkable; commendable
- to overcorrect; to hypercorrect; to overcompensate
- in a complete mess; in an awful condition; a kettle of fish
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Etymology
From counting by fives.
- Idiom
- (of narrating) in full detail
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- unprecedented and never to be duplicated; the first and the last; unmatched; unique
- (figuratively, colloquial) to settle for what one has for the moment (e.g. job, girlfriend, etc.) while actively looking for something better
- Synonyms
- (Cantonese) 騎牛搵馬
- to be hard to forget when one has run eyes over something; unforgettable
- Etymology
Compare the English phrase dust settle.
- Idiom
- (of a matter) to be finalised; to get sorted out
- Etymology
From the 1935 poem 《念奴嬌·昆侖》 by Mao Zedong.
- Idiom
- to appear suddenly; to appear out of the ordinary; to be spectacular
- have no gain
- Etymology
Alteration of the originally unrelated idiom 桃之夭夭 (“splendid and lush flowers of the peaches”), by replacing 桃 (“peach”) with 逃 (“to escape”).
- Idiom
- to decamp; to take to one's heels
- to die at a ripe old age
- brand new; changed beyond recognition
- poised and uninhibited
- Etymology
The phrase alludes to several Chinese legends: one that credited the phases of the moon to a great osmanthus tree (桂) growing and shedding its leaves and blossoms each month; another granting the immortal Chang'e an enormous mansion on the moon (月宮), whose grounds included the tree; another (older than the Chang'e stories) seeing a pareidolic toad in the shadows of the moon and associating the toad with good luck and wealth (金蟾). Branches of sweet-smelling blossoms from the tree were thought to (rarely) fall to Earth and grant good luck to whosoever found them. The association with the tests had to do with the holding of the examinations around the time of the blossoming of the osmanthus and the Mid-Autumn Festival honoring its connections to the moon and Chang'e.
- Idiom
- (historical) to pass the imperial examination
- to accomplish the task in one stroke
- Etymology
From The Analects:
- Galat skrip: tidak ada modul tersebut "zh-usex".
- Idiom
- (of a rumour, literary) to be not completely unsound; to have a basis for its existence
- (of a rumour, in modern uses) to be completely unsound; to be utterly baseless
- Synonyms
- Synonyms
- to not seek deep understanding; to read or know things on a superficial level
Script error: The function "wikipedia" does not exist.
- Idiom
- (of a literary work, e.g. a new book) to be all the rage for a time; to be immensely popular
- Etymology
Confusing the character 魯 with 魚, and 亥 with 豕.
- Idiom
- typographical errors caused by similar-looking characters