cheng yu 160-220 Flashcards
塞翁失马 meaning
a loss may turn out to be a gain, or that bad luck can bring good fortune
三思而行 meaning
don’t act before you’ve thought it through carefully
杀鸡取卵 meaning
eager for immediate gain that they destroy a source of long-term benefit. It refers to a short-sighted action that sacrifices future potential for present rewards.
伤天害理 meaning
behavior that is cruel, unjust, and against the principles of humanity.
舍己为人 meaning
(shě jǐ wèi rén)
to sacrifice oneself for others.
实事求是 meaning
(shíshì qiúshì,)
To seek truth from facts; to be practical and realistic.
事半功倍 meaning
(shì bàn gōng bèi)
To achieve twice the result with half the effort; to be highly efficient.
视死如归 meaning
(shì sǐ rú guī)
To face death fearlessly, with the same calm as going home; to be prepared to sacrifice one’s life.
守望相助 meaning
(shǒu wàng xiāng zhù)
To watch and help one another; to support and assist each other in times of need.
守株待兔 meaning
(shǒu zhū dài tù)
To stand by a tree stump waiting for a rabbit to bump into it; to wait idly for opportunities instead of taking initiative.
熟能生巧 meaning
(shú néng shēng qiǎo)
Practice makes perfect; through practice, one becomes proficient and skillful.
水到渠成 meaning
(shuǐ dào qú chéng)
When the conditions are right, success will naturally follow; things will fall into place naturally when the time is right.
水落石出 meaning
(shuǐ luò shí chū)
When the water subsides, the rocks emerge; the truth will eventually come out.
司空见惯 meaning
(sī kōng jiàn guàn)
Something that is so common that it is no longer surprising; a usual or everyday occurrence.
四面楚歌 meaning
(sì miàn chǔ gē)
Surrounded on all sides by enemies; to be in a situation where one is completely isolated and under attack from all directions.
损人利己 meaning
(sǔn rén lì jǐ)
To harm others in order to benefit oneself; selfish behavior at the expense of others.
螳臂当车 meaning
(táng bì dāng chē)
To overestimate one’s abilities and attempt to confront a task beyond one’s capabilities; to act beyond one’s power.
桃李满天下 meaning
(táo lǐ mǎn tiān xià)
To have many successful and accomplished students; to have widespread influence as a teacher.
天渊之别 meaning
(tiān yuān zhī bié)
A vast difference; a significant gap or contrast between two things.
挑拨离间 meaning
(tiǎo bō lí jiàn)
To incite discord and create divisions between people; to sow seeds of conflict or mistrust.
铤而走险 meaning
(tǐng ér zǒu xiǎn)
To take desperate risks; to resort to dangerous or illegal actions when faced with dire circumstances.
同甘共苦 meaning
(tóng gān gòng kǔ)
To share both joys and sorrows; to go through both good and bad times together.
同流合污 meaning
(tóng liú hé wū)
To associate with others who are corrupt or engage in unethical behavior; to compromise one’s integrity by joining in with wrongdoing.
同心协力 meaning
(tóng xīn xié lì)
To work together with unity and determination; to pool efforts and collaborate effectively towards a common goal.
同舟共济 meaning
(tóng zhōu gòng jì)
To work together in times of difficulty; to support each other and collaborate in overcoming challenges.
徒劳无功 meaning
(tú láo wú gōng)
To work in vain; to make efforts that ultimately achieve nothing or produce no result.
退避三舍 meaning
(tuì bì sān shè)
To yield or withdraw to avoid conflict; to retreat or back off in the face of opposition or potential trouble.
万古流芳 meaning
(wàn gǔ liú fāng)
To be remembered with lasting honor and admiration; to leave a legacy that endures through the ages.
万事具备 meaning
(wàn shì jù bèi)
Everything is ready and prepared; all the necessary arrangements have been made.
望尘莫及 meaning
(wàng chén mò jí)
To be far out of reach; to be so superior that others can only admire from afar without hope of catching up.
忘恩负义 meaning
(wàng ēn fù yì)
To be ungrateful and disloyal; to forget past kindnesses and act contrary to the obligations of friendship or support.
危言耸听 meaning
(wēi yán sǒng tīng)
To use exaggerated or sensational statements to alarm or scare people; to stir up panic with dramatic claims.
为非作歹 meaning
(wéi fēi zuò dǎi)
To engage in all sorts of illegal or immoral activities; to commit crimes and cause trouble.
为虎作伥 meaning
(wèi hǔ zuò chāng)
To act as an accomplice or aid someone in wrongdoing; to help or support someone who is doing bad deeds, often at one’s own expense.
未雨绸缪 meaning
(wèi yǔ chóu móu)
To prepare for a rainy day; to make preparations or take precautions ahead of time to avoid potential problems.
温故知新 meaning
(wēn gù zhī xīn)
To review the old and learn the new; by revisiting past knowledge, one gains a deeper understanding of new information or concepts.
温文尔雅 meaning
(wēn wén ěr yǎ)
Gentle, cultured, and refined in manner; having a polite and graceful demeanor.
心猿意马 meaning
(xīn yuán yì mǎ)
To be restless and unfocused; having a wandering mind and scattered thoughts.
乌合之众 meaning
(wū hé zhī zhòng)
A disorganized and chaotic group; a crowd lacking unity and structure.
闻鸡起舞 meaning
(wén jī qǐ wǔ)
To be highly motivated and diligent; to start working hard at the first sign of opportunity.
乌烟瘴气 meaning
(wū yān zhàng qì)
Thick smoke and noxious fumes; used metaphorically to describe a chaotic or polluted environment.
卧薪尝胆 meaning
(wò xīn cháng dǎn)
To endure hardship and make great efforts for future success; to suffer and work hard with the goal of achieving something significant.
无可厚非 meaning
(wú kě hòu fēi)
Understandable and not deserving of criticism; it is reasonable and should not be overly criticized.
无微不至 meaning
(wú wēi bù zhì)
Attentive to every detail; showing care and consideration in every aspect.
五体投地 meaning
(wǔ tǐ tóu dì)
To be deeply impressed and filled with admiration; to prostrate oneself out of profound respect.
相辅相成 meaning
(xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng)
To complement and enhance each other; when different elements work together harmoniously to achieve a common goal.
幸灾乐祸 meaning
(xìng zāi lè huò)
To take pleasure in others’ misfortunes; to be gloating or delighted at someone else’s problems or suffering.
胸有成竹 meaning
(xiōng yǒu chéng zhú)
To have a clear plan or confidence about something; to be fully prepared and know what to do or say.
袖手旁观 meaning
(xiù shǒu páng guān)
To stand by and watch without taking action; to be a passive observer rather than intervening or helping in a situation.
雪中送炭 meaning
(xuě zhōng sòng tàn)
To offer timely help or support in a difficult situation; to provide crucial aid when it is most needed.
虚怀若谷 meaning
(xū huái ruò gǔ)
To be modest and open-minded; to be willing to learn from others and accept criticism, reflecting a humble attitude.
悬崖勒马 meaning
(xuán yá lè mǎ)
To pull back from a dangerous or risky situation just in time; to stop oneself from making a potentially disastrous mistake.
削足适履 meaning
(xuē zú shì lǚ)
To make unnecessary or ill-fitting adjustments to oneself to meet external requirements; to conform in a way that is not practical or suitable. Cutting feet to fit shoes
一帆风顺 meaning
(yī fān fēng shùn)
Smooth sailing; to have everything go smoothly and without any obstacles.
夜郎自大 meaning
(yè láng zì dà)
To be arrogantly self-important or overconfident, often without justification; to have an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.
循循善诱 meaning
(xún xún shàn yòu)
To instruct or guide someone with patience and care; to teach in a methodical and encouraging manner.
掩耳盗铃 meaning
(yǎn ěr dào líng)
To deceive oneself or ignore reality in an attempt to avoid dealing with a problem; literally “to cover one’s ears while stealing a bell,” implying a futile effort to avoid facing the truth.
一败涂地 meaning
(yī bài tú dì)
To suffer a complete and utter defeat; to fail thoroughly and disastrously.
一鼓作气 meaning
(yī gǔ zuò qì)
To make a final push with all one’s strength and energy; to complete a task in one go, using one’s full momentum.
一见如故 meaning
(yī jiàn rú gù)
To feel an immediate and natural familiarity with someone upon first meeting; to experience a sense of being old friends.
