Chengyu and Suyu from English to Chinese Flashcards
“firm and unswerving, steadfeast and unchanging, resolute”
坚定不移
“draw attention, noticeable, conspicuous”
引人注目
a gentlemen never goes backwards
好马不吃回头草
“a piece of cake”
小菜一碟
hell freezes over
used as predicate or singly (slightly derogatory)
太阳从西边出来
“adapt to local conditions”
因地制宜
“self-contradictory”
自相矛盾
Very many of.
成千上万
“outstanding, and having effect”; “highly effective”
卓有成效
Functions as attributive; often preceeded by 进行， 开展 often matches with 合作
“a matter of great urgency”
当务之急
nominal element, functions as object or subject
“be one’s own master”
独立自主
This is a foreign policy of China, so frequently used in diplomatic contexts; functions as object or adverbial
“talent being fully exposed, talent revealing itself”
脱颖而出
functions as predicate
frequently refering to doing exams or competitions etc.
“speak of the devil”
说曹操，曹操到
more common to use “shuo1ren2ren2dao4”
“jinx” (person believed to bring bad luck, by saying negative things)
乌鸦嘴
object or predicative
slightly derogatory
“halfwit”, “peabrain”
二百五
er4bai3wu3
“one can never be too careful”
不怕一万，就怕万一
bu2pa4yi2wan4,jiu4pa4wan4yi1
netural, used singly
“a fall in the pit, a gain in your wit”
吃一堑，长一智
chi1yi2qian4, zhang3yi2zhi4
predicate
have no alternative
“helpless, have no way out”
无可奈何
functions mainly as predicate or adverbial modifier
usually used with serious things
“no one can explain it; unable to make head nor tail”
莫名其貌
original meaning was too beautiful to be understood sometimes still has that conotation but not always
predicate, complement or adverbial modifier
frequently used with 让人-, 感到-, -的话, -病 (not sure how or why ill)
“rely on oneself”
自力更生
zi4li4geng1sheng1
mainly predicate and adverbial
positive often used in slogans, frequently paired with other idioms;
frequently paired with other expressions talking about working hard.
“just as in the past”
“formerly”, “in the past”
一如既往
yi4ru2ji4wang3
frequently precided with “将” will
adverbial;
“confusing, hard to distinguish, all mixed up”
“things are intricate and complicated and difficult to distinguish clearly”
扑朔迷离
pu1shuo4mi2li2
often serves as predicate and sometimes as attributive, usually at end of sentence
“to flout reality”; “to tell bald-faced lies”
睁着眼睛说瞎话zheng1zhe yan3jing shuo1 xia1 hua4
Predicate
Slightly derogatory
“one is marked by the company one keeps”
近朱者赤，近墨者黑
jin4 zhu1zhe3 chi4, jin4 mo4zhe3 hei1
used alone; neutral
“that which is rare is dear”
物以稀为贵
wu4 yi3 xi1 wei2 gui4
used singly or as a predicate
neutral
“every potter praises his own pot”
王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸
Wang2po2mai4gua1, zi4mai4zi4kua1
used singly; slightly derogatory in meaning
“unthinkable, inconceivable”
不可思议
bu4 ke3 si1 yi4
predicate and attributive
“persist, persevering, unremitting”
坚持不懈
jian1chi2bu2xie4
“in short supply”, supply does not meet demand
供不应求
gong1bu4ying4qiu2
“in short supply”, supply does not meet demand
Predicate abd attributive; as attrubutive usually followed by 局面， 情况，现象
“implement with efficiency”, “efficient”
行之有效
xing2 zhi1 you3 xiao4
often followed by 办法，方法，做法，措施，政策
“as is known to all”
周所周知
zhong4suo3zhou1zhi1
“as is known to all”
Used in writing
Not known to my tutor, meaning “talk is cheap, to be an armchair quaterback”
站着说话不腰疼
zhan4zhe shuo1hua4 bu4 yao1teng2
Not known to my tutor, meaning “talk is cheap, to be an armchair quaterback”
predicate; slightly derogatory and humerous
“all good things must come to an end”
天下没有不散的筵席
tiān xià méi yǒu bù sàn de yán xí
used singly; neutral in meaning
“to have something fall into your lap”; slighly derogatory
天上掉馅饼
tian1shang diao4 xian4bing3
“to have something fall into your lap”; slighly derogatory
“do unto others as you have them do unto you”; used singly; neutral in meaning
己所不欲，勿施与人
ji3 suo3 bu2 yu4, wu4 shi1 yu2 ren2
“do unto others as you have them do unto you”; used singly; neutral in meaning
Quite formal - full of interest and enthusiasm
兴致勃勃
Xing4 zhi4 bo2bo2
Adverbial offten followd by 参观canguan, 参加canjia, 游览youlian and 访问fangwen.
Complementary.
Bo2 = flourishing
to achieve overnight success, to amaze with a single brilliant feat.
不鸣则已, 一鸣惊人
yi4ming2jing1ren2
(bu4ming2ze2yi1, very normal) - often used before
mainly predicate, can also be attrubutive and adverbial
to be unable to clear on’e sname;
the more you wash the dirtier you get
逃进黄河也洗不清
tiao4jin4Huang2he2xi3bu2qing3
predicate or predictive
neuatral or humerous;
to suck up to someone
拍马屁
pai1ma3pi4
predicate
derogatory in meaning
“think of all kinds of ways. Try every possible means”
想方设法
xiang3fang1she4fa3
Mainly a predicate, followed by verb
When encountering difficulties he always tries every possible way to resolve them himself.
“innumerable households; every family”
千家万户
qian1jia1wan4hu4
Nominal element; functions mainly as object or subject
“to play a decisive role, to be pivotal in importance”
举足轻重
ju3zu2qing1zhong4
Functions mainly as attributive often followed by:
地位， 作用，影响，人物，角色
Chinese electronics has a XXX place in the world.
“see what is right and have the courage to do it”
见义勇为
jian4yi4yong2wei2
Functions as attributive;
complementary in meaninng
“attract world-wide attention”
“the entire world focuses its attention on”
举世瞩目
ju3shi4zhu3mu4
functions mainly as attributive followed often by
成就，成绩
“love is blind”
always used for women.
情人眼里出西施
qing2ren2yan3li3chu1xi1shi1
Used singly
Neutral or humerous in meaning
I coulnd’t care less
that’s above my pay grade
打酱油
da3 jiang4you2
functions as predicate
humerous from internet 2008 meme
wait and see
走着瞧
zou3zhe qiao2
functions as predicate
slightly derogatory or neutral
to throw caution to the wind
不管三七二十一
functions as predicate or used singly
slightly derogatory
To be careful and cautious;
“Archelological workers very carefully and cautionously inspect every item from the arrchieological site”
“his life is overcautions; regarding every matter, he is careful and cautious, deathly afraid that he will cause others to be upset”
小心翼翼
xiao3xin1yi4yi4
To be careful and cautious;
often used adverbially to mean “cautiously”
mainly an adverbial but can also serve as predicate
literal: the source of a strema is distant and the water flows a long distance
Freer translation: age-old, long-standing, well-established;
functions mainly as predicate but can also serve as attributive
China has an age-old tea culture
The friendship between the people’s of the two coutnries is long-standing and well-established.
源远流长
yuan2 yuan3 liu2 chang2
