Chinese Idioms and Proverbs Flashcards
to be too fond of something to part with it; mainly used to describe things
爱不释手
ài bù shì shǒu
to be clear about whom or what to love or hate
爱憎分明
ài zēng fēn míng
to be in a good situation without any problems, usually pertaining to health; refers to a person who has gone through an unforeseen event unscathed
安然无恙
ān rán wú yàng
in accordance with prescribed order; the act of following a schedule
按部就班
àn bù jiù bàn
to give up halfway; to leave something unfinished
半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
to reverse primary and secondary tasks
本末倒置
ben mò dào zhì
absolutely necessary
必不可少
bì bù ke shao
irregular; capricious
变化无常
biàn huà wú cháng
to have a unique style; describes literature, art, and architecture
别具一格
bié jù yì gé
obvious
不言而喻
bù yán ér yù
to do something synchronized without previous arrangement; a coincidence
不约而同
bù yuē ér tóng
to not know what to do; refers to an awkward or confusing situation
不知所措
bù zhī suo cuò
non-uniformity; non-standard
参差不齐
cēn cī bù qí
a massive amount
成千上万
chéng qiān shàng wàn
very close; inseparable, usually refers to two or more people
寸步不离
cùn bù bù lí
to be surprised
大吃一惊
dà chī yì jīng
hard to find; like finding a needle in a haystack
大海捞针
dà hai lāo zhēn
extremely disappointing
大失所望
dà shī suo wàng
similar in essential aspects, different in minor details
大同小异
dà tóng xiao yì
to be forgetful
丢三落四
diū sān là sì
unlike any other; to be unique; one of a kind
独一无二
dú yī wú èr
diverse
丰富多彩
fēng fù duō cai
gentle breeze and beautiful sun; describes the weather
风和日丽
fēng hé rì lì
a discussion where everyone has equals say
各抒己见
gè shū ji jiàn
friendly and amicable; usually refers to an elderly person
和蔼可亲
hé ai ke qīn
to remain fresh in one’s memory; remember vividly
记忆犹新
jì yì yóu xīn
to see improvement in the present compared to the past; can be a fact or an opinion
今非昔比
jīn fēi xī bǐ
seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times (idiom); seeing for oneself is better than hearing from many others
seeing is believing
百闻不如一见
bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn
saying something that one does not mean
口是心非
kǒu shì xīn fèi
describes one whose abilities or skill are not adequate to fulfill one’s desires
力不从心
lì bù cóng xīn
It takes more than one cold day for the river to freeze three chi deep.—The trouble has been brewing for some time. or Problems have piled up.
冰冻三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ，fēi yī rì zhī hán
a good book is like a good friend; encourages one to read books
好书如挚友
hǎo shū rú zhì yǒu
Illness enters by the mouth (idiom). Mind what you eat!
病从口入
Illness enters by the mouth, trouble comes out by the mouth (idiom). A loose tongue may cause a lot of trouble.
病从口入，祸从口出
bìng cóng kǒu rù，huò cóng kǒu chū
1 true sentiments are seen in hard times (idiom)
2 you see who your true friends are when you go through tough times together
3 you see who your true friends are when you are in difficulties
患难见真情
huàn nàn jiàn zhēn qíng
to the satisfaction of both parties
两全其美
liǎng quán qí měi
messy; describes both concrete and abstract things
乱七八糟
luàn qī bā zāo
to wish someone good luck
马到成功
mǎ dào chéng gōng
to be listless or apathetic
没精打采
méi jīng dǎ cǎi
every family has its problems
家家有本难念的经
jiā jiā yǒu nán niàn de jīng
pick up the sesame seeds but overlook the watermelons—concentrate on minor matters to the neglect of major ones
捡了芝麻丢了西瓜
jiǎn le zhī ma diū le xī guā
health is one’s greatest asset
健康是最大的财富
jiàn kāng shì zuì dà de cái fù
Gold cannot be hundred percent pure and man cannot be perfect.—No one is pe
金无足赤，人无完人
jīn wú zú chì rén wú wán rén
The gift is trifling but the feeling is profound. or (It’s nothing much, but) it’s the thought that counts.
礼轻情意重
lǐ qīng qíng yì zhòng
having only one small flaw
美中不足
měi zhōng bù zú
to change for the better
面目一新
miàn mù yì xīn
unlike any other; different
千差万别
qiān chā wàn bié
China: long-standing, time honored
历史悠久
lì shǐ yōu jiǔ
China: vast territory and abundant resources; a vast land with rich resources; a big country abounding in natural wealth
地大物博
dì dà wù bó
having much to say
千言万语
qiān yán wàn yǔ
large crowds of people
人山人海
rén shān rén hǎi
to change very quickly
日新月异
rì xīn yuè yì
very likely to happen; success within reach
十拿九稳
shí ná jiǔ wěn
perfect; flawless
十全十美
shí quán shí měi
to achieve success with little effort
事半功倍
shì bàn gōng bèi
one if the best; outstanding
数一数二
shǔ yī shǔ èr
to haggle over a price
讨价还价
tào jià huán jià
to get through a time of difficulty by settling one’s differences and working together
同舟共济
tóng zhōu gòng jì
an object that is priceless or an asset; can also refer to abstract things
无价之宝
wú jià zhī bǎo
outspoken
心直口快
xīn zhí kǒu kāi
a young idler will become an old beggar
少小不努力，老大徒伤悲
sháo xiǎo bù nǔ lì，lǎo dà tú shāng bēi
failure is the mother of success
失败是成功之母
shī bài shì chéng gōng zhī mǔ
facts speak louder than words
事实胜于雄辩
shì shí shèng yú xióng biàn
one must work hard to climb a mountain
书山有路勤为径
shū shān yǒu lù nán wéi jìng
all good things may come to an end
天下没有不散的宴席
tiān xià méi yǒu bú sàn de yàn xí
1 to do things half-heartedly
2 to merely go through the motions
敷衍了事
fū yan liǎo shì
