Pre U Mandarin: Idioms Flashcards
骑虎难下
(qí hǔ nán xià）
Lit -Who rides on a tiger can never dismount.
Unable to back down or quit; unable to extricate oneself from a difficult situation
画蛇添足
(huà shé tiān zú)
Lit: to paint snake and then add feet to it
Fig: To do unnecessary things; to do something superfluously, to spoil something
坐井观天
(zuò jǐng guān tiān)
Lit: Looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.
Fig: Having a narrow view/outlook; ignorant and narrow-minded
拔苗助长
(bá miaó zhù zhǎng)
Lit: to pull the shoots to help them grow higher
Fig: to spoil something because of a desire for quick success or Ruin something by forcing its development and disregarding its natural course.
对牛弹琴
(duì niú tán qín)
Lit: play the lute to a cow
Fig: Address the wrong audience; talk over someone’s head
纸上谈兵
(zhǐ shàng tán bīng)
Lit: Discussing military tactics on paper.
Fig: to have unrealistic ideas; talks armchair strategies
自相矛盾
(zì xiāng máo dùn)
Lit: The (best) spear against the (best) shield.
Fig: Self-contradictory; To say or do something to contradict oneself;
入乡随俗
(rù xiāng suí sú)
Lit: enter an area and follow the local customs.
Fig: When in Rome, do as the Romans do; to act like a local
覆水难收
(fù shuǐ nán shōu)
Lit: It is hard to collect water which has already been poured out
Fig: Things done can’t be undone, it is no use crying over spilt milk
唇亡齿寒
(chún wáng chǐ hán)
Lit: The teeth will feel cold if lips are gone.
Fig: This expression describes closely related interests. The first cannot survive without the second.
如鱼得水
(rú yŭ dé shuĭ)
Lit: like a fish back in water
Fig: In agreebale circumstances
亡羊补牢
(wáng yáng bŭ láo)
Lit: to mend the sheepfold after sheep are lost.
Fig:; to take precautions and action after suffering a loss (to prevent future loss)
饮水思源
(yĭn shuĭ sī yuán)
Lit: when drinking water, think of its source
Fig: grateful for favours received or not to forget one’s origins
打草惊蛇
(dă căo jīng shé)
Lit: beat the grass and startle the snake in hiding
Fig: fail to keep one’s actions secret, thereby allowing others to take precautions
四海为家
(sì hăi wéi jiā)
Lit: to regard the four corners of the world all as home.
Fig: (in one’s wanderings) make one’s home wherever one may be; to be at home everywhere.
青出于蓝
(qīng chū yú lán)
Lit: Indigo blue is extracted from the indigo plant (but is bluer than the plant is comes from)/ Indigo came out of blue, but is prettier than blue.
the pupil surpasses the master
塞翁失马
- (sài wēng shī mǎ)
- Lit: the old frontiersman, Saiweng, losing one of his horses.
- Fig: A loss may turn out to be a gain, A blessing in disguise; every cloud has a silver lining.
闻鸡起舞
- (wén jī qǐ wǔ）
- Lit: Rise up upon hearing the crow of a rooster and practise with the sword
- Fig: Diligent and self-disciplined
愚公移山
- (yú ɡōnɡ yí shān）
- Lit: Yu Gong (the foolish old man in a Chinese parable) who removes the mountains.
- Fig: Where there is a will, there is a way; do seemingly impossible things with dogged perseverance and succeed eventually
过目不忘
- (guò mù bù wàng）
- Lit: Once read something, one will never forget
- Fig: to have a highly retentive memory
水落石出
- (shuǐ luò shí chū)
- Lit: When the water subsides, the rocks emerge.
- Fig: Eventually truth will prevail
草船借箭
- (cǎo chuán jiè jiàn)
- Lit: To borrow arrows by using boats with jacks of straw
- Fig: To use others’ manpower and resources for one’s own ends
步步为营
- (bù bù wéi yíng)
- Lit: Advance gradually and dig in at every step
- Fig: Act cautiously, to consolidate at every step
草木皆兵
- (cǎo mù jiē bīng)
- Lit: One thinks that grass and tree everywhere are enemy soliders
Be in a state of extreme suspicion and fear
鸟语花香
- (niǎo yǔ huā xiāng)
- Lit: Birds sing and flowers give forth fragrance.
- Fig: As on a fine spring day
