Idioms and proverbs: HSK 7-9 成语与俗语：HSK 七至九级

住在这里就得入乡随俗啊。

Zhù zài zhèlǐ jiù de rùxiāngsuísú a.

If you live here, you have to follow the local customs.

到了国外，你最好入乡随俗。

Dàole guówài, nǐ zuìhǎo rùxiāngsuísú.

When you're abroad, it's best to do as the locals do.

这句俗语是什么意思？

Zhè jù súyǔ shì shénme yìsi?

What does this saying mean?

你中文真好，都能引用俗语了。

Nǐ Zhōngwén zhēn hǎo, dōu néng yǐnyòng súyǔ le.

Your Chinese is so good, you can quote proverbs.

他常把这句名言挂在嘴边。

Tā cháng bǎ zhè jù míngyán guàzàizuǐbiān.

He often has this saying on his lips.

教室的墙上写着一句名言。

Jiàoshì de qiáng shàng xiězhe yíjù míngyán.

A famous saying is written on the classroom wall.

这则寓言告诉孩子要诚实。

Zhè zé yùyán gàosu háizi yào chéngshí.

This fable teaches children to be honest.

他写了一本给孩子看的寓言。

Tā xiěle yìběn gěi háizi kàn de yùyán.

He wrote a book of fables for children.

寿面不能剪断，寓意长寿。

Shòumiàn bùnéng jiǎnduàn, yùyì chángshòu.

Longevity noodles must not be cut, because they stand for a long life.

龙在中国文化里寓意吉祥。

Lóng zài Zhōngguó wénhuà lǐ yùyì jíxiáng.

In Chinese culture, the dragon symbolizes good fortune.

这个引用出自哪里？

Zhège yǐnyòng chūzì nǎlǐ?

Where does this quote come from?

他很爱说歇后语。

Tā hěn ài shuō xiēhòuyǔ.

He loves using two-part sayings.

这句话是当地人的惯用语。

Zhè jù huà shì dāngdì rén de guànyòngyǔ.

This is a colloquial expression used by the locals.

这是生活中常用的惯用语。

Zhè shì shēnghuó zhōng chángyòng de guànyòngyǔ.

This is a phrase people commonly use in daily life.

留学生觉得熟语很难。

Liúxuéshēng juéde shúyǔ hěn nán.

International students find idioms very hard.

这本书专门讲汉语熟语。

Zhè běn shū zhuānmén jiǎng Hànyǔ shúyǔ.

This book is devoted to Chinese idioms.

他一回村就说起了土话。

Tā yìhuí cūn jiù shuōqǐle tǔhuà.

As soon as he got back to the village, he started speaking the local vernacular.

游客听不懂这里的土话。

Yóukè tīngbùdǒng zhèlǐ de tǔhuà.

Tourists can't understand the local patois here.

这句话成了她的口头禅。

Zhè jù huà chéng le tā de kǒutóuchán.

That sentence has become her favorite expression.

我妈妈的口头禅是慢慢来。

Wǒ māma de kǒutóuchán shì mànmànlái.

My mom's favorite expression is "Take it slow."

散步买菜，一举两得！

Sànbù mǎicài, yìjǔliǎngdé!

Walking and shopping for groceries at once, two birds with one stone!

骑车上班真是一举两得。

Qíchē shàngbān zhēnshi yìjǔliǎngdé.

Cycling to work really does serve two purposes at once.

不要半途而废。

Búyào bàntú'érfèi.

Once you have begun to do something, never give up.

学外语不能半途而废。

Xué wàiyǔ bùnéng bàntú'érfèi.

You mustn't give up halfway when learning a foreign language.

她一心一意地工作。

Tā yìxīn-yíyì de gōngzuò.

She works with single-minded determination.

他做事一心一意，不分心。

Tā zuòshì yìxīn-yíyì, bù fēnxīn.

He is single-minded in his work and never gets distracted.

不要画蛇添足。

Búyào huàshétiānzú.

Let well alone.

已经够好了，别画蛇添足。

Yǐjīng gòu hǎole, bié huàshétiānzú.

It's already good enough, so don't spoil it by adding more.

找工作不能守株待兔。

Zhǎo gōngzuò bùnéng shǒuzhūdàitù.

You can't just sit around waiting for a job to come to you.

机会不会自己来，别守株待兔！

Jīhuì búhuì zìjǐ lái, bié shǒuzhūdàitù!

Opportunities won't come by themselves, so don't just sit and wait!

亡羊补牢，现在学也不晚。

Wángyángbǔláo, xiànzài xué yě bù wǎn.

Better late than never, it's not too late to learn now.

车丢了才装锁，亡羊补牢！

Chē diū le cái zhuāng suǒ, wángyángbǔláo!

Installing a lock after the car is stolen is locking the stable door after the horse has bolted!

旧地图找新路，是刻舟求剑。

Jiù dìtú zhǎo xīn lù, shì kèzhōuqiújiàn.

Using an old map to find a new road is futile, like marking the boat to find a lost sword.

别刻舟求剑了，情况早就变了。

Bié kèzhōuqiújiàn le, qíngkuàng zǎojiù biànle.

Stop clinging to outdated methods, because the situation changed long ago.

不看成绩就是掩耳盗铃。

Bú kàn chéngjì jiùshì yǎn'ěrdàolíng.

Refusing to look at the grades is just fooling yourself.

别掩耳盗铃了，快面对吧！

Bié yǎn'ěrdàolíng le, kuài miànduì ba!

Stop burying your head in the sand and face it!

对牛弹琴的故事你听过吗？

Duìniútánqín de gùshi nǐ tīngguo ma?

Have you heard the story of playing the lute to a cow?

跟他讲道理，简直是对牛弹琴。

Gēn tā jiǎngdàolǐ, jiǎnzhí shì duìniútánqín.

Reasoning with him is simply preaching to deaf ears.

他就像井底之蛙。

Tā jiù xiàng jǐngdǐzhīwā.

He is like a frog in a well.

多出去看看吧，别做井底之蛙。

Duō chūqù kànkan ba, bié zuò jǐngdǐzhīwā.

Go out and see more, and don't be a frog in a well.

证人的说法自相矛盾。

Zhèngrén de shuōfa zìxiāngmáodùn.

The witness's statements are inconsistent.

你刚才说的话自相矛盾。

Nǐ gāngcái shuō dehuà zìxiāngmáodùn.

What you just said contradicts itself.

我将增加画龙点睛的功能。

Wǒ jiāng zēngjiā huàlóngdiǎnjīng de gōngnéng.

I'll add the finishing touch.

结尾那句话真是画龙点睛。

Jiéwěi nà jù huà zhēnshi huàlóngdiǎnjīng.

That last sentence really clinches the point.

她胸有成竹地走上台。

Tā xiōngyǒuchéngzhú de zǒu shàngtái.

She walked onto the stage with full confidence in her plan.

他胸有成竹地走上台，开始讲话。

Tā xiōngyǒuchéngzhú de zǒu shàngtái, kāishǐ jiǎnghuà.

He walked onto the stage with a clear plan in mind and began to speak.

她理所当然的取得了胜利。

Tā lǐsuǒdāngrán de qǔdéle shènglì.

She's sure to succeed.

我理所当然地认为他会履行诺言。

Wǒ lǐsuǒdāngrán de rènwéi tā huì lǚxíng nuòyán.

I took it for granted that he would keep his word.

他在全力以赴。

Tā zài quánlì-yǐfù.

He's doing his best.

我们全力以赴来完成工作。

Wǒmen quánlì-yǐfù lái wánchéng gōngzuò.

We went all out to get the job done.

我迫不及待想见到你！

Wǒ pòbùjídài xiǎng jiàndào nǐ!

I can't wait to see you!

你是不是迫不及待想见她了？

Nǐ shìbúshì pòbùjídài xiǎngjiàn tā le?

Are you so eager to see her that you can't wait?

两个球队想取长补短。

Liǎng gè qiúduì xiǎng qǔchángbǔduǎn.

The two teams want to borrow each other's strengths to cover their weaknesses.

你该向同事取长补短。

Nǐ gāi xiàng tóngshì qǔchángbǔduǎn.

You should learn from your colleagues' strengths to improve your weak points.

别等失去了才后悔莫及。

Bié děng shīqùle cái hòuhuǐmòjí.

Don't wait until you've lost it, when regret will be too late.

错过末班车，我后悔莫及。

Cuòguò mòbānchē, wǒ hòuhuǐmòjí.

I missed the last bus and regretted it, but it was too late.

无论如何，谢了！

Wúlùnrúhé, xièle!

Thank you all the same.

无论如何，都不关你的事。

Wúlùnrúhé, dōu bù guān nǐ de shì.

In any case, it's none of your business.

经理不耻下问，请教新人。

Jīnglǐ bùchǐxiàwèn, qǐngjiào xīnrén.

The manager is not too proud to ask the newcomer for advice.

他当了校长，还是不耻下问。

Tā dāng le xiàozhǎng, háishi bùchǐxiàwèn.

Even after becoming principal, he still isn't ashamed to ask those beneath him.

光阴似箭，孩子都上大学了。

Guāngyīnsìjiàn, háizi dōu shàng dàxué le.

How time flies, and my child is already in college.

真是光阴似箭，一年又过去了！

Zhēnshi guāngyīnsìjiàn, yì nián yòu guòqù le!

Time really flies, another year has gone by!

这是一石二鸟的好办法。

Zhè shì yìshí'èrniǎo de hǎo bànfǎ.

This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

骑车上班，真是一石二鸟！

Qíchē shàngbān, zhēnshi yìshí'èrniǎo!

Cycling to work is really killing two birds with one stone!

你该趁热打铁，马上去复习。

Nǐ gāi chènrèdǎtiě, mǎshàng qù fùxí.

You should strike while the iron is hot and go review right now.

比赛赢了，教练要趁热打铁。

Bǐsài yíngle, jiàoliàn yào chènrèdǎtiě.

They won the match, so the coach wants to strike while the iron is hot.

做研究要实事求是。

Zuò yánjiū yào shíshìqiúshì.

Research should seek truth from facts.

做研究必须实事求是。

Zuò yánjiū bìxū shíshìqiúshì.

Research must seek truth from facts.

她的红色礼服使她引人注目。

Tā de hóngsè lǐfú shǐ tā yǐnrén-zhùmù.

Her red dress made her stand out.

红招牌在街上特别引人注目。

Hóng zhāopai zài jiēshang tèbié yǐnrén-zhùmù.

The red sign is especially conspicuous on the street.

大街小巷都挂满了灯笼。

Dàjiē-xiǎoxiàng dōu guà mǎnle dēnglóng.

Lanterns were hung all over the streets and alleys.

这首歌传遍了大街小巷。

Zhè shǒu gē chuánbiànle dàjiē-xiǎoxiàng.

This song has spread to every corner of the city.

他千方百计想买到票。

Tā qiānfāng-bǎijì xiǎng mǎi dào piào.

He tried every possible means to get a ticket.

他千方百计想找到工作。

Tā qiānfāng-bǎijì xiǎng zhǎodào gōngzuò.

He is trying every possible means to find a job.

消息来得太快，我措手不及。

Xiāoxi láide tài kuài, wǒ cuòshǒubùjí.

The news came so fast that I wasn't ready for it.

突然停电，大家都措手不及。

Tūrán tíngdiàn, dàjiā dōu cuòshǒubùjí.

The power suddenly went out and everyone was caught unprepared.

这首歌在中国家喻户晓。

Zhè shǒu gē zài Zhōngguó jiāyù-hùxiǎo.

This song is known to everyone in China.

这首老歌几乎家喻户晓。

Zhè shǒu lǎogē jīhū jiāyù-hùxiǎo.

This old song is known to almost everyone.

他从容不迫地走上了讲台。

Tā cóngróngbúpò de zǒu shàng le jiǎngtái.

He walked up to the podium calmly.

遇到问题，她依然从容不迫。

Yùdào wèntí, tā yīrán cóngróngbúpò.

Faced with a problem, she remains unruffled.

他理直气壮地说出了自己的想法。

Tā lǐzhíqìzhuàng de shuōchūle zìjǐ de xiǎngfǎ.

He confidently stated his views with the courage of his convictions.

他理直气壮地说：这不是我的错。

Tā lǐzhíqìzhuàng de shuō: zhè bú shì wǒ de cuò.

He said boldly and with full confidence, "This isn't my fault."

这真是好得独一无二！

Zhè zhēnshi hǎo de dúyī-wú'èr!

This is uniquely good.

每一个人都是独一无二的。

Měi yí gè rén dōu shì dúyī-wú'èr de.

Each individual person is unique.

老城区的小巷错综复杂。

Lǎochéng Qū de xiǎoxiàng cuòzōng-fùzá.

The little alleys in the old town are a tangled maze.

他家的亲戚关系真错综复杂！

Tājiā de qīnqi guānxi zhēn cuòzōng-fùzá!

The family relationships in his household are really complicated!

兄弟俩一见面就针锋相对。

Xiōngdì liǎ yí jiànmiàn jiù zhēnfēng-xiāngduì.

The two brothers go at each other the moment they meet.

对方很强硬，我们也针锋相对。

Duìfāng hěn qiángyìng, wǒmen yě zhēnfēng-xiāngduì.

The other side is tough, so we're answering them in kind.

我斩钉截铁地拒绝了。

Wǒ zhǎndīng-jiétiě de jùjuéle.

I flatly refused.

他斩钉截铁地拒绝了我。

Tā zhǎndīng-jiétiě de jùjuéle wǒ.

He turned me down flatly and without hesitation.

工作太多，他力不从心。

Gōngzuò tài duō, tā lìbùcóngxīn.

There's too much work, and he can't keep up.

爬山我已经力不从心了。

Páshān wǒ yǐjīng lìbùcóngxīn le.

I'm no longer up to climbing mountains.

车祸现场的画面触目惊心。

Chēhuò xiànchǎng de huàmiàn chùmù-jīngxīn.

The scene of the car accident was horrible to look at.

这份报告里的数字触目惊心。

Zhè fèn bàogào lǐ de shùzì chùmù-jīngxīn.

The figures in this report are shocking.

他开车时总是提心吊胆。

Tā kāichē shí zǒngshì tíxīn-diàodǎn.

He is always on edge when he drives.

他整天提心吊胆，怕被老板批评。

Tā zhěngtiān tíxīn-diàodǎn, pà bèi lǎobǎn pīpíng.

He is on edge all day, afraid of being criticized by the boss.

胃里如同千军万马开过。

Wèi lǐ rútóng qiānjūn-wànmǎ kāiguo.

An army marches on its stomach.

鼓声一响，像千军万马冲来。

Gǔshēng yì xiǎng, xiàng qiānjūn-wànmǎ chōng lái.

When the drums sounded, it was like a mighty army charging in.