Idioms and proverbs Chinese vocabulary: Outside HSK

你这样不是叶公好龙吗？

Nǐ zhèyàng bú shì Yè Gōnghàolóng ma?

Aren't you just pretending to love something you actually fear?

她对书法只是叶公好龙。

Tā duì shūfǎ zhǐshì Yè Gōnghàolóng.

Her professed love of calligraphy is only for show.

别狐假虎威，吓唬不了我。

Bié hújiǎhǔwēi, xiàhu bù liǎo wǒ.

Stop borrowing someone else's power; you can't scare me.

他只会狐假虎威，欺负新同事。

Tā zhǐ huì hújiǎhǔwēi, qīfu xīn tóngshì.

He only throws around his boss's authority to bully the new coworkers.

他一听到响声就杯弓蛇影。

Tā yì tīngdào xiǎngshēng jiù bēigōngshéyǐng.

He gets jumpy at the slightest noise.

别杯弓蛇影，那只是风声。

Bié bēigōngshéyǐng, nà zhǐshì fēngshēng.

Don't be paranoid, that's just the sound of the wind.

太着急学，只会拔苗助长。

Tài zháojí xué, zhǐ huì bámiáozhùzhǎng.

Being too impatient in learning will only backfire.

别逼孩子了，那是拔苗助长。

Bié bī háizi le, nà shì bámiáozhùzhǎng.

Stop pushing your child, that's only going to do harm.

塞翁失马的故事你听过吗？

Sàiwēngshīmǎ de gùshi nǐ tīngguo ma?

Have you heard the story of the old man who lost his horse?

这次失败也许是塞翁失马。

Zhècì shībài yěxǔ shì sàiwēngshīmǎ.

This failure may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

别拿次品滥竽充数。

Bié ná cìpǐn lànyúchōngshù.

Don't pass off inferior goods just to make up the numbers.

我在队里只是滥竽充数。

Wǒ zài duì lǐ zhǐshì lànyúchōngshù.

I'm only a token member of the team.

九牛一毛是什么意思？

Jiǔniúyìmáo shì shénme yìsi?

What does "one hair from nine oxen" mean?

我会的只是九牛一毛。

Wǒ huì de zhǐshì jiǔniúyìmáo.

What I know is just a drop in the ocean.

只要努力，有志者事竟成。

Zhǐyào nǔlì, yǒuzhìzhěshìjìngchéng.

Just work hard; where there's a will, there's a way.

有志者事竟成，你别放弃！

Yǒuzhìzhěshìjìngchéng, nǐ bié fàngqì!

Where there's a will, there's a way, so don't give up!

培养人才，百年树人啊。

Péiyǎng réncái, bǎiniánshùrén a.

Nurturing talent takes a very long time.

百年树人，教育不能急。

Bǎiniánshùrén, jiàoyù bùnéng jí.

Raising people takes many years, so education can't be rushed.

重读经典能温故知新。

Chóngdú jīngdiǎn néng wēngùzhīxīn.

Rereading the classics lets you gain new insight from old ideas.

考试前我常常温故知新。

Kǎoshì qián wǒ chángcháng wēngùzhīxīn.

Before exams I often review old material to learn something new.

比赛前要知己知彼。

Bǐsài qián yào zhījǐzhībǐ.

Before a match, you need to know yourself and your opponent.

想赢球，就得知己知彼。

Xiǎng yíngqiú, jiù de zhījǐzhībǐ.

If you want to win the game, you have to know yourself and your opponent.

兄弟吵架，但血浓于水。

Xiōngdì chǎojià, dàn xuènóngyúshuǐ.

The brothers quarreled, but blood is thicker than water.

哑巴吃黄连,有苦难言

yǎbachīhuánglián,yǒu kǔnàn yán

a mute eating bitter goldthread: bitter and unable to speak of it

我只好哑巴吃黄连了。

Wǒ zhǐhǎo yǎbachīhuánglián le.

I had no choice but to suffer in silence.

这篇文章言简意赅。

Zhè piān wénzhāng yánjiǎnyìgāi.

This article is brief but meaningful.

这条说明言简意赅吗？

Zhè tiáo shuōmíng yánjiǎnyìgāi ma?

Is this instruction concise and clear?

墙上的警句是什么意思？

Qiáng shàng de jǐngjù shì shénme yìsi?

What does the maxim on the wall mean?

你能告诉我这句警句是谁说的吗？

Nǐ néng gàosu wǒ zhè jù jǐngjù shì shéi shuō de ma?

Can you tell me who said this aphorism?

他说的话真发人深省。

Tā shuō de huà zhēn fārénshēnxǐng.

What he said was really thought-provoking.

老人的一番话发人深省。

Lǎorén de yìfān huà fārénshēnxǐng.

The old man's words made everyone reflect deeply.

早睡早起是老生常谈了。

Zǎoshuìzǎoqǐ shì lǎoshēngchángtán le.

Going to bed and getting up early is an old refrain by now.

校长的讲话又是老生常谈。

Xiàozhǎng de jiǎnghuà yòu shì lǎoshēngchángtán.

The principal's talk was the same old commonplaces again.

这篇文章满是陈词滥调。

Zhè piān wénzhāng mǎn shì chéncílàndiào.

This article is full of clichés.

别再说陈词滥调了，好吗？

Bié zàishuō chéncílàndiào le, hǎo ma?

Could you stop spouting truisms, please?

老人送我一句金玉良言。

Lǎorén sòng wǒ yíjù jīnyùliángyán.

The old man gave me a piece of priceless advice.

当时我没听进去这番金玉良言。

Dāngshí wǒ méi tīng jìnqù zhè fān jīnyùliángyán.

Back then I didn't take in this priceless advice.