Chinese idioms (惯用语)

亮黄牌 liànghuángpái

show the yellow card

To give a formal warning, as a referee does for a foul in sport.
亮牌子 liàngpáizi

show one's sign

Either to reveal one's identity or position, or to state one's views openly.
撩面纱 liāomiànshā

lift the veil

To uncover the truth or reveal what was hidden; same as 揭面纱.
聊山海经 liáoshānhǎijīng

chat about the Classic of Mountains and Seas

To chat idly about everything under the sun, as the ancient book is full of myths and wonders.
撩虎须 liáohǔxū

tickle the tiger's whiskers

To take a risk by challenging a powerful person. Close to "beard the lion in his den" or "poke the bear".
尥蹶子 liàojuězi

kick backward with the hooves

Said of a donkey or horse kicking out; figuratively, to throw a tantrum or refuse to obey. Mildly critical or humorous.
撂挑子 liàotiāozi

put down the carrying pole

To drop the load and quit a job or walk off the task, often in anger. Critical.
领头雁 lǐngtóuyàn

lead goose

The leader of a group, like the goose at the front of the flock. Approving.
领头羊 lǐngtóuyáng

lead sheep

A leader or pace-setter, usually written 带头羊. Approving, much used for leading companies or people.
溜沟子 liūgōuzi

lick the buttock crease

To fawn on and flatter people shamelessly. Crude and contemptuous; compare "kiss up to" or "brown-nose".

May offend: vulgar language
溜墙根 liūqiánggēn

slip along the foot of the wall

To creep along by the wall, acting furtively or suspiciously.
留后路 liúhòulù

leave a path behind

To keep a way of retreat or escape open for yourself.
留后手 liúhòushǒu

keep a move in reserve

To hold something back in advance so as not to be left helpless later. Somewhat cautious or guarded.
留胡子 liúhúzi

grow a beard

Same as 留尾巴: to leave a matter unfinished with loose ends.
留活口儿 liúhuókǒur

leave a live opening

To not shut every door; to leave room to manoeuvre or negotiate.
留声机 liúshēngjī

gramophone

A person with no views of their own who just repeats what others say. Mocking, like "parrot".
留尾巴 liúwěiba

leave a tail

To leave a matter unfinished, with problems still outstanding.
流水账 liúshuǐzhàng

running account

Literally an undivided daily ledger; figuratively a talk or piece of writing that just lists material without a focus. Critical.
六月霜 liùyuèshuāng

frost in June

Something that can't possibly happen. It also recalls a legend of injustice, but here it just means the impossible.
龙虎斗 lónghǔdòu

dragon and tiger fight

A contest between two evenly matched, strong sides. Neutral to admiring, often used of sports or rivalries.
笼中鸟 lóngzhōngniǎo

bird in a cage

Someone controlled by others and without freedom, or someone sheltered in a narrow world who can't face hardship or see the wider world.
漏网鱼 lòuwǎngyú

fish that slipped through the net

A person who escaped capture or disaster by luck, typically a criminal who evaded arrest.
露锋芒 lòufēngmáng

show the sharp edge

To show off one's talent or ability, sometimes with a hint of being too forward.
露狐狸尾巴 lòu húli wěiba

show the fox's tail

A bad person reveals their true, wicked nature. Critical. Similar to 'show one's true colours'.
露两手 lòuliǎngshǒu

show two hands

To show off one's skill. The book notes it is usually written 露一手.
露马脚 lòumǎjiǎo

show the horse's hoof

To give oneself away through a slip that exposes a secret or deception. Like 'let the cat out of the bag'.
露头角 lòutóujiǎo

show the horns on one's head

To begin to show one's talent, usually of a young person emerging. Approving.
露尾巴 lòuwěiba

show the tail

To let a flaw or secret slip out and be detected.
露馅子 lòuxiànzi

the filling shows

A concealed secret finally comes out, like filling spilling from a dumpling.
露一手 lòuyīshǒu

show one hand

To show off a skill or talent, often in a lively, friendly way: 'show what you can do'.
露水官 lùshuǐguān

dew official

An official who holds a post only briefly, like dew that vanishes in the morning. Slightly mocking.
驴唇不对马嘴 lǘchún bù duì mǎzuǐ

a donkey's lip doesn't fit a horse's mouth

Of an answer that has nothing to do with the question, or statements that contradict each other.
驴打滚 lǘdǎgǔn

donkey rolling

A form of usury where unpaid interest is added to the principal and keeps compounding, growing ever larger.
驴肝肺 lǘgānfèi

donkey liver and lungs

Appears in 好心当成驴肝肺: one's kind intentions are taken as ill will.
捋虎须 lǚhǔxū

stroke the tiger's whiskers

To take a risk by flattering a dangerous or ruthless person. Also used for daring to provoke the powerful.
绿豆官 lǜdòuguān

mung bean official

A petty, low-ranking official; see 芝麻绿豆官. Mildly mocking.
乱搭车 luàndāchē

hop on a vehicle at random

To improperly take advantage of an activity or opportunity, such as adding unrelated charges or tagging along. Critical.
乱点鸳鸯谱 luàn diǎn yuānyāng pǔ

randomly pairing mandarin ducks

To match people up carelessly, as in marriage, or to force people to work together regardless of fit. Mildly critical.
乱放炮 luànfàngpào

fire cannons at random

To speak carelessly and make loud remarks without regard to the facts. Critical; like 'shooting your mouth off'.
乱放枪 luànfàngqiāng

fire guns at random

A variant of 乱放炮: to sound off recklessly without regard to the facts. Critical.
乱了手脚 luànleshǒujiǎo

hands and feet thrown into disorder

To be flustered and not know what to do, usually when something unexpected happens. Close to 'lose one's head'.
乱弹琴 luàntánqín

play the zither at random

To talk or act nonsensically or in a way that ignores the right method. Often used as a rebuke: 'What nonsense!' or 'Stop messing about.'
乱阵脚 luànzhènjiǎo

the battle line falls into disorder

To become flustered and lose one's composure under pressure, as an army does when its formation is broken. Often used in the form 'don't lose your head'.
锣齐鼓不齐 luó qí gǔ bù qí

the gongs are together but the drums are not

Said of a group that fails to act in step or coordinate. Mildly critical.
螺丝钉 luósīdīng

screw

A person who does a small but necessary job and does it faithfully, without being in charge. Usually approving; 'a cog in the machine' is similar but more neutral.
落圈套 luòquāntào

fall into a trap

To be caught by a scheme someone has laid and be unable to get free. Same as 'fall into a trap'.
落水狗 luòshuǐgǒu

dog fallen in the water

A bad person who has lost power and is down on their luck. Contemptuous; people often add that one should keep beating them.
落汤鸡 luòtāngjī

chicken fallen into hot soup

A person soaked through and looking bedraggled. Humorous; like 'drowned rat'.
马大哈 mǎdàhā

Ma Daha (careless, sloppy, giggly)

A careless, slapdash person, or carelessness itself. Mildly critical or teasing; it comes from a character in a comic dialogue and is a made-up name built from three words for sloppiness.
马蜂窝 mǎfēngwō

hornet's nest

A person or matter that is troublesome and best left alone; stirring it up brings trouble. Like 'a hornet's nest' in English, as in 'stir up a hornet's nest'.
马后炮 mǎhòupào

a cannon behind the horse

Comments or measures offered after the event, when it is too late to help. Critical or mocking. From a chess move; close to 'hindsight' or 'Monday-morning quarterbacking'.
马拉松 mǎlāsōng

marathon

Something that goes on for a very long time, such as a marathon meeting or negotiation. Often mildly complaining, but neutral in tone.
马屁精 mǎpìjīng

horse-rump spirit

A flatterer who fawns on the powerful; a toady or brown-noser. Contemptuous.

May offend: vulgar language
马前卒 mǎqiánzú

foot soldier before the horse

Someone who runs errands or does the bidding of a powerful person; a lackey or henchman. Mildly contemptuous.
蚂蚁啃骨头 mǎyǐ kěn gǔtou

ants gnawing a bone

Finishing a huge task bit by bit through small efforts and perseverance. Approving. Like 'Rome wasn't built in a day' or 'slow and steady'.
骂人不吐核儿 màrén bù tǔhúr

curse people without spitting out the pit

Describes someone who curses in an especially nasty, cutting way.
买后悔药 mǎihòuhuǐyào

buy regret medicine

To wish one could undo a mistake; see 吃后悔药. Usually said when it is too late to take back what was done.
卖膏药 màigāoyao

sell plasters

Short for 卖狗皮膏药: to deceive with smooth talk. See that entry.
卖狗皮膏药 mài gǒupí gāoyao

sell dog-skin plasters

To deceive people with glib talk and empty promises, like old travelling quacks. Critical. Close to 'peddle snake oil'.
卖关子 màiguānzi

sell the crux

To stop at the key point to keep people in suspense, as a storyteller does. Mildly critical or teasing; like 'keep someone in suspense'.
卖后悔药 màihòuhuǐyào

sell regret medicine

To help someone make up for the results of a mistake.
卖驴肝肺 màilǘgānfèi

sell donkey liver and lungs

To give bad advice or play dirty tricks on someone. Critical.
卖片儿汤 màipiànrtāng

sell noodle-flake soup

To fool people with pleasant words that have no substance, like a soup that is mostly water and leaves you hungry.
卖破绽 màipòzhàn

sell a flaw

To leave a deliberate slip in what you say or do so as to lure someone into a trap.
卖人情 màirénqíng

sell a favour

To do someone a small favour deliberately so they feel indebted. Mildly critical; like 'curry favour'.
卖哑药 màiyǎyào

sell mute medicine

To speak cryptically or deliberately say nothing, leaving others unable to work out what you mean. Mildly critical.
满脸花 mǎnliǎnhuā

face full of flowers

Describes a face covered in cuts and bruises from injury.
满堂彩 mǎntángcǎi

cheers filling the hall

Everyone present applauds and shouts approval; a great success with the audience.
满堂灌 mǎntángguàn

pour into the whole hall

A teaching method where the teacher lectures the whole lesson and students just listen. Critical.
满堂红 mǎntánghóng

a hall full of red

From a red lantern that lights up completely; means total victory or flourishing success in every area.
满天飞 mǎntiānfēi

flying all over the sky

Rushing about everywhere; also used of things that appear or spread all over the place. Often mildly critical.
满天星 mǎntiānxīng

sky full of stars

Either seeing stars from a blow or dizziness, or things scattered widely and without pattern.
满嘴跑火车 mǎnzuǐ pǎo huǒchē

a mouth full of running trains

To talk wildly and exaggerate with no regard for facts. Critical or teasing; like 'talking nonsense' or 'full of hot air'.
盲人骑瞎马 mángrén qí xiāmǎ

a blind man riding a blind horse

Acting blindly and recklessly, in great danger. From the full line 'at midnight facing a deep pool'.
猫吃腥 māochīxīng

a cat with a taste for fishy meat

A man who lusts after women, or one greedy for bribes, like a cat that can't resist the smell of fish. Critical.
毛毛雨 máomaoyǔ

fine drizzle

A trifling matter not worth mentioning; 'small potatoes', 'a piece of cake'.
冒牌货 màopáihuò

fake-brand goods

A counterfeit; also a person falsely posing as someone or something. Contemptuous.
冒傻气 màoshǎqì

emit silliness

To say or do something foolish or muddled.
帽子工厂 màozigōngchǎng

hat factory

An organisation that churns out accusations and labels against people. Critical.
没脚蟹 méijiǎoxiè

legless crab

A person with no one to rely on, isolated and helpless.
没前后眼 méiqiánhòuyǎn

no eyes front and back

Cross-reference to 没长前后眼: unable to foresee what will happen.
没头苍蝇 méitóucāngying

headless fly

Someone with no plan who does not know what to do. Mildly mocking; like "headless chicken".
没尾巴风筝 méi wěiba fēngzheng

kite with no tail

A person who keeps travelling about with an unsettled life.
没戏唱 méixìchàng

no play to perform

There is nothing more that can be done; the case is hopeless.
没心肝 méixīngān

no heart or liver

Describes someone cruel and heartless, without human feeling. Strongly critical.
没眼力 méiyǎnlì

no eye power

Lacking judgment, or too slow to read a situation and act accordingly. Mildly critical.
没眼珠 méiyǎnzhū

no eyeballs

A variant of 没眼力: lacking judgment or tact.
没药医 méiyàoyī

no medicine can cure it

Said of a temper, character trait or feeling that cannot be changed; hopeless. Often exasperated or joking.
没长前后眼 méi zhǎng qiánhòuyǎn

didn't grow eyes in front and behind

Said when you could not foresee an unexpected event or how things would turn out.
没咒念 méizhòuniàn

no spell to chant

At a complete loss; no way out.
没嘴葫芦 méizuǐhúlu

mouthless gourd

A person who rarely speaks. Mildly teasing.
闷葫芦 mènhúlu

stuffy gourd

A person who says little. Mildly teasing.
蒙虎皮 ménghǔpí

cover oneself in a tiger skin

Use a borrowed name or authority to frighten or deceive people. Critical.
蒙在鼓里 méngzàigǔlǐ

covered inside a drum

Kept in the dark; deceived or completely unaware of what is going on.
梦邯郸 mènghándān

dream of Handan

A cross-reference to the story of the Yellow Millet Dream: a fleeting dream of wealth and glory that proves empty.
梦黄粱 mènghuángliáng

dreaming of yellow millet

Another form of 黄粱梦: a fine dream that comes to nothing, or an empty hope. Literary and mildly wry.
迷魂阵 míhúnzhèn

maze that bewitches the soul

A trap or scheme designed to deceive and confuse people. Critical.
米袋子 mǐdàizi

rice bag

Figuratively, the grain supply; a country's or region's food supply. Often used in official or news language.
绵里针 miánlizhēn

needle inside silk floss

Describes someone gentle on the surface but firm and tough underneath. Often neutral or approving; sometimes warns of hidden sharpness.
棉花耳朵 miánhuaěrduo

cotton ears

A person who is easily swayed by what others say and has no mind of their own. Mildly critical.

Every kind of Chinese saying