Chinese idioms (惯用语)

棉花套子 miánhuatàozi

cotton wadding

A timid, weak-natured person. Mildly contemptuous.
免战牌 miǎnzhànpái

no-fighting sign

In old stories, a plaque hung out to declare a truce. Figuratively, a statement or move to end an argument.
面和心不和 miàn hé xīn bù hé

peaceful in face, not in heart

Two people seem on good terms outwardly but are at odds inwardly. Critical.
面面光 miànmiànguāng

smooth on every face

Describes a person who is clever at handling everyone and pleasing all sides. Often slightly critical, implying slickness.
庙穷和尚富 miào qióng héshang fù

poor temple, rich monk

Variant of 穷庙富和尚: the organisation is poor while the people running it get rich. Critical.
庙小牌子大 miào xiǎo páizi dà

small temple, big signboard

A tiny organisation with a grand name. Mocking.
庙小妖风大 miào xiǎo yāofēng dà

small temple, strong demon wind

A small unit with a surprising amount of bad practices and corruption. Critical.
命根子 mìnggēnzi

root of life

The person or thing someone cherishes most and could not do without, such as a child or a livelihood.
摸不着门儿 mōbùzháoménr

can't find the door by touch

Can't find the way or method to do something; can't get the hang of it.
摸底牌 mōdǐpái

feel out the hole card

Find out the real situation or someone's true position. See 摸底细.
摸底细 mōdǐxì

feel out the underlying details

Find out the real facts or background of a matter or person.
摸老虎屁股 mō lǎohǔ pìgu

touch the tiger's backside

Dare to challenge powerful people or take on a very thorny problem. Can be approving of boldness or warn of danger.
摸脉搏 mōmàibó

feel the pulse

Get a deep sense of what people are thinking and how things are developing.
摸脉络 mōmàiluò

trace the veins

Usually written 摸脉搏: to gauge people's thinking and trends.
摸爬滚打 mōpágǔndǎ

grope, crawl, roll and strike

Originally military drills; now it means being tempered by hard practical work and struggle alongside ordinary people. Approving.
磨破嘴皮子 mópò zuǐpízi

wear through the lips

Talk until you're worn out; use up all one's words trying to persuade someone.
磨洋工 móyánggōng

grind foreign work

Slack off and work slowly and inefficiently. Critical. Like 'drag one's feet'.
磨嘴皮子 mózuǐpízi

grind the lips

Chatter or talk endlessly, often to no purpose. Mildly disparaging.
抹锅灰 mǒguōhuī

smear pot soot

To disgrace or blacken someone's name, making them look bad or shaming them. Critical.
末班车 mòbānchē

the last bus

The last chance to do or get something. Said of a final opportunity before it is gone.
莫须有 mòxūyǒu

perhaps there is

Groundless, trumped-up (of a charge). From Qin Hui's vague reply when accusing the general Yue Fei of treason. Critical.
母老虎 mǔlǎohǔ

female tiger

A fierce, shrewish, unreasonable woman. Insulting, though sometimes said jokingly of a bossy wife or girlfriend.

May offend: sexist or sexual
母夜叉 mǔyèchā

female yaksha demon

A fierce, ugly woman. An insult, sometimes used jokingly.

May offend: sexist or sexual
木头脑袋 mùtounǎodai

wooden head

A slow, dull person who doesn't catch on. Insulting or teasing.
木头人 mùtourén

wooden person

A person who doesn't think and responds slowly, or doesn't react at all. Mildly insulting.
拿棒槌当针 ná bàngchui dàng zhēn

take a laundry club for a needle

To take something crude for something genuine; to believe everything naively. Mocking.
拿笔杆儿的 nábǐgǎnrde

one who holds a pen

A person who earns a living by writing, or does mental work. Informal, somewhat humorous.
拿钞票往水里丢 ná chāopiào wǎng shuǐ li diū

throw banknotes into the water

To waste money by spending it badly. Close to 'throw money down the drain'.
拿大头 nádàtóu

take the big head

To treat someone as a sucker who pays for everything, or to fleece them. Colloquial.
拿架子 nájiàzi

adopt a lofty posture

To put on airs and act self-important. Critical.
拿了鸡毛当令箭 nále jīmáo dàng lìngjiàn

take a chicken feather for a command arrow

To treat a casual remark from a superior as an official order and use it to boss others around. Critical.
拿柳条当棒槌 ná liǔtiáo dàng bàngchui

take a willow twig for a club

To treat something light as weighty, or to mistake the fake for the real.
拿起鸡毛当令箭 náqǐ jīmáo dàng lìngjiàn

pick up a chicken feather as a command arrow

A variant of 拿了鸡毛当令箭: to treat a trivial remark as a binding order and throw one's weight around. Critical.
拿枪杆子的 ná qiānggǎnzi de

one who holds a rifle

A soldier, or an armed man. Informal.
拿人当枪使 ná rén dàng qiāng shǐ

use a person as a gun

To use someone as a tool to attack another person while staying out of it oneself. Critical.
拿手菜 náshǒucài

signature dish

The dish one cooks best; by extension, a skill one is especially good at. Approving.
拿手戏 náshǒuxì

signature play

An actor's best-known piece; by extension, a skill someone is particularly good at. Approving.
拿土地爷不当神仙 ná tǔdìyé bù dàng shénxiān

not treating the Earth God as a deity

To look down on grassroots officials. Critical of the one who does so.

May offend: mocks a group of people
拿下马 náxiàmǎ

take someone down off the horse

To bring someone down from a position of power, to remove them from office.
拿印把儿 náyìnbàr

hold the seal's handle

To hold power or be in charge, because the seal of office confers authority.
哪个鱼儿不识水 nǎge yú'ér bù shí shuǐ

which fish doesn't know water

Anyone is bound to know well the environment they grew up in or the work they do. Often used to say someone is certainly familiar with their own field.
哪管青红皂白 nǎguǎn qīnghóngzàobái

who cares about blue, red, black and white

Without caring to tell right from wrong or find out the facts; acting rashly or blindly. Critical.
哪管三七二十一 nǎguǎn sān qī èrshíyī

who cares that three times seven is twenty-one

Not caring about the consequences or the rules; doing something recklessly regardless. Usually written 不管三七二十一; like 'come what may' or 'damn the consequences'.
哪壶不开提哪壶 nǎ hú bù kāi tí nǎ hú

mention the kettle that isn't boiling

To say just the thing that touches someone's sore spot or taboo subject. Said as a complaint about a tactless remark.
哪阵风刮来的 nǎ zhèn fēng guālái de

which gust of wind blew you here

A jocular greeting expressing surprise at someone's unexpected arrival or something suddenly appearing: 'What brings you here?'
奶油小生 nǎiyóuxiǎoshēng

cream young leading man

A pale, handsome young man who seems lacking in manliness. Mildly mocking or disparaging, sometimes used of actors.

May offend: sexist or sexual
难剃的头 nántìdetóu

a head that is hard to shave

A person or matter that is hard to deal with. Similar to 'a tough customer'.
嫩豆腐 nèndòufu

soft tofu

A weak, naive, immature person. Mildly mocking.
嫩肩膀 nènjiānbǎng

tender shoulders

Someone young and inexperienced who can't yet bear heavy responsibility.
泥饭碗 nífànwǎn

clay rice bowl

An unstable job that is easily lost, as opposed to an 'iron rice bowl'.
泥菩萨 nípúsà

clay Buddha

Either someone expressionless and indifferent, or someone useless to rely on.
泥足巨人 nízújùrén

giant with feet of clay

A group or country that looks strong but is hollow inside. Same as the English 'colossus with feet of clay'.
你一刀，我一枪 nǐ yī dāo, wǒ yī qiāng

you with a knife, me with a spear

People attack each other with criticism and accusations, or many people pile onto one. Describes a heated exchange of blame.
捻蚂蚁 niǎnmǎyǐ

pinch an ant

Something very easy to deal with, or an opponent who is easily beaten. Similar to 'a piece of cake'.
念忏悔经 niànchànhuǐjīng

recite a confession scripture

To speak words of repentance or admit one's faults. Often slightly mocking.
念紧箍咒 niànjǐngūzhòu

chant the tight-fillet spell

To rein someone in or force them to comply. From Journey to the West, where the monk Tang Sanzang chants a spell that tightens a band on Sun Wukong's head.
念歪经 niànwāijīng

chant crooked scriptures

Variant of 念邪经: to talk unreasonably or make trouble in an argument.
念邪经 niànxiéjīng

chant heretical scriptures

To talk nonsense, ignore reason, or argue obstinately. Critical.
念一本经 niànyīběnjīng

chant only one scripture

To be rigid and stubborn and unable to adapt. Critical.
娘子军 niángzǐjūn

army of ladies

Originally a women's armed unit; now any group of women in a field or workplace. Usually affectionate or admiring, sometimes teasing.
酿苦果 niàngkǔguǒ

brew bitter fruit

To bring misfortune on oneself. Usually written as 酿苦酒.
酿苦酒 niàngkǔjiǔ

brew bitter wine

To cause one's own unhappiness through one's actions. Similar to 'reap what you sow'.
鸟枪换炮 niǎoqiānghuànpào

swap a bird gun for a cannon

Conditions have greatly improved, as in equipment, status or income. Approving or lightly humorous.
鸟兽散 niǎoshòusàn

scatter like birds and beasts

A group breaks up and its members flee or drift off in all directions. Often mocking.
捏把汗 niēbǎhàn

pinch a handful of sweat

To be very anxious on someone's behalf, as when watching a risky situation. Similar to 'on tenterhooks'.
捏面团 niēmiàntuán

knead dough

To control or manipulate something or someone at will.
拧成一股绳 níngchéng yī gǔ shéng

twist into a single rope

To unite and pool all strength. Approving. Similar to 'pull together'.
牛鼻子 niúbízi

ox nose

The key point or crux of a matter, as the nose ring is how you control an ox.
牛郎织女 niúlángzhīnǚ

the Cowherd and the Weaving Girl

A married couple who live long apart. It comes from the legend of two lovers parted by the Milky Way, who meet only on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.
牛皮灯笼 niúpídēnglong

oxhide lantern

A person who says little but is shrewd inside. Usually mildly approving.
牛脾气 niúpíqi

ox temper

A stubborn, obstinate nature. Mildly critical, like 'pig-headed'.
牛头不对马嘴 niútóu bù duì mǎzuǐ

an ox's head doesn't fit a horse's mouth

Things that do not match, such as an answer unrelated to the question. The usual form is 驴唇不对马嘴. Like 'beside the point'.
扭秧歌 niǔyānggē

to dance the yangge

Describes walking unsteadily, swaying from side to side. Humorous, slightly mocking. The literal sense is a folk dance.
脓包子 nóngbāozi

a pus sac

A useless, worthless person, especially a weak or cowardly one. Insulting.
弄潮儿 nòngcháo'ér

child who plays in the tide

Originally a young person skilled at swimming in the tidal surge. Now a person who faces and overcomes difficulties, or rides the tide of change. Approving.
女儿国 nǚ'érguó

daughters' kingdom

A place where everyone is female, as in the kingdom in Journey to the West. Also used jokingly of a group with only women.
暖水瓶 nuǎnshuǐpíng

thermos flask

A person who seems cold but is very warm-hearted inside. Approving.
挪屁股 nuópìgu

move one's backside

To shift position, or figuratively to change one's stance or side. Informal.
糯米心肠 nuòmǐxīncháng

glutinous-rice heart

A soft-hearted person who lacks their own opinions. Mildly critical.
藕断丝不断 ǒu duàn sī bù duàn

the lotus root breaks but its threads don't

Said of lovers whose bond is not fully cut after a break-up.
爬高山，过大河 pá gāoshān，guò dàhé

climb high mountains, cross great rivers

To do something very hard and demanding.
爬格子 págézi

crawl across the grid squares

To write for a living, or do writing work. It refers to the squares on manuscript paper. Often self-deprecating or humorous.
爬墙头 páqiángtóu

climb over the wall

Originally sneaking off to steal or have illicit affairs; now mostly cheating by peeking at others' exam papers.
拍马拍到马蹄子上 pāimǎ pāidào mǎtízi shàng

patting the horse and patting its hoof

Flattering the wrong target or in the wrong way, so it backfires. Mocking.

May offend: vulgar language
拍马屁 pāimǎpì

pat the horse's rump

To flatter someone to curry favour. Critical. Like 'suck up to' or 'butter up'.

May offend: vulgar language
拍拍脑袋算一个 pāipai nǎodai suàn yī gè

pat your head and count one

Picking people casually without proper screening. Critical.
拍胸脯 pāixiōngpú

pat one's chest

To promise confidently, vouching that something will be done.
排长龙 páichánglóng

form a long dragon

To line up in a very long queue.
排长蛇阵 páichángshézhèn

form a long snake formation

To stand in a very long queue.
排排坐 páipáizuò

sitting in rows

Originally from a children's rhyme about kids sitting in a row; now used for seating people in order of rank or position. Neutral, sometimes slightly humorous.
排头兵 páitóubīng

the soldier at the head of the row

A leader or pioneer who goes first and sets an example. Approving.
攀高峰 pāngāofēng

climbing a high peak

To strive toward a higher goal or greater achievement. Approving.
攀高门儿 pāngāoménr

to climb up to a high door

To marry into a rich or powerful family. Often mildly disapproving, suggesting social climbing.
攀高枝儿 pāngāozhīr

to climb a high branch

To seek connections or marriage with people of higher status or power. Usually mildly disapproving, implying social climbing.
判死刑 pànsǐxíng

to pass a death sentence

To reject something completely, such as a proposal, plan or work. Figurative, fairly strong.
盼星星，盼月亮 pàn xīngxing，pàn yuèliang

hoping for the stars, hoping for the moon

To wait eagerly and longingly for something. Warm and emotional in tone.
抛彩球 pāocǎiqiú

to throw a silk ball

Originally a way for a noble family's daughter to choose a husband by tossing a decorated ball to her chosen man. Now figuratively, offering generous terms to recruit talent.
抛头颅，洒热血 pāo tóulú，sǎ rèxuè

to cast away one's head and spill hot blood

To sacrifice one's life for a just cause. Solemn and heroic.
刨祖坟 páozǔfén

to dig up ancestors' graves

A variant of 挖祖坟: to dig into someone's family background, or to do something deeply offensive to a person's ancestors. Hostile in tone.
跑不出如来佛的掌心 pǎo bù chū rúláifó de zhǎngxīn

can't run out of the Buddha's palm

Cannot escape the control of a more powerful person. An allusion to Journey to the West, where the Monkey King fails to leave the Buddha's hand.

Every kind of Chinese saying