Chinese idioms (惯用语)

天字第一号 tiānzì dìyī hào

Number one of the 'Heaven' character series

The very top, biggest or most important. It comes from the old practice of numbering by the Thousand Character Classic, which begins with 天. It is often used humorously or to stress extremes, as in 'the number-one fool'.
舔屁股 tiǎnpìgu

lick someone's backside

To flatter and fawn on someone in power. Crude and contemptuous. Same as 溜沟子.

May offend: vulgar language
舔碗边 tiǎnwǎnbiān

lick the rim of the bowl

To live off what others leave, getting small gains by depending on someone. Used contemptuously.
挑担子 tiāodànzi

carry a shoulder pole load

To take on a burden or a task, or to shoulder responsibility.
挑重担 tiāozhòngdàn

carry a heavy load

To take on hard or important work. Approving.
调口味 tiáokǒuwèi

adjust the taste

To change what you eat for variety. Figuratively, to add some variety to life.
挑大梁 tiǎodàliáng

carry the main beam

To take the leading role or the main responsibility in a job or team. Approving. Close to 'carry the team'.
挑大旗 tiǎodàqí

raise the big banner

To lead a movement by raising a slogan or a cause that rallies people.
跳不出如来佛的掌心 tiào bù chū rúláifó de zhǎngxīn

cannot jump out of the Buddha's palm

However clever or powerful you are, there is someone stronger who controls you. It alludes to Monkey King in Journey to the West. Close to 'there's always a bigger fish'.
跳龙门 tiàolóngmén

leap the Dragon Gate

To rise greatly in status. In the past it meant passing the imperial exams; today it means a lowly person moving up in the world.
贴标签 tiēbiāoqiān

stick on labels

To pigeonhole things or people carelessly, regardless of the facts. Critical.
贴膏药 tiēgāoyao

stick on a plaster

To pin a false charge on someone out of nothing. Critical.
贴狗皮膏药 tiē gǒupí gāoyao

stick on a dog-skin plaster

To stick to someone and be impossible to shake off, as a dog-skin plaster does. Said of an annoying person who won't let go.
铁板一块 tiěbǎnyīkuài

a single slab of iron

A solid unit that cannot be broken up, usually a group that is firmly united. It can be approving or can describe a bloc that is impossible to penetrate.
铁饭碗 tiěfànwǎn

iron rice bowl

A secure job that is hard to lose, traditionally a government or state-sector post. Neutral, sometimes slightly envious.
铁杆庄稼 tiěgǎnzhuāngjia

iron-stalk crops

Originally crops that give a harvest in drought or flood; figuratively a business or source of income that will never fail or go under. Mostly approving.
铁公鸡 tiěgōngjī

iron rooster

A miser who won't part with a single penny. Mocking. Close to English 'tightwad' or 'skinflint'.
铁脊梁 tiějǐliang

iron backbone

A person of strong character who has integrity and never bows to pressure. Approving.
铁肩膀 tiějiānbǎng

iron shoulders

A person who takes responsibility seriously, is willing to shoulder heavy burdens and does not shirk duty. Approving.
铁将军 tiějiāngjūn

iron general

A humorous term for a lock, especially a padlock.
铁将军把门 tiějiāngjūn bǎmén

the iron general guards the door

The door is locked, so no one is home or you can't get in. Humorous.
铁交椅 tiějiāoyǐ

iron chair of command

A leadership post that is perfectly secure and held for a long time with no risk of removal. Often slightly critical.
铁脚板 tiějiǎobǎn

iron soles

Feet, or a person, with great walking stamina. Approving or admiring.
铁老大 tiělǎodà

iron big brother

A nickname for the railway system or its departments, which act high and mighty and are slow to improve management or service. Mocking, dated.
铁了心 tiělexīn

made the heart iron

To have made up one's mind firmly and refuse to waver. Like English 'set one's heart on it' or 'dig in one's heels'.
铁拳头 tiěquántou

iron fist

A strong, powerful striking force, such as a crackdown. Close to English 'iron fist'.
铁石心肠 tiěshíxīncháng

heart of iron and stone

Hard-hearted and not easily moved by emotion or pity. Critical. Close to English 'heart of stone'.
铁手腕 tiěshǒuwàn

iron wrist

Tough, forceful methods in handling people or problems. Close to English 'iron hand'.
铁算盘 tiěsuànpán

iron abacus

A person who calculates shrewdly, especially over money, and is hard to get the better of. Often mocking.
铁桶江山 tiětǒngjiāngshān

an iron-bucket realm

Political power or a sphere of influence so firmly held that it cannot be shaken. Slightly literary.
听小汇报 tīngxiǎohuìbào

listen to small reports

To rely on one-sided or untrue accounts from a few people below you, instead of getting the full picture. Critical, used of leaders.
挺腰杆 tǐngyāogǎn

straighten the back

To stand up for oneself, refuse to submit to others and be independent. Approving.
同呼吸，共命运 tóng hūxī, gòng mìngyùn

breathe together, share one fate

To be bound closely with ordinary people and share their joys and hardships. Often a political slogan; approving.
同林鸟 tónglínniǎo

birds in the same forest

Spouses, or people thrown together briefly, who won't stand by each other in trouble. From the saying 'husband and wife are birds in the same forest; when disaster comes, they fly apart'. Cynical.
捅窟窿 tǒngkūlong

poke a hole

To cause a mistake or trouble, or to create a financial shortfall. Critical.
捅娄子 tǒnglóuzi

poke a mess

To cause trouble or disaster through carelessness or wrongdoing. Close to English 'stir up trouble'.
捅马蜂窝 tǒngmǎfēngwō

poke a hornets' nest

To offend a hard-to-handle person or stir up a troublesome matter. Same as English 'stir up a hornets' nest'.
捅破窗户纸 tǒngpò chuānghuzhǐ

poke through the paper window

To say openly what has been left hinted or unsaid, or to expose a secret. Like English 'spell it out'.
捅心窝子 tǒngxīnwōzi

stab at the pit of the heart

To hurt someone deeply with words or deeds.
头脑发热 tóunǎofārè

head running hot

To act without calm thought, carried away by impulse. Mildly critical.
头难剃 tóunántì

the head is hard to shave

A person who is difficult to deal with.
头皮硬 tóupíyìng

hard scalp

Fearless and hard to handle.
头疼脑热 tóuténgnǎorè

headache and feverish head

Minor everyday illnesses, such as colds.
投错胎 tóucuòtāi

got the wrong womb

A complaint, often joking, that one was born into the wrong family, not a wealthy or ideal one.
土包子 tǔbāozi

earthen bun

A country bumpkin; someone unsophisticated who has seen little of the world. Derogatory, often used jokingly.

May offend: mocks a group of people
推光头 tuīguāngtóu

to clip down to a bald head

To shave one's head completely; the book refers to 剃光头.
推横车 tuīhéngchē

to push a cart sideways

To put obstacles in the way or act against what others are doing.
推平头 tuīpíngtóu

to clip a flat-top haircut

To reject everything wholesale without analysing it. Critical.
吞定心丸 tūndìngxīnwán

to swallow a calming pill

A variant of 吃定心丸: to get reassurance so that one stops worrying.
吞后悔药 tūnhòuhuǐyào

to swallow a regret medicine

A variant of 吃后悔药: to wish one could undo a mistake, which is impossible.
拖刀计 tuōdāojì

the dragging-blade trick

A ruse of feigning retreat, then striking back when the enemy follows; by extension, lulling someone and then counterattacking. It comes from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
拖后腿 tuōhòutuǐ

to pull back someone's leg

To hold others back and hinder their progress. Critical; like 'drag someone down'.
拖下水 tuōxiàshuǐ

to drag into the water

To drag someone into wrongdoing or trouble; the usual form is 拉下水.
脱层皮 tuōcéngpí

to shed a layer of skin

To go through great hardship, short of death. Short for 不死也要脱层皮.
挖墙根 wāqiánggēn

to dig at the wall's foot

Variant of 挖墙脚: to undermine someone from the foundations.
挖墙脚 wāqiángjiǎo

to dig out the foot of the wall

To undermine someone's position or poach their people or business. Critical.
挖祖坟 wāzǔfén

to dig up the ancestral grave

To do something seriously harmful to someone, as if desecrating their ancestors' graves. Strongly critical.
瓦上霜 wǎshàngshuāng

frost on the tiles

Something or someone that will soon vanish.
歪打正着 wāidǎzhèngzháo

hitting crooked yet striking true

Achieving the wanted result by luck despite a wrong method. Like 'a happy accident'.
歪批三国 wāipīsānguó

to comment crookedly on the Three Kingdoms

To interpret things wildly and arbitrarily, talking nonsense about them.
弯弯绕 wānwanrào

winding twists and turns

Describes someone full of tricks and scheming, or speech that goes in circles instead of getting to the point. Mildly critical.
剜到篮里就是菜 wāndào lán li jiù shì cài

whatever gets dug into the basket is a vegetable

Take whatever you can get and make do, without being picky. Often said of grabbing anything at hand. The usual form is 拾到篮里就是菜.
剜心头肉 wānxīntóuròu

gouge out the flesh of the heart

To take away what someone treasures most, causing deep pain. Said of losing a beloved person or thing.
玩把戏 wánbǎxì

play a trick performance

Originally to perform acrobatics; now to use deceptive tricks to fool people. Critical.
玩鬼花样 wánguǐhuāyàng

play ghostly tricks

To use sly tricks to deceive. Critical; same as 耍花招.
玩鬼花招 wánguǐhuāzhāo

play ghostly gimmicks

To use underhanded tricks to deceive. Critical; same as 耍花招.
玩花花肠子 wán huāhuachángzi

play with fancy intestines

To scheme cunningly; the "fancy intestines" stand for crafty plotting. Critical.
玩花招 wánhuāzhāo

play fancy moves

To use tricks to deceive or get one's way. Critical; compare "play games" or "pull a fast one".
玩猫儿腻 wánmāornì

play cat tricks

To use small sly tricks. Mildly critical, and often regional (northern).
玩小聪明 wánxiǎocōngming

play at small cleverness

To use petty cleverness and tricks instead of real effort or wisdom. Mildly critical.
万宝箱 wànbǎoxiāng

ten-thousand-treasure chest

A treasure chest of many things; same as 百宝箱. Used of a person or place holding a wide variety of useful things.
万花筒 wànhuātǒng

ten-thousand-flowers tube

A kaleidoscope; figuratively, something colourful and ever-changing, such as a city or a scene of life.
万金油 wànjīnyóu

ten-thousand-gold ointment

Originally a cooling balm; now a person who knows a little about everything but is expert at nothing, or something usable for anything. Mildly mocking.
万能胶 wànnéngjiāo

all-purpose glue

A strong universal adhesive; figuratively, a clingy person who won't leave you alone. Humorous.
万事俱备，但欠东风 wànshìjùbèi, dànqiàndōngfēng

everything is ready, only the east wind is lacking

Variant of 万事俱备，只欠东风: all preparation is done but one crucial condition is missing.
万事俱备，只欠东风 wànshìjùbèi, zhǐqiàndōngfēng

everything is ready, only the east wind is lacking

All is prepared except the one key condition. From the Three Kingdoms story in which a fire attack on Cao Cao's fleet needed an east wind. Compare "all that's missing is the final piece".
万事通 wànshìtōng

ten-thousand-things expert

A know-it-all, someone who seems to know everything. Often mildly teasing.
往自己脸上贴金 wǎng zìjǐ liǎn shang tiējīn

stick gold leaf on one's own face

To flatter or praise oneself, or take credit for things. Critical or mocking; compare "blow one's own trumpet".
胃口大 wèikǒudà

big appetite

Figuratively, having great greed or ambition; also something with a large capacity. Often mildly critical.
稳住舵 wěnzhùduò

hold the rudder steady

Keep control of the direction of things, especially in difficult times.
稳住架 wěnzhùjià

steady the frame

Stand firm and keep calm without being rattled.
稳住砣 wěnzhùtuó

hold the weight steady

A variant way of writing 稳住舵: keep control of the direction.
稳坐钓鱼台 wěn zuò diàoyútái

sit firmly on the fishing platform

Stay calm and unmoved amid turmoil because you are confident. Approving, sometimes slightly wry about someone detached.
窝里斗 wōlidòu

fighting inside the nest

Infighting within a group or organisation. Critical.
窝里反 wōlifǎn

rebelling inside the nest

Another form of 窝里斗: internal strife among one's own side.
窝里横 wōlihèng

tyrannical inside the nest

Someone who bullies at home or among their own but is timid outside. Critical.
窝囊废 wōnangfèi

a wretched, useless thing

A cowardly, incompetent person. Insulting.

May offend: vulgar language
握印把子 wòyìnbàzi

grip the handle of the official seal

To hold power or authority; usually written 掌印把子.
乌纱帽 wūshāmào

black gauze hat

Stands for an official post, as in 'lose one's job as an official'.
乌鸦嘴 wūyāzuǐ

crow's beak

Someone who talks too much, especially one whose gloomy predictions come true; a jinx.
无底洞 wúdǐdòng

bottomless pit

Something that swallows endless money or demands, or a desire that can never be satisfied. Usually critical or resigned.
无价宝 wújiàbǎo

priceless treasure

A person or thing so precious that no price can measure it. Approving.
五百年前是一家 wǔbǎi nián qián shì yī jiā

five hundred years ago we were one family

Said to people who share a surname, to suggest they are related by a distant common ancestor. Friendly, used to build rapport.
五香嘴 wǔxiāngzuǐ

five-spice mouth

A person who loves snacks and always has something to nibble. Teasing and mild.
西洋景 xīyángjǐng

Western peep show

Originally a peep-show box from the West. Now it means a trick or sham used to fool people, a bluff. Critical.
西洋镜 xīyángjìng

Western peep-show lens

A variant of 西洋景. It refers to a trick or sham meant to deceive. It often appears as 拆穿西洋镜, 'to expose the trick'.
吸血鬼 xīxuèguǐ

blood-sucking ghost

A vampire, used figuratively for a person who exploits and squeezes others for their sweat and blood. Strongly critical.
洗脑子 xǐnǎozi

wash the brain

To change someone's thinking through indoctrination, criticism or forced self-criticism. Usually critical. Equivalent to 'brainwash'.
瞎掺和 xiāchānhuo

mix in blindly

To get involved in something carelessly, where one isn't needed. Mildly critical.

May offend: mocks disability
瞎了眼 xiāleyǎn

gone blind in the eyes

To misjudge a situation or a person, or fail to see the truth. Often used to scold, as in 'are you blind?'.

May offend: mocks disability

Every kind of Chinese saying