Chinese idioms (惯用语)

依葫芦画瓢 yī húlu huà piáo

draw the gourd ladle by following the gourd

To copy mechanically without creativity; a variant of 依样画葫芦. Mildly critical.
依样画葫芦 yīyàng huà húlu

draw a gourd following the pattern

To imitate slavishly without any originality. Critical; like 'copy by rote'.
阴阳脸 yīnyángliǎn

yin-yang face

Showing one face to someone's face and another behind their back; two-faced. Critical.
饮苦酒 yǐnkǔjiǔ

drink bitter wine

To endure suffering and bitterness; a variant of 咽苦水.
印把子 yìnbàzi

the handle of the official seal

Power, official authority. Often used of those who hold the reins of power.
应声虫 yìngshēngchóng

an echo insect

A yes-man who only echoes what others say. Contemptuous.
硬骨头 yìnggǔtou

hard bone

A tough, unyielding person who isn't afraid of hardship; also a hard task. Approving.
硬碰硬 yìng pèng yìng

hard hitting hard

Two strong sides confront each other head-on, or one meets toughness with toughness. Neutral; similar to 'meet force with force'.
硬着头皮 yìngzhetóupí

stiffening the scalp

To force yourself to go on with something unpleasant or difficult because you have no choice. Similar to 'bite the bullet'.
硬指标 yìngzhǐbiāo

hard target

A target or quota that must be met and cannot be changed or negotiated.
油耗子 yóuhàozi

oil rat

Slang for people who illegally resell diesel or petrol for huge profit, often stolen from pipelines or oilfields. Derogatory.
有板眼 yǒubǎnyǎn

have beat and accent

Speaking or acting in an orderly, well-organised way. Approving. 板眼 are the beats in opera music.
有鼻子有眼 yǒu bízi yǒu yǎn

has a nose and has eyes

Telling a made-up story so vividly and in such detail that it seems real. Often mildly critical.
有胳膊有腿 yǒu gēbo yǒu tuǐ

has arms and has legs

Refers to an able-bodied person, as in 'you have arms and legs, so you can work for a living'.
有瓜葛 yǒuguāgé

have melon and kudzu vines

To be connected or entangled with someone or something. Like vines twining together.
有好果子吃 yǒu hǎo guǒzi chī

will have good fruit to eat

Said ironically to mean someone will suffer for what they did. Usually a threat: 'you'll be sorry'.
有棱角 yǒuléngjiǎo

have edges and corners

Describes someone with a strong personality, clear views, and the courage to speak and act.
有眉目 yǒuméimù

have brows and eyes

A matter is becoming clearer or beginning to take shape.
有色眼镜 yǒusèyǎnjìng

tinted glasses

A prejudice or bias that colours how you see things. Like 'looking through tinted glasses'.
有手腕 yǒushǒuwàn

have wrist

To be skilled at tactics and scheming, handling people shrewdly. Can be admiring or wary.
有水分 yǒushuǐfèn

contain water

Contains exaggeration or falsehood, as in inflated figures or claims.
有头脑 yǒutóunǎo

to have a head/brain

To be a good thinker who is shrewd and resourceful. Usually approving.
有文章 yǒuwénzhāng

there is an essay in it

Said when something looks suspicious or has a hidden meaning or motive behind it. "There's more to this than meets the eye."
有戏看 yǒuxìkàn

there's a show to watch

Said when you expect trouble or a mess and look forward to watching it unfold. Somewhat mocking or gloating.
有一手 yǒuyīshǒu

to have one hand

Either (1) to have a special skill, or (2) to be up to something underhand. Which one is meant depends on the context and tone.
有意思 yǒuyìsi

to have meaning/interest

Either (1) interesting or fun, or (2) to have a hidden wish or interest that one doesn't say outright, such as a romantic interest in someone.
有油水 yǒuyóushui

to have grease and water (fat in the food)

To be profitable or offer perks, so that there is something to be gained. Often used of jobs or deals where one can make extra gains.
幼稚病 yòuzhìbìng

childishness disease

Describes seeing or handling things in a simplistic, immature way. Critical.
鱼水情 yúshuǐqíng

the feeling between fish and water

A very close relationship of mutual dependence, often used of the army and the people, or of close couples. Approving.
榆木疙瘩 yúmùgēda

an elm-wood knot

A mind that won't open up; a dense, stubborn person. Mocking.
冤枉路 yuānwanglù

a needless road

A detour or extra distance that did not have to be travelled. Figuratively, effort wasted on something that should not have been done.
原地踏步 yuándìtàbù

marching on the spot

Making no progress or improvement. Critical.
砸饭碗 záfànwǎn

to smash a rice bowl

To make someone lose their job or livelihood.
砸牌子 zápáizi

to smash the signboard

To ruin a good name or reputation, as of a shop or brand.
栽跟头 zāigēntou

to fall head over heels

To suffer a humiliating failure or make a mistake.
遭白眼 zāobáiyǎn

to meet with white eyes

To be looked down on or treated coldly by others. Used sympathetically or neutrally of someone snubbed.
糟豆腐 zāodòufu

mushy, dregs-soaked bean curd

A weak, useless person who falls apart easily. Contemptuous.
造粪机器 zàofènjīqì

a manure-making machine

A person who only eats and does nothing useful. Contemptuous.

May offend: vulgar language
造空气 zàokōngqì

to manufacture atmosphere

To deliberately build and spread public opinion in order to reach some goal. Mildly critical.
摘牌子 zhāipáizi

to take down the plaque

To strip someone or something of an honour or title.
摘纱帽翅 zhāishāmàochì

to remove the wings of the gauze hat

A variant of 摘乌纱帽: to remove an official from office.
摘桃子 zhāitáozi

to pick the peaches

To take the fruits of someone else's labour. Critical.
摘乌纱帽 zhāiwūshāmào

to take off the black gauze hat

To dismiss an official from his post.
掌上明珠 zhǎngshàngmíngzhū

a bright pearl in the palm

A much-loved child, usually a daughter, doted on by parents. Approving.
掌印把子 zhǎngyìnbàzi

to hold the handle of the seal

To hold power or be in charge.
找不着北 zhǎobùzháoběi

can't find north

To be disoriented, flustered or carried away, not knowing where one is or what one is doing.
找岔子 zhǎochàzi

look for a slip

To deliberately look for faults in someone or something, often as an excuse to criticise them. Critical.
找垫背的 zhǎodiànbèide

look for someone to put at one's back

To look for an innocent person to share or take the blame or punishment, so as to lessen one's own. Critical; close to 'find a scapegoat'.
找梯子下台 zhǎo tīzi xiàtái

look for a ladder to get off the stage

To look for a chance or excuse to escape an embarrassing or awkward situation and save face.
照镜子 zhàojìngzi

look in the mirror

To check oneself against a standard or role model and see where one falls short. Often used in the sense of self-examination.
照妖镜 zhàoyāojìng

demon-revealing mirror

A thing that exposes the true nature of bad people. It comes from the magic mirror in myths that shows demons in their real form.
针尖对麦芒 zhēnjiān duì màimáng

needle point against wheat awn

Two sides are in sharp, direct opposition, each refusing to yield.
枕边风 zhěnbiānfēng

pillow wind

Same as 枕头风: a wife's private persuasion of her husband, which sways his decisions. Usually said with some disapproval.
枕头风 zhěntoufēng

pillow wind

A wife's views or requests whispered to her husband in private, which sway his decisions. Often used with mild disapproval.
枕头状 zhěntouzhuàng

pillow complaint

A complaint a wife makes privately to her husband about someone else.
争座位 zhēngzuòwèi

fight for seats

To compete for position or rank. Mildly critical.
睁一只眼，闭一只眼 zhēng yī zhī yǎn, bì yī zhī yǎn

open one eye, close one eye

To pretend not to see something, putting up with it and letting it go. Same as 'turn a blind eye'.
支摊子 zhītānzi

set up a stall

To set up a new organisation, or to take charge as the main leader.
芝麻官 zhīmaguān

sesame official

A petty official with a low rank and little power. Often humorous or self-mocking.
芝麻绿豆官 zhīma lùdòu guān

sesame and mung-bean official

Same as 芝麻官: a very minor official.
执牛耳 zhíniú'ěr

hold the ox's ear

To be the leader in some field. In ancient times the leader of an alliance held the ox's ear to take its blood when the lords swore an oath.
直肠子 zhícháng zi

straight intestine

A frank, hearty person who speaks directly and hides nothing.
直筒子 zhítǒngzi

straight tube

A blunt, straightforward person who doesn't beat about the bush.
纸老虎 zhǐlǎohǔ

paper tiger

A person or group that looks powerful and fierce but is actually weak. Often dismissive; the same English phrase is used.
指挥棒 zhǐhuībàng

conductor's baton

Something that directs or guides what people do, e.g. 'the exam is the baton that steers teaching'. Often slightly critical.
指脊梁骨 zhǐjǐliánggǔ

point at someone's spine

To criticise or condemn someone behind their back, or to jab at them with blame. See 戳脊梁骨.
指南针 zhǐnánzhēn

compass (south-pointing needle)

Something that shows the right direction of development; a guiding principle. Approving.
智囊团 zhìnángtuán

brain-bag group

A think tank or group of advisers who offer ideas and plans to a leader or organisation. Neutral to approving.
中圈套 zhòngquāntào

fall into a snare

To be tricked or fall into someone's trap; to be taken in.
中状元 zhòngzhuàngyuan

win the top place in the imperial exam

To come first in an exam or competition; to achieve the best result. Humorous or approving.
重磅炸弹 zhòngbàngzhàdàn

heavy bomb

Something that shocks or hits the other side hard, such as stunning news. Used in news and everyday speech; like 'bombshell'.
重炮手 zhòngpàoshǒu

heavy-artillery gunner

A person who plays a major part in winning, such as a star player or key figure. Approving.
重头戏 zhòngtóuxì

a heavy-weight play

The most important and demanding part of a task or event; the main event.
重灾区 zhòngzāiqū

severely hit disaster area

Literally an area badly hit by disaster; figuratively a place or field that suffers badly from some problem (originally from political upheaval). Today often 'a hotspot for a problem'.
主力军 zhǔlìjūn

main force army

The force doing the main work in a field or project; the backbone. Approving.
拄拐棍儿 zhǔguǎigùnr

lean on a walking stick

To rely on something for support when acting; to depend on a crutch. Sometimes mildly critical.
煮夹生饭 zhǔjiāshēngfàn

cook half-raw rice

To do a job badly so that it is half-done and hard to put right. See 做夹生饭. Critical.
住牛棚 zhùniúpéng

live in a cowshed

To be locked up in a makeshift detention place, as many intellectuals were during the Cultural Revolution. Historical term.
筑长城 zhùchángchéng

build a great wall

Figuratively, to set up a long, solid line of defence; in slang, to play mahjong (the clicking and stacking of tiles resembles wall-building). Humorous in the mahjong sense.
抓把柄 zhuābǎbǐng

grab a handle

To find and hold onto someone's fault or mistake so as to blackmail or attack them. Critical; similar to 'get something on someone'.
抓公差 zhuāgōngchāi

seize someone for public duty

Originally, being press-ganged into unpaid labour; now, to rope someone into doing work for you for free. Usually humorous or complaining.
抓破脸 zhuāpòliǎn

scratch the face raw

A variant of 撕破脸: to fall out openly with someone and drop all pretence of politeness.
抓小辫子 zhuāxiǎobiànzi

grab someone's little braid

A variant of 揪小辫子: to seize on someone's small faults or slips in order to use them against that person. Critical.
转磨磨 zhuànmòmo

turn round like a millstone

A variant of 打磨磨: to go round and round in circles, whether pacing about restlessly or getting nowhere.
转弯子 zhuànwānzi

turn a corner

To speak or act indirectly, going round the houses instead of coming straight to the point.
妆门面 zhuāngménmian

dress up the shopfront

A variant spelling of 装门面: to put on a show of appearances.
装狗熊 zhuānggǒuxióng

act the bear

To put on a timid, hopeless, pitiful act, for example to avoid responsibility or a fight.
装红脸 zhuānghóngliǎn

play the red face

A variant of 唱红脸: in a good-cop, bad-cop pair, to play the kind, conciliatory one.
装门面 zhuāngménmian

dress up the shopfront

To decorate or gloss over the outside to look good, without improving the substance. Mildly critical; like 'put up a front'.
装孙子 zhuāngsūnzi

act the grandson

To act meek and pitiful, or to play dumb and muddled, usually to dodge trouble or blame. Colloquial and slightly mocking.
装洋蒜 zhuāngyángsuàn

putting on the act of a foreign garlic

To pretend not to know or understand; to play dumb. Colloquial and mainly northern, usually mocking or critical. It is a jokey stand-in for 装糊涂, 'feign ignorance'.
撞到枪口上 zhuàngdào qiāngkǒu shang

run into the muzzle of a gun

To stumble into trouble by bad luck, often by turning up just when someone is angry or a crackdown is under way.
撞东墙 zhuàngdōngqiáng

hit the east wall

A variant of 撞南墙: to meet a hard obstacle through stubbornness.
撞南墙 zhuàngnánqiáng

hit the south wall

To run into a serious obstacle or refusal because of being rigid and stubborn, as in 不撞南墙不回头 ('won't turn back until hitting the wall'). Like 'hit a brick wall'.
撞丧钟 zhuàngsāngzhōng

strike the funeral bell

A variant of 敲丧钟: to herald the end of something, signalling its doom.
追时髦 zhuīshímáo

chase the fashion

A variant of 赶时髦: to follow the latest trends.
捉迷藏 zhuōmícáng

play hide-and-seek

To be deliberately vague in words or actions so that others can't work out what is meant. Critical; as in 'play games'.
自来熟 zìláishóu

naturally familiar

Someone who gets friendly with strangers quickly; can be approving (sociable) or slightly critical (overfamiliar).
自留地 zìliúdì

private plot

Originally a small plot farmers kept for themselves in collective farming; now a small sphere where one has full control. Sometimes also a personal domain kept from others.
自作孽 zìzuònìe

commit sin oneself

To bring disaster on oneself by one's own bad acts. Usually critical; as in 自作孽，不可活 ('you made your bed').

Every kind of Chinese saying