Chinese idioms (惯用语)

走背运 zǒubèiyùn

walk bad luck

To go through a spell of bad luck.
走背字儿 zǒubèizìr

walk the unlucky character

A colloquial (northern) variant of 走背运: to have bad luck.
走钢丝 zǒugāngsī

walk the tightrope

To take a risk, or to balance carefully between two opposing sides. Same as 'walk a tightrope'.
走过场 zǒuguòchǎng

walk across the stage

To go through the motions without real effort or effect, just to satisfy a requirement. Critical.
走后门 zǒuhòumen

go in by the back door

To get something by improper means through personal connections. Critical; like 'pull strings'.
走老路 zǒulǎolù

walk the old road

To keep using the old methods; to follow the same old path.
走马灯 zǒumǎdēng

revolving lantern

A lantern with paper horses that circle. Figuratively, a busy coming and going of people, or constant changes of personnel.
走麦城 zǒumàichéng

go to Maicheng

To suffer a defeat, especially after earlier glory, alluding to General Guan Yu's fall at Maicheng in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
走内线 zǒunèixiàn

work the inside line

Either to act through a spy planted in the other side, or to seek favours through the relatives and confidants of someone in power.
走死棋 zǒusǐqí

make a dead move in chess

To make a move that leads to a hopeless, lost position. Figuratively, to put oneself in a passive position where failure is certain.
走弯路 zǒuwānlù

take a winding road

To make detours or suffer setbacks on the way to a goal; like 'take the long way round'.
走下坡路 zǒuxiàpōlù

walk down a slope

To decline or get worse; to be on the downward path.
走险棋 zǒuxiǎnqí

play a risky move

To take a gamble or act riskily.
钻防空洞 zuānfángkōngdòng

dive into an air-raid shelter

To take cover somewhere that protects you, to avoid trouble or criticism. Mildly mocking.
钻故纸堆 zuāngùzhǐduī

to burrow into a heap of old paper

To bury oneself in old books and documents, especially ancient texts. Often said with mild mockery of a scholar cut off from the real world.
钻空子 zuānkòngzi

to drill into a gap

To exploit a loophole or a weak point for one's own benefit. Critical. Close to 'find a loophole'.
钻口袋 zuānkǒudai

to crawl into the sack

To walk into a trap or get surrounded, as if climbing into a bag set for you. Used of ambushes and being cornered.
钻冷门 zuānlěngmén

to drill into a cold door

To go for a field or topic that few people pay attention to, and make something of it. Neutral or approving. 'Cold door' comes from gambling, where it means a bet few people place.
钻牛犄角 zuānniújījiǎo

to bore into an ox's horn

Same as 钻牛角尖: to get stubbornly stuck on a point that leads nowhere.
钻牛角尖 zuānniújiǎojiān

to bore into the tip of an ox horn

To be stubborn and fixed on one idea, or to obsess over a trivial or unsolvable problem. Mildly critical. Close to 'splitting hairs' or 'going down a rabbit hole'.
钻钱眼儿 zuānqiányǎnr

to crawl into the hole of a coin

To be greedy and chase after money and profit. Critical or mocking. Close to 'money-grubbing'.
钻死胡同 zuānsǐhútòng

to go into a dead-end alley

To end up in a hopeless situation with no way out. Also used of a line of thinking that goes nowhere.
嘴巴紧 zuǐbajǐn

tight mouth

Describes someone who is careful about what they say and keeps secrets. Approving. Close to 'tight-lipped'.
嘴巴甜 zuǐbatián

sweet mouth

Describes someone who talks in a charming, agreeable way, often to please others. Usually warm, sometimes hinting at flattery.
嘴对着心 zuǐduìzhexīn

the mouth faces the heart

Describes someone who says what they really think, so that words and feelings match. Approving.
嘴皮子薄 zuǐpízibáo

thin lips

Describes someone who speaks fluently and has the gift of the gab. Usually mildly admiring or teasing.
嘴皮子硬 zuǐpíziyìng

hard lips

Describes someone who argues stubbornly and twists the logic rather than admit being wrong. Critical.
左右手 zuǒyòushǒu

left and right hand

A person's most capable helper or right-hand man. Approving.
坐地虎 zuòdìhǔ

tiger sitting on the ground

A local bully who lords it over the area where they live. Strongly critical.
坐地炮 zuòdìpào

a cannon fixed to the ground

Refers to a woman who makes scenes and is unreasonable. Derogatory and aimed at women.

May offend: sexist or sexual
坐火箭 zuòhuǒjiàn

ride a rocket

To rise very fast in rank or position. Often said with a touch of envy or sarcasm.
坐轿子 zuòjiàozi

ride in a sedan chair

To enjoy being flattered and praised, as if carried aloft by others. Mildly mocking.
坐冷板凳 zuòlěngbǎndèng

sit on a cold bench

To be neglected or given the cold shoulder, for example by being left without a job to do. Close to 'be left on the bench'.
坐牛车 zuòniúchē

ride an ox cart

Describes progress that is extremely slow. Mocking or impatient.

Every kind of Chinese saying