Chinese idioms (惯用语)

吃着碗里，瞧着碟里 chīzhe wǎn li, qiáozhe dié li

eating from the bowl, eyeing the dish

A variant of 吃着碗里，盯着锅里: never content with what one has.
吃镇心丸 chīzhènxīnwán

take a heart-calming pill

A variant of 吃定心丸: to be reassured and stop worrying.
吃自在饭 chīzìzaifàn

eat carefree rice

To live a free, relaxed life without constraints or heavy effort.
吃祖宗饭 chīzǔzongfàn

eat the ancestors' rice

To live off an inheritance, lacking ambition to build anything. Critical.
痴猫等死老鼠 chī māo děng sǐ lǎoshǔ

a silly cat waiting for a dead mouse

Sitting idle and waiting for luck without doing anything. Mocking.
池浅王八多 chí qiǎn wángba duō

the pond is shallow, yet full of turtles

An unremarkable place that harbours many bad people. Critical; 王八 is a mildly coarse insult.

May offend: vulgar language
持久战 chíjiǔzhàn

protracted war

A long struggle; used of any task that takes a long time to bring results.
翅膀硬 chìbǎngyìng

wings have hardened

To have grown up and become capable of living independently, often implying someone no longer obeys those who raised them. Can be approving or reproachful.
冲击波 chōngjībō

shock wave

A sudden, powerful force that shakes something up, such as a new trend or event.
冲天炮 chōngtiānpào

skyrocket firecracker

A blunt, rash person who is first to raise a challenge or object. Slightly critical or teasing.
充大瓣蒜 chōngdàbànsuàn

pose as a big garlic clove

To pretend to be someone capable or important. Mocking.
充大肚汉 chōngdàdùhàn

pose as a big-bellied man

To put on a show of being rich or generous when one is not.
充大人灯 chōngdàrendēng

pose as an adult lamp

Of a child, to act like a grown-up; more widely, to put on airs. Mocking.
充冤大头 chōngyuāndàtóu

play the wronged big head

To be the sucker who wastes money or is taken advantage of. Self-mocking or critical.
重打鼓,另开张 chóng dǎ gǔ, lìng kāizhāng

beat the drum again, open anew

To start over and make a fresh plan after a failure. Neutral or encouraging.
重打锣,另开张 chóng dǎ luó, lìng kāizhāng

beat the gong again, open anew

A variant of 重打鼓,另开张: to start afresh.
抽椽子 chōuchuánzi

pull out the rafters

To secretly sabotage something, since removing rafters brings the roof down. Critical.
抽大梁 chōudàliáng

pull out the main beam

To remove the key people or backbone of a group. Critical.
抽梯子 chōutīzi

pull away the ladder

To remove the support someone relies on to proceed, often by betrayal. Critical.
丑八怪 chǒubāguài

ugly eight monster

A very ugly person. An insulting term, used as an insult or in rude teasing.

May offend: mocks disability
丑小鸭 chǒuxiǎoyā

the ugly duckling

From Andersen's fairy tale: someone unknown or looked down on who has a bright future. Approving; close to English 'ugly duckling'.
臭豆腐 chòudòufu

stinky tofu

A person or thing that seems unpleasant on the surface but is actually popular or valued. Often affectionate.
臭狗屎 chòugǒushǐ

stinking dog dung

A person of bad character and terrible reputation. Strongly insulting and coarse.

May offend: vulgar language
出安民告示 chū ānmín gàoshi

put out a notice to reassure the people

Tell the people concerned in advance about something to be discussed, so they can prepare.
出点子 chūdiǎnzi

produce ideas

To come up with ideas or suggestions.
出风头 chūfēngtou

go out into the wind's head

To show off and seek attention; also to show one's talents. Usually mildly critical; like 'steal the limelight'.
出鬼门关 chūguǐménguān

come out of the Gate of Ghosts

To escape grave danger or the enemy's grasp, as if returning from the gate of the underworld.
出虎口 chūhǔkǒu

come out of the tiger's mouth

To escape from a very dangerous situation.
出火坑 chūhuǒkēng

climb out of the fire pit

To escape from a desperate, miserable situation.
出苦海 chūkǔhǎi

leave the sea of bitterness

To be free of suffering and misery.
出了山门打师父 chūle shānmén dǎ shīfu

once out of the temple gate, hit one's master

To be ungrateful and turn on someone who helped you. Critical.
出冷门 chūlěngmén

come out of a cold door

An unexpected result, especially an upset in sport; usually written 爆冷门.
出难题 chūnántí

set a hard problem

To deliberately put obstacles in someone's way or make things hard for them. Critical.
出气包 chūqìbāo

venting bag

A person who gets the blame and anger of others, like a punching bag.
出气筒 chūqìtǒng

venting tube

A person on whom others vent their anger; same as 出气包. Like 'punching bag' or 'whipping boy'.
出山虎 chūshānhǔ

tiger coming down from the mountain

A person in their prime, experienced and full of energy. Approving.
出馊主意 chūsōuzhǔyi

offer a spoiled idea

To suggest a poor, unwise plan. Mocking or critical.
出头椽子 chūtóuchuánzi

the protruding rafter

A person who dares to take the lead and so risks being attacked.
出头鸟 chūtóuniǎo

the bird that sticks its head out

A person who stands out and so gets criticised or hit. Like 'the tall poppy'.
出土文物 chūtǔwénwù

excavated cultural relics

Jokingly describes a person whose clothes or looks are hopelessly out of date. Mocking.
出洋相 chūyángxiàng

show foreign appearances

To make a fool of oneself in public or cause laughter by a blunder.
处理品 chǔlǐpǐn

goods sold off at reduced price

Literally discounted stock; figuratively, people or things weeded out by competition.
处女作 chǔnǚzuò

a maiden work

A person's first published or publicly released work. Neutral.
处下风 chǔxiàfēng

be on the downwind side

To be at a disadvantage in a contest.
触龙鳞 chùlóng** lín

touch the dragon's scales

To anger the emperor or a powerful person.
触霉头 chùméitóu

touch the mouldy head

To run into bad luck. Originally dialect.
穿玻璃小鞋 chuān bōli xiǎoxié

wear little glass shoes

To make trouble for someone in a way that looks fair and proper. A variation of 'give someone tight shoes'; critical.
穿玻璃鞋 chuānbōlixié

wear glass shoes

A shortened form of 穿玻璃小鞋, 'to wear glass little shoes'; it means the same as 穿小鞋: to be deliberately made life difficult for by someone in power.
穿红舞鞋 chuānhóngwǔxié

wear red dancing shoes

To be very active and successful in society or in one's career. Mildly approving or neutral.
穿红线 chuānhóngxiàn

thread a red string

To play matchmaker and bring an unmarried man and woman together. Light, friendly tone.
穿开裆裤 chuānkāidāngkù

wear open-crotch trousers

To be a small child, and so young and ignorant. Often said of someone's childhood ('since we wore split pants') or to dismiss someone as naive.
穿连裆裤 chuānliándāngkù

wear trousers joined at the crotch

To be in cahoots, covering for each other while doing wrong. Critical.
穿糖葫芦 chuāntánghúlu

thread candied haws on a skewer

To string related matters together into one chain, such as linking separate points or events into a whole.
穿小鞋 chuānxiǎoxié

make someone wear small shoes

To be deliberately given a hard time by someone with power over you, such as a boss. Critical of the one who does it. Close to 'make life difficult for someone'.
穿新鞋,走老路 chuān xīn xié, zǒu lǎolù

put on new shoes and walk the old road

To change only the outward form while the substance stays the same. Critical. Close to 'old wine in new bottles'.
穿新鞋,走正道 chuān xīn xié, zǒu zhèngdào

put on new shoes and walk the right road

To drop the old ways and turn over a new leaf, reforming from bad conduct. Approving.
穿靴戴帽 chuānxuēdàimào

put on boots and a hat

To pad a speech or essay with empty preaching at the start and end, whatever the content. Critical.
穿一条裤子 chuān yī tiáo kùzi

wear the same pair of trousers

To be extremely close, of two people who side with each other. It is often used critically of people in cahoots. Close to 'in cahoots' or 'thick as thieves'.
传家宝 chuánjiābǎo

heirloom passed down in the family

A treasure handed down through generations; figuratively, a fine tradition worth keeping. Approving.
传六耳 chuánliù'ěr

pass to six ears

For a secret to reach a third person, since a private talk between two people has only four ears. Used when a secret leaks.
传声筒 chuánshēngtǒng

speaking tube

Someone who merely repeats what others say and has no views of their own; a mouthpiece. Critical.
传衣钵 chuányībō

pass on the robe and alms bowl

To hand down one's ideas, learning or skills to the next generation, as a Buddhist master passes robe and bowl to a disciple. Neutral or approving.
船帮水,水帮船 chuán bāng shuǐ, shuǐ bāng chuán

the boat helps the water, the water helps the boat

Two sides help each other and both gain. Approving. Close to 'you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours'.
船到码头,车到站 chuán dào mǎtou, chē dào zhàn

the boat reaches the dock, the cart reaches the station

To rest content with what you have achieved and stop making progress. Critical in the book's sense; it is also used for 'things settle when the time comes'.
闯红灯 chuǎnghóngdēng

run a red light

To ignore rules and limits and do what you shouldn't. Critical.
闯江湖 chuǎngjiānghú

venture into the rivers and lakes

To travel around making a living, often by one's wits.
闯禁区 chuǎngjìnqū

burst into a forbidden zone

To force one's way into a place or subject that is off limits; also to break new ground in a restricted field.
吹耳边风 chuī'ěrbiānfēng

blow wind at someone's ear

To keep whispering suggestions or opinions in someone's ear to sway them. Often critical.
吹风会 chuīfēnghuì

blowing-wind meeting

A briefing meeting where an intention or information is leaked or announced in advance.
吹鼓手 chuīgǔshǒu

band trumpeter

Someone who hypes or flatters a person, cause or view. Critical.
吹胡子瞪眼 chuī húzi dèngyǎn

blow on one's beard and glare

To look furious, snorting and glaring in anger.
吹喇叭,抬轿子 chuīlǎba, táijiàozi

blow the trumpet and carry the sedan chair

To flatter and fawn on someone. Critical.
吹冷风 chuīlěngfēng

blow cold wind

To spread remarks that discourage people or harm someone. Critical.
吹牛皮 chuīniúpí

blow up an ox hide

To brag and exaggerate. Close to 'talk big' or 'shoot the bull'.
吹糖人 chuītángrén

blow a sugar figure

Something very easy to do. Light, colloquial.
吹枕边风 chuīzhěnbiānfēng

blow wind by the pillow's edge

A variant of 吹枕头风: a wife privately urges her husband to adopt her view or grant a request. Usually mildly critical, implying undue private influence.

May offend: sexist or sexual
吹枕头风 chuīzhěntoufēng

blow wind on the pillow

To persuade one's husband in private, in bed, to take one's side or do something. Often disapproving, suggesting improper influence on his decisions.

May offend: sexist or sexual
捶破鼓 chuípògǔ

pound a broken drum

To attack someone who has lost power or luck; from 'when the wall falls everyone pushes, when the drum is broken everyone beats it'. Critical. Close to 'kick a man when he's down'.
戳脊背 chuōjǐbèi

poke someone's back

A variant of 戳脊梁骨: to criticise or gossip about someone behind their back.
戳脊梁骨 chuōjǐliánggǔ

poke someone's spine

To point at and criticise or gossip about someone behind their back, bringing shame on them. Critical.
戳马蜂窝 chuōmǎfēngwō

poke a hornets' nest

A variant of 捅马蜂窝: to stir up trouble by provoking dangerous or touchy people. Same as English 'poke a hornets' nest'.
戳伤疤 chuōshāngbā

poke a scar

To bring up someone's painful past and hurt them. Said critically of tactless remarks.
戳心窝 chuōxīnwō

stab the heart

A variant of 捅心窝子: to say something that hits someone's sorest point and hurts deeply.
瓷饭碗 cífànwǎn

porcelain rice bowl

A job or income that is unstable or temporary, as fragile as china. The opposite of the 'iron rice bowl' (铁饭碗).
瓷公鸡 cígōngjī

porcelain rooster

A very stingy person who never gives anything up, like a china rooster that never loses a feather. Mocking. Close to 'tightwad'.
此地无银三百两 cǐ dì wú yín sānbǎi liǎng

no silver buried here: three hundred taels

A clumsy denial or cover-up that gives the truth away. Mocking. Close to 'the lady doth protest too much'.
此路不通 cǐlùbùtōng

this road does not go through

This approach or method will not work. Used of plans or tactics that are stuck.
刺耳朵 cì'ěrduo

prick the ears

Of words: harsh and unpleasant to hear. Critical.
粗线条 cūxiàntiáo

thick lines

Describes a rough, careless temperament or working style, or a rough outline of a plan or account. Mildly critical or neutral.
醋罐子 cùguànzi

vinegar jar

Same as 醋坛子: a very jealous person, especially in romance.
醋坛子 cùtánzi

vinegar jar

A person extremely prone to jealousy in love relationships. Teasing or mildly critical.
催眠曲 cuīmiánqǔ

lullaby

Figuratively, a speech or talk so dull it sends people to sleep. Humorous or critical.
催命符 cuīmìngfú

death-urging talisman

Something that hastens a person's death or ruin. Strongly negative.
催命鬼 cuīmìngguǐ

death-urging demon

Originally a demon who hurries people to death; figuratively an oppressor, and now someone who keeps nagging others to hurry. Critical or exasperated.
啐唾沫 cuìtuòmo

spit saliva

To spit in contempt, showing strong disgust and scorn.
寸草心 cùncǎoxīn

the heart of an inch of grass

A child's love and gratitude toward parents, from a Tang poem comparing it to grass repaying spring sunlight. Warm and literary.
错认定盘星 cuò rèn dìngpánxīng

misread the zero mark on the steelyard

To judge something wrongly from a faulty starting point. Critical.
错上坟 cuòshàngfén

visit the wrong grave

To flatter or curry favour with the wrong person. Mocking. Close to 'barking up the wrong tree'.
搭班子 dābānzi

build a team

To put together a group of people for a leadership or project team.
搭错车 dācuòchē

board the wrong vehicle

To follow others into an activity that turns out badly. Mildly critical.

Every kind of Chinese saying