Chinese idioms (惯用语)

搭架子 dājiàzi

put up scaffolding

To draw up an outline for writing, or lay out a plan for a new venture.
搭鹊桥 dāquèqiáo

build a magpie bridge

To play matchmaker, after the legend of magpies bridging the Milky Way for the Cowherd and Weaver Girl. Warm or humorous.
搭梯子 dātīzi

put up a ladder

To give someone support, or help them out of an awkward spot. Approving.
打白条 dǎbáitiáo

to write a white slip

To give an IOU instead of cash payment. Critical, used of unpaid or delayed payment.
打摆子 dǎbǎizi

to shake with malaria

Of work or study attitude, to blow hot and cold. Mildly critical.
打板子 dǎbǎnzi

to beat with the paddle

To criticise or reprimand someone, from the old corporal punishment. Often humorous or figurative.
打包票 dǎbāopiào

to issue a guarantee note

To guarantee confidently that something will happen, or to vouch for someone. Close to 'I'll vouch for it' or 'I guarantee it'.
打保票 dǎbǎopiào

to give a guarantee

A variant of 打包票: to guarantee something or vouch for someone.
打抱不平 dǎbàobùpíng

to strike out against unfairness

To speak or act on behalf of someone who has been wronged. Approving.
打笔墨官司 dǎ bǐmòguānsi

to fight a lawsuit with pen and ink

To argue in writing, such as in newspapers or letters. Neutral or slightly wry.
打擦边球 dǎcābiānqiú

to hit an edge ball

To act right at the limit of the rules, in a grey area. From table tennis; can be mildly critical or admiring of cleverness.
打苍蝇 dǎcāngying

to swat flies

To go after only petty wrongdoers while sparing the big ones, for show. Critical; the phrase 'swatting flies' is also used in anti-corruption talk for small officials.
打出界球 dǎchūjièqiú

to hit the ball out of bounds

To do something that breaks the rules or goes beyond what is allowed. Mildly critical.
打出头鸟 dǎchūtóuniǎo

to shoot the bird that sticks out its head

To attack those who dare to take the lead. Compare 'the tall poppy gets cut down'. Critical.
打大算盘 dǎdàsuànpan

to work a big abacus

To think in terms of the big picture and the whole situation. Approving.
打当面鼓 dǎdāngmiàngǔ

to beat the drum to someone's face

To say what you think directly to someone. Approving of frankness.
打倒金刚赖到佛 dǎdǎo jīngāng làidào fó

knock down the guardian warrior and blame the Buddha

To push the blame for one's own mistake onto someone else. Critical.
打底子 dǎdǐzi

to lay the underlayer

To lay a foundation or do preparatory work. Neutral.
打掉了牙齿往肚里咽 dǎdiàole yáchǐ wǎng dù lǐ yàn

swallow your knocked-out teeth into your belly

To bear insult or injury in silence because there is nothing else to do. Similar to 'swallow your pride', with more suffering.
打肚皮官司 dǎ dùpí guānsi

to fight a lawsuit in one's belly

To weigh things up silently in one's own mind, privately arguing over options. Wry.
打翻醋坛子 dǎfān cùtánzi

to knock over the vinegar jar

To be jealous, especially in love. The book defines it for women, so it can read as sexist, but it is also used of any jealous person. Humorous or mocking.

May offend: sexist or sexual
打翻身仗 dǎfānshēnzhàng

to fight a turn-around battle

To completely reverse a bad situation. Approving, used for comebacks.
打翻五味瓶 dǎfān wǔwèipíng

to knock over the five-flavour bottle

To feel mixed emotions, sweet, sour, bitter, salty and spicy all at once. Descriptive.
打防疫针 dǎfángyìzhēn

to give a vaccination

A variant of 打预防针: to warn people in advance so they are ready for bad news. Neutral.
打腹稿 dǎfùgǎo

to draft in the belly

To work out in your head what to write or say before doing it. Neutral.
打攻坚战 dǎgōngjiānzhàn

to fight a battle against a fortified position

To tackle a very difficult task with a concentrated push. Approving, used in official or work contexts.
打官腔 dǎguānqiāng

to speak in an official tone

To use stiff official language to dodge a matter or lecture others. Critical. In some regions it also means speaking standard Mandarin instead of dialect to locals.
打棍子 dǎgùnzi

to hit with a club

To attack someone by pinning accusations on them, ruthlessly. Critical, a term from political campaigns.
打哈哈 dǎhāha

to go ha-ha

To joke around, or brush something off with laughter. Light, often used to dodge a serious matter.
打核桃捎带了枣 dǎ hétao shāodàile zǎo

while knocking down walnuts, also hit the dates

While attacking one party, to hurt another by accident. Descriptive; compare 'collateral damage'.
打黑枪 dǎhēiqiāng

to fire a shot in the dark

To harm someone secretly, attacking from hiding. Critical.
打横炮 dǎhéngpào

fire a cannon from the side

To interfere from the sidelines and make trouble for your own side. Critical.
打虎不着,反被虎咬 dǎ hǔ bù zháo, fǎn bèi hǔ yǎo

try to hit the tiger and miss, and get bitten by the tiger instead

To fail to harm your opponent and get hurt yourself instead. Close to 'to backfire' or 'to be hoist with one's own petard'.
打幌子 dǎhuǎngzi

hang out a shop sign

To use some respectable name or pretext as a cover for doing something unrelated. Critical.
打活靶 dǎhuóbǎ

shoot at a moving target

To single out a person as the target of criticism because it suits some purpose. Critical.
打歼灭战 dǎjiānmièzhàn

fight a battle of annihilation

To concentrate all your strength on one big push to finish a task. Approving or humorous.
打接应 dǎjiēyìng

give covering support

Originally to support the main force in a military action. Now it means to cooperate and back each other up.
打进十八层地狱 dǎjìn shíbā céng dìyù

strike down into the eighteenth level of hell

A variant of 打入十八层地狱: to be cast down to the lowest depths, never to rise again.
打开窗户说亮话 dǎkāi chuānghu shuō liànghuà

open the window and speak bright words

To speak frankly and openly, with nothing hidden. Said when you want to stop beating around the bush. Close to 'let's put our cards on the table'.
打开话匣子 dǎkāi huàxiázi

open the talk box

To start a conversation, or to start talking and be unable to stop. The 'talk box' was an old gramophone or radio. Close to 'get started and not stop talking'.
打开天窗说亮话 dǎkāi tiānchuāng shuō liànghuà

open the skylight and speak bright words

A variant of 打开窗户说亮话: to speak frankly and openly. Close to 'let's put our cards on the table'.
打烂坛坛罐罐 dǎlàn tántánguànguàn

smash the jars and pots

To cause some small losses or minor damage. The jars and pots stand for everyday household items.
打老虎 dǎlǎohǔ

hit tigers

To crack down on major crimes, especially the ringleaders in big corruption cases. Used in news and political language.
打烙印 dǎlàoyìn

brand with a hot iron

To leave a deep impression or a lasting influence, like a brand burned into skin.
打擂台 dǎlèitái

fight on the challenge stage

To take up a challenge and compete head to head, as in work or production. Also used for rival groups competing directly.
打冷枪 dǎlěngqiāng

fire a cold shot

To attack someone secretly when they are off guard. Critical. Close to 'to take a pot shot' or 'to stab in the back'.
打落水狗 dǎluòshuǐgǒu

beat a dog that has fallen in the water

To keep attacking a bad person once they have lost power, rather than letting them off. It is often used approvingly, in the sense of 'finish off an enemy'.
打马虎眼 dǎmǎhuyǎn

play the careless-eye trick

To deliberately cover up the facts and try to get by through vagueness. Critical. Close to 'to pull the wool over someone's eyes'.
打埋伏 dǎmáifú

set an ambush

To deliberately hold something back for some purpose, such as hiding your real ability or keeping part of what you should hand over.
打满分 dǎmǎnfēn

give full marks

To judge something perfectly done and completely satisfying. Approving.
打闷棍 dǎmēngùn

hit with a blow from behind

Originally to club someone suddenly when they are unprepared. Figuratively it means to hit someone with sudden, unexpected criticism or a blow.
打磨磨 dǎmòmo

go round like a millstone

To pace round and round in one spot, as if restless. It describes someone anxious and unable to settle.
打内战 dǎnèizhàn

fight a civil war

To have infighting or conflict within one's own group. Critical or wry.
打疲劳战 dǎpíláozhàn

fight a war of exhaustion

To wear yourself out with long hours of busy work that achieves little.
打屁股 dǎpìgu

spank the bottom

To give someone a severe reprimand or punishment. Often humorous.
打破头 dǎpòtóu

break heads

To fight fiercely over something. It describes extremely intense competition or rivalry.
打强心针 dǎqiángxīnzhēn

give a heart-strengthening injection

To boost the confidence and spirits of a person or organisation in trouble and give them new drive. Close to 'a shot in the arm'.
打秋风 dǎqiūfēng

hit the autumn wind

To get gifts or money from someone by using some pretext or connection. Originally relatives and friends sought gifts from a person who had become an official. Critical or mocking. Close to 'to sponge off someone'.
打如意算盘 dǎ rúyìsuànpan

work an abacus to one's liking

To make plans that count only what is favourable to yourself and ignore the real situation. Mocking. Close to 'to count one's chickens before they hatch'.
打入冷宫 dǎrùlěnggōng

send to the cold palace

To shelve someone or something and leave it unused for a long time. The 'cold palace' was where an emperor put out-of-favour consorts.
打入十八层地狱 dǎrù shíbā céng dìyù

cast into the eighteenth level of hell

To be thrown down to the lowest level of society, with no hope of rising again. Hell was believed to have eighteen levels, each worse than the last.
打水漂 dǎshuǐpiāo

skip stones on water

To work in vain and gain nothing, or to lose everything. Like a skipped stone, the effort or money vanishes. Close to 'to go down the drain'.
打顺风锣 dǎshùnfēngluó

beat the gong with the wind

A variant of 打顺风旗: to always go along with whatever others say or do. Critical.
打顺风旗 dǎshùnfēngqí

wave the flag with the wind

To keep going along with what others say or do, with no view of your own. Critical. Close to 'to go with the flow' or 'to be a yes-man'.
打死老虎 dǎsǐlǎohǔ

beat a dead tiger

To attack someone who has already lost power and can no longer hit back. Critical or mocking.
打死卖盐的 dǎsǐ mài yán de

beat the salt seller to death

Said of food that is far too salty, as if the cook had been robbed by the salt seller. Humorous.
打太极拳 dǎtàijíquán

practise tai chi

To dodge responsibility or stall, shifting a matter around with soft pushes. Mocking.
打天下 dǎtiānxià

fight for the empire

To seize power by revolution, or to build a new business or career through struggle.
打头炮 dǎtóupào

fire the first cannon

To be the first to speak at a meeting or discussion.
打头站 dǎtóuzhàn

do the first stop

To go on ahead and arrange food and lodging for those who follow.
打头阵 dǎtóuzhèn

fight in the front formation

To lead the charge, or to be the first to step forward. Approving. Close to 'to spearhead' or 'to lead the way'.
打退堂鼓 dǎtuìtánggǔ

beat the drum to end court

To back out halfway through a task. Officials used to end court with a drum beat. Close to 'to get cold feet'.
打问号 dǎwènhào

put a question mark

To feel doubt or suspicion about something.
打窝里炮 dǎwōlǐpào

fire a cannon inside the nest

To have conflict or fighting among your own people. Critical.
打下手 dǎxiàshǒu

work as the lower hand

To work as someone's assistant, such as a kitchen helper.
打先锋 dǎxiānfēng

serve as the vanguard

To go first, as the advance force on a march. Figuratively to take the lead in pushing forward. Approving.
打小报告 dǎxiǎobàogào

make a small report

To tell on someone behind their back to a superior. Critical. Close to 'to snitch' or 'to tell tales'.
打小鼓 dǎxiǎogǔ

beat a small drum

To have your heart pounding from excitement or fear, as if a small drum were beating inside you.
打小九九 dǎxiǎojiǔjiǔ

work out the little nine-nines

A variant of 打小算盘: to calculate quietly for your own advantage. Mocking.
打小算盘 dǎxiǎosuànpan

work a small abacus

To think only of your own interests or those of your small group. Critical or mocking.
打哑谜 dǎyǎmí

play a dumb riddle

To avoid saying what you mean, leaving others to guess. Close to 'to talk in riddles'.
打哑炮 dǎyǎpào

fire a dud shell

To fail or miss the goal, like a shell that does not go off. Close to 'to fall flat'.
打掩护 dǎyǎnhù

give covering fire

Originally to fight from the flanks or rear to protect the main force. Figuratively to shield or cover for wrongdoers. Critical.
打野食 dǎyěshí

hunt wild food

Said of a married man who has improper affairs outside marriage. Critical, with a coarse tone.

May offend: sexist or sexual
打一巴掌揉三揉 dǎ yī bāzhang róu sān róu

slap once, rub three times

To combine harshness with kindness, hitting and then soothing, in order to control someone. Close to 'carrot and stick'.
打一枪换个地方 dǎ yī qiāng huàn ge dìfang

fire one shot and change position

To keep moving from place to place or job to job, never settling. Critical of someone fickle.
打一下,揉半天 dǎ yī xià, róu bàn tiān

hit once, rub for half a day

A variant of 打一巴掌揉三揉: to alternate harshness with soothing. Close to 'carrot and stick'.
打硬仗 dǎyìngzhàng

fight a hard battle

To take on a very difficult task and push through. Approving. Close to 'to face a tough fight'.
打游飞 dǎyóufēi

fly around aimlessly

To wander about with no purpose.
打游击 dǎyóujī

fight a guerrilla war

To do work that involves moving about a lot, or to have no fixed place to eat or sleep. Often humorous.
打预防针 dǎyùfángzhēn

give a preventive injection

To take precautions in advance, such as by warning people of trouble ahead. Close to 'to forewarn' or 'to inoculate against'.
打圆场 dǎyuánchǎng

to play the round field

To step in and smooth over a quarrel or an awkward moment, easing the mood. Neutral to approving.
打招呼 dǎzhāohu

to hit a call

To greet someone; also to let someone know in advance or afterwards about something, or to ask them to look after a matter. Everyday, neutral.
打折扣 dǎzhékòu

to hit a discount

To sell at a discount; figuratively, to fall short of the original standard or requirement, to be watered down.
打着灯笼没处找 dǎzhe dēnglong méi chù zhǎo

carrying a lantern, nowhere to look

A variant of 打着灯笼难找: something or someone so good that it is hard to find another. Approving.
打着灯笼难找 dǎzhe dēnglong nán zhǎo

carrying a lantern, still hard to find

Describes a person, thing or chance so excellent it is very hard to find the like. Approving; similar to "you won't find another like it".
打肿脸充胖子 dǎzhǒng liǎn chōng pàngzi

slap one's face swollen to pass for a fat man

To put on a show of strength, wealth or ability one lacks, at one's own cost. Mildly critical or mocking.
打自己嘴巴 dǎ zìjǐ zuǐba

slap one's own mouth

To contradict oneself in what one says or does. Mocking or critical.
打嘴皮官司 dǎ zuǐpí guānsi

fight a lawsuit with lips

To argue face to face, or to bicker; a war of words with no real action. Mildly dismissive.
大草包 dàcǎobāo

big straw sack

A person with an impressive reputation or look but no real ability. Contemptuous; like 'an empty suit' or 'a windbag'.

Every kind of Chinese saying