Chinese idioms (惯用语)

顶门棍 dǐngméngùn

the stick that braces the door

A variant of 顶门杠: someone who obstructs things.
顶牛角 dǐngniújiǎo

butt horns

To clash head-on with neither side giving way. Compare 'lock horns'.
顶破天 dǐngpòtiān

push through the sky

Reaching the limit; at most, at the very outside.
顶头风 dǐngtóufēng

a headwind

A wind blowing straight at you; figuratively, strong resistance or opposition.
顶着一面墙 dǐngzhe yī miàn qiáng

propping up a wall

To be able to take sole charge of a whole area of work. Approving.
钉上耻辱柱 dìngshàng chǐrǔzhù

nailed to the pillar of shame

To be marked in history for a shameful deed and be scorned by the people forever. Strongly condemning.
定调子 dìngdiàozi

set the key

To fix beforehand the line or approach to take, as a singer sets the pitch. Compare 'set the tone'.
定盘星 dìngpánxīng

the balance's zero mark

A firm view or settled decision; having one's mind made up. Originally the zero point on a steelyard.
定时炸弹 dìngshízhàdàn

time bomb

A hidden danger that may blow up later. Same as the English 'time bomb'.
定心丸 dìngxīnwán

calming pill

Something that reassures people and puts their mind at ease. Compare 'a reassurance' or 'a sedative'.
丢包袱 diūbāofu

throw away a burden

To cast off a burden. The book says the usual form is 卸包袱, 'unload the burden'.
丢饭碗 diūfànwǎn

lose one's rice bowl

To lose a job that provides a steady income. Compare 'lose one's livelihood'.
丢拐棍儿 diūguǎigùnr

throw away the walking stick

To give up the conditions or things one used to depend on.
丢乌纱帽 diūwūshāmào

lose the black gauze hat

To lose one's official post or position. Used wryly of officials or managers who get dismissed or demoted.
丢眼色 diūyǎnsè

throw a look

To signal someone with a glance or a meaningful look, usually to hint at something without speaking.
东道主 dōngdàozhǔ

host of the eastern road

The host who receives and entertains guests, or the host country or city of an event. Neutral and common.
东风射马耳 dōngfēng shè mǎ'ěr

the east wind blows into a horse's ear

Words that go in one ear and out the other; someone hears advice or news and doesn't react. Mildly critical; like 'water off a duck's back'.
东一榔头，西一棒槌 dōng yī lángtou, xī yī bàngchui

a hammer blow in the east, a club blow in the west

Speaking with no clear point or working without any method, jumping from one thing to another. Critical.
动大手术 dòngdàshǒushù

perform major surgery

To take drastic, thorough measures, on a large scale, to solve a problem. Approving or neutral.
动肝火 dònggānhuǒ

stir up liver fire

To lose one's temper; to get angry.
动毫毛 dòngháomáo

move a fine hair

To do even the slightest harm to someone. Usually used in the negative: 'not dare touch a hair of his head'.
动真格的 dòngzhēngéde

do it for real

To stop just talking and take real, effective action; to get serious.
动指头 dòngzhǐtou

move a finger

To touch lightly or do the slightest thing to someone; usually negative: 'didn't lay a finger on him'.
兜圈子 dōuquānzi

go around in circles

To talk in a roundabout way rather than say things plainly, or to keep going over the same issue without resolving it. Mildly critical.
抖翅膀 dǒuchìbǎng

flap the wings

To feel strong enough to be independent and want to break away from one's support, showing off. Mildly critical.
抖威风 dǒuwēifēng

shake out one's majesty

To deliberately show off one's power or authority to awe others. Critical.
斗心眼儿 dòuxīnyǎnr

compete in wits

To secretly try to outdo each other with schemes and calculation. Mildly critical.
豆腐拌成了肉价钱 dòufu bànchéngle ròu jiàqian

tofu dressed up to meat prices

Unnecessary packaging and fuss push costs far above what they should be.
豆腐块儿 dòufukuàir

a block of tofu

A short, neat piece of writing in a newspaper or magazine, from its squared-off look in print.
豆腐卖成了肉价钱 dòufu màichéngle ròu jiàqian

tofu sold at meat prices

A variant of the tofu-at-meat-prices saying: costs pushed above what is reasonable by needless extras.
豆腐渣 dòufuzhā

bean curd dregs

Refers to a very poor-quality person or shoddy thing; most often seen in 'tofu-dregs construction' (shoddy building work). Contemptuous.
豆腐账 dòufuzhàng

tofu accounts

Petty, trivial accounts, since tofu is cheap.
豆腐嘴，刀子心 dòufu zuǐ, dāozi xīn

tofu mouth, knife heart

Someone who speaks softly and sweetly but is cruel and malicious inside. Critical; like 'a wolf in sheep's clothing'.
豆芽菜 dòuyácài

bean sprout

A tall, thin child or young person, often used teasingly of a spindly build.
独立王国 dúlìwángguó

independent kingdom

A region, department or unit that does not obey higher authority and runs itself. Critical.
独木桥 dúmùqiáo

single-log bridge

A difficult and narrow path; often in 'cross the single-log bridge', for a competitive route such as exams.
独眼龙 dúyǎnlóng

one-eyed dragon

A nickname for a person blind in one eye; often teasing or disrespectful.
堵后门 dǔhòumén

block the back door

To close off the channels through which people get favours or cheat the system by improper means. Used in a neutral to approving way about anti-corruption measures.
堵窟窿 dǔkūlong

plug a hole

To cover a financial shortfall or pay off a debt, often by patching one gap with other money. Usually implies a stopgap.
堵漏洞 dǔlòudòng

plug a loophole

To take steps to stop mistakes, accidents or abuses and to fix gaps in how work is done. Neutral or approving.
肚里蛔虫 dùlihuíchóng

roundworm in one's belly

A person who knows exactly what someone else is thinking. It is humorous, sometimes mildly mocking. Roughly 'someone who can read your mind'.
蠹书虫 dùshūchóng

book-eating worm; bookworm

A scholar who buries himself in books and is out of touch with real life. Mildly mocking. Unlike English 'bookworm', it is critical.
端架子 duānjiàzi

hold up one's airs

A variant of 摆架子: to act self-importantly or stand on one's dignity. Critical.
端老窝 duānlǎowō

take out the old nest

To destroy an enemy's long-held base completely. Used of military, police or competitive actions.
短平快 duǎnpíngkuài

short, flat, fast

Originally a volleyball attack. Now it describes a project that is brief, easy and quick to pay off. Usually approving, sometimes hinting at a lack of depth.
断后路 duànhòulù

cut off the way back

To cut off an enemy's retreat or supply line, or leave an opponent no room to back out. Also 'burn one's bridges'.
断香火 duànxiānghuǒ

let the incense and fire go out

To have no descendants to carry on the family and worship ancestors. A traditional concern, serious in tone.
断烟火 duànyānhuǒ

cut off the smoke and fire

To have no firewood or rice to cook with, i.e. to have nothing to eat.
断衣食 duànyīshí

cut off clothing and food

To be left with nothing to eat or wear, or to deprive someone of basic livelihood.
对不上号 duìbùshànghào

the numbers don't match

Two things don't fit or tally, as when details don't match a person or account.
对号入座 duìhàorùzuò

take the seat that matches your ticket number

To sort people or things into the matching category. Often used of people who take a general remark as aimed at themselves.
对路子 duìlùzi

fit the path

Of a method or approach: right and suitable. Also of goods that suit the demand.
对上号 duìshànghào

the numbers match up

Two things tally or fit together, as a name with a face or details with a story.
对台戏 duìtáixì

rival stage play

A rival show put on in opposition, by two troupes staging at once. Hence to compete or act against someone: 'to stage a rival show'.
对胃口 duìwèikǒu

suit the appetite

To be to one's taste or interest. Used of food, but equally of ideas, people or work.
对着干 duìzhegàn

do it head-on against

To act in direct opposition to someone, in order to thwart them. Informal.
蹲班房 dūnbānfáng

squat in the lockup

Colloquial for being detained or jailed. Roughly 'do time'.
蹲牛棚 dūnniúpéng

squat in the cowshed

In the Cultural Revolution, to be held in makeshift detention as a supposed 'monster'. Now used historically, or jokingly.
多米诺骨牌 duōmǐnuò gǔpái

dominoes

A chain reaction in which one event sets off others, as with a row of toppling dominoes. Same as English 'domino effect'.
夺桂冠 duóguìguān

seize the laurel wreath

To win the top honour or title in a contest. Borrowed from the Greek custom of crowning winners.
夺金牌 duójīnpái

snatch the gold medal

To win first place in a sports event, or by extension to achieve the best result in any contest.
恶作剧 èzuòjù

evil-doing prank

A mean practical joke that goes too far and embarrasses or distresses the victim. Mildly critical.
儿皇帝 érhuángdì

son emperor

A ruler who holds power only with foreign backing and is subservient to it. It refers to Shi Jingtang, who called himself the Khitan ruler's 'son'. Contemptuous.
耳报神 ěrbàoshén

ear-reporting spirit

A person who secretly passes on news or tips, an informant. Slightly mocking or disapproving.
耳边风 ěrbiānfēng

wind past the ear

Words that are heard and then ignored. You'd say someone treats advice as 'just a passing breeze', or that it goes in one ear and out the other.
耳朵长 ěrduocháng

long ears

Describes someone who finds out news through many channels. Said half-jokingly, sometimes disapprovingly.
耳朵尖 ěrduojiān

sharp ears

Describes someone with sharp hearing, or someone quick to pick up news and gossip.
耳朵里起茧子 ěrduo lǐ qǐ jiǎnzi

calluses growing in the ears

A variant of 耳朵磨出茧子: to have heard something so often that it is tiresome.
耳朵磨出茧子 ěrduo móchū jiǎnzi

ears worn into calluses

Said when you have heard the same thing so many times that you are sick of it. Close to 'I've heard it a thousand times'.
耳朵软 ěrduoruǎn

soft ears

Describes someone with no firm opinions, who is easily persuaded by whatever they hear. Mildly critical.
耳朵硬 ěrduoyìng

hard ears

Describes someone with firm views, who won't change their mind whatever others say. It can be approving or can mean stubborn.
耳根软 ěrgēnruǎn

soft ear roots

A variant of 耳朵软: easily swayed by what others say.
耳根硬 ěrgēnyìng

hard ear roots

A variant of 耳朵硬: firm in one's views and not easily swayed.
耳目多 ěrmùduō

many ears and eyes

Describes a person or group with many spies or informants watching others and gathering information everywhere.
耳目灵 ěrmùlíng

ears and eyes quick

Describes someone who is well informed and gets the news quickly.
耳旁风 ěrpángfēng

wind beside the ear

A variant of 耳边风: words heard and then ignored.
二把刀 èrbǎdāo

second-rate knife

Someone only half-skilled at a job, or such half-baked skill. Mildly mocking. Like 'a dabbler'.
二百五 èrbǎiwǔ

two hundred and fifty

A fool, a rash and simple-minded person. Insulting but usually teasing.
二传手 èrchuánshǒu

second-pass player

From volleyball: a go-between who passes things on and does not originate them. Often slightly belittling.
二进宫 èrjìngōng

entering the palace a second time

Being detained or jailed a second time, or hospitalised again. Humorous or wry.
二路货 èrlùhuò

second-line goods

Inferior goods, or a person of poor character or quality. Contemptuous.
二皮脸 èrpíliǎn

second-skin face

A shameless, thick-skinned person who plays the rogue. Insulting.
二十响 èrshíxiǎng

twenty shots

Slang for a pack of twenty cigarettes used as a bribe. Dated.
二五眼 èrwuyǎn

two-five eyes

Incompetent, or of poor quality; also an incompetent person. Disparaging.
二一添作五 èr yī tiānzuò wǔ

two-one, add to make five

An abacus rule for dividing by two. It means splitting something equally, including sharing costs, duties and blame evenly.
发高烧 fāgāoshāo

to run a high fever

To be overheated and irrational, acting rashly out of enthusiasm or emotion. Mildly critical.
发烧友 fāshāoyǒu

fever friend

An enthusiast, a fan who is crazy about something, such as audio equipment. Fairly neutral, affectionate. Like 'buff' or 'fanatic'.
发神经 fāshénjīng

to have a nerve fit

To act crazy or unreasonably. Used to scold or tease. Like 'go nuts'.
发通行证 fātōngxíngzhèng

to issue a pass

To give permission to pass or go ahead with something.
发现新大陆 fāxiàn xīndàlù

to discover a new continent

To find something that seems new and exciting, often wryly when it is already well known. Like 'discover America'.
发邪火 fāxiéhuǒ

to give off an odd fire

To lose one's temper unexpectedly or for unclear reasons. Mildly critical.
发洋财 fāyángcái

to make foreign money

To get rich suddenly, by a windfall. Originally profiting from foreigners. Often envious or wry.
翻白眼 fānbáiyǎn

to roll the whites of the eyes

To show disapproval or contempt; also, dying.
翻个个儿 fāngegèr

to turn over

To turn upside down, to make a mess or beat to a pulp, or to swap places.
翻跟头 fāngēntou

to turn a somersault

To do a somersault, as in martial arts or gymnastics.
翻旧账 fānjiùzhàng

to turn over old accounts

To bring up past disputes and assign blame. Usually critical. Like 'dredge up the past'.
翻老皇历 fānlǎohuángli

to look through an old almanac

To act by outdated methods or see new things with old thinking. Mildly critical.
翻老账 fānlǎozhàng

to turn over old accounts

To raise past quarrels and look into old blame. Critical. Like 'rake up the past'.
翻烙饼 fānlàobǐng

to flip a flatbread

To toss and turn in bed unable to sleep, or to keep going back and forth over something.
翻脸不认人 fānliǎn bù rèn rén

to turn one's face and not know people

To suddenly change attitude and drop old ties. Critical.

Every kind of Chinese saying