Chinese idioms (惯用语)

根子深 gēnzishēn

the root is deep

Says that someone has powerful, well-established backing. It can also mean being deeply rooted among the common people, which is approving.
根子硬 gēnziyìng

the root is hard

Says that someone has powerful backers with a secure position, so they are hard to touch.
根子正 gēnzizhèng

the root is straight

Says that someone has a clean background and sound political thinking. It is approving, in an official-political sense.
跟屁虫 gēnpìchóng

fart-following bug

A person who tags along after others with no opinion of their own. It is mocking, often said of children.

May offend: vulgar language
更上一层楼 gèng shàng yī céng lóu

go up one more storey

To advance further and reach a higher level. It comes from a Tang poem and is approving, used for encouragement.
弓上弦，刀出鞘 gōng shàng xián, dāo chū qiào

bow strung, sword drawn

Describes a tense stand-off about to break into conflict. It can also mean being fully prepared for a hard task.
公说公有理，婆说婆有理 gōng shuō gōng yǒulǐ, pó shuō pó yǒulǐ

the father-in-law says he is right, the mother-in-law says she is right

Both sides in a dispute insist they are right and neither gives way. It is said when it is hard to judge.
公文旅行 gōngwénlǚxíng

official documents on a journey

Criticises bureaucracy in which papers are passed from office to office and the problem is never solved.
公有公理，婆有婆理 gōng yǒu gōng lǐ, pó yǒu pó lǐ

the father-in-law has his reason, the mother-in-law has hers

A variant of 公说公有理，婆说婆有理: each side has its own argument and neither yields.
攻坚战 gōngjiānzhàn

battle to storm a strong position

Refers to a very hard, demanding task or project, often one that needs a final big push.
狗嘴里吐不出象牙 gǒuzuǐ li tǔ bù chū xiàngyá

no ivory comes out of a dog's mouth

A nasty person can't say anything decent. Used to rebuke foul-mouthed talk. Close to "you can't get sense out of a fool" in spirit.

May offend: vulgar language
狗摆尾 gǒubǎiwěi

a dog wagging its tail

Describes a lowly person fawning on a superior to win favour. Contemptuous.
狗吃屎 gǒuchīshǐ

a dog eating excrement

Either falling flat on your face, or an ingrained bad habit. Coarse.

May offend: vulgar language
狗尿苔 gǒuniàotái

dog-urine moss

A toadstool-like inedible fungus, used as an insult for a hateful, worthless person.

May offend: vulgar language
狗皮膏药 gǒupígāoyao

dog-skin plaster

A fake or worthless product, or a swindler's wares. Also used for something that sticks and can't be shaken off.
狗屎堆 gǒushǐduī

a pile of dog excrement

A very rude term for a thoroughly detestable person.

May offend: vulgar language
狗头军师 gǒutóujūnshī

dog-headed military adviser

Someone who gives bad advice or schemes for others. Mocking or humorous.
狗腿子 gǒutuǐzi

dog's legs

A lackey who runs errands for a powerful bad person and helps in his wrongdoing. Contemptuous.
狗血喷头 gǒuxiěpēntou

dog's blood spraying over the head

Describes a fierce scolding that leaves the target unable to hold up their head. Close to 'give someone a tongue-lashing'.
狗咬狗 gǒuyǎogǒu

dog bites dog

Bad people fighting among themselves. Close to 'dog eat dog'.
骨节酥 gǔjiésū

bone joints gone crumbly

Describes a state of blissful, intoxicated surrender, as if weak at the joints.
骨头软 gǔtouruǎn

soft bones

Weak-willed, unable to stand a test or find the courage to face difficulty. Critical.
骨头硬 gǔtouyìng

hard bones

Strong-willed, able to take pressure and face hardship bravely. Approving.
骨子里 gǔzilǐ

in the bones

Deep down; in one's real inner nature.
顾脑袋，不顾屁股 gù nǎodai, bùgù pìgu

look after the head, not the backside

Criticises poor planning: caring for one thing while neglecting another, or thinking only of the present. Colloquial.
雇佣军 gùyōngjūn

hired army

Mercenaries; figuratively, people or organisations that work for whoever pays. Often mildly negative.
瓜菜代 guācàidài

melon and vegetables instead

Originally a famine measure of adding melons and vegetables to the staple grain; figuratively, lowering standards or substituting inferior goods.
呱呱叫 guāguājiào

croak-croak calling

Excellent, first-rate. Colloquial and approving.
刮鼻子 guābízi

scrape the nose

Either to scold severely, or to rub your own nose with a finger to shame someone or embarrass them.
刮地皮 guādìpí

scrape the ground

Describes corrupt officials squeezing the people for money.
刮胡子 guāhúzi

shave the beard

To scold or dress someone down.
刮冷风 guālěngfēng

blow a cold wind

To spread discouraging talk that dampens other people's enthusiasm.
刮脸皮 guāliǎnpí

scrape the cheek

Drawing a finger across your cheek to mock someone as shameless.
刮台风 guātáifēng

a typhoon blows

A wave of change or craze that shakes society strongly.
刮旋风 guāxuànfēng

a whirlwind blows

Either rushing about busily, or acting hastily and carelessly.
刮阴风 guāyīnfēng

blow a dark wind

To secretly spread rumours or hostile propaganda. Critical.
挂黄牌 guàhuángpái

hang up a yellow card

To give an official warning to a person or organisation that has done wrong, as a referee does in football. Used in news and official contexts, and it is neutral to stern.
挂幌子 guàhuǎngzi

hang up a shop sign

Either to let a sign or sign of something show openly, or, more often, to use a respectable name or excuse as a cover for doing something else. Critical when used in the second sense.
挂空挡 guàkōngdǎng

put the car in neutral

To go through the motions in one's work without achieving anything real, like an engine running while the wheels do not turn. Mildly critical.
挂免战牌 guàmiǎnzhànpái

hang up the no-fighting sign

To call a halt to a quarrel or contest, or to refuse to take part in one. From old stories where a army hung a sign outside camp to say it would not fight. Often humorous.
挂牌子 guàpáizi

hang up a signboard

To make one's role or identity openly known, or to act under a borrowed name or pretext. The sense depends on context and can be neutral or critical.
挂上钩 guàshànggōu

hook on

To get in touch or link up with someone or something, like train cars being coupled. Neutral, and sometimes implies a slightly shady connection.
挂上号 guàshànghào

get one's number hung up (registered)

To be entered on a list or recorded as belonging to a group; the image comes from registering to see a doctor. Neutral.
挂帅印 guàshuàiyìn

hang up the commander's seal

To take charge as the top leader of a team or a major project. Neutral to approving.
挂羊头，卖狗肉 guà yángtóu, mài gǒuròu

hang up a sheep's head, sell dog meat

To advertise one thing but sell another; to deceive people with a fine label that does not match the reality. Critical. Close to "false pretences" or "bait and switch".
挂油瓶 guàyóupíng

hang up an oil bottle

Describes someone sulking or angry, whose pouting lip could hold an oil bottle. Humorous and a little teasing.
挂招牌 guàzhāopai

hang up a signboard

A variant of 挂牌子: to show one's identity openly, or to act under a borrowed name or pretext.
关上门打狗 guānshàng mén dǎ gǒu

shut the door and beat the dog

To lure an enemy in and then wipe them out where they cannot escape. Describes a trap or tactic.
关系网 guānxìwǎng

web of connections

A network of people who use each other for personal or group advantage, often unfairly. Critical.
官样文章 guānyàngwénzhāng

official-style essay

A document or speech full of stock phrases that goes through the motions without solving anything; red-tape formalism. Critical.
棺材瓤子 guāncairángzi

the flesh inside the coffin

A rude way to refer to a person who is close to death, usually an old or very sick person. Insulting.

May offend: vulgar language
棺材楦子 guāncaixuànzi

coffin filler

Another form of 棺材瓤子: a rude term for someone about to die. Insulting.

May offend: vulgar language
管他三七二十一 guǎn tā sān qī èrshíyī

never mind that three sevens are twenty-one

To go ahead regardless of the consequences or the rules. Usually said as 不管三七二十一. Can be reckless or carefree.
掼纱帽 guànshāmào

fling down the gauze hat

To resign or stop working in anger and protest. The hat stands for an official post. Slightly dramatic.
灌黄汤 guànhuángtāng

pour down yellow soup

To drink alcohol, usually heavily. Colloquial and a bit disapproving or humorous.
灌马尿 guànmǎniào

pour down horse urine

A crude way to say drink alcohol. Same as 灌猫尿. Coarse and humorous.

May offend: vulgar language
灌猫尿 guànmāoniào

pour down cat urine

A crude, jokey way to say drink alcohol, especially to excess.

May offend: vulgar language
灌迷魂汤 guànmíhúntāng

pour down the soul-confusing soup

To flatter or deceive someone so that they lose their judgement. Same as 喝迷魂汤 but from the giver's side. Critical.
灌米汤 guànmǐtāng

pour rice water into someone

To flatter someone with sweet talk, usually to win a favour. Critical or mocking. Close to "butter someone up".
灌蜜水 guànmìshuǐ

pour honey water

Describes a happy, sweet life. Usually said with warmth.
光吃炒豆不炸锅 guāng chī chǎodòu bù zhà guō

eat the fried beans without the pan bursting

To get all the gains with no loss or cost. Often mocking of someone who wants the best of everything.
光杆司令 guānggǎnsīlìng

bare-pole commander

A leader with no followers, or whose followers will not obey. Mocking or rueful.
光屁股 guāngpìgu

bare bottom

Penniless, having nothing at all. Colloquial and a bit coarse.

May offend: vulgar language
归正果 guīzhèngguǒ

return to the true fruit

To finally take the right path after going astray. From Buddhist ideas of attaining enlightenment. Approving.
鬼把戏 guǐbǎxì

ghost trick

A sly scheme or trick, especially one played on someone behind their back. Critical.
鬼吹灯 guǐchuīdēng

ghost blowing out the lamp

A sly underhand tactic, or being secretly set up by someone. From the belief that ghosts must put out the light before they act. Critical.
鬼打墙 guǐdǎqiáng

ghost hits a wall

In folk belief, a ghost builds a wall that makes a night traveller walk in circles and never find the way. Now used for being stuck going round in circles, or for someone secretly putting obstacles in your path.
鬼点子 guǐdiǎnzi

ghost ideas

A sly or wicked scheme; it can also mean a clever trick for dealing with a situation. Often said with grudging admiration of a crafty person.
鬼花招 guǐhuāzhāo

ghost fancy moves

A cunning trick used to deceive people. Critical.
鬼画符 guǐhuàfú

ghost-drawn charms

Messy, illegible scrawl, or nonsense and deceitful talk or tricks. Critical or mocking.
鬼见愁 guǐjiànchóu

even ghosts see it and worry

Someone or something so dreaded that everyone fears it, such as a terrible person or a nasty problem. The name of a plant said to ward off evil.
鬼门关 guǐméngūan

ghost gate pass

In folk belief, the gateway to the underworld. Now a dangerous place or a life-or-death moment, as in 'death's door'.
鬼算盘 guǐsuànpan

ghost abacus

A scheme to harm others for one's own gain; also a calculating, scheming mind. Critical.
鬼推磨 guǐtuīmò

ghost turns the millstone

Getting something very hard done, as if by making a ghost do the work. It comes from the saying that money can make even ghosts turn the mill.
鬼心眼 guǐxīnyǎn

ghost heart-and-eyes

A bad or underhand idea; a sly, malicious scheme. Critical.
鬼知道 guǐzhīdào

the ghost knows

Nobody knows; said impatiently or dismissively, like 'heaven knows' or 'who the heck knows'.
滚刀肉 gǔndāoròu

meat the knife rolls off

A difficult, unreasonable person who makes trouble and is hard to deal with. Critical.
滚刀山，下油锅 gǔn dāoshān，xià yóuguō

roll down a mountain of knives, go into the oil pan

A variant of 上刀山，下油锅: being willing to face any danger or hardship.
滚地皮 gǔndìpí

roll on the ground

Someone high up who loses power and falls to the ground; a fall from position.
滚雪球 gǔnxuěqiú

roll a snowball

Something that grows bigger and bigger as it goes, like a snowball effect.
裹脚布 guǒjiǎobù

foot-binding cloth

The long strip once used to bind women's feet. Used for a long, tedious speech or piece of writing. Mocking.
过场戏 guòchǎngxì

a transitional scene

A minor, passing matter; also something done as a formality for show. Slightly dismissive.
过电影 guòdiànyǐng

run a film

To replay past events in your mind.
过独木桥 guòdúmùqiáo

cross a single-log bridge

To pass through a very risky route, or a narrow bottleneck where few can get through, such as a fiercely competitive exam.
过鬼门关 guòguǐménguān

pass the ghost gate

To go through great suffering or a very dangerous situation, almost like facing death.
过河拆桥 guòhéchāiqiáo

cross the river and tear down the bridge

To discard or harm those who helped you once you've got what you wanted. Critical. Like 'kick away the ladder'.
过河卒子 guòhézúzi

a pawn that has crossed the river

Someone with no way back who must keep pushing forward, fearless of loss. Usually approving.
过街老鼠 guòjiēlǎoshǔ

a rat crossing the street

A person everyone hates. Like 'public enemy'. Often paired with 人人喊打 (everyone shouts to beat it).
过了筛子过箩 guòle shāizi guò luó

through the sieve, then through the fine sieve

Screening in layers; checking something repeatedly and thoroughly.
过了这个村，没这个店 guòle zhège cūn，méi zhège diàn

once past this village, there's no such inn

A chance missed won't come again. Said to urge quick action.
过龙门 guòlóngmén

pass the dragon gate

A variant of 跳龙门: to achieve sudden success, such as passing a hard exam and rising in status.
过路财神 guòlùcáishén

a passing god of wealth

Someone who handles lots of money but neither owns nor controls it, such as a cashier or agent.
过美人关 guòměirénguān

pass the beauty barrier

For a man to withstand the test of temptation by a beautiful woman. Used figuratively.
过筛子 guòshāizi

put through a sieve

To screen something thoroughly, item by item. See 过了筛子过箩.
过梳子 guòshūzi

run a comb through

To go over something carefully and put it in order, like combing hair.
过五关，斩六将 guòwǔguān，zhǎnliùjiàng

pass five passes, slay six generals

From Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where Guan Yu fights through to rejoin Liu Bei. Means overcoming many obstacles and rivals, or recalling past glories. Usually approving.
哈巴狗 hǎbagǒu

pug dog; lapdog

Figuratively, a meek, servile underling who obeys and fawns on a master. Contemptuous; similar to 'lapdog'.
害人虫 hàirénchóng

harmful pest

A person or thing that harms others; a pest or menace. Strongly insulting.
害人精 hàirénjīng

a harm-people demon

A person (or thing) that specialises in harming others, like an evil spirit. Strongly insulting.
害软骨病 hàiruǎngǔbìng

to get rickets (soft-bone disease)

To be weak-willed and lack the courage to stand up for what is right, or to lose one's integrity under serious pressure. Contemptuous; like "having no backbone".

Every kind of Chinese saying