Chinese idioms R to S
A list of Chinese proverbs ordered by pinyin spelling.
染于苍则 染于黄则黄 [染於蒼則蒼,染於黃則黃]
Dyeing dark blue makes dark blue, dyeing yellow makes yellow
People behave differently according to circumstance. Taking on local conventions and customs.
Roughly equivalent to: When in Rome do as the Romans do.
人不可貌相,海水不可斗量 [人不可貌相海水不可斗量]
A person cannot be judged by appearance just as the sea cannot be measured with a bucket
First appearances can be deceptive.
Roughly equivalent to: Judging a book by its cover.
人恶人怕天不怕,人善人欺天不欺 [人噁人怕天不怕人善人欺天不欺]
Evil people are dreaded by other people not by heaven; good people may be cheated by people but not by heaven
Even though evil works may go unpunished on earth, good works do not go unnoticed in heaven. Reward for good may not be immediately received.
人各有能有不能
Every person has things that he can do and those that he cannot do
Everyone has their own particular set of skills.
Roughly equivalent to: It takes all sorts to make a world.
人琴俱亡
Both man and lute have perished
Deep mourning for a close friend. Seeing something that reminds you of someone who has died. The story is of two brothers, when one of them died after a serious illness the other was two heart-broken to play the lute anymore as it reminded him too much of his brother.
人人自危
Everybody in danger
All in danger and in fearful panic.
Roughly equivalent to: Clear and present danger.
人山人海
People everywhere
Huge crowds of people.
人往高处走,水往低处流 [人往高處走水往低處流]
A person moves up while water always trickles down
There is always room for improvement.
Roughly equivalent to: Practice makes perfect.
人无完人,金无足赤 [人無完人金無足赤]
It is as impossible to find a perfect person as it is to discover pure gold
Having to settle for something less than perfection.
人心不足蛇吞象
A person's greed is like a snake that seeks to swallow an elephant
Greed is insatiable.
人心隔肚皮
A person's heart is not discernible from looking just at the body
People are inscrutable. Do not judge by appearance.
Roughly equivalent to: Don't judge a book by its cover.
人要脸,树要皮 [人要臉樹要皮]
Keeping a good reputation is as essential as bark is to a tree
Reputation ('face') must be maintained at all costs.
忍辱负重 [忍辱負重]
Enduring humiliations in line of duty
Willing to put up with disgrace and humiliation so that work can be done. Often applied to someone given a very difficult but important task.
Roughly equivalent to: Taking the flak.
热锅上的蚂蚁 [熱鍋上的螞蟻]
As active as ants on a hot pan
In a state of feverish activity and excitement.
日暮途穷 [日暮途窮]
The day is ending and the road narrows
The end game is upon us.
Roughly equivalent to: On last legs.
日以继夜 [日以繼夜]
Day and night continuously
Working without a break. Exhausted.
肉包子打狗
Hitting a dog with a meat bun
To use a self defeating method to solve a problem.
弱不禁风 [弱不禁風]
Too weak to stand a gust of wind
Fragile, unable to withstand further setbacks.
如火如荼
Raging like a fire
Daunting and vigorous. An intimidating prospect.
Roughly equivalent to: Vim and vigour.
如鸟兽散 [如鳥獸散]
Scattering like birds and beasts
To flee in all directions. Trying to escape from catastrophe - often used to describe fleeing from danger.
Roughly equivalent to: Run for the hills.
如鱼得水 [如魚得水]
Like a fish returned to water
Glad to be back in familiar surroundings. Applied to people returning home after a long absence or someone who has at last found their proper place in life.
Roughly equivalent to: In one's element.
如坐针毡 [如坐針氈]
Like sitting on a carpet of needles
To feel tense and uneasy.
孺子可教
A student worth teaching
A promising youngster who is open to learning. The story is of Zhang Liang who had failed in an attempt to assassinate the first Qin Emperor and went into hiding. He came across a mysterious old man who set him a series of tests to judge his keenness to learn from him. After passing all the tests with flying colors the old man gave him a book on military strategy and Zhang became a leading military strategist.
乳臭未干
Still suckling and in nappies. Still an infant. Young and inexperienced
Infantile and immature.
乳臭未干
Still smelling of mother's milk
Young and inexperienced.
入木三分
Inscribe wood to a depth of three measures
To write with such confidence that the wood is etched away to a good depth. So this means to write with a profound and forceful hand. The story is of the great calligrapher who produced some calligraphy so confidently written that the characters were etched by 3/10th of an inch.
入乡随俗 [入鄉隨俗]
When entering a village, follow its customs
Take account of local people and opinions.
Roughly equivalent to: When in Rome do as the Romans do.
三个臭皮匠,凑个诸葛亮 [三個臭皮匠湊個諸葛亮]
Three humble shoemakers brainstorming make a great statesman like Zhuge Liang ➚
Joint effort can help solve big problems.
Roughly equivalent to: Two heads are better than one.
三顾茅庐 [三顧茅廬]
Calling three times at the thatched cottage
Committed to get best possible advice. The story is of Liu Bei in the Three Kingdoms Period who wanted the help of the master strategist Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang refused to answer the door on Liu's first two visits. When Liu made a third visit Zhuge was sufficiently convinced that Liu was genuinely desperate for his help.
三令五申
Issuing three orders and five injunctions
Giving order after order. Someone who is officious and over-bearing. The use of three and five is often used to give idea of endless repetition.
Roughly equivalent to: Cracking the whip.
三人成虎
It only takes three people to confirm a sighting of a tiger.
A rumour can build up to a mighty story when only a handful confirm it. Basing a story on rumor and gossip rather than hard facts.
三十六计,走为上策 [三十六計走為上策]
Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best.
Sometimes it is best to avoid conflict altogether. Flight can be the best option. 'The Thirty-Six Stratagems' was written by the great military thinker Sun Zi ➚
Roughly equivalent to: Devil take the hindmost.
塞翁失马,安知非福 [塞翁失馬安知非福]
When the old man from the frontier lost his horse; how could he have known that it would not be fortuitous?
The story ➚ is that a man lost his horse but actually it went over the Great Wall and brought back several horses with it. A setback may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Roughly equivalent to: Every cloud has a silver lining.
丧家之狗 [喪家之狗]
Fleeing from a wild dog
Fleeing in fear and panic due to appearance of an unexpected visitor.
少见多怪 [少見多怪]
Things look strange to the unfamiliar
Unsettled by a new environment.
杀鸡给猴看 [殺雞給猴看]
Kill a chicken before a monkey. The monkey can then take the message as a warning
To punish somebody as a lesson and warning to others.
杀鸡焉用牛刀 [殺雞焉用牛刀]
Using an ox-cleaver to kill a chicken
Taking unnecessary effort to tackle a small problem. Using an inappropriately large tool for the job.
Roughly equivalent to: Using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
杀妻求将 [殺妻求將]
Killing your wife to become a general
Ruthless action to further one's ambition. The story is of Wu Qi who served the state of Lu. His wife originally came from the enemy state of Qi; seeing this as an obstacle to his ambition to become a general, he killed his wife. He got the promotion so it is about ruthless but effective action.
Roughly equivalent to: Sell your grandmother.
杀人不眨眼 [殺人不眨眼]
Killing without blinking an eye
Ruthless; cold-blooded.
杀一儆百 [殺一儆百]
Kill one to warn a hundred
To warn many people by punishing a few. Making example punishments.
山不转路转 [山不轉路轉]
A mountain cannot turn, but a road can
It is not necessary to continue in the same direction, there are other alternatives to avoid an obstacle.
Roughly equivalent to: There's more than one way to skin a cat.
山明水秀
Beautiful mountain scenery
Beautiful landscape.
山穷水尽 [山窮水儘]
Run out of food and water
Thirsty and starving; destitute.
山雨欲来风满楼 [山雨欲來風滿樓]
The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountain
A premonition of something significant about to happen.
Roughly equivalent to: Forewarned is forearmed.
煽风点火 [煽風點火]
Create wind and fire
Create a lot of trouble.
上下其手
To raise and lower the hand
A conspiracy is at work. A deft gesture signaling important information. The story is that back in the Spring and Autumn period two soldiers both claimed to have captured a prince and demanded their reward. When Bo Zhouli arbitrated he used a hand gesture to signal who he wished to receive the money.
身临其境 [身臨其境]
Present and observing
An eye witness to an event.
身体力行 [身體力行]
To maintain health by strenuous walk
Following the advice given oneself.
Roughly equivalent to: Practise what you preach.
生活有爱幸福,为爱生活愚蠢 [生活有愛幸福為愛生活愚蠢]
A life of love is happy; a life for love is foolish
Love is not the most important thing.
生米煮成熟饭 [生米煮成熟飯]
The rice has already been cooked
What has been done can not be undone.
Roughly equivalent to: What's done is done.
生吞活剥 [生吞活剝]
Swallowing it all
To unthinkingly take on board someone's opinion. Uncritical application. Copying someone else's actions. The story is of Zhang Huaiqing of the Tang dynasty who plagiarized other poet's work by mechanically adding a few characters here and there. The resultant poems were gibberish.
Roughly equivalent to: Monkey see: monkey do.
神工鬼斧
God's work and spirit's axe
So skilled that workmanship presumed to be the work of a god not a human. Fantastic, superb artistry.
舍本逐末 [捨本逐末]
Pursuing trivia while neglecting essentials
Concentrating on the little details rather than the important stuff.
Roughly equivalent to: Putting the cart before the horse.
失败是成功之母 [失敗是成功之母]
Failure is the mother of success
Learning from mistakes.
Roughly equivalent to: Cut your coat to suit your cloth.
失斧疑邻 [失斧疑鄰]
Lose an axe and suspect a neighbour
Groundless suspicions. Jumping to conclusions.
十年树木,百年树人 [十年樹木百年樹人]
It takes ten years for a tree to grow but it takes a hundred years for talents to be nurtured
Studying may be slow and arduous but will be worth it.
十全十美
Completely whole and beautiful
Perfection; faultless.
实事求是 [實事求是]
Seek truth from facts
Base judgment on the true facts of the situation and not rumor or custom.
Roughly equivalent to: Know for a fact.
识途老马 [識途老馬]
An old horse who knows the way
Age brings experience and wisdom.
食言而肥
Getting fat by eating one's words
Someone is forever retracting what was previously said. Someone with poor judgment and a big mouth. The story is of the minister Meng Wubo of the kingdom of Lu who often pontificated only to contradict himself. A snide commentator suggested that Meng was growing fat because he ate so many of his own words.
Roughly equivalent to: Shoot your mouth off.
矢口否认 [矢口否認]
To shoot arrows from the mouth
To flatly deny the truth.
世上没有无缘无故的爱，也没有无缘无故的恨 [世上沒有無緣無故的愛，也沒有無緣無故的恨]
There is no love without a reason there is no hate without a cause
There is a reason behind all strong emotions.
世外桃源
The land of peach blossoms
A mythical land of peace and harmony. The story is of a hidden land that a fisherman found while trying to escape turmoil and war in the Qin dynasty. Try as he might he never found the land again.
Roughly equivalent to: Land of milk and honey.
事倍功半
Work very hard for half the result
Work with care rather than speed.
Roughly equivalent to: Less haste more speed.
事实胜于雄辩 [事實勝于雄辯]
A real victory is better than a great debate
Better to act than just talk about it.
Roughly equivalent to: Actions speak louder than words.
势如破竹 [勢如破竹]
Like splitting bamboo
Continuing a successful series. Once you get the knack of splitting bamboo it's best to keep on going. The story is of a general who was advised to rest his army for the winter after a series of successes. The general disagreed, his army had high morale and went on to complete the victory.
Roughly equivalent to: Don't stop while you are winning.
舐犊之爱 [舐犢之愛]
The love of a cow licking her calf
An example of parental love and devotion. A biased assessment due to family ties - caring for one's own relatives.
Roughly equivalent to: The fruit does not fall far from the tree.
守口如瓶
To keep mouth shut, like a bottle
To avoid giving the game away; to not breathe a word.
Roughly equivalent to: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
守株待兔
Watching a tree waiting for rabbits
Do not just count on luck, need action to reach your goals.
Roughly equivalent to: Nothing ventured nothing gained.
手不释卷 [手不釋卷]
Always have a book in hand
A diligent student engrossed in study.
Roughly equivalent to: Book worm.
授人以鱼只解一时之急,授人以渔 则解一生之需 [授人以魚只解一旹之急授人以漁則解一生之需]
Give a fish and be fed for only a day. Teach how to fish and be free from hunger forever
It is important to learn a skill that will last for life.
瘦死的骆驼比马大 [瘦死的駱駝比馬大]
The body of a starved camel is bigger than the body of a living horse.
Respect ancient wisdom rather than the new.
双管齐下 [雙管齊下]
Painting with two brushes at the same time
To be able to do two things at once. The story is of a painter who was so skilled he could paint two pictures at the same time with a brush in either hand.
Roughly equivalent to: A dab hand.
水滴石穿
Dripping water eventually wears away stone
If you persevere, you will eventually achieve your goal.
Roughly equivalent to: Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
水满则溢 [水滿則溢]
Water rises only to overflow
At the point of a crisis. Things are about to turn around.
Roughly equivalent to: The tide is on the turn.
水能载舟,亦能覆舟 [水能載舟亦能覆舟]
Not only does water float a boat, it can sink it too
Events and people can have both positive and negative influences.
水深火热 [水深火熱]
In deep water and fierce fire
In very deep trouble. A desperate situation with nowhere to turn.
Roughly equivalent to: In dire straits.
说曹操,曹操到 [說曹操曹操到]
Speak of Cao Cao and he arrives
'Cao Cao ➚ of the Three Kingdoms is the embodiment of evil. Someone who you are talking about happens to appear unexpectedly.
Roughly equivalent to: Speak of the devil and he is sure to appear.
Image by Jeremy Barwick ➚ available under a Creative Commons license ➚
说到做到 [說到做到]
Say and then make
Do what one says.
Roughly equivalent to: Actions speak louder than words.
输攻墨守 [輸攻墨守]
Shu attacks and Mo defends
Two opponents of equal skill. Back in the Spring and Autumn period the story goes that Gongshu Ban, a carpenter had developed a new device to attack cities. He was persuaded by the pacifist philosopher Mo Zi not to deploy it. Mo Zi was able to defend against any attack by Gongshu Ban leading to stalemate.
Roughly equivalent to: Fighting to a standstill.
熟能生巧
Learning a skill from long experience
With long practice one can learn any skill. Sometimes used disparagingly of a skill anyone can learn given enough time.
Roughly equivalent to: Practice makes perfect.
数典忘祖 [數典忘祖]
Recounting history but forgeting ancestors
Lose connection with ancestors - lose one's roots. Ignorance of own origins or country.
鼠目寸光
A mouse's vision is only one inch long
Looking ahead for only a short time. Only planning for the immediate future.
束之高阁 [束之高閣]
Store away in the attic
Dismiss someone or something for the moment as currently unimportant. Designate something as low priority.
Roughly equivalent to: Put on the back-burner.
树倒猢狲散 [樹倒猢猻散]
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter
When a leader loses power, his followers are disorganized and also lose power. Often said to warn someone that they hold their position only so long as their patron is in power.
树高千丈叶落归根 [樹高千丈叶落歸根]
A tree may grow high, but its leaves always fall on its roots
People living far away will eventually comes back home.
Roughly equivalent to: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
树欲静而风不止 [樹欲靜而風不止]
The trees prefer calm, but the wind does not stop
In spite of a wish for peace, trouble is brewing. Things develop regardless of how you might wish. Powerless to influence outcome.
司空见惯 [司空見慣]
Sikong is used to it
Sikong was the job title of a minister of works in China. In the Tang dynasty the poet Liu Yuxi was invited by a minister to a feast accompanied by entertainers. This was a common occurrence for the minister but greatly impressed the poet. An everyday occurrence; nothing out of the ordinary.
Roughly equivalent to: As common as muck.
死灰复燃 [死灰復燃]
Ashes burn again
Resuming work after a long break. Taking up a previously held position of authority. Another flush of youthful energy in later life.
死马当活马医 [死馬噹活馬醫]
Treating a dead horse as if it is still alive
Persevering when it is already too late. A lost cause.
Roughly equivalent to: Flogging a dead horse.
四面楚歌
On all four sides hear Chu kingdom songs.
Ambushed from all sides. Hopeless situation. In the battle of Gaixia ➚ troops surrounding the enemy sang songs of home, breaking their spirit. From the classic Shi Ji from 2,200 years ago. After the end of the Qin dynasty the Han general used this tactic against of the Chu kingdom. The Chu songs persuaded the surrounded Chu forces that the Han must have overrun much of the Chu kingdom already.
Image by Shizhao ➚ available under a Creative Commons license ➚
宋襄之仁
Kindness like Song Duke Xianggong
Showing mercy and consideration to opponents. The story is from the Spring and Autumn period when Duke Xianggong of the kingdom of Song confronted an army from the kingdom of Chu. His officers pleaded with the duke to attack while they were still crossing the river, the duke refused considering this an unfair tactic.
所向无前 [所向無前]
No obstacle in any direction
To be able to conquer anyone on all fronts. Invincible against all opponents. An irresistible force.
Our proverbs come with full information. The modern Chinese characters are given first with links that give information on the character. As proverbs are so old you will often see them written using the traditional form of characters; so if some of the characters have been simplified the traditional form is shown in brackets and gray text. The characters are followed by the proverb (normally a 成语 chéng yǔ) in pinyin. Next, there is a crude character by character transliteration into English, followed by a more accurate English translation. If this is a Chinese proverb alluding to history the meaning may still not be clear in English, so the general meaning follows. Finally some proverbs have fairly direct English equivalents, if so the English proverb is shown.
For background on the types and history of proverbs please see our guide.