Chinese idioms T to X
A list of Chinese proverbs ordered by pinyin spelling.
贪天之功 [貪天之功]
Appropriate the achievements of others
Cheating others of their just reward. The story is of an official who was swindled out of his just reward for good service. Eventually the ruler worked out what had happened and he was given an even greater reward.
Roughly equivalent to: Rough justice.
贪小失大 [貪小失大]
Coveting small gains and incurring great losses
Paying attention to the unimportant details not the big picture. Concentration on trivia.
Roughly equivalent to: Penny wise, pound foolish.
韬光养晦 [韜光養晦]
Conceal your strength
Bide your time before showing your strength.
Roughly equivalent to: Hiding your light under a bushel.
弹冠相庆 [彈冠相慶]
Knocking the dust off your hat and congratulating each other
Presumptively celebrate promotion/appointment to a job ahead of time. Arrogantly assume a job is already in the bag. The story is of two officials Wang Ji and Gong Yu of the Han dynasty, Both were dismissed but on Emperor Yuan's enthronement Wang Ji was re-appointed, on hearing the news Gong Yu flicked the dust off his official hat assuming he would follow his friend into office.
谈何容易 [談何容易]
Talking makes look easy
Not as easy as it seemed.
Roughly equivalent to: Easier said than done.
谈虎色变 [談虎色變]
Turning pale at the mere mention of a tiger
To be so timid that even mentioning danger causes fear.
Roughly equivalent to: Afraid of your own shadow.
螳臂当车 [螳臂當車]
Mantis obstructing a chariot
Overrate abilities and attempt the impossible. A mantis is a fearsome insect that does not back down even if faced with a much larger predator. So it means someone full of pride making an idle threat.
螳螂捕蝉 [螳螂捕蟬]
The mantis stalks the cicada
Seeking one target unaware of the bigger picture, in this case the mantis was being stalked by a bird. An appeal to heed advice against taking an easy target that would result in greater jeopardy.
太公钓鱼,愿者上钩 [太公釣魚,願者上鉤]
Willing fish jumping to Duke Jiang?s hookless line
Trying t o ensnare a gullible person. The ancient story from the Zhou dynasty is of Lord Jiang who used to just hang an unbaited and unhooked line in the air not the water. When asked what he was doing said he was not trying to catch fish but a king who he would serve. After many years of pointless fishing he was appointed to be Prime Minister.
Roughly equivalent to: Green around the gills.
天南地北
As distant as the heavens
Places or opinions that are very far apart.
天下没有不散的宴席 [天下沒有不散的宴席]
No banquet in the world goes on forever
Good fortune can not last for ever.
Roughly equivalent to: All good things must come to an end.
天下乌鸦一般黑 [天下烏鴉一般黑]
Crows everywhere are all black
Bad people are all the same. You find bad people everywhere.
天下无双 [天下無雙]
Unequalled under heaven
Something or someone with superlative skills.
天衣无缝 [天衣無縫]
Heavenly robe without seams
A perfect result, clothes so well made that the seams cannot be seen. Used to describe an excellent piece of work - especially an essay or speech.
Roughly equivalent to: Ticks all the boxes.
天作之合
Heaven made intimacy
Blissful affection.
Roughly equivalent to: Marriage made in heaven.
挑肥拣瘦 [挑肥揀瘦]
To separate out the fat and pick only the lean meat
A very picky person. Over zealous attention to detail.
铁杵成针 [鐵杵成針]
Grind an iron rod down to a needle
Perseverance can achieve anything.
听其言观其行 [听其言觀其行]
Listen to what a person says and then watch what is done
Judge people by their actions, not by their words.
Roughly equivalent to: Actions speak louder than words.
偷梁换柱 [偷梁換柱]
Steal beams replaced with wooden poles
To carry out a crafty deception.
同病相怜 [同病相憐]
People with similar illness empathize with each other
People suffering the same misfortune sympathize with each other.
Roughly equivalent to: Birds of a feather flock together.
同床异梦 [同床異夢]
Dream different dreams on the same bed
Not everyone thinks the same.
Roughly equivalent to: It takes all sorts to make a world.
头头是道 [頭頭是道]
Thinking carefully about the way to proceed
Logically and rigorously argued.
Roughly equivalent to: There's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip.
投鞭断流 [投鞭斷流]
Throwing in whips to stop the river
An immense number of people. If all the people carried whips that were thrown into the river Yangzi then they would be so numerous as to block its flow. Overwhelming odds.
投笔从戎 [投筆從戎]
Throwing down the pen and joining the army
A scholar choosing to join the army. To choose a more active life mid career.
推己及人
Imagine being in someone's position
To understand a situation from someone else's perspective.
Roughly equivalent to: Get the bigger picture.
推心置腹
Having full confidence
Put give someone your full support - body and soul. To trust someone implicitly.
Image by Venus ➚ available under a Creative Commons license ➚
退避三舍
Withdrawing three leagues
To retreat ahead of superior force, a tactical withdrawal. A 'she' is an ancient term for three day's march or 30 li. To sensibly avoid conflict.
脱颖而出 [脫穎而出]
A sharp stick protrudes
A talented person can't help but be noticed.
图穷匕见 [圖窮匕見]
When the map is unrolled the dagger is revealed
A secret plan is revealed, a conspiracy unmasked. The story is of an assassination attempt on the King of Qin back in the Warring States Period. Pretending to cede territory Prince Dan concealed a dagger in a scrolled up map.
Roughly equivalent to: The secret is out.
屠龙之技 [屠龍之技]
Skilled in killing dragons
Possessing a useless skill. Pointless training to achieve something of no value. Wasting time and effort.
徒劳无功 [徒勞無功]
Futile effort
Pointless effort that will achieve nothing.
Roughly equivalent to: A fool's errand.
兔死狗烹
Trusted helpers are dispensable once their job is done
Watch your back. Once the mission is accomplished you may be sacked.
Roughly equivalent to: Outliving your usefulness.
兔死狐悲
A fox mourns the death of a rabbit
Feigning concern to conceal true feeling.
Roughly equivalent to: To weep crocodile tears.
兔子不吃窝边草 [兔子不吃窩邊草]
Rabbits do not eat the grass around their burrows
Thieves do not steal from neighbors.
完璧归赵 [完璧歸趙]
Returning the jade bi to Zhao
A jade bi is a large round piece with a hole in the middle. The story is of an ancient Imperial 'crown jewel' the 'He shi bi' that was stolen by the king of Qin. The ruler of the state of Zhao then managed to get it back. It has come to mean returning something (in good condition) to its rightful owner.
玩物丧志 [玩物喪志]
Obsessional play ruins the will
Spending too much time on trivia. Excessive attention to detail. Losing the big picture.
Roughly equivalent to: Little things please little minds.
亡戟得矛
Losing a halberd but gaining a spear
Losing something but gaining something of similar value. A halberd is rather similar to a spear - having a different blade on the end of a pole. No overall impact - both losses and gains.
Roughly equivalent to: Swings and roundabounts.
亡羊补牢 [亡羊補牢]
Mend the pen after the sheep are lost
Can mean taking action too late or else taking action to protect against a future repeat of misfortune.
Roughly equivalent to: Mending the stable door after the horse has bolted.
王顾左右而言他 [王顧左右而言他]
The king looked left and right and then talked of other things
Evading making an uncomfortable reply by changing the topic of conversation. The story is of Mencius who asked three questions of the king of Qi, when the last question touched on the king's mismanagement of the kingdom, the king looked left and right to other guests to dodge making a response.
Roughly equivalent to: Avoiding the hot potato.
Image by WaitinZ ➚ available under a Creative Commons license ➚
网开一面 [網開一面]
To leave one side of the net open
To give someone a chance of escape.
Roughly equivalent to: To let someone off the hook.
外强中干 [外強中乾]
Outwardly strong but inwardly weak
Looking strong and powerful but actually weak. Flattering appearance that does not represent true worth.
Roughly equivalent to: Don't judge a book by its cover.
万事俱备,只欠东风 [萬事俱備,只欠東風]
Everything is ready, except for the east wind
Lacking one small, but crucial item. It refers to the battle of Red Cliff in the Three Kingdoms period when Cao Cao's great army threatened to overcome his adversaries on the Yangzi River. The clever strategy advocated by Zhuge Liang was to send fire boats into Cao Cao's navy to destroy the boats. Everything was prepared but for ages the wind was in the wrong direction. At last it changed to the east, the fire boats were launched and Cao Cao was defeated.
Roughly equivalent to: For the want of a nail .,. the kingdom was lost.
妄自尊大
Having an inflated opinion of oneself
Full of inflated pride. There are many examples throughout history of people thinking rather too highly of themselves.
Roughly equivalent to: Pride comes before a fall.
忘恩负义 [忘恩負義]
Forget a previous favor
Ungratefully forget to acknowledge a favor.
望梅止渴
Gaze at a plum to quench thirst
Offering hope by thinking of something currently out of reach.
望洋兴叹 [望洋興嘆]
Consider one's competence before the ocean
To feel inadequate to perform a great task. Feel misgivings before a big endeavor. The story is of the river god of the Huanghe (Yellow River) caused a great flood that made the river a mile wide but when he met the sea he was overcome with his relative inadequacy.
危如累卵
As precarious as a pile of eggs
In a dangerous state - about to collapse. Just about to fall and break apart.
Roughly equivalent to: The brink of disaster.
温故而知新 [溫故而知新]
Study the past and yet know the present
Studying the past helps to understand the present.
为富不仁 [為富不仁]
Have riches but not be generous
Be rich but heartless.
围魏救赵 [圍魏救趙]
Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao
To aid a friend by attacking a mutual enemy. During the Warring States period the state of Wei was attacking the state of Zhao. Handan, the capital of Zhao was besieged. The state of Qi wished to help its ally Zhao, rather than intervene to try to lift the siege of Handan, the Qi general launched an attack on the Wei's capital Daliang, forcing the Wei troops to lift the siege.
维妙维肖 [維妙維肖]
Weave skillfully life like images
Produce an image remarkably true to life; highly skilled.
闻风丧胆 [聞風喪膽]
Panic on hearing news
Panic stricken; terrified by news.
闻鸡起舞 [聞雞起舞]
Begin at cock's crow
Keen to begin a task even at daybreak. Diligent in action, losing no time.
Roughly equivalent to: The early bird catches the worm.
味如鸡肋 [味如雞肋]
As tasteless as chicken ribs
A humdrum, boring activity and by extension a person lacking character. Insipid, bland.
未能免俗
Bound up by conventions
Unable to do what you want because social conventions forbid it. Doing something just because it is expected.
Roughly equivalent to: Creature of habit.
未雨绸缪 [未雨綢繆]
Before the rains repair the cloth
Plan ahead, be prepared.
Roughly equivalent to: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
畏首畏尾
Fearing both the head and the tail
Nervous and afraid. Fearful at both the start and end of some event.
Roughly equivalent to: Afraid of your own shadow.
我看见我忘记,我听见我记住,我做我了解 [我看見我忘記我听見我記住我做我了解]
When I see, I forget; when I hear, I remember but when I do, I understand.
You learn only by trying it, not by just observing or talking about it.
Roughly equivalent to: Practise what you preach.
我行我素
To continue in habitual ways
Stuck following old ways.
卧薪尝胆 [臥薪甞膽]
Lying on straw and tasting gall
Patiently suffering while plotting revenge or recovery. Sleeping rough and eating poor food while preparing for a comeback.
Roughly equivalent to: Harboring a grudge.
屋漏偏逢连夜雨 [屋漏偏逢連夜雨]
When the roof is leaking, there will be continuous nights of rain
Misfortunes tend to come all at once.
Roughly equivalent to: When it rains, it pours.
吴牛喘月 [吳牛喘月]
The ox from Wu pants at the sight of the moon
Unnecessarily fearful of something. The story is of an ox from Wu that thought the moon was the sun and panted through the assumed heat it expected to experience.
Roughly equivalent to: Afraid of your own shadow.
无风不起浪 [無風不起浪]
No wind, no waves
There must have been signs that it was going to happen.
Roughly equivalent to: No smoke without fire.
无事不登三宝殿 [無事不登三寳殿]
No-one comes to pray at the Temple of Three Treasures unless in trouble
Often it is obvious when somebody is after something.
无源之水,无本之木 [無源之水無本之木]
A river without a source, a tree without roots
Something without a proper foundation. Not properly planned.
Image by X. Zhou ➚ available under a Creative Commons license ➚
五十步笑一百步
Fifty steps laugh at a hundred steps
Being complacent about the future. Believing a job is all but done when only half done.
Roughly equivalent to: Pride comes before a fall.
物极必反 [物極必反]
Extreme conditions will surely calm down
Things will turn around in the opposite direction when they reach the highest point.
Roughly equivalent to: The tide is on the turn.
物以类聚 [物以類聚]
Like attracts like
People tends to form groups with like-minded individuals.
Roughly equivalent to: Birds of a feather flock together.
虾兵蟹将 [蝦兵蟹將]
Shrimp soldiers led by a crab general. An ineffective army
A laughably ineffective solution to a problem.
先发制人 [先發制人]
Strike first to gain the upper hand
The first side to attack/move often has the advantage. An admonishment to act now and not dither about.
Roughly equivalent to: The early bird catches the worm.
先下手为强 [先下手為強]
Striking first to demonstrate strength
To gain the upper hand by striking first.
Roughly equivalent to: Strike while the iron is hot.
先斩后奏 [先斬後奏]
Execute first, report later
Taking the initiative; acting without orders. The story is of a newly appointed magistrate who was seeking a murderer. When she was found, the magistrate had her executed on the spot in spite of she being a servant to the Emperor's sister. An execution requires the Emperor's sanction and so the magistrate was in deep trouble,. In this case the magistrate managed to escape with his life.
Roughly equivalent to: Off you own bat.
香消玉损 [香消玉損]
Fragrance is dissipated; jade is broken
Spoken of on the death of a beautiful young woman.
Roughly equivalent to: Whom the Gods love die young.
瑕不掩瑜
A speck on a jade stone can't obscure its brilliance
One small fault won't spoil the impression of an overall exceptional person.
想入非非
Indulge in fantasy
Let imagination run wild.
Roughly equivalent to: Head in the clouds.
小洞不补,大洞吃苦 [小洞不補大洞吃苦]
A small hole not mended in time will soon become a larger hole more difficult to mend
Do not put off taking action to put things right.
Roughly equivalent to: A stitch in time saves nine.
小题大作 [小題大作]
To talk a lot about very little
Procrastination and exaggeration.
Roughly equivalent to: Make a mountain out of a molehill.
夏虫疑冰 [夏蟲疑冰]
The summer insect doubts the existence of ice
An ignorant person doesn't understand the wider truth.
项庄舞剑,意在沛公 [項莊舞劍,意在沛公]
Xiang Zhuang performs the sword dance but his intention was to kill Liu Bang
An elaborate evil deception. The Duke of Pei was one of the titles of the first Han Emperor (r. 202-195BCE) Liu Bang. Xiang Zuang was a sword-fighter who intended to murder Liu Bang. In order to get close to Liu he performed a sword dance in front of him. fortunately for Liu the plot was unmasked by Fan Kuai and Liu escaped unharmed. Refers to a hidden malicious agenda.
笑里藏刀
A dagger concealed in a smile
Malice concealed by apparent friendliness. There is a story of Li Yifu who was a great flatterer of the early Tang dynasty. He was always smiles but sought to blackmail and deceive. Eventually Emperor Gaozong discovered his duplicity and he was banished.
Roughly equivalent to: Don't judge a book by its cover.
笑一笑,十年少 [笑一笑十年少]
Just one smile makes you ten years younger
Happiness is the best cosmetic.
邪门歪道 [邪門歪道]
Evil people in crooked ways
Dishonesty and deceit.
胸有成竹
Keeping the appearance of bamboo in mind
To be able to paint bamboo (or anything else), you have to have a mental image of how it looks. An admonishment to plan ahead carefully and acquire the skill to carry it out.
Roughly equivalent to: Forewarned is forearmed.
休戚相关 [休戚相關]
Share both joys and sorrows
People with close ties and shared interests, Mutual dependency.
Roughly equivalent to: Common ground.
秀色可餐
A lovely sight to feast the eyes on
A beautiful woman.
Roughly equivalent to: A feast for the eyes.
袖手旁观 [袖手旁觀]
To look on with folded arms
To look on without offering any help or showing concern.
心腹之患
Major internal problems
Internal disorder causing crisis. Internal division preventing proper action.
心甘情愿 [心甘情願]
Delighted and helpful
Delighted to be able to help.
心花怒放
The flower of the heart in full bloom
Full flowering of joy.
心怀叵测 [心懷叵測]
Harbouring evil designs
Concealing malicious plans. Harbor evil designs.
心旷神怡,事事顺利 [心曠神怡事事順利]
Heart joyful, work profitable
Feeling happy and relaxed.
心若死灰
Heart reduced to ashes
Desperately unhappy.
星星之火可以燎原
One spark can burn a whole grassland
Need for great care and meticulous planning.
习惯成自然 [習慣成自然]
Become habitual, normal
Habit becomes engrained.
行尸走肉 [行屍走肉]
A walking zombie
An unworthy person. Someone bereft of value - just a walking body with no active mind.
徙宅忘妻
Move house but overlook wife
Foolish and forgetful. Move to a new house and take everything - except your partner.
Roughly equivalent to: Soft in the head.
幸灾乐祸 [幸災樂禍]
Delighting in the misfortune of others
The story is of a king who delighted in the plight of the neighboring kingdom that was suffering from famine and would not help them even though he had received help when his people were suffering. So it means sadistic glee.
Roughly equivalent to: Schadenfreude.
悬崖勒马 [懸崖勒馬]
Rein in the horse at the cliff edge
Realize danger at the last moment.
削足适履
Reshape feet to fit new shoes
Take the wrong decision. Apply an inappropriate solution.
学而不思则罔,思而不学则殆 [學而不思則罔思而不學則殆]
Learning without thinking means wasted work; thinking without learning is dangerous
Studying hard is important and gives rewards.
学好三年,学坏三天 [學好三年學壞三天]
It takes three years to learn well; it takes only three days to degrade
Falling into bad ways is far easier than keeping to the good.
Roughly equivalent to: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
学无止境 [學無止境]
There is no limit to learning
Knowledge is infinite.
雪里送炭
Send charcoal in a snow storm
To offer assistance when it is needed.
Roughly equivalent to: A friend in need is a friend indeed.
雪上加霜
Add frost to snow
To add to misfortunes unnecessarily.
Roughly equivalent to: Add insult to injury.
循序渐进 [循序漸進]
Make gradual progress one step at a time
To make steady step by step progress towards an end.
Roughly equivalent to: A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
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.