一把钥匙开一把锁 一把鑰匙開一把鎖 yī bǎ yào shi kāi yī bǎ suǒ 1. One key opens one lock.2. There is a different solution for each problem. (idiom)
四一二反革命政变 四一二反革命政變 sì yī èr fǎn gé mìng zhèng biàn counterrevolutionary coup of 12th April 1927, Chiang Kai-shek's coup against the communists in Shanghai
东一榔头西一棒子 東一榔頭西一棒子 dōng yī láng tóu xī yī bàng zi banging away clumsily in all directions with no overall vision
睁一只眼闭一只眼 睜一隻眼閉一隻眼 zhēng yī zhī yǎn bì yī zhī yǎn to turn a blind eye
竹篮打水，一场空 竹籃打水，一場空 zhú lán dǎ shuǐ , yī cháng kōng using a wicker basket to draw water (idiom); wasted effort
统一社会信用代码 統一社會信用代碼 tǒng yī shè huì xìn yòng dài mǎ unified social credit identifier, the VAT identification number of a business or organization
一人得道，鸡犬升天 一人得道，雞犬升天 yī rén dé dào , jī quǎn shēng tiān 1. (lit.) when a person attains enlightenment and immortality, even his chickens and dogs will ascend to heaven with him (idiom)2. (fig.) when somebody attains a position of power and influence, their relatives and friends also benefit
一个天南，一个地北 一個天南，一個地北 yī ge tiān nán , yī ge dì běi to live miles apart
一分耕耘，一分收获 一分耕耘，一分收穫 yī fēn gēng yún , yī fēn shōu huò (saying) you reap what you sow
一则以喜，一则以忧 一則以喜，一則以憂 yī zé yǐ xǐ , yī zé yǐ yōu happy on the one hand, but worried on the other
一夫当关，万夫莫开 一夫當關，萬夫莫開 yī fū dāng guān , wàn fū mò kāi (idiom) one man guarding the pass can prevent the passage of ten thousand
一手交钱，一手交货 一手交錢，一手交貨 yī shǒu jiāo qián , yī shǒu jiāo huò 1. lit. one hand exchanges the cash, the other the goods (idiom)2. fig. to pay for what you want in cash3. simple and direct transaction
一日不见，如隔三秋 一日不見，如隔三秋 yī rì bù jiàn , rú gé sān qiū one day apart seems like three years (idiom)
一日为师，终身为父 一日為師，終身為父 yī rì wéi shī , zhōng shēn wéi fù (idiom) teacher for one day, father forever; students should have deep respect and lifelong gratitude for their teachers
一波未平，一波又起 yī bō wèi píng , yī bō yòu qǐ 1. before the first wave subsides, a new wave rises (idiom); a new problem arises before the old is solved2. many twists and turns to a story3. one thing after another
一着不慎，满盘皆输 一著不慎，滿盤皆輸 yī zhāo bù shèn , mǎn pán jiē shū One careless move and the whole game is lost. (idiom)
一言既出，驷马难追 一言既出，駟馬難追 yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept
上一次当，学一次乖 上一次當，學一次乖 shàng yī cì dàng , xué yī cì guāi 1. to take sth as a lesson for next time (idiom)2. once bitten, twice shy
不怕一万，就怕万一 不怕一萬，就怕萬一 bù pà yī wàn , jiù pà wàn yī 1. better to be safe than sorry (proverb)2. to be prepared just in case
不经一事，不长一智 不經一事，不長一智 bù jīng yī shì , bù zhǎng yī zhì 1. lit. you can't gain knowledge without practical experience (idiom)2. fig. wisdom only comes with experience
不要在一棵树上吊死 不要在一棵樹上吊死 bù yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ 1. don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)2. there's more than one way to skin a cat
中日韩统一表意文字 中日韓統一表意文字 zhōng rì hán tǒng yī biǎo yì wén zì 1. China Japan Korea (CJK) unified ideographs2. Unihan
人生一世，草木一春 rén shēng yī shì , cǎo mù yī chūn Man has but one life, grass but one spring (idiom). fig. the brevity of human existence
做一天和尚撞一天钟 做一天和尚撞一天鐘 zuò yī tiān hé shang zhuàng yī tiān zhōng 1. lit. as a monk for today, toll today's bell (idiom)2. fig. to do one's job mechanically3. to hold a position passively
两虎相争，必有一伤 兩虎相爭，必有一傷 liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēng , bì yǒu yī shāng 1. (lit.) if two tigers fight, one will get injured (idiom)2. (fig.) if you start a war, someone is bound to get hurt
千军易得，一将难求 千軍易得，一將難求 qiān jūn yì dé , yī jiàng nán qiú Easy to raise an army of one thousand, but hard to find a good general. (idiom)
只知其一，不知其二 zhǐ zhī qí yī , bù zhī qí èr to know the first, but not know the second (idiom); only partial information
君子一言，驷马难追 君子一言，駟馬難追 jūn zǐ yī yán , sì mǎ nán zhuī a nobleman's word is his bond (proverb)
国语注音符号第一式 國語注音符號第一式 guó yǔ zhù yīn fú hào dì yī shì 1. Mandarin Phonetic Symbols 1 (official name of the phonetic system of writing Chinese used in Taiwan)2. Bopomofo3. abbr. to 注音一式[zhù yīn yī shì]
打一巴掌，给个甜枣 打一巴掌，給個甜棗 dǎ yī bā zhang , gěi gè tián zǎo 1. lit. to give sb a slap, then offer a sweet date (idiom)2. fig. to deal harshly with sb, then offer sth by way of consolation
智者千虑，必有一失 智者千慮，必有一失 zhì zhě qiān lǜ , bì yǒu yī shī lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom); fig. nobody is infallible
有一说一，有二说二 有一說一，有二說二 yǒu yī shuō yī , yǒu èr shuō èr to call sth as it is (idiom)
百尺竿头，更进一步 百尺竿頭，更進一步 bǎi chǐ gān tóu , gèng jìn yī bù 1. lit. after climbing a hundred feet up a pole, one should go even further (idiom)2. fig. even if one has achieved a measure of success, one should strive to do even better
祖国和平统一委员会 祖國和平統一委員會 zǔ guó hé píng tǒng yī wěi yuán huì Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (North Korean)
聪明一世，糊涂一时 聰明一世，糊塗一時 cōng ming yī shì , hú tu yī shí (idiom) even the wisest can have a momentary lapse in judgment; every man has a fool in his sleeve
道高一尺，魔高一丈 dào gāo yī chǐ , mó gāo yī zhàng (saying) as one climbs higher on the path of righteousness, one faces ever greater challenges from evil; no sooner does one overcome one obstacle than another arises
养兵千日，用兵一时 養兵千日，用兵一時 yǎng bīng qiān rì , yòng bīng yī shí lit. Train an army for a thousand days to use it for an hour. (idiom); fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off
养兵千日，用在一朝 養兵千日，用在一朝 yǎng bīng qiān rì , yòng zài yī zhāo 1. lit. train an army for a thousand days to use it for one morning (idiom)2. fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off
一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥 一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥 yī lì lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu 1. lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom)2. fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤 一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋湯 yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō tāng 1. lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)2. fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
不是一家人不进一家门 不是一家人不進一家門 bù shì yī jiā rén bù jìn yī jiā mén 1. people who don't belong together, don't get to live together (idiom)2. marriages are predestined3. people marry because they share common traits
冰冻三尺，非一日之寒 冰凍三尺，非一日之寒 bīng dòng sān chǐ , fēi yī rì zhī hán three feet of ice does not form in a single day (idiom); Rome wasn't built in a day
救人一命胜造七级浮屠 救人一命勝造七級浮屠 jiù rén yī mìng shèng zào qī jí fú tú saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda (idiom)
科学技术是第一生产力 科學技術是第一生產力 kē xué jì shù shì dì yī shēng chǎn lì science and technology is the number one productive force (from a 1978 speech by Deng Xiaoping 邓小平[dèng xiǎo píng] introducing the Four Modernizations 四个现代化[sì ge xiàn dài huà])
一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩 yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo , shí nián pà jǐng shéng 1. (lit.) once bitten by a snake, one is scared all one's life at the mere sight of a rope (saying)2. (fig.) once bitten, twice shy
一瓶子不响，半瓶子晃荡 一瓶子不響，半瓶子晃蕩 yī píng zi bù xiǎng , bàn píng zi huàng dang 1. lit. a full bottle makes no sound; a half-filled bottle sloshes (idiom)2. fig. empty vessels make the most noise
同一个世界，同一个梦想 同一個世界，同一個夢想 tóng yī gè shì jiè , tóng yī gè mèng xiǎng One world - one dream, motto of 2008 Beijing Olympic games
在家千日好，出门一时难 在家千日好，出門一時難 zài jiā qiān rì hǎo , chū mén yī shí nán 1. lit. at home, one can spend a thousand days in comfort, but spending a day away from home can be challenging (idiom)2. fig. there's no place like home
压死骆驼的最后一根稻草 壓死駱駝的最後一根稻草 yā sǐ luò tuo de zuì hòu yī gēn dào cǎo 1. the straw that broke the camel’s back (idiom)2. the final straw
宁拆十座庙，不毁一桩婚 寧拆十座廟，不毀一樁婚 nìng chāi shí zuò miào , bù huǐ yī zhuāng hūn rather destroy ten temples than a single marriage (idiom)