1. lit. as if flying2. very fast
1. not to be trifled with2. to be reckoned with
善意的谎言 善意的謊言 shàn yì de huǎng yán white lie
天生的一对 天生的一對 tiān shēng de yī duì couple who were made for each other
the Last Supper (in the Christian Passion story)
Game of Thrones (TV series)
1. spilt water2. (fig.) sth that can not be retrieved3. spilt milk
the Emperor's new clothes (i.e. naked)
Timon of Athens, 1607 tragedy by William Shakespeare 莎士比亚[shā shì bǐ yà]
吃饱了饭撑的 吃飽了飯撐的 chī bǎo le fàn chēng de 1. having nothing better to do2. see 吃饱撑着
如来佛的掌心 如來佛的掌心 rú lái fó de zhǎng xīn the palm of the Buddha's hand (a metaphor for a higher authority or force from whose control one cannot break free, from 西游记[xī yóu jì], "Journey to the West")
宝葫芦的秘密 寶葫蘆的秘密 bǎo hú lu de mì mì Secret of the Magic Gourd (1958), prize-winning children's fairy tale by Zhang Tianyi 张天翼[zhāng tiān yì]
1. weak and inept person2. hopeless case
柿子挑软的捏 柿子挑軟的捏 shì zi tiāo ruǎn de niē 1. lit. it's the soft persimmons that people choose to squeeze (idiom)2. fig. it's the weak (i.e. 软柿子[ruǎn shì zi]) who get picked on3. bullies pick soft targets
皇冠上的明珠 huáng guān shàng de míng zhū the brightest jewel in the crown
荷属安的列斯 荷屬安的列斯 hé shǔ ān de liè sī Netherlands Antilles
姜还是老的辣 薑還是老的辣 jiāng hái shì lǎo de là 1. ginger gets spicier as it gets older (idiom)2. the older, the wiser
1. darkness comes before dawn2. things can only get better (idiom)
一条绳上的蚂蚱 一條繩上的螞蚱 yī tiáo shéng shàng de mà zha 1. lit. grasshoppers tied together with a piece of string (idiom)2. fig. people who are in it together for better or worse3. people who will sink or swim together
出头的椽子先烂 出頭的椽子先爛 chū tóu de chuán zi xiān làn 1. lit. rafters that jut out rot first (idiom)2. fig. anyone who makes himself conspicuous will be targeted for attack
咬人的狗不露齿 咬人的狗不露齒 yǎo rén de gǒu bù lòu chǐ 1. lit. the dog that bites doesn't show its teeth (idiom)2. fig. the most sinister of people can look quite harmless
大安的列斯群岛 大安的列斯群島 dà ān dì liè sī qún dǎo the Greater Antilles, Caribbean island group including Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica and Puerto Rico
春风深醉的晚上 春風深醉的晚上 chūn fēng shēn zuì de wǎn shang Intoxicating Spring Nights, 1924 short story by Yu Dafu 郁达夫[yù dá fū]
没有不透风的墙 沒有不透風的牆 méi yǒu bù tòu fēng de qiáng (idiom) no secret can be kept forever
煮熟的鸭子飞了 煮熟的鴨子飛了 zhǔ shú de yā zi fēi le 1. the cooked duck flew away (proverb)2. (fig.) to let a sure thing slip through one's fingers
什么风把你吹来的 什麼風把你吹來的 shén me fēng bǎ nǐ chuī lái de What brings you here? (idiom)
光脚的不怕穿鞋的 光腳的不怕穿鞋的 guāng jiǎo de bù pà chuān xié de 1. lit. the barefooted people are not afraid of those who wear shoes (idiom)2. fig. the poor, who have nothing to lose, do not fear those in power
出来混迟早要还的 出來混遲早要還的 chū lái hùn chí zǎo yào huán de if you live a life of crime, sooner or later you'll pay for it
家家有本难念的经 家家有本難念的經 jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīng every family has its problems (idiom)
搬石头砸自己的脚 搬石頭砸自己的腳 bān shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo 1. to move a stone and stub one's toe2. to shoot oneself in the foot (idiom)
会哭的孩子有奶吃 會哭的孩子有奶吃 huì kū de hái zi yǒu nǎi chī 1. lit. a child who cries gets to feed at the breast (idiom)2. fig. the squeaky wheel gets the grease
会哭的孩子有糖吃 會哭的孩子有糖吃 huì kū de hái zi yǒu táng chī 1. lit. the child who cries gets the candy (idiom)2. fig. the squeaky wheel gets the grease
永不生锈的螺丝钉 永不生鏽的螺絲釘 yǒng bù shēng xiù de luó sī dīng a "screw that never rusts" – metaphor used in CCP propaganda to praise loyal, selfless contributors, famously applied to model worker Lei Feng 雷锋[léi fēng]
瘦死的骆驼比马大 瘦死的駱駝比馬大 shòu sǐ de luò tuo bǐ mǎ dà 1. lit. even a scrawny camel is bigger than a horse (idiom)2. fig. even after suffering a loss, a rich person is still better off than ordinary people3. a cultured person may come down in the world, but he is still superior to the common people
身体是革命的本钱 身體是革命的本錢 shēn tǐ shì gé mìng de běn qián 1. lit. the body is the revolution's capital2. fig. good health is a prerequisite for work (Mao Zedong's saying)
远来的和尚会念经 遠來的和尚會念經 yuǎn lái de hé shang huì niàn jīng 1. the monk coming from afar is good at reading scriptures (idiom)2. foreign talent is valued higher than local talent
吃别人嚼过的馍不香 吃別人嚼過的饃不香 chī bié rén jiáo guò de mó bù xiāng 1. lit. bread previously chewed by someone has no flavor (idiom)2. fig. there's no joy in discovering something if someone else got there first
吃屎都赶不上热乎的 吃屎都趕不上熱乎的 chī shǐ dōu gǎn bu shàng rè hu de 1. (lit.) if you were eating warm shit, it'd be stone cold by the time you finished it (saying)2. (fig.) (of a person) too slow; can't keep up
天下没有不散的筵席 天下沒有不散的筵席 tiān xià méi yǒu bù sàn de yán xí all good things must come to an end (idiom)
搬起石头砸自己的脚 搬起石頭砸自己的腳 bān qǐ shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo 1. to crush one's own foot while trying to maneuver a rock (to a cliff edge, to drop on one's enemy) (idiom)2. hoisted by one's own petard
旧的不去，新的不来 舊的不去，新的不來 jiù de bù qù , xīn de bù lái 1. lit. If the old doesn't go, the new will not come.2. You can't make progress by clinging to old notions.
葫芦里卖的是什么药 葫蘆裡賣的是什麼藥 hú lu lǐ mài de shì shén me yào 1. what has (he) got up (his) sleeve?2. what's going on?
铁打的衙门，流水的官 鐵打的衙門，流水的官 tiě dǎ de yá men , liú shuǐ de guān 1. lit. the yamen is strong as iron, the officials flow like water (idiom)2. fig. government officials come and go
雷公打豆腐，拣软的欺 雷公打豆腐，揀軟的欺 léi gōng dǎ dòu fu , jiǎn ruǎn de qī 1. the God of Thunder strikes bean curd, a bully picks the weakest person2. to pick on an easy target