德不配位，必有灾殃 德不配位，必有災殃 dé bù pèi wèi , bì yǒu zāi yāng calamity will befall those whose moral standards are not in keeping with their social status
成事不足，败事有余 成事不足，敗事有餘 chéng shì bù zú , bài shì yǒu yú 1. unable to accomplish anything but liable to spoil everything (idiom)2. unable to do anything right3. never make, but always mar
战无不胜，攻无不克 戰無不勝，攻無不克 zhàn wú bù shèng , gōng wú bù kè 1. to triumph in every battle and win every fight (idiom); all-conquering2. ever victorious3. nothing they can't do
战无不胜，攻无不取 戰無不勝，攻無不取 zhàn wú bù shèng , gōng wú bù qǔ 1. to triumph in every battle and win every fight (idiom); all-conquering2. ever victorious3. nothing they can't do
打蛇不死，反受其害 dǎ shé bù sǐ , fǎn shòu qí hài (proverb) if you deal with a threat but fail to eliminate it, it may come back to harm you
舍不得孩子套不住狼 捨不得孩子套不住狼 shě bù de hái zi tào bù zhù láng 1. one who is not prepared to risk his child will never catch the wolf (proverb)2. (fig.) one who is unwilling to take risks will not achieve great things
攻无不克，战无不胜 攻無不克，戰無不勝 gōng wú bù kè , zhàn wú bù shèng 1. to triumph in every battle and win every fight (idiom); all-conquering2. ever victorious3. nothing they can't do
有借有还，再借不难 有借有還，再借不難 yǒu jiè yǒu huán , zài jiè bù nán return what you borrowed on time, you may borrow again next time (idiom)
机不可失，失不再来 機不可失，失不再來 jī bù kě shī , shī bù zài lái opportunity knocks but once (idiom)
机不可失，时不再来 機不可失，時不再來 jī bù kě shī , shí bù zài lái Opportunity knocks but once. (idiom)
比上不足，比下有余 比上不足，比下有餘 bǐ shàng bù zú , bǐ xià yǒu yú neither the best nor the worst; not too bad; better than some
没有规矩，不成方圆 沒有規矩，不成方圓 méi yǒu guī ju , bù chéng fāng yuán without rules, nothing can be done (idiom); one must follow some rules
法网恢恢，疏而不漏 法網恢恢，疏而不漏 fǎ wǎng huī huī , shū ér bù lòu large though its mesh may be, no criminal can slip through the wide net of justice
流水不腐，户枢不蠹 流水不腐，戶樞不蠹 liú shuǐ bù fǔ , hù shū bù dù 1. lit. flowing water does not rot, nor a door-hinge rust (idiom)2. fig. constant activity prevents decay
为富不仁，为仁不富 為富不仁，為仁不富 wéi fù bù rén , wéi rén bù fù (proverb, from Mencius) the rich are not benevolent, and the benevolent are not rich
生命不息，战斗不止 生命不息，戰鬥不止 shēng mìng bù xī , zhàn dòu bù zhǐ while there is life, the fight continues (idiom); to fight to the last
男人不坏，女人不爱 男人不壞，女人不愛 nán rén bù huài , nǚ rén bù ài women love bad guys
知己知彼，百战不殆 知己知彼，百戰不殆 zhī jǐ zhī bǐ , bǎi zhàn bù dài know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated (idiom, from Sunzi's "The Art of War" 孙子兵法[sūn zǐ bīng fǎ])
知彼知己，百战不殆 知彼知己，百戰不殆 zhī bǐ zhī jǐ , bǎi zhàn bù dài knowing the enemy and yourself will get you unscathed through a hundred battles (idiom, from Sunzi's "The Art of War")
知无不言，言无不尽 知無不言，言無不盡 zhī wú bù yán , yán wú bù jìn 1. (lit.) not hiding anything he knows, not stopping before he has said it through (idiom)2. (fig.) frank; outspoken
老天爷饿不死瞎家雀 老天爺餓不死瞎家雀 lǎo tiān yé è bù sǐ xiā jiā què 1. lit. heaven won't let the sparrows go hungry (idiom)2. fig. don't give up hope3. if you tough it out, there will be light at the end of the tunnel
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.
莫霍洛维奇不连续面 莫霍洛維奇不連續面 mò huò luò wéi qí bù lián xù miàn 1. Moho (aka Mohorovičić discontinuity, the lower boundary of the earth's lithosphere)2. abbr. to 莫霍面[mò huò miàn]
行不更名，坐不改姓 xíng bù gēng míng , zuò bù gǎi xìng I am who I am and not ashamed of it; to be proud of one's name and stand by one's actions
跑了和尚，跑不了寺 pǎo le hé shàng , pǎo bù liǎo sì 1. the monk can run away, but the temple won't run with him (idiom)2. you can run this time, but you'll have to come back3. I'll get you sooner or later
路见不平，拔刀相助 路見不平，拔刀相助 lù jiàn bù píng , bá dāo xiāng zhù 1. lit. to intervene when one sees an injustice (idiom)2. fig. to rush to the rescue3. to play the white knight
逆水行舟，不进则退 逆水行舟，不進則退 nì shuǐ xíng zhōu , bù jìn zé tuì like rowing a boat upstream, if you stop moving forward you fall back (idiom)
医之好治不病以为功 醫之好治不病以為功 yī zhī hào zhì bù bìng yǐ wéi gōng doctors like to treat those who are not sick so that they can get credit for the patient's "recovery" (idiom)
靡不有初，鲜克有终 靡不有初，鮮克有終 mǐ bù yǒu chū , xiǎn kè yǒu zhōng almost everything has a start, but not many things have an end (idiom); don't start sth you can't handle
食不厌精，脍不厌细 食不厭精，膾不厭細 shí bù yàn jīng , kuài bù yàn xì 1. lit. to eat but finely ground grain and finely chopped meat (idiom, from Analects)2. fig. to be fastidious about one's food
鸟不拉屎，鸡不生蛋 鳥不拉屎，雞不生蛋 niǎo bù lā shǐ , jī bù shēng dàn 1. lit. (a place where) birds don't defecate and hens don't lay eggs (idiom)2. fig. god-forsaken3. remote and desolate
鸟不生蛋，狗不拉屎 鳥不生蛋，狗不拉屎 niǎo bù shēng dàn , gǒu bù lā shǐ 1. lit. (a place where) birds don't lay eggs and dogs don't defecate (idiom)2. fig. god-forsaken3. remote and desolate
丈二和尚，摸不着头脑 丈二和尚，摸不著頭腦 zhàng èr hé shang , mō bu zháo tóu nǎo 1. lit. like a three-meter high monk, you can't rub his head (idiom)2. fig. at a total loss
不以规矩，不能成方圆 不以規矩，不能成方圓 bù yǐ guī ju , bù néng chéng fāng yuán without rules, nothing can be done (idiom, from Mencius); one must follow some rules
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
授之以鱼不如授之以渔 授之以魚不如授之以漁 shòu zhī yǐ yú bù rú shòu zhī yǐ yú give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime (idiom)
授人以鱼不如授人以渔 授人以魚不如授人以漁 shòu rén yǐ yú bù rú shòu rén yǐ yú 1. give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime2. knowledge is the best charity
杜兴氏肌肉营养不良症 杜興氏肌肉營養不良症 dù xīng shì jī ròu yíng yǎng bù liáng zhèng Duchenne muscular dystrophy
知其然而不知其所以然 zhī qí rán ér bù zhī qí suǒ yǐ rán (saying) to know that it is so but not why it is so
跑得了和尚，跑不了庙 跑得了和尚，跑不了廟 pǎo dé liǎo hé shàng , pǎo bù liǎo miào 1. the monk can run away, but the temple won't run with him (idiom)2. you can run this time, but you'll have to come back3. I'll get you sooner or later
马尾穿豆腐，提不起来 馬尾穿豆腐，提不起來 mǎ wěi chuān dòu fu , tí bu qǐ lai 1. lit. like tofu strung on horsetail, you can't lift it2. fig. let's not talk of this (pun on 提[tí])
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
不做亏心事，不怕鬼敲门 不做虧心事，不怕鬼敲門 bù zuò kuī xīn shì , bù pà guǐ qiāo mén he who never wrongs others does not fear the knock in the night; you can rest with a clear conscience
不怕不识货，只怕货比货 不怕不識貨，只怕貨比貨 bù pà bù shí huò , zhǐ pà huò bǐ huò 1. lit. don't worry about not knowing goods, but about comparing them (proverb)2. fig. goods' (or person's) true value can only be determined through comparison
不怕不识货，就怕货比货 不怕不識貨，就怕貨比貨 bù pà bù shí huò , jiù pà huò bǐ huò 1. lit. don't worry about not knowing goods, but about comparing them (proverb)2. fig. goods' (or person's) true value can only be determined through comparison
不听老人言，吃亏在眼前 不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前 bù tīng lǎo rén yán , chī kuī zài yǎn qián (idiom) ignore your elders at your peril
儿不嫌母丑，狗不嫌家贫 兒不嫌母醜，狗不嫌家貧 ér bù xián mǔ chǒu , gǒu bù xián jiā pín a son won't abandon his mother for being ugly, just as a dog won't abandon its owner for being poor (proverb)
前不见古人，后不见来者 前不見古人，後不見來者 qián bù jiàn gǔ rén , hòu bù jiàn lái zhě 1. unique2. unprecedented (idiom)
哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出 啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出 yǎ ba chī huáng lián , yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū 1. to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom)2. unable to speak of one's bitter suffering3. sometimes written 啞子吃黃連，哑子吃黄连，有苦说不出
单丝不成线，独木不成林 單絲不成線，獨木不成林 dān sī bù chéng xiàn , dú mù bù chéng lín (proverb) one strand does not make a thread, one tree does not make a forest