Daily Chinese Idioms and Proverbs
One line of Chinese worth keeping, every day: an idiom people actually say, with the story behind it. Each has pinyin, tap-any-word lookup, an English meaning, and audio.
Today's idiom骑虎难下qí hǔ nán xiàif you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off ; fig. impossible to stop halfwayOct. 24th 2026引狼入室yǐn láng rù shìlit. to show the wolf into the houseOct. 23rd 2026吴越同舟Wú Yuè tóng zhōuWu and Yue in the same boat ; fig. cooperation between natural rivalsOct. 22nd 2026自食其果zì shí qí guǒto eat one's own fruit ; fig. suffering the consequences of one's own actionOct. 21st 2026本末倒置běn mò dào zhìlit. to invert root and branch ; fig. confusing cause and effectOct. 20th 2026随机应变suí jī yìng biànto change according to the situation ; pragmaticOct. 19th 2026大器晚成dà qì wǎn chénglit. it takes a long time to make a big pot ; fig. a great talent matures slowlyOct. 18th 2026事在人为shì zài rén wéithe matter depends on the individual ; it is a matter for your own effortOct. 17th 2026良药苦口liáng yào kǔ kǒugood medicine tastes bitter ; fig. frank criticism is hard to swallowOct. 16th 2026隔墙有耳gé qiáng yǒu ěrthe walls have earsOct. 15th 2026缘木求鱼yuán mù qiú yúlit. climb a tree to catch a fish ; fig. to attempt the impossibleOct. 14th 2026画饼充饥huà bǐng chōng jīlit. to allay one's hunger using a picture of a cakeOct. 13th 2026鹤立鸡群hè lì jī qúna crane in a flock of chicken ; way above the commonOct. 12th 2026兔死狐悲tù sǐ hú bēilit. if the rabbit dies, the fox grieves ; fig. to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distressOct. 11th 2026背水一战bèi shuǐ yī zhànlit. fight with one's back to the river ; fig. to fight to win or dieOct. 10th 2026草木皆兵cǎo mù jiē bīnglit. every tree or bush an enemy soldier ; fig. to panic and treat everyone as an enemyOct. 9th 2026洛阳纸贵Luò yáng zhǐ guìlit. paper has become expensive in Luoyang (because everyone is making a copy of a popular story)Oct. 8th 2026毛遂自荐Máo Suì zì jiànMao Sui recommends himself ; to offer one's services (in the style of Mao Sui offering his services to king of Chu 楚 of the Warring states)Oct. 7th 2026名落孙山míng luò Sūn Shānlit. to fall behind Sun Shan 孫山|孙山[Sun1 Shan1] (who came last in the imperial examination)Oct. 6th 2026三人成虎sān rén chéng hǔthree men talking makes a tiger ; repeated rumor becomes a factOct. 5th 2026温故知新wēn gù zhī xīnto review the old and know the new (idiom, from the Analects)Oct. 4th 2026走马观花zǒu mǎ guān huālit. flower viewing from horseback ; a fleeting glance in passingOct. 3rd 2026破镜重圆pò jìng chóng yuánlit. the two halves of the broken mirror are rejoinedOct. 2nd 2026一诺千金yī nuò qiān jīnlit. a promise worth a thousand pieces of goldOct. 1st 2026望洋兴叹wàng yáng xīng tànlit. to gaze at the ocean and lament one's inadequacySep. 30th 2026乐不思蜀lè bù sī Shǔindulge in pleasure and forget home and dutySep. 29th 2026闻鸡起舞wén jī qǐ wǔto start practicing at the first crow of the cockSep. 28th 2026凿壁偷光záo bì tōu guānglit. to pierce the wall to steal a lightSep. 27th 2026精卫填海Jīng wèi tián hǎilit. mythical bird Jingwei tries to fill the ocean with stones ; futile ambitionSep. 26th 2026四面楚歌sì miàn Chǔ gēlit. on all sides, the songs of ChuSep. 25th 2026请君入瓮qǐng jūn rù wènglit. please Sir, get into the boiling potSep. 24th 2026惊弓之鸟jīng gōng zhī niǎolit. a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowSep. 23rd 2026郑人买履zhèng rén mǎi lǚlit. the person from Zheng 鄭|郑[Zheng4] who wanted to buy shoes (an allusion to an ancient story about somebody who, when buying a pair of shoes, preferred to rely on their foot measurements rather than just trying them on)Sep. 22nd 2026东施效颦Dōng Shī xiào pínlit. Dong Shi imitates Xi Shi's frownSep. 21st 2026班门弄斧Bān mén nòng fǔto display one's slight skill before an expertSep. 20th 2026唇亡齿寒chún wáng chǐ hánlit. without the lips, the teeth feel the cold ; fig. intimately interdependentSep. 19th 2026老马识途lǎo mǎ shí túan old horse knows the way ; an experienced worker knows what to doSep. 18th 2026拔苗助长bá miáo zhù zhǎngto spoil things through excessive enthusiasmSep. 17th 2026胸有成竹xiōng yǒu chéng zhúto have a well-thought-out plan in mindSep. 16th 2026画龙点睛huà lóng diǎn jīngto paint a dragon and dot in the eyes ; fig. to add the vital finishing touchSep. 15th 2026实事求是shí shì qiú shìlit. to seek truth from factsSep. 14th 2026理所当然lǐ suǒ dāng ránas it should be by rights ; proper and to be expected as a matter of courseSep. 13th 2026因小失大yīn xiǎo shī dàto save a little only to lose a lotSep. 12th 2026不劳而获bù láo ér huòto reap without sowing; to get sth without working for it; to sponge off othersSep. 11th 2026雪中送炭xuě zhōng sòng tànlit. to send charcoal in snowy weatherSep. 10th 2026锦上添花jǐn shàng tiān huālit. add flowers to brocadeSep. 9th 2026精益求精jīng yì qiú jīngto constantly seek to improve; to keep perfectingSep. 8th 2026井井有条jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáoeverything clear and orderly ; neat and tidySep. 7th 2026兴高采烈xìng gāo cǎi lièhappy and excitedSep. 6th 2026心不在焉xīn bù zài yānabsent-mindedSep. 5th 2026恍然大悟huǎng rán dà wùto suddenly realize; to suddenly see the lightSep. 4th 2026情不自禁qíng bù zì jīncannot refrain from; cannot help; cannot butSep. 3rd 2026莫名其妙mò míng qí miàobaffling; bizarre; without rhyme or reason; inexplicableSep. 2nd 2026名副其实míng fù qí shínot just in name only, but also in realitySep. 1st 2026全力以赴quán lì yǐ fùto do at all costsAug. 31st 2026迫不及待pò bù jí dàiunable to hold oneself back; eager to do sth without delayAug. 30th 2026乱七八糟luàn qī bā zāochaotic; in disorder; muddledAug. 29th 2026以防万一yǐ fáng wàn yīto guard against the unexpected ; just in caseAug. 28th 2026一模一样yī mú yī yàngexactly alike; identicalAug. 27th 2026无能为力wú néng wéi lìpowerless to do anything about itAug. 26th 2026一无所知yī wú suǒ zhīnot knowing anything at all; completely ignorantAug. 25th 2026与众不同yǔ zhòng bù tóngto stand out from the crowd; distinctive; different from the restAug. 24th 2026谢天谢地xiè tiān xiè dìthank goodnessAug. 23rd 2026无论如何wú lùn rú héwhatever the case; in any event; no matter what; by all possible meansAug. 22nd 2026不可思议bù kě sī yìinconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomableAug. 21st 2026难以置信nán yǐ zhì xìnhard to believe; incredibleAug. 20th 2026风雨同舟fēng yǔ tóng zhōulit. in the same boat under wind and rain ; fig. to stick together in hard timesAug. 19th 2026半途而废bàn tú ér fèito give up halfway ; leave sth unfinishedAug. 18th 2026一举两得yī jǔ liǎng délit. one action, two gainsAug. 17th 2026事半功倍shì bàn gōng bèito achieve twice the result with half the effortAug. 16th 2026欲速则不达yù sù zé bù dá(the Analects) haste makes waste; things can't be rushedAug. 15th 2026物以类聚wù yǐ lèi jùsimilar things come together ; like draws likeAug. 14th 2026覆水难收fù shuǐ nán shōuspilt water is difficult to retrieveAug. 13th 2026光阴似箭guāng yīn sì jiàntime flies like an arrow ; How time flies!Aug. 12th 2026百闻不如一见bǎi wén bù rú yī jiànseeing once is better than hearing a hundred times ; seeing for oneself is better than hearing from many othersAug. 11th 2026滴水穿石dī shuǐ chuān shídripping water penetrates the stone ; constant perseverance yields successAug. 10th 2026有备无患yǒu bèi wú huànPreparedness averts peril.Aug. 9th 2026一石二鸟yī shí èr niǎoto kill two birds with one stoneAug. 8th 2026熟能生巧shú néng shēng qiǎowith familiarity you learn the trick ; practice makes perfectAug. 7th 2026入乡随俗rù xiāng suí súWhen you enter a village, follow the local customs ; do as the natives doAug. 6th 2026杞人忧天Qǐ rén yōu tiānlit. like the man of 杞[Qi3] who feared the sky would fallAug. 5th 2026朝三暮四zhāo sān mù sìlit. say three in the morning but four in the evening ; to change sth that is already settled uponAug. 4th 2026南辕北辙nán yuán běi zhéto act in a way that defeats one's purposeAug. 3rd 2026买椟还珠mǎi dú huán zhūto buy a wooden box and return the pearls insideAug. 2nd 2026自相矛盾zì xiāng máo dùnto contradict oneselfAug. 1st 2026黔驴技穷Qián lǘ jì qióngto exhaust one's limited abilitiesJul. 31st 2026螳臂当车táng bì dāng chēlit. a mantis trying to stop a chariotJul. 30th 2026邯郸学步Hán dān xué bùto copy the way they walk in HandanJul. 29th 2026一鸣惊人yī míng jīng rénto amaze the world with a single brilliant feat ; an overnight celebrityJul. 28th 2026滥竽充数làn yú chōng shùlit. to play the yu 竽 mouth organ to make up numbers ; fig. to make up the numbers with inferior productsJul. 27th 2026狐假虎威hú jiǎ hǔ wēilit. the fox exploits the tiger's might ; fig. to use powerful connections to intimidate peopleJul. 26th 2026望梅止渴wàng méi zhǐ kělit. to quench one's thirst by thinking of plumsJul. 25th 2026纸上谈兵zhǐ shàng tán bīnglit. military tactics on paperJul. 24th 2026负荆请罪fù jīng qǐng zuìlit. to bring a bramble and ask for punishmentJul. 23rd 2026完璧归赵wán bì guī Zhàolit. to return the jade annulus to Zhao ; fig. to return something intact to its rightful ownerJul. 22nd 2026指鹿为马zhǐ lù wéi mǎmaking a deer out to be a horse ; deliberate misrepresentationJul. 21st 2026三顾茅庐sān gù máo lúlit. to make three visits to the thatched cottage (allusion to an episode in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4] in which Liu Bei 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] recruits Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮|诸葛亮[Zhu1 ge3 Liang4] to his cause by visiting him three times)Jul. 20th 2026卧薪尝胆wò xīn cháng dǎnlit. to sleep on brushwood and taste gall (like King Goujian of Yue 勾踐|勾践[Gou1 jian4], in order to recall one's humiliations)Jul. 19th 2026破釜沉舟pò fǔ chén zhōulit. to break the cauldrons and sink the boats ; fig. to cut off one's means of retreatJul. 18th 2026叶公好龙Yè Gōng hào lónglit. Lord Ye's passion for dragonsJul. 17th 2026愚公移山yú gōng yí shānthe old man moves mountains ; fig. where there's a will, there's a wayJul. 16th 2026刻舟求剑kè zhōu qiú jiànlit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard ; fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstancesJul. 15th 2026掩耳盗铃yǎn ěr dào línglit. to cover one's ears whilst stealing a bellJul. 14th 2026杯弓蛇影bēi gōng shé yǐnglit. to see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake ; fig. unnecessary suspicionsJul. 13th 2026对牛弹琴duì niú tán qínlit. to play the lute to a cowJul. 12th 2026亡羊补牢wáng yáng bǔ láolit. to mend the pen after sheep are lostJul. 11th 2026塞翁失马sài wēng shī mǎlit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the bestJul. 10th 2026守株待兔shǒu zhū dài tùlit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbitsJul. 9th 2026井底之蛙jǐng dǐ zhī wālit. a frog at the bottom of a wellJul. 8th 2026画蛇添足huà shé tiān zúlit. draw legs on a snake ; fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous