Chengyu
Browse 4217 vocabulary cards in Chengyu, with Chinese words, pinyin and meanings. Study this list with spaced repetition. — Page 11
Classical four-character idioms (成语). Best after you have a basic vocabulary.
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- 代代相传 / 代代相傳 — dài dài xiāng chuán — passed on from generation to generation (idiom) · to hand down
- 信口开河 / 信口開河 — xìn kǒu kāi hé — to speak without thinking (idiom)
- 倾盆大雨 / 傾盆大雨 — qīng pén dà yǔ — a downpour · rain bucketing down
- 力不从心 / 力不從心 — lì bù cóng xīn — to lack the ability to do what one would wish
- 大难临头 / 大難臨頭 — dà nàn lín tóu — to be facing imminent calamity (idiom)
- 守株待兔 — shǒu zhū dài tù — literally to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom)
- 心狠手辣 — xīn hěn shǒu là — vicious · merciless
- 无依无靠 / 無依無靠 — wú yī wú kào — having nothing to rely on · on one's own
- 无声无息 / 無聲無息 — wú shēng wú xī — wordless and uncommunicative (idiom) · without speaking
- 杀身之祸 / 殺身之禍 — shā shēn zhī huò — getting killed
- 游刃有余 / 遊刃有餘 — yóu rèn yǒu yú — handling a butcher's cleaver with ease (idiom) · to do something skillfully and easily
- 玩世不恭 — wán shì bù gōng — to trifle without respect (idiom) · to despise worldly conventions
- 自吹自擂 — zì chuī zì léi — to blow one's own trumpet (idiom)
- 轻描淡写 / 輕描淡寫 — qīng miáo dàn xiě — to treat something as no big deal
- 阿谀奉承 / 阿諛奉承 — ē yú fèng chéng — flattering and fawning (idiom)
- 顺理成章 / 順理成章 — shùn lǐ chéng zhāng — logical
- 一针见血 / 一針見血 — yī zhēn jiàn xiě — literally to draw blood on the first prick (idiom)
- 不言而喻 — bù yán ér yù — it goes without saying · it is self-evident
- 亡羊补牢 / 亡羊補牢 — wáng yáng bǔ láo — literally to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom)
- 十万火急 / 十萬火急 — shí wàn huǒ jí — most urgent
- 后起之秀 / 後起之秀 — hòu qǐ zhī xiù — an up-and-coming youngster · new talent · a brilliant younger generation
- 和蔼可亲 / 和藹可親 — hé ǎi kě qīn — affable · genial
- 哗众取宠 / 嘩眾取寵 — huá zhòng qǔ chǒng — sensationalism
- 坚定不移 / 堅定不移 — jiān dìng bù yí — unswerving
- 如影随形 / 如影隨形 — rú yǐng suí xíng — as the shadow follows the body (idiom)
- 尘埃落定 / 塵埃落定 — chén āi luò dìng — literally the dust has settled (idiom)
- 尽善尽美 / 盡善盡美 — jìn shàn jìn měi — perfect (idiom) · perfection
- 心里有数 / 心裡有數 — xīn lǐ yǒu shù — to know the score (idiom)
- 所向无敌 / 所向無敵 — suǒ xiàng wú dí — to be invincible
- 气急败坏 / 氣急敗壞 — qì jí bài huài — flustered and exasperated
- 水到渠成 — shuǐ dào qú chéng — literally where water flows, a canal is formed (idiom)
- 爱莫能助 / 愛莫能助 — ài mò néng zhù — unable to help however much one would like to (idiom) · Although we sympathize, there is no way to help you.
- 狂妄自大 — kuáng wàng zì dà — arrogant and conceited
- 相亲相爱 / 相親相愛 — xiāng qīn xiāng ài — (of siblings, spouses and so on) very close to each other · inseparable · devoted to each other
- 神出鬼没 / 神出鬼沒 — shén chū guǐ mò — to appear and disappear unpredictably like a spirit or a ghost (idiom)
- 胡作非为 / 胡作非為 — hú zuò fēi wéi — to run amok (idiom) · to commit outrages
- 跃跃欲试 / 躍躍欲試 — yuè yuè yù shì — to be eager to give something a try (idiom)
- 问心无愧 / 問心無愧 — wèn xīn wú kuì — literally look into one's heart, no shame (idiom) · with a clear conscience
- 顺藤摸瓜 / 順藤摸瓜 — shùn téng mō guā — literally to follow the vine to get to the melon
- 鹤立鸡群 / 鶴立雞群 — hè lì jī qún — a crane in a flock of chicken (idiom) · way above the common
- 一贫如洗 / 一貧如洗 — yī pín rú xǐ — penniless · destitute
- 万事大吉 / 萬事大吉 — wàn shì dà jí — everything is fine (idiom) · all is well with the world
- 安分守己 — ān fèn shǒu jǐ — to be content with one's lot (idiom)
- 想入非非 — xiǎng rù fēi fēi — to indulge in fantasy (idiom) · to let one's imagination run wild
- 时来运转 / 時來運轉 — shí lái yùn zhuǎn — the time comes, fortune turns (idiom) · to have a lucky break
- 永无止境 / 永無止境 — yǒng wú zhǐ jìng — without end · never-ending
- 真心实意 / 真心實意 — zhēn xīn shí yì — genuine · sincere · wholehearted
- 稀奇古怪 — xī qí gǔ guài — crazy · bizarre · weird · fantastic · strange
- 罪大恶极 / 罪大惡極 — zuì dà è jí — guilty of terrible crimes (idiom)
- 胆战心惊 / 膽戰心驚 — dǎn zhàn xīn jīng — to tremble with fear (idiom)