Chengyu
Browse 4217 vocabulary cards in Chengyu, with Chinese words, pinyin and meanings. Study this list with spaced repetition. — Page 28
Classical four-character idioms (成语). Best after you have a basic vocabulary.
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- 笑里藏刀 / 笑裡藏刀 — xiào lǐ cáng dāo — literally a dagger hidden in smiles (idiom) · friendly manners belying hypocritical intentions
- 等闲之辈 / 等閒之輩 — děng xián zhī bèi — (not) to be trifled with
- 答非所问 / 答非所問 — dá fēi suǒ wèn — to sidestep the question
- 纸醉金迷 / 紙醉金迷 — zhǐ zuì jīn mí — literally dazzling with paper and gold (idiom) · figuratively indulging in a life of luxury
- 美不胜收 / 美不勝收 — měi bù shèng shōu — nothing more beautiful can be imagined (idiom)
- 老谋深算 / 老謀深算 — lǎo móu shēn suàn — rigorous schemes and deep foresight (idiom) · astute and circumspect
- 耐人寻味 / 耐人尋味 — nài rén xún wèi — thought-provoking · to provide food for thought
- 能言善辩 / 能言善辯 — néng yán shàn biàn — glib of tongue (idiom)
- 自顾不暇 / 自顧不暇 — zì gù bù xiá — to have one's hands full managing one's own affairs
- 草菅人命 — cǎo jiān rén mìng — to have disregard for human life (idiom)
- 萎靡不振 — wěi mǐ bù zhèn — dispirited and listless (idiom) · downcast
- 街头巷尾 / 街頭巷尾 — jiē tóu xiàng wěi — top of streets, bottom of alleys (idiom) · everywhere in the city
- 衣食住行 — yī shí zhù xíng — clothing, food, housing and transportation (idiom)
- 软硬兼施 / 軟硬兼施 — ruǎn yìng jiān shī — use both carrot and stick · use gentle methods and force
- 轻手轻脚 / 輕手輕腳 — qīng shǒu qīng jiǎo — (to move or do something) softly · quietly · gently
- 远渡重洋 / 遠渡重洋 — yuǎn dù chóng yáng — to travel across the oceans
- 迷途知返 — mí tú zhī fǎn — to get back on the right path
- 酸甜苦辣 — suān tián kǔ là — sour, sweet, bitter and spicy (idiom)
- 阴阳怪气 / 陰陽怪氣 — yīn yáng guài qì — eccentric
- 风靡一时 / 風靡一時 — fēng mǐ yī shí — fashionable for a while (idiom) · all the rage
- 风风火火 / 風風火火 — fēng fēng huǒ huǒ — bustling
- 风驰电掣 / 風馳電掣 — fēng chí diàn chè — fast as lightning
- 一技之长 / 一技之長 — yī jì zhī cháng — proficiency in a particular field (idiom)
- 一星半点 / 一星半點 — yī xīng bàn diǎn — just the tiniest bit
- 一笑置之 — yī xiào zhì zhī — to dismiss with a laugh
- 一诺千金 / 一諾千金 — yī nuò qiān jīn — a promise worth a thousand pieces of gold (idiom)
- 一锤定音 / 一錘定音 — yī chuí dìng yīn — literally to fix the tone with a single hammer blow
- 不依不饶 / 不依不饒 — bù yī bù ráo — not to overlook, nor spare (idiom) · unwilling to forgive
- 不可一世 — bù kě yī shì — to consider oneself unexcelled in the world · to be insufferably arrogant
- 不可逾越 — bù kě yú yuè — impassable
- 不懂装懂 / 不懂裝懂 — bù dǒng zhuāng dǒng — to pretend to understand when you don't
- 与世无争 / 與世無爭 — yǔ shì wú zhēng — to stand aloof from worldly affairs
- 举目无亲 / 舉目無親 — jǔ mù wú qīn — to look up and see no-one familiar (idiom) · not having anyone to rely on
- 乐不可支 / 樂不可支 — lè bù kě zhī — overjoyed (idiom) · as pleased as punch
- 五彩缤纷 / 五彩繽紛 — wǔ cǎi bīn fēn — all the colors in profusion (idiom) · a garish display
- 人仰马翻 / 人仰馬翻 — rén yǎng mǎ fān — to suffer a crushing defeat (idiom)
- 人去楼空 / 人去樓空 — rén qù lóu kōng — the occupants have gone and the place is now empty (idiom)
- 人多势众 / 人多勢眾 — rén duō shì zhòng — many men, a great force (idiom) · many hands provide great strength
- 价廉物美 / 價廉物美 — jià lián wù měi — inexpensive and of good quality (idiom)
- 体贴入微 / 體貼入微 — tǐ tiē rù wēi — to show every possible consideration (idiom) · meticulous care
- 依依不舍 / 依依不捨 — yī yī bù shě — reluctant to part (idiom) · broken-hearted at having to leave
- 先睹为快 / 先睹為快 — xiān dǔ wéi kuài — to consider it a pleasure to be among the first to read (or watch or enjoy)
- 八面玲珑 / 八面玲瓏 — bā miàn líng lóng — be smooth and slick (in establishing social relations)
- 分门别类 / 分門別類 — fēn mén bié lèi — to organize by categories · to classify
- 劫富济贫 / 劫富濟貧 — jié fù jì pín — to rob the rich to help the poor
- 千变万化 / 千變萬化 — qiān biàn wàn huà — countless changes
- 可乘之机 / 可乘之機 — kě chéng zhī jī — an opportunity that someone (usually a villain or adversary) can exploit
- 名不副实 / 名不副實 — míng bù fù shí — the name does not reflect the reality (idiom) · more in name than in fact
- 唇枪舌剑 / 唇槍舌劍 — chún qiāng shé jiàn — to cross verbal swords · to have a heated verbal exchange
- 回味无穷 / 回味無窮 — huí wèi wú qióng — to have a rich aftertaste