各持己見

ㄍㄜˋ ㄔˊ ㄐㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

гэчицзицзянь

/kɤ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/kɔːk̚³ t͡sʰiː²¹ kei̯³⁵ kiːn³³/

/kɤ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/kɔːk̚³ t͡sʰiː²¹ kei̯³⁵ kiːn³³/

雙方各持己見，僵持不下。

双方各持己见，僵持不下。

Experts and scholars have disagreeing views on this issue.

Zài zhège wèntí shàng, zhuānjiā xuézhě men gèchíjǐjiàn.

在這個問題上，專家學者們各持己見。

在这个问题上，专家学者们各持己见。


憂心忡忡

ㄧㄡ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄔㄨㄥ ㄔㄨㄥ

/joʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jɐu̯⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/joʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jɐu̯⁵⁵ sɐm⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

Occurred a few times in the Classic of Poetry, for example, in poem 14 (《詩經·召南·草蟲》)

lang

(《詩經·召南·草蟲》)

(《詩經·召南·草蟲》)

Yao-yao went the grass-insects, And the hoppers sprang about.
While I do not see my lord, My sorrowful heart is agitated.

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Yāoyāo cǎochóng, yuèyuè fùzhōng.
Wèi jiàn jūnzǐ, yōuxīn chōngchōng.

喓喓草蟲，趯趯阜螽。
未見君子，憂心忡忡。

喓喓草虫，趯趯阜螽。
未见君子，忧心忡忡。


至高無上

ㄓˋ ㄍㄠ ㄨˊ ㄕㄤˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ u³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡siː³³ kou̯⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ sœːŋ²²/

/t͡sz̩³³ kɔ⁴⁴ ɦu²² zɑ̃⁴⁴/

/t͡sz̩⁵² kæ³³ vu²³ zɑ̃¹¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ u³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡siː³³ kou̯⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ sœːŋ²²/

/t͡sz̩³³ kɔ⁴⁴ ɦu²² zɑ̃⁴⁴/

/t͡sz̩⁵² kæ³³ vu²³ zɑ̃¹¹/

至高無上的美

至高无上的美

至高無上的權力

至高无上的权力


聚沙成塔

sand grains accumulate to make a tower a tower

ㄐㄩˋ ㄕㄚ ㄔㄥˊ ㄊㄚˇ

/t͡ɕy⁵¹ ʂä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ tʰä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɵy̯²² saː⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ tʰaːp̚³/

/t͡ɕy⁵¹ ʂä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ tʰä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɵy̯²² saː⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ tʰaːp̚³/

many a mickle makes a muckle
many a mickle makes a muckle

by gathering small amounts one gets a huge quantity, many a mickle makes a muckle


Niemiec płakał, jak sprzedawał

Literally, “the German cried when he sold”. Based on the widespread Polish practice of importing used cars from Germany. Implies that the previous owner had to sell the car below market value, and thus it can be expected to be a great deal.

lit

(idiomatic, humorous) stereotypical embellished sales pitch


as ever

Everything was insipid. Every day the old lady asked me whether I liked the food, but what could she do? I was still as shy as ever and dared not ask for more than what was put before me.

1925-29, Mahadev Desai (translator), M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Part I, chapter xiv

(idiomatic) Consistent with past behaviour, as expected; as usual; as always.


se on siinä

that is it; Bob's your uncle; there you have it

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: se on siinä: it/that is there


遅かれ早かれ

遅かれ早かれ (canonical)
osokare hayakare (romanization)


與世長辭

ㄩˇ ㄕˋ ㄔㄤˊ ㄘˊ

/y²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ t͡sʰz̩³⁵/

/jyː¹³ sɐi̯³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ t͡sʰiː²¹/

/y²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ t͡sʰz̩³⁵/

/jyː¹³ sɐi̯³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ t͡sʰiː²¹/


麥秀黍油

ㄇㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄡˋ ㄕㄨˇ ㄧㄡˊ

/maɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯³⁵/

/maɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹ joʊ̯³⁵/

the wheat and corn grow but the fatherland is no more


略跡原情

ㄌㄩㄝˋ ㄐㄧˋ ㄩㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄥˊ

ㄌㄩㄝˋ ㄐㄧ ㄩㄢˊ ㄑㄧㄥˊ

люэцзиюаньцин

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹ ɥɛn³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵/

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵/

/lœːk̚² t͡sɪk̚⁵ jyːn²¹ t͡sʰɪŋ²¹/

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹ ɥɛn³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵/

/ly̯ɛ⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵/

/lœːk̚² t͡sɪk̚⁵ jyːn²¹ t͡sʰɪŋ²¹/


pis be with you

used to ridicule someone with conjunctivitis


看情況

ㄎㄢˋ ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄎㄨㄤˋ

кань цинкуан

/kʰän⁵¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵ kʰu̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/hɔːn³³ t͡sʰɪŋ²¹ fɔːŋ³³/

/kʰän⁵¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵ kʰu̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/hɔːn³³ t͡sʰɪŋ²¹ fɔːŋ³³/


Skylla ja Kharybdis

Skylla ja Kharybdis (nominative singular)
Skylla ja Kharybdis (accusative nominative singular)
Skyllan ja Kharybdiksen (accusative genitive singular)
Skyllan ja Kharybdiksen (genitive singular)
Skyllaa ja Kharybdista (partitive singular)
Skyllassa ja Kharybdiksessa (inessive singular)
Skyllasta ja Kharybdiksesta (elative singular)
Skyllaan ja Kharybdikseen (illative singular)
Skyllalla ja Kharybdiksella (adessive singular)
Skyllalta ja Kharybdikselta (ablative singular)
Skyllalle ja Kharybdikselle (allative singular)
Skyllana ja Kharybdiksena (essive singular)
Skyllaksi ja Kharybdikseksi (singular translative)
Skyllatta ja Kharybdiksetta (abessive singular)
See the possessive forms below. (comitative)
Skyllani ja Kharybdikseni (nominative singular)
Skyllani ja Kharybdikseni (accusative nominative singular)
Skyllani ja Kharybdikseni (accusative genitive singular)
Skyllani ja Kharybdikseni (genitive singular)
Skyllaani ja Kharybdistani (partitive singular)
Skyllassani ja Kharybdiksessani (inessive singular)
Skyllastani ja Kharybdiksestani (elative singular)
Skyllaani ja Kharybdikseeni (illative singular)
Skyllallani ja Kharybdiksellani (adessive singular)
Skyllaltani ja Kharybdikseltani (ablative singular)
Skyllalleni ja Kharybdikselleni (allative singular)
Skyllanani ja Kharybdiksenani (essive singular)
Skyllakseni ja Kharybdiksekseni (singular translative)
Skyllattani ja Kharybdiksettani (abessive singular)
Skyllasi ja Kharybdiksesi (nominative singular)
Skyllasi ja Kharybdiksesi (accusative nominative singular)
Skyllasi ja Kharybdiksesi (accusative genitive singular)
Skyllasi ja Kharybdiksesi (genitive singular)
Skyllaasi ja Kharybdistasi (partitive singular)
Skyllassasi ja Kharybdiksessasi (inessive singular)
Skyllastasi ja Kharybdiksestasi (elative singular)
Skyllaasi ja Kharybdikseesi (illative singular)
Skyllallasi ja Kharybdiksellasi (adessive singular)
Skyllaltasi ja Kharybdikseltasi (ablative singular)
Skyllallesi ja Kharybdiksellesi (allative singular)
Skyllanasi ja Kharybdiksenasi (essive singular)
Skyllaksesi ja Kharybdikseksesi (singular translative)
Skyllattasi ja Kharybdiksettasi (abessive singular)
Skyllamme ja Kharybdiksemme (nominative singular)
Skyllamme ja Kharybdiksemme (accusative nominative singular)
Skyllamme ja Kharybdiksemme (accusative genitive singular)
Skyllamme ja Kharybdiksemme (genitive singular)
Skyllaamme ja Kharybdistamme (partitive singular)
Skyllassamme ja Kharybdiksessamme (inessive singular)
Skyllastamme ja Kharybdiksestamme (elative singular)
Skyllaamme ja Kharybdikseemme (illative singular)
Skyllallamme ja Kharybdiksellamme (adessive singular)
Skyllaltamme ja Kharybdikseltamme (ablative singular)
Skyllallemme ja Kharybdiksellemme (allative singular)
Skyllanamme ja Kharybdiksenamme (essive singular)
Skyllaksemme ja Kharybdikseksemme (singular translative)
Skyllattamme ja Kharybdiksettamme (abessive singular)
Skyllanne ja Kharybdiksenne (nominative singular)
Skyllanne ja Kharybdiksenne (accusative nominative singular)
Skyllanne ja Kharybdiksenne (accusative genitive singular)
Skyllanne ja Kharybdiksenne (genitive singular)
Skyllaanne ja Kharybdistanne (partitive singular)
Skyllassanne ja Kharybdiksessanne (inessive singular)
Skyllastanne ja Kharybdiksestanne (elative singular)
Skyllaanne ja Kharybdikseenne (illative singular)
Skyllallanne ja Kharybdiksellanne (adessive singular)
Skyllaltanne ja Kharybdikseltanne (ablative singular)
Skyllallenne ja Kharybdiksellenne (allative singular)
Skyllananne ja Kharybdiksenanne (essive singular)
Skyllaksenne ja Kharybdikseksenne (singular translative)
Skyllattanne ja Kharybdiksettanne (abessive singular)
Skyllansa ja Kharybdiksensa (nominative singular)
Skyllansa ja Kharybdiksensa (accusative nominative singular)
Skyllansa ja Kharybdiksensa (accusative genitive singular)
Skyllansa ja Kharybdiksensa (genitive singular)
Skyllaansa ja Kharybdistaan (partitive singular)
Skyllaansa ja Kharybdistansa (partitive singular)
Skyllassaan ja Kharybdiksessaan (inessive singular)
Skyllassaan ja Kharybdiksessansa (inessive singular)
Skyllassansa ja Kharybdiksessaan (inessive singular)
Skyllassansa ja Kharybdiksessansa (inessive singular)
Skyllastaan ja Kharybdiksestaan (elative singular)
Skyllastaan ja Kharybdiksestansa (elative singular)
Skyllastansa ja Kharybdiksestaan (elative singular)
Skyllastansa ja Kharybdiksestansa (elative singular)
Skyllaansa ja Kharybdikseensa (illative singular)
Skyllallaan ja Kharybdiksellaan (adessive singular)
Skyllallaan ja Kharybdiksellansa (adessive singular)
Skyllallansa ja Kharybdiksellaan (adessive singular)
Skyllallansa ja Kharybdiksellansa (adessive singular)
Skyllaltaan ja Kharybdikseltaan (ablative singular)
Skyllaltaan ja Kharybdikseltansa (ablative singular)
Skyllaltansa ja Kharybdikseltaan (ablative singular)
Skyllaltansa ja Kharybdikseltansa (ablative singular)
Skyllalleen ja Kharybdikselleen (allative singular)
Skyllalleen ja Kharybdiksellensa (allative singular)
Skyllallensa ja Kharybdikselleen (allative singular)
Skyllallensa ja Kharybdiksellensa (allative singular)
Skyllanaan ja Kharybdiksenaan (essive singular)
Skyllanaan ja Kharybdiksenansa (essive singular)
Skyllanansa ja Kharybdiksenaan (essive singular)
Skyllanansa ja Kharybdiksenansa (essive singular)
Skyllakseen ja Kharybdiksekseen (singular translative)
Skyllakseen ja Kharybdikseksensa (singular translative)
Skyllaksensa ja Kharybdiksekseen (singular translative)
Skyllaksensa ja Kharybdikseksensa (singular translative)
Skyllattaan ja Kharybdiksettaan (abessive singular)
Skyllattaan ja Kharybdiksettansa (abessive singular)
Skyllattansa ja Kharybdiksettaan (abessive singular)
Skyllattansa ja Kharybdiksettansa (abessive singular)

Tällöin Suomi joutuisi tilanteeseen, jossa auttajaa koskeva valinta olisi tehtävä Skyllan ja Kharybdiksen [Natsi-Saksa ja Neuvostoliitto] välillä. Kumpikin vaihtoehto olisi vaarallinen.

1973, Juhani Suomi, Talvisodan tausta: Suomi Neuvostoliiton ulkopolitiikassa 1937-39 [Background of the Winter War: Finland in the Soviet Foreign Policy between 1937 - 1939], Tammi, →ISBN:

Then Finland would end up in a situation in which the choice concerning source of help should be made between Scylla and Charybdis [Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union]. Both options would be dangerous.

Scylla and Charybdis
between Scylla and Charybdis

Scylla and Charybdis (metaphor of two equally perilous threats or courses of action between which one needs to navigate)


it depends

Used to indicate that different situations may produce different results.


杏加橙

/hɐŋ²² kaː⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːŋ³⁵/

/hɐŋ²² kaː⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːŋ³⁵/

(Cantonese, minced oath) Alternative form of 咸家鏟


být na dvě věci

Literally, “be good for two things (implying that both of the two things are worthless)”.
Shorter and non-vulgar version of být na dvě věci: na nic a na hovno.

lit

Mluvím španělsky, jako bych se tam narodil. A je mi to na dvě věci.

2017, Linda Kaprová, Černé světlo, Brno: Host, translation of Blacklight Blue by Peter May, →ISBN, page 202:

I speak Spanish like I was born there. Fat lot of good that's done me.

(idiomatic, sarcastic) to be worthless, to have no use, to suck


公筷母匙

ㄍㄨㄥ ㄎㄨㄞˋ ㄇㄨˇ ㄔˊ

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ kʰu̯aɪ̯⁵¹ mu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ faːi̯³³ mou̯¹³ t͡sʰiː²¹/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ kʰu̯aɪ̯⁵¹ mu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵/

/kʊŋ⁵⁵ faːi̯³³ mou̯¹³ t͡sʰiː²¹/


四肢發達，頭腦簡單

The four limbs are developed, but the brain less so.

ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄢˇ ㄉㄢ

sei³ zi¹ faat³ daat⁶, tau⁴ nou⁵ gaan² daan¹

тоунао цзяньдань

/sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ fä⁵⁵ tä³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ nɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ tän⁵⁵/

sei³ dzi¹ faat⁸ daat⁹, tau⁴ nou⁵ gaan² daan¹

/sei̯³³ t͡siː⁵⁵ faːt̚³ taːt̚² tʰɐu̯²¹ nou̯¹³ kaːn³⁵ taːn⁵⁵/

Used to ridicule someone who is athletic or physically strong but wanting in intelligence.


být na dvě věci: na nic a na hovno

[biːt na dvjɛ vjɛt͡sɪ ǀ na ɲɪt͡s ǀ ana ɦovno]

Literally, “be (good) for two things: for nothing and for shit”.

lit

„Samý prachy!" pronesl muž a pokračoval: „A stejně sou mi na dvě věci. Na nic a na hovno!"

1989, Ladislav Beran, Postavení mimo hru, České Budějovice: Jihočeské nakladatelství, →ISBN, page 72:

"Nothing but money!" said the man and continued: "And it sucks to me anyway."

„Nedělej to,“ přemlouvala mě Tamara. „Fakt, bude ti to na dvě věci: na nic a na hovno. Věř mi. Čeho tím dosáhneš?“

2014, Miluše Krejčová, Tomáš Krejčí, Konečně se rozhodni, Praha: Motto, translation of Konečne sa rozhodni by Katarína Gillerová, →ISBN, page 14:

"Don't do it," Tamara was convincing me. "Really, it sucks. Believe me. What will you achieve by that?"

Nynější ministerstvo kultury je na dvě věci, jak praví moravské úsloví, totiž na nic a na hovno.

2013, Milena Bartlová, “Ministerstvo na dvě věci”, in A2, number 04:

The contemporary ministry of culture is good for two things, as the Moravian proverb says, that is for nothing and for shit.

(idiomatic, sarcastic, vulgar) to be worthless, to have no use, to suck


något i hästväg

[nóːɡɔ́t iː hɛ́stvǽːɡ]

From något (“something”) + i (“in”) + hästväg (“"horse-way"”), as in something like (towards) a horse.

af

Vår nyårsfest blev något i hästväg

Our New Year's party really was something else ("became something in horse-way")

(idiomatic) something extraordinary, something that makes an unusually strong impression (for example by being large or powerful)


thuần phong mỹ tục

thuần phong mĩ tục
thuần phong mĩ tục#Vietnamese

Alternative spelling of thuần phong mĩ tục.


jít po něčem jako slepice po flusu

[jiːt po ɲɛt͡ʃɛm jako slɛpɪt͡sɛ po flusu]

Literally, “go after something like a hen after a gob of spit”.

lit

„Nemusím vám doufám zdůrazňovat,“ řekl pak osazenstvu kanceláře, „co celá tahle věc znamená. Včera mě celý den naháněli novináři, jdou po tom samozřejmě jako slepice po flusu.“

2013, Martin Goffa, Muž s unavenýma očima, Praha: Mladá fronta, →ISBN, page 108:

"I hope it is not necessary to point out," he said to the staff of the office, "what does this whole thing mean. Journalists were chasing me all day yesterday, of course they go after it vigorously.

(simile, colloquial) go after something immediately, without hesitation, vigorously


vlézt na záda

„Dej mi pokoj, ty bestie! Ty blbče tupej! Vlez mi na záda!“ Yossarian se rozvzlykal. Chtěl Aarfyho praštit, ale neměl sílu zvednout ruku. Rozhodl se, že se radši trochu prospí, omdlel a svalil se jako špalek.

2016, Miroslav Jindra, Hlava XXII, Plus, translation of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller, →ISBN, page 326:

“Leave me alone, you bastard! You dumb, insensitive bastard, leave me alone!” Yossarian sobbed. He wanted to pummel Aarfy, but lacked the strength to lift his arms. He decided to sleep instead and keeled over sideways into a dead faint.

– „[…]Je to bezvadné mít své divadlo.“
– „Jarku, je. Už teď je to skvělé. Tady mi budou moct všichni ti idioti vlízt na záda.“

1980, Jaroslav Hutka, Dvorky, Toronto: Sixty-Eight Publishers, page 152:

– " […] It's great to have you own theatre."
– Yes, Jarek, it is. It's brilliant even now. Here I will not have to care about all those idiots.

(colloquial) to go to hell, to stop annoying

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see vlézt, na, záda.


ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲉⲛⲉⲣ ⲟⲩ

head

ⲁⲣⲉⲧⲉⲛⲉⲣ ⲟⲩ;


早かれ遅かれ

早かれ遅かれ (canonical)
hayakare osokare (romanization)


tai to mặt lớn

[taːj˧˧ tɔ˧˧ mat̚˧˨ʔ ləːn˧˦]

[taːj˧˧ tɔ˧˧ mak̚˨˩ʔ ləːŋ˦˧˥]

[taːj˧˧ tɔ˧˧ mak̚˨˩˨ ləːŋ˦˥]

Calque of Chinese 肥頭大耳／肥头大耳 (phì đầu đại nhĩ, literally “big head and big ears”), from tai (“ear”) + to (“big”) + mặt (“face”) + lớn (“big”).

calque

phì đầu đại nhĩ

com

(of a person, derogatory) having power or influence in society; powerful; influential


mějte hezký den

have a nice day Alternative form of hezký den


同じ穴の狢

ja-pos

おなじ あな の むじな

おなじ あな の ムジナ

同(おな)じ穴(あな)の狢(むじな) or 同(おな)じ穴(あな)の狢(ムジナ) • (onaji ana no mujina)

同じ穴の狢 (canonical)
同じ穴の狢 (canonical)
onaji ana no mujina (romanization)

From Chinese 一丘之貉 (yīqiūzhīhé). Literally, “badgers of the same hole”.

seemingly not part of the same group, but actually indeed comrades


成千成萬

ㄔㄥˊ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄔㄥˊ ㄨㄢˋ

чынчянчынван

ㄔㄥˊ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄔㄥˊ ㄨㄢˋ

чэнцяньчэнвань

/ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ wän⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰəŋ²⁴ t͡ɕʰiæ̃²⁴ ʈ͡ʂʰəŋ²⁴ væ̃⁴⁴/

/sɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ maːn²²/

/ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ wän⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰəŋ²⁴ t͡ɕʰiæ̃²⁴ ʈ͡ʂʰəŋ²⁴ væ̃⁴⁴/

/sɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ maːn²²/

by the thousands and tens of thousands; untold numbers; innumerable; thousands upon thousands


vt.

Abbreviation of virkaa toimittava (“acting”) (temporarily assuming the duties or authority)


炙手可熱

ㄓˋ ㄕㄡˇ ㄎㄜˇ ㄖㄜˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sɛːk̚³ sɐu̯³⁵ hɔː³⁵ jiːt̚²/

/t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ siu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɛt̚⁴/

/t͡sia²¹⁻⁵³ siu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɛt̚⁴/

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sɛːk̚³ sɐu̯³⁵ hɔː³⁵ jiːt̚²/

/t͡siɪk̚³²⁻⁴ siu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɛt̚⁴/

/t͡sia²¹⁻⁵³ siu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kʰo⁵³⁻⁴⁴ liɛt̚⁴/

Du Fu
Stephen Owen (sinologist)
Tang dynasty
Yang Guifei
Yang Guozhong

Heat that can burn the hands, power beyond all measure―
Take care not to come close before the Minister's angry glare!

 Tang dynasty, Du Fu, Fair Ladies: A Ballad (《麗人行》), translation by Stephen Owen, The Poetry of Du Fu
Note: This is a satire of the minister Yang Guozhong on the occasion of a visit, when he was accompanied by his favourite Lady Yang (Yang Guifei), and her two sisters.

Zhìshǒukěrè shì juélún, shèn mò jìnqián chéngxiàng chēn.

炙手可熱勢絕倫，慎莫近前丞相嗔。

炙手可热势绝伦，慎莫近前丞相嗔。

arrogance of the powerful; a mighty figure no-one dares approach

selling like hotcakes
selling like hotcakes

(neologism) popular; hot; selling like hotcakes


不置可否

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄈㄡˇ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ foʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː³³ hɔː³⁵ fɐu̯³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː³³ hɔː³⁵ fɐu̯³⁵/

to not express an opinion; to decline to comment; to be noncommittal


生蝦噉跳

/saːŋ⁵⁵ haː⁵⁵ kɐm³⁵ tʰiːu̯³³/

/saːŋ⁵⁵ haː⁵⁵ kɐm³⁵ tʰiːu̯³³/

激到生虾噉跳 [Cantonese, simp.]
gik¹ dou³ saang¹ haa¹ gam² tiu³ [Jyutping]

(Cantonese) to jump around hyperactively


以毒攻毒

ㄧˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄉㄨˊ

/i²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ tu³⁵/

/jiː¹³ tʊk̚² kʊŋ⁵⁵ tʊk̚²/

/i²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ tu³⁵/

/jiː¹³ tʊk̚² kʊŋ⁵⁵ tʊk̚²/

fight fire with fire
fight fire with fire


ni tanto ni tan calvo

(idiomatic) don't exaggerate; don't get carried away


PMOYS

(Internet slang, Snapchat) Initialism of put me on your story or your Snapchat.


布衣蔬食

/pu⁵¹ i⁵⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/pou̯³³ jiː⁵⁵ sɔː⁵⁵ sɪk̚²/

/pu⁵¹ i⁵⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/pou̯³³ jiː⁵⁵ sɔː⁵⁵ sɪk̚²/


步調一致

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄧ ㄓˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pou̯²² tiːu̯²² jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː³³/

/pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pou̯²² tiːu̯²² jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː³³/

to march in step; to keep in step; to act in unison


步人後塵

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄔㄣˊ

бужэньхоучэнь

/pu⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵/

/pou̯²² jɐn²¹ hɐu̯²² t͡sʰɐn²¹/

/pu⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵/

/pou̯²² jɐn²¹ hɐu̯²² t͡sʰɐn²¹/


不足為憑

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄆㄧㄥˊ

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ pʰiŋ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ pʰɐŋ²¹/

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ pʰiŋ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ pʰɐŋ²¹/

to afford little or no evidence; to have flimsy evidence; cannot be taken as evidence


步步為營

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄧㄥˊ

/pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ iŋ³⁵/

/pou̯²² pou̯²² wɐi̯²¹ jɪŋ²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ iŋ³⁵/

/pou̯²² pou̯²² wɐi̯²¹ jɪŋ²¹/

to advance gradually and dig in at every step; to consolidate at every step; to act cautiously


不值一駁

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓˊ ㄧ ㄅㄛˊ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pu̯ɔ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɪk̚² jɐt̚⁵ pɔːk̚³/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pu̯ɔ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɪk̚² jɐt̚⁵ pɔːk̚³/


不著邊際

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄨㄛˊ ㄅㄧㄢ ㄐㄧˋ

бучжобяньцзи

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sœːk̚² piːn⁵⁵ t͡sɐi̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sœːk̚² piːn⁵⁵ t͡sɐi̯³³/

neither here nor there
neither here nor there

not to the point; wide of the mark; irrelevant; neither here nor there


布帛菽粟

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄛˊ ㄕㄨ ㄙㄨˋ

/pu⁵¹ pu̯ɔ³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ su⁵¹/

/pou̯³³ paːk̚² sʊk̚² sʊk̚⁵/

/pu⁵¹ pu̯ɔ³⁵ ʂu⁵⁵ su⁵¹/

/pou̯³³ paːk̚² sʊk̚² sʊk̚⁵/


不著痕跡

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄨㄛˊ ㄏㄣˊ ㄐㄧˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄨㄛˊ ㄏㄣˊ ㄐㄧ

бучжохэньцзи

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ xən³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ xən³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sœːk̚² hɐn²¹ t͡sɪk̚⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ xən³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ³⁵ xən³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sœːk̚² hɐn²¹ t͡sɪk̚⁵/


不值一文

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓˊ ㄧ ㄨㄣˊ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɪk̚² jɐt̚⁵ mɐn²¹/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɪk̚² jɐt̚⁵ mɐn²¹/

not worth a penny; utterly worthless; no use whatsoever


na koleně

Po zaměření jsem jen tak na koleně vypočítal profily dřeva při zvolené střední bárce, což byla celá příprava projektu.

2013, Milan Švihálek, Stavitel přehrad, Praha: Grada Publishing, →ISBN, page 94:

Potřebnou technologii dosud nikdo nenabízí. A že by si nějaký šílený vědec vyrobil celé potřebné zařízení sám a za pár dolarů někde jen tak na koleně? To je přece nesmysl.

2007, Petr Mandík, Příště se zmrazit nenechám, Praha: Triton, →ISBN, page 10:

(idiomatic) in primitive conditions, without appropriate tools

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see na, koleno.


jít s kanónem na vrabce

Literally, “to go shooting sparrows with a cannon”.

lit

Benzodiazepiny mají sice ve vyšších dávkách ten samý účinek, nejsou však tím nejjemnějším prostředkem pro zklidnění. […] Používat tuto třídu látek k sedaci je s ohledem na závislostní potenciál, do určité míry jako „jít s kanónem na vrabce“.

2017, Leoš Landa, Psychofarmakoterapie: stručně, jasně, přehledně, Praha: Grada Publishing, translation of Psychopharmakotherapie griffbereit by Jan Dreher, →ISBN:

Although higher dosage of benzodiazepines has the same effect, they are not the finest mean for calming down. […] Using this class of substances for sedation is, with regard to their addictive potential, like "using a sledgehammer to crack a nut".

use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut

(idiomatic) to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut


不祧之祖

ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄧㄠ ㄓ ㄗㄨˇ

/pu⁵¹ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡su²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ tʰiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sou̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡su²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ tʰiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sou̯³⁵/


不足掛齒

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨˊ ㄍㄨㄚˋ ㄔˇ

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ ku̯ä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ kʷaː³³ t͡sʰiː³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ ku̯ä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ kʷaː³³ t͡sʰiː³⁵/

(sometimes humble) not worth mentioning; nothing to speak of


不知進退

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄊㄨㄟˋ

бучжицзиньтуй

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sɵn³³ tʰɵy̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ t͡sɵn³³ tʰɵy̯³³/

to have no sense of propriety; to not know where to stop


不知凡幾

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄈㄢˊ ㄐㄧˇ

бучжифаньцзи

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ fän³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ faːn²¹ kei̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ fän³⁵ t͡ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ faːn²¹ kei̯³⁵/


不足輕重

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨˊ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄓㄨㄥˋ

буцзуцинчжун

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ hɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ¹³/

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ hɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ¹³/


不知好歹

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄏㄠˇ ㄉㄞˇ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ taɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ hou̯³⁵ taːi̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ taɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ hou̯³⁵ taːi̯³⁵/

cannot tell good from bad; to mistake good for bad; to be unable to see others' good intentions


踏破鐵鞋

ㄊㄚˋ ㄆㄛˋ ㄊㄧㄝˇ ㄒㄧㄝˊ

/tʰä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/taːp̚² pʰɔː³³ tʰiːt̚³ haːi̯²¹/

/tʰä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/taːp̚² pʰɔː³³ tʰiːt̚³ haːi̯²¹/


不知死活

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄙˇ ㄏㄨㄛˊ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ɔ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ sei̯³⁵ wuːt̚²/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ɔ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ sei̯³⁵ wuːt̚²/

to act recklessly; to do something regardless of danger


踏破鐵鞋無覓處

ㄊㄚˋ ㄆㄛˋ ㄊㄧㄝˇ ㄒㄧㄝˊ ㄨˊ ㄇㄧˋ ㄔㄨˋ

тапо тесе у мичу

/tʰä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ u³⁵ mi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹/

/taːp̚² pʰɔː³³ tʰiːt̚³ haːi̯²¹ mou̯²¹ mɪk̚² t͡sʰyː³³/

lang

踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費工夫

踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費工夫

One can wear out iron shoes searching for something with no success.

(xiehouyu) One will search high and low only to find it when one least expects to.


不知分寸

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄈㄣ ㄘㄨㄣˋ

бучжифэньцунь

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ fən⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯ən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰyːn³³/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ fən⁵⁵ t͡sʰu̯ən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰyːn³³/

to lack tact; to have no sense of propriety


停滯不前

ㄊㄧㄥˊ ㄓˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ

тинчжибуцянь

/tʰiŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/tʰɪŋ²¹ t͡sɐi̯²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹/

/tʰiŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/tʰɪŋ²¹ t͡sɐi̯²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹/

The extreme poverty and backwardness of the peasants resulting from ruthless landlord exploitation and oppression is the basic reason why Chinese society remained at the same stage of socio-economic development for several thousand years.

1939, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《中國革命和中國共產黨》 (The Chinese Revolution and the Chinese Communist Party), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Dìzhǔ jiējí zhèyàng cánkù de bōxuē hé yāpò suǒ zàochéng de nóngmín de jíduān de qióngkǔ hé luòhòu, jiù shì Zhōngguó shèhuì jǐ qiān nián zài jīngjì shàng hé shèhuì shēnghuó shàng tíngzhìbùqián de jīběn yuányīn.

地主階級這樣殘酷的剝削和壓迫所造成的農民的極端的窮苦和落後，就是中國社會幾千年在經濟上和社會生活上停滯不前的基本原因。

地主阶级这样残酷的剥削和压迫所造成的农民的极端的穷苦和落后，就是中国社会几千年在经济上和社会生活上停滞不前的基本原因。

to cease developing and be unable to progress; stagnant


不知人間有羞恥事

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄖㄣˊ ㄐㄧㄢ ㄧㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄡ ㄔˇ ㄕˋ

pu⁴-chih¹ jên²-chien¹ yu³ hsiu¹-chʻih³ shih⁴

бучжи жэньцзянь ю сючи ши

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ jɐn²¹ kaːn⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ sɐu̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰiː³⁵ siː²²/


pozor, kluzká podlaha

caution - slippery when wet
caution - slippery when wet


不戰不和

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄜˊ

бучжань бухэ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ xɤ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siːn³³ pɐt̚⁵ wɔː²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ xɤ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siːn³³ pɐt̚⁵ wɔː²¹/


不贊一詞

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄢˋ ㄧ ㄘˊ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡sän⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡saːn³³ jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡sän⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡saːn³³ jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹/

to not say a word; to keep quiet; to make no comment


不虞之譽

/pu⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ y⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ jyː²²/

/pu⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ y⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ jyː²²/


不祥之兆

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤˊ ㄓ ㄓㄠˋ

бусянчжичжао

/pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ siːu̯²²/

/pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ siːu̯²²/


不肖子孫

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄗˇ ㄙㄨㄣ

бусяо цзысунь

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ su̯ən⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiːu̯³³ t͡siː³⁵ syːn⁵⁵/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ su̯ən⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiːu̯³³ t͡siː³⁵ syːn⁵⁵/


不知所以

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄧˇ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɔː³⁵ jiː¹³/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɔː³⁵ jiː¹³/

to now know why it is so; to not know the reason


不知天高地厚

to not know the height of the heavens nor the depths of the earth

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄍㄠ ㄉㄧˋ ㄏㄡˋ

бучжи тяньгаодихоу

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ti⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ tei̯²² hɐu̯¹³/

Cao Xueqin, Dream of the Red Chamber, mid-18ᵗʰ century CE

Zài bù shuō le. Nà yuánshì wǒ xiǎoshí bùzhītiāngāodìhòu, xìnkǒu húshuō, rújīn zài bùgǎn shuō le.

再不說了。那原是我小時不知天高地厚，信口胡說，如今再不敢說了。

再不说了。那原是我小时不知天高地厚，信口胡说，如今再不敢说了。

Rújīn nián guò zhī fēi, xiǎngqǐ yòunián zhèxiē bùzhītiāngāodìhòu de huà, zhēn jiào kuì huǐ.

如今年過知非，想起幼年這些不知天高地厚的話，真覺愧悔。

如今年过知非，想起幼年这些不知天高地厚的话，真觉愧悔。

to have an exaggerated opinion of one's abilities; to think one knows everything; to be ignorant


天高地厚

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄍㄠ ㄉㄧˋ ㄏㄡˋ

тяньгаодихоу

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ti⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ tei̯²² hɐu̯¹³/

/tʰiaŋ³³⁻²³ kau³³ ti¹¹ kau³⁵/

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ti⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ tei̯²² hɐu̯¹³/

/tʰiaŋ³³⁻²³ kau³³ ti¹¹ kau³⁵/

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 192 (《詩經·小雅·正月》)

(《詩經·小雅·正月》)

(《詩經·小雅·正月》)

We say of the heavens that they are high,
But I dare not but stoop under them.
We say of the earth that it is thick,
But I dare not but walk daintily on it.

Wèi tiān gài gāo, bùgǎn bù jú.
Wèi dì gài hòu, bùgǎn bù jí.

謂天蓋高，不敢不局。
謂地蓋厚，不敢不蹐。

谓天盖高，不敢不局。
谓地盖厚，不敢不蹐。

as high as the heavens and as deep as the earth

天高地厚，跼而蹐之。

Wang Shifu, The Story of the Western Wing, 13ᵗʰ – 14ᵗʰ centuries CE

Zhè tiāngāodìhòu qíng, zhídào hǎikūshílàn shí, cǐshí zuòniàn héshí zhǐ?

這天高地厚情，直到海枯石爛時，此時作念何時止？

这天高地厚情，直到海枯石烂时，此时作念何时止？

Méng lǎoyé wèn dào zhè yījù huà, zhēn nǎi tiāngāodìhòu zhī ēn.

蒙老爺問到這一句話，真乃天高地厚之恩。

蒙老爷问到这一句话，真乃天高地厚之恩。

(figurative) profound; deep (of kindness)

《二十年目睹之怪現狀》第二二回

Wǒ sòng gěi nǐ zhège kànkàn, kàn le zhè zhǒng shū, dédiǎn shíyòng, nà jiù bùzhìyú yào xué nà yīzhǒng bùzhī tiāngāodìhòu de míngshì le.

我送給你這個看看，看了這種書，得點實用，那就不至於要學那一種不知天高地厚的名士了。

《二十年目睹之怪現狀》第二二回

我送给你这个看看，看了这种书，得点实用，那就不至于要学那一种不知天高地厚的名士了。


不足為訓

ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄨˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄒㄩㄣˋ

буцзувэйсюнь

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ɕyn⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ fɐn³³/

/pu⁵¹ t͡su³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ɕyn⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ fɐn³³/

not fit to serve as a model; not to be taken as an example; not an example to be followed; unauthoritative


不易之論

ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˋ ㄓ ㄌㄨㄣˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ i⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ lu̯ən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɪk̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ lɵn²²/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ i⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ lu̯ən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɪk̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ lɵn²²/

perfectly sound proposition; undeniable truth; irrefutable argument


caution - slippery when wet

Warning, often in the form of a sign, that people should pay attention when walking on a wet and slippery floor not to fall down and get injured.

تحذير - الأرض زلقة عندما تكون رطبة

tahdhir - al'ard zalqah eindama takun rutabuh

cuidado - resbaladizo cuando está mojado


mazat někomu med kolem huby

Literally, “spread honey around someone's mouth”.

lit

„Nedělej to.“
„Co?“
„Nemaž mi med kolem huby, neříkej tyhle drobné lichotky. Takhle to dělávala máma s tátou.“

2011, Jiří Kobělka, Hodinář, Ostrava: Domino, translation of The Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver, →ISBN, page 257:

“Don't do that.”
“What?”
“Butter me up. Drop those little comments. That's what my mother used to do with my father.”

(idiomatic, colloquial) to soft-soap somebody, to butter someone up


不乏先例

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚˊ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˋ

/pu⁵¹ fä³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐt̚² siːn⁵⁵ lɐi̯²²/

/pu⁵¹ fä³⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐt̚² siːn⁵⁵ lɐi̯²²/


不值識者一笑

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓˊ ㄕˊ ㄓㄜˇ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄠˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓˊ ㄕˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄠˋ

bùzhí shízhě yīxiào [Phonetic:bùzhí shízhě yíxiào]

бучжи шичжэ исяо

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

bùzhí shìzhě yīxiào [Phonetic:bùzhí shìzhě yíxiào]

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɪk̚² sɪk̚⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ siːu̯³³/

to be beneath the contempt of the discerning


不分彼此

to make no distinction between one's own and somebody else's

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄣ ㄅㄧˇ ㄘˇ

/pu⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sʰz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ pei̯³⁵ t͡sʰiː³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ pi²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sʰz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ pei̯³⁵ t͡sʰiː³⁵/

to share everything; to be on very intimate terms


不乏其人

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄖㄣˊ

/pu⁵¹ fä³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐt̚² kʰei̯²¹ jɐn²¹/

/pu⁵¹ fä³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐt̚² kʰei̯²¹ jɐn²¹/

such people are not rare; there is no lack of such people


不分畛域

to not discriminate on geographical grounds

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄣ ㄓㄣˇ ㄩˋ

буфэньчжэньюй

/pu⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ y⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐn³⁵ wɪk̚²/

/pu⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ y⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐn³⁵ wɪk̚²/


不法之徒

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚˇ ㄓ ㄊㄨˊ

/pu⁵¹ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ faːt̚³ t͡siː⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹/

/pu⁵¹ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ faːt̚³ t͡siː⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹/


不費吹灰之力

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄟˋ ㄔㄨㄟ ㄏㄨㄟ ㄓ ㄌㄧˋ

bù fèi chuīhuīzhīlì [Phonetic:bú fèi chuīhuīzhīlì]

бу фэй чуйхуэйчжили

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐi̯³³ t͡sʰɵy̯⁵⁵ fuːi̯⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ lɪk̚²/

as easy as falling off a log; effortless; easy


不甘示弱

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢ ㄕˋ ㄖㄨㄛˋ

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ siː²² jœːk̚²/

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ siː²² jœːk̚²/

to be unwilling to be outdone; not to be outdone


不服水土

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄊㄨˇ

/pu⁵¹ fu³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ fʊk̚² sɵy̯³⁵ tʰou̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ fu³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ fʊk̚² sɵy̯³⁵ tʰou̯³⁵/

to not be accustomed to the local climate; to be not acclimatized (of an outsider)


不攻自破

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄗˋ ㄆㄛˋ

/pu⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː²² pʰɔː³³/

/pu⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː²² pʰɔː³³/

to collapse of itself (of a rumor, etc.); to be discredited


不苟言笑

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄡˇ ㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄠˋ

/pu⁵¹ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɛn³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯³⁵ jiːn²¹ siːu̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ jɛn³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯³⁵ jiːn²¹ siːu̯³³/

reserved; reticent; taciturn; sober; sedate


不敢問津

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢˇ ㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ

буганьвэньцзинь

/pu⁵¹ kän²¹⁴⁻²¹ wən⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm³⁵ mɐn²² t͡sɵn⁵⁵/

/pu⁵¹ kän²¹⁴⁻²¹ wən⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm³⁵ mɐn²² t͡sɵn⁵⁵/

to not dare to inquire (e.g. about the price of expensive goods)


不甘落後

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄡˋ

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ lɔːk̚² hɐu̯²²/

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ lɔːk̚² hɐu̯²²/

to be not content to lag behind; to be unwilling to be left behind


不分青紅皂白

不分青紅皁白
不分青红皂白

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄣ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄗㄠˋ ㄅㄞˊ

буфэнь цинхунцзаобай

/pu⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵ xʊŋ³⁵ t͡sɑʊ̯⁵¹ paɪ̯³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ fɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵ hʊŋ²¹ t͡sou̯²² paːk̚²/

to make no distinction between right and wrong; to be indiscriminate


不得已而為之

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄜˊ ㄧˇ ㄦˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄓ

bùdéyǐ ěr wéi zhī [Phonetic:bùdéyíěrwéizhī]

будэи эр вэй чжи

/pu⁵¹ tɤ³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ˀɤɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ tɐk̚⁵ jiː¹³ jiː²¹ wɐi̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵/

to do something against one's will; to have no choice but to do something


不遠千里

ㄅㄨˋ ㄩㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ

буюаньцяньли

/pu⁵¹ ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ jyːn¹³ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³/

/pu⁵¹ ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ jyːn¹³ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ lei̯¹³/

Mencius went to see king Hui of Liang. The king said, "Venerable sir, since you have not counted it far to come here, a distance of a thousand li, may I presume that you are provided with counsels to profit my kingdom?"

Mencius, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Mèngzǐ jiàn Liáng Huì wáng. Wáng yuē: “Sǒu bù yuǎn qiānlǐ ér lái, yì jiāng yǒu yǐ lì wú guó hū?”

孟子見梁惠王。王曰：「叟不遠千里而來，亦將有以利吾國乎？」

孟子见梁惠王。王曰：「叟不远千里而来，亦将有以利吾国乎？」

to make light of travelling a thousand li

to make light of travelling from afar; to go to the trouble of travelling a long distance


žít z ruky do úst

žít z ruky do huby
žít z ruky do huby#Czech

live paycheck to paycheck
live paycheck to paycheck#English

Alternative form of žít z ruky do huby (live paycheck to paycheck)


不甘寂寞

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢ ㄐㄧˋ ㄇㄛˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢ ㄐㄧˊ ㄇㄛˋ

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ t͡sɪk̚² mɔːk̚²/

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ t͡sɪk̚² mɔːk̚²/

to hate to be neglected or overlooked; to be anxious to participate


žít z ruky do huby

Literally, “to live from hand to mouth”, suggesting that one eats all the food that comes into one's hands immediately.

[…] inflační finanční politika, jež přinutila prosté lidi žít z ruky do huby, protože ušetřit už nebylo na čem a nebylo také nač, se táhla po generace a vytvořila psychologickou atmosféru, kdy jít bojovat za Říši se nikomu z občanů nechtělo.

1996, Egon Bondy, Severin, Votobia, →ISBN:

[…] inflation politics which forced common people to live paycheck to paycheck stretched along generations and created a psychological atmosphere in which no citizen wanted to go and fight for the Reich.

live paycheck to paycheck
live paycheck to paycheck

to live paycheck to paycheck, to live hand-to-mouth, to make just enough (money, etc.) to survive


晴天霹靂

ㄑㄧㄥˊ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄆㄧ ㄌㄧˋ

/t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pʰi⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɪŋ²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵ pʰɪk̚⁵ lɪk̚⁵/

/t͡siɪŋ²⁴⁻²² tʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² pʰiɪk̚³²⁻⁴ liɪk̚⁴/

/t͡ɕʰiŋ³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pʰi⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɪŋ²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵ pʰɪk̚⁵ lɪk̚⁵/

bolt from the blue; sudden and unexpected bad news


不敢越雷池一步

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢˇ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄟˊ ㄔˊ ㄧ ㄅㄨˋ

bùgǎn yuè Léichí yībù [Phonetic:bùgǎn yuè Léichí yíbù]

бугань юэ Лэйчи ибу

/pu⁵¹ kän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɥɛ⁵¹ leɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ pu⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm³⁵ jyːt̚² lɵy̯²¹ t͡sʰiː²¹ jɐt̚⁵ pou̯²²/

to dare not go one step beyond the limit; to stay strictly within bounds


不甘後人

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢ ㄏㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ

буганьхоужэнь

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ hɐu̯²² jɐn²¹/

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɐm⁵⁵ hɐu̯²² jɐn²¹/

to not be content to lag behind; to hate being outdone; to be not content to fall behind or not exceed


認屎認屁

/jɪŋ²² siː³⁵ jɪŋ²² pʰei̯³³/

/jɪŋ²² siː³⁵ jɪŋ²² pʰei̯³³/

(Cantonese, derogatory) to be excessively boastful


不乾不淨

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ

буганьбуцзин

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɔːn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɛːŋ²²/

/pu⁵¹ kän⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ kɔːn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sɛːŋ²²/


死牛一便頸

dead ox (turned to) one side of the neck

/sei̯³⁵ ŋɐu̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ piːn²² kɛːŋ³⁵/

/sei̯³⁵ ŋɐu̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ piːn²² kɛːŋ³⁵/

(Cantonese) stubborn as a mule; bull-headed; stiff-necked


新春佳節

ㄒㄧㄣ ㄔㄨㄣ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˊ

синьчуньцзяцзе

/ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/sɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵn⁵⁵ kaːi̯⁵⁵ t͡siːt̚³/

/ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/sɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵn⁵⁵ kaːi̯⁵⁵ t͡siːt̚³/

the joyous occasion of the Spring Festival


不寒而慄

ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄢˊ ㄦˊ ㄌㄧˋ

/pu⁵¹ xän³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ li⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔːn²¹ jiː²¹ lɵt̚²/

/pu⁵¹ xän³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ li⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔːn²¹ jiː²¹ lɵt̚²/

to tremble with fear; to shudder; to shiver all over despite not being cold


不過爾爾

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄦˇ ㄦˇ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ˀɤɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʷɔː³³ jiː¹³ jiː¹³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ˀɤɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʷɔː³³ jiː¹³ jiː¹³/


不違農時

ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄨㄥˊ ㄕˊ

/pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ nʊŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ nʊŋ²¹ siː²¹/

/pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ nʊŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ nʊŋ²¹ siː²¹/

to not miss the farming season; to do farm work in the right season


不為已甚

ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄧˇ ㄕㄣˋ

/pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ jiː¹³ sɐm²²/

/pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ jiː¹³ sɐm²²/

to not go too far; to refrain from going to extremes; to never go beyond reasonable limits


head

let he who is without sin cast the first stone

let him who is without sin cast the first stone#English

Alternative form of let him who is without sin cast the first stone


遵紀守法

ㄗㄨㄣ ㄐㄧˋ ㄕㄡˇ ㄈㄚˇ

цзуньцзишоуфа

/t͡su̯ən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɵn⁵⁵ kei̯³⁵ sɐu̯³⁵ faːt̚³/

/t͡sɵn⁵⁵ kei̯³⁵ sɐu̯³⁵ faːt̚³/


být ruka v rukávě

Chodí spolu už dlouho, já myslím, že už je ruka v rukávě.

They have been dating for a long time, I think they are going to marry each other.

Nabídl mu výhodný obchod a za chvíli byla ruka v rukávě.

He offered him a good business deal and it was agreed in a while.

Josefa Němce doporučil Panklovým jeden známý s tím, že Němec čeká na povýšení a hledá nevěstu. Panklovi pozvali Němce na návštěvu a když se budoucí manželé osobně seznámili, byla už ruka v rukávě.

2016, Milena Lenderová, K hříchu i k modlitbě, Praha: Nakladatelství Karolinum, →ISBN, page 81:

A friend recommended Josef Němec to the Pankl family saying that Němec is going to be promoted and wants to get married. The Pankls invited Němec for a visit and everything was agreed after the future husband and wife met each other.

signed, sealed, and delivered
signed, sealed, and delivered#English

(idiomatic) something is agreed by both parties, close to signed, sealed, and delivered (often used, but not necessarily, when speaking about a wedding)


不衫不履

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄩˇ

/pu⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ saːm⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ lei̯¹³/

/pu⁵¹ ʂän⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ly²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ saːm⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ lei̯¹³/

to be dressed negligently; to be not properly dressed


不容置辯

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄓˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ

бужунчжибянь

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ t͡siː³³ piːn²²/

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ t͡siː³³ piːn²²/


不容置喙

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄓˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ

бужунчжихуэй

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ t͡siː³³ fuːi̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ t͡siː³³ fuːi̯³³/

to not allow others to interfere; to brook no intervention


不忍坐視

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄣˇ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄕˋ

/pu⁵¹ ʐən²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɐn³⁵ t͡sʰɔː¹³ siː²²/

/pu⁵¹ ʐən²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɐn³⁵ t͡sʰɔː¹³ siː²²/


不時之需

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕy⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ siː²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɵy̯⁵⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕy⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ siː²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ sɵy̯⁵⁵/


不失時機

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɐt̚⁵ siː²¹ kei̯⁵⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɐt̚⁵ siː²¹ kei̯⁵⁵/

to not let the opportunity slip; to seize the opportune moment; to lose no time


不無小補

ㄅㄨˋ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄨˇ

/pu⁵¹ u³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ pu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ siːu̯³⁵ pou̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ u³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ pu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ siːu̯³⁵ pou̯³⁵/

to not be without some advantage; to be of some help


盲婚啞嫁

ㄇㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄣ ㄧㄚˇ ㄐㄧㄚˋ

/mɑŋ³⁵ xu̯ən⁵⁵ jä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/maːŋ²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ aː³⁵ kaː³³/

/mɑŋ³⁵ xu̯ən⁵⁵ jä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/maːŋ²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ aː³⁵ kaː³³/

arranged marriage
arranged marriage#English


不聲不響

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤˇ

/pu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ hœːŋ³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ hœːŋ³⁵/

quiet; silent; without speaking; taciturn


不聞不問

ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄣˋ

бувэньбувэнь

/pu⁵¹ wən³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ wən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ mɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ mɐn²²/

/pu⁵¹ wən³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ wən⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ mɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ mɐn²²/

to not bother to ask or to listen; to show no interest in; to be indifferent to


不宣而戰

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄩㄢ ㄦˊ ㄓㄢˋ

бусюаньэрчжань

/pu⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛn⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ syːn⁵⁵ jiː²¹ t͡siːn³³/

/pu⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛn⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ syːn⁵⁵ jiː²¹ t͡siːn³³/

to open hostilities without declaring war; to start an undeclared war


不死不活

ㄅㄨˋ ㄙˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄛˊ

/pu⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ xu̯ɔ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ sei̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ wuːt̚²/

/pu⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ xu̯ɔ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ sei̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ wuːt̚²/


不厭其煩

ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄈㄢˊ

буянь ци фань

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fän³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³ kʰei̯²¹ faːn²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fän³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³ kʰei̯²¹ faːn²¹/

to not mind taking the trouble; to take great pains; to be very patient


胡言漢語

ㄏㄨˊ ㄧㄢˊ ㄏㄢˋ ㄩˇ

/xu³⁵ jɛn³⁵ xän⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/xu³⁵ jɛn³⁵ xän⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

Zhè èr lǎohàn, gè rén hǎo yǔ sānshí bàng. Hégù? Yī gè shuōchángshuōduǎn, yī gè húyánhànyǔ.

這二老漢，各人好與三十棒。何故？一箇說長說短，一箇胡言漢語。

这二老汉，各人好与三十棒。何故？一个说长说短，一个胡言汉语。

to talk nonsense; to rave; babbling nonsense


不同凡響

ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄈㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤˇ

бутунфаньсян

/pu⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ fän³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ faːn²¹ hœːŋ³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ fän³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ faːn²¹ hœːŋ³⁵/

outstanding; out of the ordinary; out of the common run (usually of literary and artistic works)


不厭其詳

ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄤˊ

bùyàn qí xiáng [Phonetic:búyàn qí xiáng]

буянь ци сян

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³ kʰei̯²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³ kʰei̯²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

to go into details; to dwell at length upon


以人廢言

ㄧˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄈㄟˋ ㄧㄢˊ

/i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ jɛn³⁵/

/jiː¹³ jɐn²¹ fɐi̯³³ jiːn²¹/

/i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ jɛn³⁵/

/jiː¹³ jɐn²¹ fɐi̯³³ jiːn²¹/

The Master said, "The superior man does not promote a man simply on account of his words, nor does he put aside good words because of the man."

The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zǐyuē: “Jūnzǐ bù yǐ yán jǔ rén, bù yǐ rén fèi yán.”

子曰：「君子不以言舉人，不以人廢言。」

子曰：「君子不以言举人，不以人废言。」

to reject an opinion because the speaker is not good or not to one's liking


不幸之幸

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄓ ㄒㄧㄥˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɐŋ²² t͡siː⁵⁵ hɐŋ²²/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɐŋ²² t͡siː⁵⁵ hɐŋ²²/

good fortune in the midst of bad; a stroke of good luck in a stretch of bad; redeeming feature in a piece of misfortune


érase que se era

(used at the beginnings of fairytales) once upon a time


不以人廢言

ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄈㄟˋ ㄧㄢˊ

бу ижэньфэйянь

/pu⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ jɛn³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jiː¹³ jɐn²¹ fɐi̯³³ jiːn²¹/

/pu⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ jɛn³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jiː¹³ jɐn²¹ fɐi̯³³ jiːn²¹/

to not reject an opinion because of the person expressing it


不勝枚舉

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄥˋ ㄇㄟˊ ㄐㄩˇ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄥ ㄇㄟˊ ㄐㄩˇ

бушэнмэйцзюй

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ meɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ muːi̯²¹ kɵy̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ meɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ muːi̯²¹ kɵy̯³⁵/

too numerous to mention individually (or one by one)


不容分說

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄈㄣ ㄕㄨㄛ

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ fən⁵⁵ ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ syːt̚³/

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ fən⁵⁵ ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ syːt̚³/

to allow no expectation; without listening to somebody's protests; despite objections


chladný jako led

[…] když se Kateřina ruky její dotkla, cítila, že byla chladná jako led.

1875 December 2, Julius Zeyer, “Ondřej Černyšev”, in Lumír, volume III, number 48, page 582:

[…] when Kateřina touched her hand, she felt it was ice-cold.

Krasavice bezmála tři sta třicet let stará a věčně mladá, ale jen vyhořelý cit! Brrrrrr. Chladná jako led.

1993, Jindřich Uher, Janáček – román života, Praha: Český spisovatel, →ISBN, page 305:

The beauty was almost three hundred and thirty years old and forever young, but only with burnt-out emotions. Brrrrrr. Cold as ice.

(simile, figuratively) ice-cold, without emotions, distant


不識抬舉

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄊㄞˊ ˙ㄐㄩ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄊㄞˊ ˙ㄐㄩ

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tʰaɪ̯³⁵ d͡ʑ̥y³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ tʰaɪ̯³⁵ d͡ʑ̥y³/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ tʰɔːi̯²¹ kɵy̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tʰaɪ̯³⁵ d͡ʑ̥y³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ tʰaɪ̯³⁵ d͡ʑ̥y³/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ tʰɔːi̯²¹ kɵy̯³⁵/

to fail to appreciate somebody's kindness; to be unable to appreciate favors; to not recognize a favor


不識時務

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄕˋ ㄨˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄕˋ ㄨˋ

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ u⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ u⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ siː²¹ mou̯²²/

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ u⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ u⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ siː²¹ mou̯²²/

to show no understanding of the times; to not be able to adapt to current circumstances


不幸中的大幸

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄓㄨㄥ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄉㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ

bùxìng zhōng de dàxìng [Phonetic:búxìng zhōng de dàxìng]

бусин чжун дэ дасин

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ d̥ə² tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕiŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɐŋ²² t͡sʊŋ³³ tɪk̚⁵ taːi̯²² hɐŋ²²/


不識大體

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄊㄧˇ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄊㄧˇ

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tä⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ tä⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ taːi̯²² tʰɐi̯³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tä⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ tä⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ taːi̯²² tʰɐi̯³⁵/

to fail to see the larger issues; to ignore the general issues


不容置疑

ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄓˋ ㄧˊ

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ i³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ t͡siː³³ jiː²¹/

/pu⁵¹ ʐʊŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ i³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ²¹ t͡siː³³ jiː²¹/

to allow or admit no doubt; to not open to doubt; to be beyond doubt; to be absolutely certain


不屈不撓

ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄩ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄠˊ

/pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ nɑʊ̯³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ wɐt̚⁵ pɐt̚⁵ naːu̯²¹/

/pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ nɑʊ̯³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ wɐt̚⁵ pɐt̚⁵ naːu̯²¹/

Thanks to the Chinese people's unrelenting and heroic struggle during the last hundred years, imperialism has not been able to subjugate China, nor will it ever be able to do so.

Zhōngguó rénmín, bǎinián yǐlái, bùqūbùnáo, zàijiēzàilì de yīngyǒng dòuzhēng, shǐdé dìguó zhǔyì zhìjīn bùnéng mièwáng Zhōngguó, yě yǒngyuǎn bùnéng mièwáng Zhōngguó.

中國人民，百年以來，不屈不撓、再接再厲的英勇鬥爭，使得帝國主義至今不能滅亡中國，也永遠不能滅亡中國。

中国人民，百年以来，不屈不挠、再接再厉的英勇斗争，使得帝国主义至今不能灭亡中国，也永远不能灭亡中国。


natrhnout někomu sako

Literally, “make a tear in someone's jacket”.

lit

Mohutný muž rýpl studenta do boku, a ukazuje na vojáky, zařval z okna:„A stejně to nevyhrajete. Rus vám natrhne sako!“

A huge man poked the student into his hip, and pointing at the soldiers he shouted out of the window: "You aren't going to win anyway. The Russians will give you over."

Se mi zdá, že mu natrhnu sako.

1971, “Psí kusy” (3:35 from the start), in Pojďte pane, budeme si hrát:

[…]sebezapření mi porád ještě natrhává sako, […]

2005, Pavel Brycz, Malá domů, Brno: Host, →ISBN, page 103:

[…] my self-denial keeps giving me what for, […]

give someone what for
give someone what for

(idiomatic) to give someone what for, to do somebody over

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see natrhnout, někdo, sako.


不勝其煩

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄥˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄈㄢˊ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄥ ㄑㄧˊ ㄈㄢˊ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fän³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fän³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ faːn²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fän³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ fän³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ faːn²¹/


不寧唯是

ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄧㄥˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄕˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ niŋ⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ nɪŋ²¹ wɐi̯²¹ siː²²/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ niŋ⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ nɪŋ²¹ wɐi̯²¹ siː²²/


不平則鳴

ㄅㄨˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄗㄜˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

/pu⁵¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ miŋ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ pʰɪŋ²¹ t͡sɐk̚⁵ mɪŋ²¹/

/pu⁵¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ t͡sɤ³⁵ miŋ³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ pʰɪŋ²¹ t͡sɐk̚⁵ mɪŋ²¹/

injustice provokes outcry; where there is injustice, there will be protest


ninja ray mopatay ninjo

Literally, “(only) a ninja will kill all of you”.

(humorous) a phrase poking fun at the Leyte and Boholano dialects of Cebuano


不能贊一辭

ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄥˊ ㄗㄢˋ ㄧ ㄘˊ

бунэнцзаньицы

/pu⁵¹ nɤŋ³⁵ t͡sän⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ nɐŋ²¹ t͡saːn³³ jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹/

/pu⁵¹ nɤŋ³⁵ t͡sän⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ nɐŋ²¹ t͡saːn³³ jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹/

to be unable to say a word (in criticism of an impeccable piece of writing)


不名一文

ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄧ ㄨㄣˊ

/pu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ mɪŋ²¹ jɐt̚⁵ mɐn²¹/

/pu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wən³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ mɪŋ²¹ jɐt̚⁵ mɐn²¹/


不偏不倚

ㄅㄨˋ ㄆㄧㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˇ

/pu⁵¹ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ pʰiːn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jiː³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ pʰiːn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jiː³⁵/


不稂不莠

ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄤˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄡˇ

/pu⁵¹ lɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːŋ²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯¹³/

/pu⁵¹ lɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːŋ²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯¹³/


不郎不秀

ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄤˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄡˋ

/pu⁵¹ lɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːŋ²¹ pɐt̚⁵ sɐu̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ lɑŋ³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːŋ²¹ pɐt̚⁵ sɐu̯³³/


不可捉摸

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄓㄨㄛ ㄇㄛ

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ mɔː³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂu̯ɔ⁵⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ t͡sʊk̚⁵ mɔː³⁵/

difficult to ascertain; unpredictable; elusive


不可逾越

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄩˊ ㄩㄝˋ

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ jyː²¹ jyːt̚²/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ jyː²¹ jyːt̚²/


不露聲色

ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄨˋ ㄕㄥ ㄙㄜˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lou̯²² sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lu⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lou̯²² sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

to maintain one's composure; to stay calm and collected; to not turn a hair; to not bat an eyelid; to not show or betray one's feelings or intentions


不念舊惡

ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄜˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ni̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ niːm²² kɐu̯²² ɔːk̚³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ni̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ niːm²² kɐu̯²² ɔːk̚³/

The Master said, "Boyi and Shuqi did not keep the former wickednesses of men in mind, and hence the resentments directed towards them were few."

Zǐyuē: “Bóyí, Shūqí bù niàn jiù'è, yuàn shì yòng xī.”

子曰：「伯夷、叔齊不念舊惡，怨是用希。」

子曰：「伯夷、叔齐不念旧恶，怨是用希。」

let bygones be bygones
let bygones be bygones

to not bear a grudge; to forgive and forget; to let bygones be bygones


不吝指教

ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄣˋ ㄓˇ ㄐㄧㄠˋ

булиньчжицзяо

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lin⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɵn²² t͡siː³⁵ kaːu̯³³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lin⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɵn²² t͡siː³⁵ kaːu̯³³/

to not be stinting with comments or criticism


不可終日

unable to carry on even for a single day

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄖˋ

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚²/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚²/

people were so anxious that they felt they couldn't live for a single day

人心惶惶，不可終日

人心惶惶，不可终日

(figurative) very frightened; very anxious


不名一錢

ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄧ ㄑㄧㄢˊ

/pu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/


不落窠臼

ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄎㄜ ㄐㄧㄡˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹ kʰɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːk̚² fɔː⁵⁵ kʰɐu̯¹³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹ kʰɤ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːk̚² fɔː⁵⁵ kʰɐu̯¹³/

to have an original style; to be unconventional; to be original


不可一世

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄧ ㄕˋ

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ sɐi̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ jɐt̚⁵ sɐi̯³³/

to consider oneself the best in the world; to have an overweening or insufferable arrogance


不毛之地

ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄠˊ ㄓ ㄉㄧˋ

/pu⁵¹ mɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

/pu⁵¹ mɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/


不可偏廢

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄆㄧㄢ ㄈㄟˋ

букэ пяньфэй

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ pʰiːn⁵⁵ fɐi̯³³/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ pʰiːn⁵⁵ fɐi̯³³/

to not do one thing at the expense of another


不落俗套

ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄙㄨˊ ㄊㄠˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹ su³⁵ tʰɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːk̚² t͡sʊk̚² tʰou̯³³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹ su³⁵ tʰɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ lɔːk̚² t͡sʊk̚² tʰou̯³³/

to conform to no conventional pattern; to depart from convention; to be unconventional or offbeat


不可望其項背

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄨㄤˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄅㄟˋ

букэ ванцисянбэй

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ wɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ peɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ mɔːŋ²² kʰei̯²¹ hɔːŋ²² puːi̯³³/

not in the same class; cannot or not be fit to hold a candle to somebody; incomparable


不枝不蔓

neitherbranching out nor spreading about

ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄢˋ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ män⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ maːn²²/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ män⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ maːn²²/

不蔓不枝 不蔓不枝#Chinese

Synonym of 不蔓不枝 (bùmànbùzhī, “succinct and to the point; written in a pithy and smooth style; concise (of an article, speech, etc.)”)


不可同日而語

musn't speak of two things on the same day

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄖˋ ㄦˊ ㄩˇ

букэ тунжиэрюй

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ jɐt̚² jiː²¹ jyː¹³/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ jɐt̚² jiː²¹ jyː¹³/

incomparable; too different to compare; cannot be mentioned in the same breath; there is no comparison between them


不甚了了

ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄣˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄌㄧㄠˇ

бушэньляоляо

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʂən⁵¹ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɐm²² liːu̯¹³ liːu̯¹³/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɐm²² liːu̯¹³ liːu̯¹³/

to not know much about something; to be unclear about something


望其項背

can see the neck and back of somebody ahead

ㄨㄤˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄤˋ ㄅㄟˋ

/wɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ peɪ̯⁵¹/

/mɔːŋ²² kʰei̯²¹ hɔːŋ²² puːi̯³³/

/wɑŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ peɪ̯⁵¹/

/mɔːŋ²² kʰei̯²¹ hɔːŋ²² puːi̯³³/

to get within a little distance of somebody; to be a match for somebody; to stand comparison with somebody


同日而語

ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄖˋ ㄦˊ ㄩˇ

/tʰʊŋ³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tʰʊŋ²¹ jɐt̚² jiː²¹ jyː¹³/

/tʰʊŋ³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tʰʊŋ²¹ jɐt̚² jiː²¹ jyː¹³/


不可企及

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄑㄧˇ ㄐㄧˊ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄑㄧˋ ㄐㄧˊ

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ kʰei̯¹³ kʰɐp̚²/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ kʰei̯¹³ kʰɐp̚²/


唯唯諾諾

ㄨㄟˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄋㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄨㄛˋ

ㄨㄟˇ ㄨㄟˇ ㄋㄨㄛˋ ㄋㄨㄛˋ

/weɪ̯³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ nu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ nu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ nu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ nu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/wɐi̯²¹ wɐi̯²¹ nɔːk̚² nɔːk̚²/

/weɪ̯³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ nu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ nu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/wɐi̯²¹ wɐi̯²¹ nɔːk̚² nɔːk̚²/

Actors, jokers, and clowns as well as attendants and courtiers would say, "At your service, at your service," before the sovereign has given any order, and say, "Yes, yes," before he has commanded them to do anything, thus taking orders ahead of his words and looking at his facial expressions and judging his needs by his colour in order thereby to render him service before he makes up his mind.

Han Feizi, circa 2ⁿᵈ century BCE, translated based on W. K. Liao's version

Yōu xiào zhūrú, zuǒyòu jìn xí, cǐ rénzhǔ wèi mìng ér wéiwéi, wèi shǐ ér nuònuò, xiān yì chéng zhǐ, guān mào chá sè yǐ xiān zhǔ xīn zhě yě.

優笑侏儒，左右近習，此人主未命而唯唯，未使而諾諾，先意承旨，觀貌察色以先主心者也。

优笑侏儒，左右近习，此人主未命而唯唯，未使而诺诺，先意承旨，观貌察色以先主心者也。

to always follow others' opinion; to be a yes man without any opinions of one's own


an khang thịnh vượng

[ʔaːn˧˧ xaːŋ˧˧ tʰïŋ˧˨ʔ vɨəŋ˧˨ʔ]

[ʔaːŋ˧˧ kʰaːŋ˧˧ tʰɨn˨˩ʔ vɨəŋ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔaːŋ˧˧ xaːŋ˧˧ tʰɨn˨˩ʔ vɨəŋ˨˩ʔ]

[ʔaːŋ˧˧ kʰaːŋ˧˧ tʰɨn˨˩˨ vɨəŋ˨˩˨]

[ʔaːŋ˧˧ xaːŋ˧˧ tʰɨn˨˩˨ jɨəŋ˨˩˨]

Sino-Vietnamese word from 安康 (“safe”) and 盛旺 (“prosperous”).

vi-etym-sino

Wish you security, good health and prosperity. (a common wish for Tết)


vạn sự như ý

[vaːn˧˨ʔ sɨ˧˨ʔ ɲɨ˧˧ ʔi˧˦]

[vaːŋ˨˩ʔ ʂɨ˨˩ʔ ɲɨ˧˧ ʔɪj˨˩˦]

[vaːŋ˨˩ʔ sɨ˨˩ʔ ɲɨ˧˧ ʔɪj˨˩˦]

[vaːŋ˨˩˨ ʂɨ˨˩˨ ɲɨ˧˧ ʔɪj˦˥]

[jaːŋ˨˩˨ sɨ˨˩˨ ɲɨ˧˧ ʔɪj˦˥]


不幸而言中

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄦˊ ㄧㄢˊ ㄓㄨㄥˋ

bùxìng ér yánzhòng [Phonetic:búxìng ér yánzhòng]

бусин эр яньчжун

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ jɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɐŋ²² jiː²¹ jiːn²¹ t͡sʊŋ³³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ jɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɐŋ²² jiː²¹ jiːn²¹ t͡sʊŋ³³/

From the reordering and rebracketing of the following phrase in 《左傳·定公十五年》

It was summer, on the day of Ren-Shen of the fifth month, that the Duke died. Zhongni said: "As ill fortune had it, Ci spoke of this, and his words turned out to be true. It is coincidences like this that made Ci speak too much."

Xià wǔyuè Rén Shēn, Gōng hōng. Zhòngní yuē: “Cì bùxìng yán ér zhòng, shì shǐ Cì duōyán zhě yě.”

夏五月壬申，公薨。仲尼曰：「賜不幸言而中，是使賜多言者也。」

夏五月壬申，公薨。仲尼曰：「赐不幸言而中，是使赐多言者也。」


不惜工本

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄅㄣˇ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧˊ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄅㄣˇ

буси гунбэнь

/pu⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pu⁵¹ ɕi³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ puːn³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pu⁵¹ ɕi³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ puːn³⁵/

to spare no expense; to spare neither labor nor money


扮豬食老虎

/paːn²² t͡syː⁵⁵ sɪk̚² lou̯¹³ fuː³⁵/

/paːn²² t͡syː⁵⁵ sɪk̚² lou̯¹³ fuː³⁵/

(Cantonese) to play dumb to take advantage of someone


三唔識七

/saːm⁵⁵ m̩²¹ sɪk̚⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵/

/saːm⁵⁵ m̩²¹ sɪk̚⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵/


zima jako v psírně

Na zemi ležel sníh, zima byla jako v psírně.

2015, Azita Haidarová, Dívka v pavoučí síti, Brno: Host, translation of Det som inte dödar oss by David Lagercrantz, →ISBN, page 138:

There was snow on the ground and the place was cold like an icebox.

(simile, of a place) very cold, like an icebox


大纜都扯唔埋

even a huge rope cannot pull (them) together

/taːi̯²² laːm²² tou̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɛː³⁵ m̩²¹ maːi̯²¹/

(Cantonese) to have no relationship with each other whatsoever; to be totally irrelevant


不破不立

ㄅㄨˋ ㄆㄛˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ li⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ pʰɔː³³ pɐt̚⁵ laːp̚²/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ li⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ pʰɔː³³ pɐt̚⁵ laːp̚²/

There is no construction without destruction. There's no making without breaking. To make, you must break.


不買帳

/pu⁵¹ maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ maːi̯¹³ t͡sœːŋ³³/

/pu⁵¹ maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ maːi̯¹³ t͡sœːŋ³³/

to not buy it; to not accept; to not go along with


實心實意

ㄕˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄕˊ ㄧˋ

ㄕˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄕˊ ㄧˋ

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ i⁵¹/

/ʂʐ̩²⁴ ɕiŋ²⁴ ʂʐ̩²⁴ i⁴⁴/

/sɐt̚² sɐm⁵⁵ sɐt̚² jiː³³/

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵ i⁵¹/

/ʂʐ̩²⁴ ɕiŋ²⁴ ʂʐ̩²⁴ i⁴⁴/

/sɐt̚² sɐm⁵⁵ sɐt̚² jiː³³/


mít dlouhý vedení

mít dlouhé vedení
mít dlouhé vedení#Czech


mít dlouhé vedení

Literally, “to have a long communication line”.

lit

Karel měl většinou, co se týkalo dívek, dost dlouhé vedení. Nikdy nevěděl, jak zareagovat.

2017, Martina Hohenberger, Kletba krve, TZ-one, →ISBN, page 209:

Karel was usually very slow on the uptake when dealing with girls. He never knew how to react.

(colloquial, informal, idiomatic) to be slow on the uptake, to comprehend slowly

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see mít, dlouhý, vedení.


房間裡的大象

ㄈㄤˊ ㄐㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄉㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄤˋ

фанцзянь ли дэ дасян

/fɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ li²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/fɔːŋ²¹ kaːn⁵⁵ lɵy̯¹³ tɪk̚⁵ taːi̯²² t͡sœːŋ²²/

elephant in the room
elephant in the room


ḥꜣt-ꜥ m

formula used as the conventional opening of books or texts in a compilation; ‘Here begins…’


in the interest of time

In order to save time; in order to use time more efficiently; so that time can be used more efficiently.


hẹn gặp lại

[hɛn˧˨ʔ ɣap̚˧˨ʔ laːj˧˨ʔ]

[hɛŋ˨˩ʔ ɣap̚˨˩ʔ laːj˨˩ʔ]

[hɛŋ˨˩˨ ɣap̚˨˩˨ laːj˨˩˨]


hold yew hard

References holding a horse's reins to keep it still. In this phrase, yew is an eye dialect spelling of you.

"Hold yew hard," said old Joe. "Will a hunnerd pounds hurt ye for the passage? We might make that a feeshin' in the time."

1909, James Blyth, A Bid for Loyalty, page 60:

"Hold yew hard," Sweetnin' adjured him, "while I get that there little step-ladder."

1933, Ralph Hale Mottram, The Lame Dog, page 273:

Mum flew at her sister like a tiger. 'Hold yew hard!' she bawled, spit coming out of her mouth. 'What dew yew mean by layin' inter that child like that? 'E in't dewin' yew no 'arm. Yew always was a spiteful bitch! Yew c'n git out a' my 'ouse, quick as yew like, or I'll fist yew one in the snout!'

1986, Audrey Whiting, Gal Audrey, page 24:

He held up his hand in defence. "Hold yew hard, Mr Challiss; hear me out afore yew blow me 'ead orf. […]"

2010, J. A. Noble, The Lime Walk, →ISBN, page 472:

(Norfolk, idiomatic, imperative) Wait for a moment. Be patient.


雞犬不寧

(even) thechickens and dogs are unsettled

ㄐㄧ ㄑㄩㄢˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄧㄥˊ

цзицюаньбунин

/t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ niŋ³⁵/

/kɐi̯⁵⁵ hyːn³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ nɪŋ²¹/

/t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ niŋ³⁵/

/kɐi̯⁵⁵ hyːn³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ nɪŋ²¹/

(raising such a fearful din that) everyone is nervous; great disturbance or turmoil


信以為真

ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄧˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄓㄣ

синьивэйчжэнь

/ɕin⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵/

/sɵn³³ jiː¹³ wɐi̯²¹ t͡sɐn⁵⁵/

/ɕin⁵¹ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵/

/sɵn³³ jiː¹³ wɐi̯²¹ t͡sɐn⁵⁵/

In such a situation, I had no option but to believe what he said.

Zài nà zhǒng qíngkuàng xià, wǒ duì tā de huà yě zhǐyǒu xìnyǐwèizhēn le.

在那種情況下，我對他的話也只有信以為真了。

在那种情况下，我对他的话也只有信以为真了。


do mrtě

(colloquial, idiomatic) to the very last bit, completely


do mrti

(colloquial, idiomatic) Alternative form of do mrtě


匪夷所思

ㄈㄟˇ ㄧˊ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄙ

/feɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ sz̩⁵⁵/

/fei̯³⁵ jiː²¹ sɔː³⁵ siː⁵⁵/

húiⁿ î só sṳ

/hũĩ⁵²⁻³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻¹¹ so⁵²⁻³⁵ sɯ³³/

/feɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ sz̩⁵⁵/

/fei̯³⁵ jiː²¹ sɔː³⁵ siː⁵⁵/

/hũĩ⁵²⁻³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻¹¹ so⁵²⁻³⁵ sɯ³³/

The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject scattering the (different) parties (in the state); which leads to great good fortune. From the dispersion (he collects again good men standing out, a crowd) like a mound, which is what ordinary men would not have thought of.

I Ching, 11ᵗʰ – 8ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Liù sì: huàn qí qún, yuán jí. Huàn yǒu qiū, fěi yí suǒ sī.

六四：渙其群，元吉。渙有丘，匪夷所思。

六四：涣其群，元吉。涣有丘，匪夷所思。

not what an ordinary person can imagine; unimaginable; unusual; fantastic

List of hexagrams of the I Ching#Hexagram 59


אני מצטער

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אֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר

אֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר • (ani mitstaer)

he-phrase

אֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר

אֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר • (ani mitstaer)

אֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר (canonical)
ani mitstaer (romanization)


klobouk dolů

[Ester Ledecká] je ohromná. A taky velmi inspirující, což jsem jí i řekl. Kombinovat oba sporty na takové úrovni je pro mě zkrátka neskutečné. Klobouk dolů!

2018 January 29, Jan Suchan, “Ester Ledeckou obdivují lyžařské špičky. „Má můj obrovský respekt,“ říká Vonnová”, in Český rozhlas:

She (Ester Ledecká) is wonderful. And also very inspiring, which I have told her. Combining both sports on such a level seems unbelievable to me. Hats off.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see klobouk, dolů.


融為一體

ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄧ ㄊㄧˇ

/ʐʊŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jʊŋ²¹ wɐi̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ tʰɐi̯³⁵/

/ʐʊŋ³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jʊŋ²¹ wɐi̯²¹ jɐt̚⁵ tʰɐi̯³⁵/


不敗之地

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄞˋ ㄓ ㄉㄧˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ paːi̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ paːi̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/


立於不敗之地

ㄌㄧˋ ㄩˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄞˋ ㄓ ㄉㄧˋ

lì yú bùbàizhīdì [Phonetic:lì yú búbàizhīdì]

ли юй бубайчжиди

/li⁵¹ y³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/lɐp̚² jyː⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ paːi̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

/laːp̚² jyː⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ paːi̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

/li⁵¹ y³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

Hence the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible, and does not miss the moment for defeating the enemy.

Gù shànzhàn zhě, lì yú bùbàizhīdì, ér bùshī dí zhī bài yě.

故善戰者，立於不敗之地，而不失敵之敗也。

故善战者，立于不败之地，而不失敌之败也。

to establish oneself in an unassailable position; to be impregnable; to remain invincible


英年早逝

ㄧㄥ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄗㄠˇ ㄕˋ

инняньцзаоши

/iŋ⁵⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/jɪŋ⁵⁵ niːn²¹ t͡sou̯³⁵ sɐi̯²²/

/iŋ⁵⁵ ni̯ɛn³⁵ t͡sɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/jɪŋ⁵⁵ niːn²¹ t͡sou̯³⁵ sɐi̯²²/

to pass away at the prime of one's life; to die young


不比不知道，一比嚇一跳

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄉㄠˋ

ㄧ ㄅㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄧ ㄊㄧㄠˋ

bat¹ bei² bat¹ zi¹ dou⁶, jat¹ bei² haak³ jat¹ tiu³

бубибучжидао

/pu⁵¹ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

bāt béi bāt jī douh, yāt béi haak yāt tiu

bat⁷ bei² bat⁷ dzi¹ dou⁶, jat⁷ bei² haak⁸ jat⁷ tiu³

bed¹ béi² bed¹ ji¹ dou⁶, yed¹ béi² hag³ yed¹ tiu³

/pɐt̚⁵ pei̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tou̯²² jɐt̚⁵ pei̯³⁵ haːk̚³ jɐt̚⁵ tʰiːu̯³³/

Without comparisons one is ignorant, but once one does, one gets a shock.


IDRGAF

(Internet slang) Initialism of I don't really give a fuck.


jako hrušková voda

Trumpeta Sodíková cucala kávičku slabou jako hrušková voda […]

1993, Václav Dušek, Poslední kovboj, Žďár nad Sázavou: Impreso Plus, →ISBN, page 128:

Trumpeta Sodíková was sipping a small cup of very weak coffee […]


ἆρον ἆρον

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ἆρον ἆρον • (âron âron)

desc

Greek: άρον άρον (áron áron, “quickly”, adverb)

See ἆρον (âron), active contracted Aorist imperative of αἴρω (aírō)

«Ἆρον ἆρον, σταύρωσον αὐτόν».

lift, lift! take, take! Phrase from the New Testament (John 19:15):


擋風遮雨

ㄉㄤˇ ㄈㄥ ㄓㄜ ㄩˇ

/tɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ⁵⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tɔːŋ³⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɛː⁵⁵ jyː¹³/

/tɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ⁵⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tɔːŋ³⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɛː⁵⁵ jyː¹³/

I'm willing to be by your side,
To shelter you from the wind and rain.

1993, 張信哲 (lyrics 李宗盛), 《我是真的愛你》

wǒ yuàn péi zài nǐ de shēnbiān, wèi nǐ dǎngfēngzhēyǔ

我願陪在你的身邊 為你擋風遮雨

1993, 張信哲 (lyrics 李宗盛), 《我是真的愛你》

我愿陪在你的身边 为你挡风遮雨


渾身解數

ㄏㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄣ ㄒㄧㄝˋ ㄕㄨˋ

ㄏㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄣ ㄐㄧㄝˇ ㄕㄨˋ

хуньшэньсешу

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂu⁵¹/

хуньшэньцзешу

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂu⁵¹/

/wɐn²² sɐn⁵⁵ kaːi̯³⁵ sou̯³³/

/wɐn²¹ sɐn⁵⁵ haːi̯²² sou̯³³/

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂu⁵¹/

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂu⁵¹/

/wɐn²² sɐn⁵⁵ kaːi̯³⁵ sou̯³³/

/wɐn²¹ sɐn⁵⁵ haːi̯²² sou̯³³/

使出渾身解數

使出浑身解数

all of one's skill; everything within one's power


下問

/ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ wən⁵¹/

/haː²² mɐn²²/

/ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ wən⁵¹/

/haː²² mɐn²²/

(literary) to ask someone who is less learned or of lesser status than oneself


不辭辛苦

ㄅㄨˋ ㄘˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄎㄨˇ

/pu⁵¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹ sɐn⁵⁵ fuː³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹ sɐn⁵⁵ fuː³⁵/

to spare no effort; to take pains; to take the trouble to; to go to the trouble of doing something


不差累黍

ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄚ ㄌㄟˇ ㄕㄨˇ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ lɵy̯²² syː³⁵/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰaː⁵⁵ lɵy̯²² syː³⁵/


不關痛癢

ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄊㄨㄥˋ ㄧㄤˇ

бугуаньтунъян

/pu⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵¹ jɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʷaːn⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ³³ jœːŋ¹³/

/pu⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵¹ jɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʷaːn⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ³³ jœːŋ¹³/

of no consequence; immaterial; unimportant


不打自招

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄚˇ ㄗˋ ㄓㄠ

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ taː³⁵ t͡siː²² t͡siːu̯⁵⁵/

/pu⁵¹ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ taː³⁵ t͡siː²² t͡siːu̯⁵⁵/

to confess without being pressed; to make a willing confession; to give oneself away


不得已而求其次

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄜˊ ㄧˇ ㄦˊ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄘˋ

будэи эр цю цицы

/pu⁵¹ tɤ³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ t͡sʰz̩⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ tɐk̚⁵ jiː¹³ jiː²¹ kʰɐu̯²¹ kʰei̯²¹ t͡sʰiː³³/


站不住腳

ㄓㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

чжаньбучжуцзяо

/ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡saːm²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡syː²² kœːk̚³/

/t͡saːm²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡syː²² kœːk̚³/

Your argument does not hold water at all.

你的論點簡直站不住腳。

你的论点简直站不住脚。

not have a leg to stand on
not have a leg to stand on

to be ill-founded; to be groundless; to not have a leg to stand on; to be unable to hold water


不得已而退求其次

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄜˊ ㄧˇ ㄦˊ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄑㄧˊ ㄘˋ

pu⁴-tê²-i³ êrh² tʻui⁴-chʻiu² chʻi²-tzʻŭ⁴

будэи эр туйцю цицы

/pu⁵¹ tɤ³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ tʰu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ t͡sʰz̩⁵¹/


不到長城非好漢

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (不到長城非好漢):
* → Vietnamese: bất đáo Trường Thành phi hảo hán (不到長城非好漢)

ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄔㄤˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄈㄟ ㄏㄠˇ ㄏㄢˋ

bùdào Chángchéng fēi hǎohàn [Phonetic:búdào Chángchéng fēi hǎohàn]

будао Чанчэн фэй хаохань

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xän⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ tou̯³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ sɪŋ²¹ fei̯⁵⁵ hou̯³⁵ hɔːn³³/

The heavens are high, the clouds are pale,
We watch as the wild geese disappear southwards.
If we fail to reach the Great wall we are not true men,
We who have marched more than 20,000 li.

Tiāngāoyúndàn, wàng duàn nán fēi yàn. Bùdào Chángchéng fēi hǎohàn, qūzhǐ xíngchéng èr wàn.

天高雲淡，望斷南飛雁。不到長城非好漢，屈指行程二萬。

天高云淡，望断南飞雁。不到长城非好汉，屈指行程二万。

One who fails to reach the Great Wall is not a true man

(figurative) One should not give up until one succeeds.


וואָס איז דאָס

head

וואָס איז דאָס?

וואָס איז דאָס? • (vos iz dos?)


این چیه

این چیه؟ • (in či-ye?)

این چیه ؟ (canonical)
in či-ye? (romanization)


不辨菽麥

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄨ ㄇㄞˋ

ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄨˊ ㄇㄞˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂu⁵⁵ maɪ̯⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂu³⁵ maɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ piːn²² sʊk̚² mɐk̚²/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂu⁵⁵ maɪ̯⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂu³⁵ maɪ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ piːn²² sʊk̚² mɐk̚²/

to have no knowledge of practical matters; to be ignorant of practical matters


ជម្រាបលា

km-phrase

ជម្រាបលា • (cumriəp liə)


不逞之徒

ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˇ ㄓ ㄊㄨˊ

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɪŋ³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹/

/pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɪŋ³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹/


koek en ei

Literally, “cake and egg”. First attested in the 17th century.

(idiomatic, especially of relations) completely fine, in a state of friendly relations, amicable


b'éigint

/ˈbʲeːɟɪn̠ʲtʲ/


is éigint

head

is éigint (past and conditional b’éigint, negative ní héigint)

b’éigint (conditional past)
ní héigint (negative)


天馬行空

a heavenly steed soaring across the skies

ㄊㄧㄢ ㄇㄚˇ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄎㄨㄥ

тяньмасинкун

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ maː¹³ hɐŋ²¹ hʊŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰiːn⁵⁵ maː¹³ hɐŋ²¹ hʊŋ⁵⁵/

Nothing could ever stand,
Between you and the free land;
In a life of laissez-aller,
All your worries were blown away.

2002, 許巍 (also the lyricist), 《藍蓮花》 (The Blue Lotus)

méiyǒu shénme nénggòu zǔdǎng, nǐ duì zìyóu de xiàngwǎng, tiānmǎxíngkōng de shēngyá, nǐ de xīn liǎowúqiānguà

沒有什麼能夠阻擋 你對自由的嚮往 天馬行空的生涯 你的心了無牽掛

没有什么能够阻挡 你对自由的向往 天马行空的生涯 你的心了无牵挂

(figurative, of literary composition, life, etc.) powerful and unrestrained in style; bold and imaginative; abounding with novel ideas

(figurative) progressing swiftly; unrestricted and developing rapidly

(figurative, derogatory) speaking in a roundabout, irrelevant or exaggerated way; empty and impracticable talk


vyhýbat se něčemu jako moru

[…] naprostá pravidelnost, neomylná přesnost umrtvuje a zároveň svědčívá o špatném umění, kterému se poctivý básník i stavitel vyhnou jako moru.

1947, František Chudoba, Pod listnatým stromem, Praha: Jan Leichter, page 512:

[…] absolute regularity and infallible accuracy prevent emotions and at the same time give evidence of bad art which both a true poet and architect avoid like the plague.

avoid something like the plague
avoid like the plague

(simile) avoid something like the plague


naa pa sa itlog sa papa

Literally, “back when one was still in one's father's testicle”.

lit

before someone's time
before someone's time

before someone's time; from before one was born


gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy poglądy

/ɡd͡ʑɛ ˈdvux pɔˈla.kuf tam ˈtʂɘ pɔɡˈlɔn.dɘ/

gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania#Polish

(idiomatic) Where there are two Poles, there are three views; Alternative form of gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania


gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy opinie

/ɡd͡ʑɛ ˈdvux pɔˈla.kuf tam ˈtʂɘ ɔˈpiɲ.jɛ/

(idiomatic) Where there are two Poles, there are three opinions; Alternative form of gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania


head

gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy punkty widzenia

/ɡd͡ʑɛ ˈdvux pɔˈla.kuf tam ˈtʂɘ ˈpuŋ.ktɘ viˈd͡zɛ.ɲa/

(idiomatic) Where there are two Poles, there are three points of view; Alternative form of gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania


gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania

/ɡd͡ʑɛ ˈdvux pɔˈla.kuf tam ˈtʂɘ ˈzda.ɲa/

Literally, “where there are two Poles, there are three opinions”.

lit

Zawsze zastanawiało mnie, czy powiedzenia „dogadać się, jak Polak z Polakiem” oznacza, że chodzi o szybkie i sprawne porozumienie się, czy też wręcz przeciwnie – oznacza, że w żaden sposób nie jesteśmy w stanie dojść do jakiegokolwiek porozumienia („gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania”).

2003, Jacek Chwałek, Obsługa Klienta: Jakość usług, Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagigiczne, page 58:

I always wondered if the phrase “get along like a Pole with a Pole” is about quick and efficient communication, or on the contrary – means that we can never reach an agreement (“where there are two Poles, there are three opinions”).

Nie bez przyczyny od zawsze mówiło się: gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania.

2017, Artur Chmielewski, chapter 3, in Achromatopsja, Insignis Media:

It is not without reason that it has always been said: where there are two Poles, there are three opinions.

(idiomatic) Polish people are quarrelsome and rarely agree with each other


gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy partie

/ɡd͡ʑɛ ˈdvux pɔˈla.kuf tam ˈtʂɘ ˈpar.tjɛ/

(idiomatic) Where there are two Poles, there are three political parties; Alternative form of gdzie dwóch Polaków, tam trzy zdania


何樂而不為

ㄏㄜˊ ㄌㄜˋ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ

хэ лэ эр бу вэй

/xɤ³⁵ lɤ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵/

/hɔː²¹ lɔːk̚²¹ jiː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹/

/xɤ³⁵ lɤ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵/

/hɔː²¹ lɔːk̚²¹ jiː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹/


lyhyesti sanottuna

lyhyesti sanottuna, olemme pulassa

(idiomatic) in short (as a summary; as a shortened version of what has been told or what would have been told)


不堪入目

ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄢ ㄖㄨˋ ㄇㄨˋ

/pu⁵¹ kʰän⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɐm⁵⁵ jɐp̚² mʊk̚²/

/pu⁵¹ kʰän⁵⁵ ʐu⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ hɐm⁵⁵ jɐp̚² mʊk̚²/


bicho malo nunca muere

a creaking door hangs longest
a creaking door hangs longest

the devil looks after his own
the devil looks after his own


低聲細語

ㄉㄧ ㄕㄥ ㄒㄧˋ ㄩˇ

/ti⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tɐi̯⁵⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɐi̯³³ jyː¹³/

/ti⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tɐi̯⁵⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɐi̯³³ jyː¹³/


the devil looks after his own

On earth, lawyers rarely come to harm because the devil looks after his own.

2013, Adamu Kyuka Usman Lilymjok, The Mad Professor of Babeldu, page 489:

Charlie was often asked how he escaped so many attempts on his life. His reply was, “The Devil looks after his own.”

2013, Deborah Frethem -, Haunted Tampa: Spirits of the Bay, →ISBN:

Bad people often prosper unfairly, because the devil helps them.


上有老下有小

ㄕㄤˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄠˇ

shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo [Phonetic:shàngyóulǎoxiàyóuxiǎo]

шан ю лао ся ю сяо

/ʂɑŋ⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sœːŋ²² jɐu̯¹³ lou̯¹³ haː²² jɐu̯¹³ siːu̯³⁵/

to have both one's aging parents and one's young children to take care of; to be a member of the sandwich generation


i ellevte time

at the eleventh hour
at the eleventh hour


where the shoe pinches

Where the cause of trouble or difficulty is.


i siste liten

From the definite singular of lit (from Old Norse lítr), which is only used in this phrase.


彈冠相慶

ㄊㄢˊ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄑㄧㄥˋ

таньгуаньсянцин

/tʰän³⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵¹/

/tʰaːn²¹ kuːn⁵⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ hɪŋ³³/

/tʰän³⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵¹/

/tʰaːn²¹ kuːn⁵⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ hɪŋ³³/

Derived from a statement illustraing the friendship between Wang Ji and Gong Yu of Western Han:
:
Originally describing friends following each other in career.

Wang Ji and Gong Yu were friends. It was said that "When Wang Ji was holding his position, Gong Yu could also became an official too." It was also said that they had same interests.

Jí yǔ Gòng Yǔ wèi yǒu, shìchēng ‘Wáng Yáng zàiwèi, Gòng gōng dànguàn.’ Yán qí qǔshě tóng yě.

吉與貢禹為友，世稱『王陽在位，貢公彈冠。』言其取舍同也。

吉与贡禹为友，世称『王阳在位，贡公弹冠。』言其取舍同也。

(derogatory) to congratulate each other (when a bad person gains success)


ça marche

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see ça, marche.

(informal) OK, all right, sure, sure thing, sounds good, that's fine, that works for me


someone's jaw dropped

Morris's jaw dropped — his countenance became the colour of tallow — his teeth chattered, and he gave visible signs of the utmost consternation.

(idiomatic) somebody was very surprised.


pas trop tôt

Essentially equivalent to English none too soon (in literal meaning, but not necessarily in use).

c’est pas trop tôt !


好眉好貌生沙蝨

好眉好貌生沙虱
好眉好貌生沙虱

/hou̯³⁵ mei̯²¹ hou̯³⁵ maːu̯²² saːŋ⁵⁵ saː⁵⁵ sɐt̚⁵/


繁文縟節

ㄈㄢˊ ㄨㄣˊ ㄖㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄝˊ

ㄈㄢˊ ㄨㄣˊ ㄖㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄝˊ

фаньвэньжуцзе

/fän³⁵ wən³⁵ ʐu⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/fän³⁵ wən³⁵ ʐu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/faːn²¹ mɐn²¹ jʊk̚² t͡siːt̚³/

/fän³⁵ wən³⁵ ʐu⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/fän³⁵ wən³⁵ ʐu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/faːn²¹ mɐn²¹ jʊk̚² t͡siːt̚³/

trivial and overelaborate formalities; red tape


někomu spadla čelist

– Kam vlastně letíš? Tak náhle?
Jan Jiří krátce zaváhal:
– Éé, do Prahy. Ale neletím. Jedu vlakem.
Petrovi spadla čelist.

1995, Jethro Spencer McIntosh, JJV z Hollywoodu, Praha: Československý spisovatel, →ISBN:

–Where are you flying? So suddenly?
Jan Jiří hesitated for a while:
–Er, to Prague. But I'm not flying. I'm travelling by train.
Petr's jaw dropped.

someone's jaw dropped
someone's jaw dropped

someone's jaw dropped, somebody was very surprised


金甌無缺

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄡ ㄨˊ ㄑㄩㄝ

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ˀoʊ̯⁵⁵ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵⁵/

/kɐm⁵⁵ ɐu̯⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ kʰyːt̚³/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ˀoʊ̯⁵⁵ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵⁵/

/kɐm⁵⁵ ɐu̯⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ kʰyːt̚³/

(literary, figurative) firm uninvaded nation


it happens

John said, "I'm sorry for knocking you over." Linda said, "It's okay. It happens."

Worrying is not necessary, since it is common to make this mistake or for this to occur.


落花流水

ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

/lu̯ɔ⁵¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ li̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/lɔːk̚² faː⁵⁵ lɐu̯²¹ sɵy̯³⁵/

/lɔːk̚² faː⁵⁵ lɐu̯²¹ sɵy̯³⁵/

(by extension) utterly defeated; in a sorry state


倒行逆施

ㄉㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄋㄧˋ ㄕ

/tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ ni⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/tou̯³³ hɐŋ²¹ jɪk̚² siː⁵⁵/

/tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ ni⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/tou̯³³ hɐŋ²¹ jɪk̚² siː⁵⁵/

Wu Zixu said: "Go apologise on my behalf to Shen Baoxu, and tell him that I had had still a long way to travel but the sun was already setting, and that I, therefore, turned my ways upside down." (i.e., My life had always been in peril and my great objective of exacting revenge had been almost beyond reach, yet life was already running out. Therefore, I no longer cared whether my means to the end was perverted.)

The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Wǔ Zǐxū yuē: “Wèi wǒ xiè Shēn Bāoxū yuē, ‘wú rìmù túyuǎn, wú gù dǎoxíng ér nìshī zhī.’”

伍子胥曰：「為我謝申包胥曰，『吾日莫途遠，吾故倒行而逆施之。』」

伍子胥曰：「为我谢申包胥曰，『吾日莫途远，吾故倒行而逆施之。』」

to do things in a perverse way; to go against good; to commit evil deeds


something to

I found this note on the floor. At first, it looks like nothing special, but after I saw the weird symbol on the back I thought there might be something to it.


I kid you not

Earliest known use is from November 3, 1943 on The Centenary Conglomerate.
A print reference of the phrase appeared in 1948 in the International Stereotypers' and Electrotypers' Union Journal, Volume 43:
Boy!, Oh Boy! I said I asked for a headache when I volunteered for this job, and I kid you not when I repeat it.
It next appeared as a phrase spoken by Lieutenant Commander Philip Francis Queeg in Herman Wouk's 1951 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Caine Mutiny":
That's the Navy for you. Pass the buck and get a receipt. Act at discretion, hey? Well that's exactly what I'm going to do, and I kid you not.
It was later popularized by Jack Paar, host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962, who used this as his signature phrase. It humorously combines the colloquial verb kid with the archaic negation through not without do-support.

...I leaf through the stack of magazines they've got, and one of them — I kid you not — one of them is a Naughty Nurses magazine.

2011, Jonathan Marc Sherman, Knickerbocker, page 25:

(colloquial) Used to insist that one is telling the truth.


try as one may

It was an extraordinary thing that, try as we might, we could not finish our pipes at the same time.

1890, J[ames] M[atthew] Barrie, “English-grown Tobacco”, in My Lady Nicotine: A Study in Smoke, Boston, Mass.: Joseph Knight Company, published 1896, →OCLC, page 184:

'It could afford to be materialistic,' said Birkin, 'because it had the power to be something other--which we haven't. We are materialistic because we haven't the power to be anything else--try as we may, we can't bring off anything but materialism: mechanism, the very soul of materialism.'

1920 November 9, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter XXVI, in Women in Love, New York, N.Y.: Privately printed [by Thomas Seltzer] for subscribers only, →OCLC:

They didn't persist and quickly drove off, as Sam and Tom tried to ignore them and dismiss the entire experience. But try as they may, they weren't able to forget.

2013, Michael Myers, Doctors’ Marriages: A Look at the Problems and Their Solutions:

However hard one tries; despite one's best efforts.


mar ea

Apparently contracted from mar bha ea (“as it were”).

rí mar ea

— Lá breá atá ann inniu. —Tá mar ea!

—It’s a fine day today. —The hell it is!

Tá mar ea gabhar ar an mbóthar romham.

There is what seems to be a goat on the road before me.

Bhí an aimsir caithte agus nuair a bhí an t-árthach chun cuain a fhágaint ní raibh an máta ábalta ar dhul ar bórd, mar bhí sé breóidhte, mar eadh.

1939, Peig Sayers, “Inghean an Cheannaidhe”, in Marie-Louise Sjoestedt, Description d’un parler irlandais de Kerry (Bibliothèque de l'École des Hautes Études; 270) (overall work in French), Paris: Librairie Honoré Champion, page 194:

The time was up, and when the vessel was about to leave the harbor, the mate was not able to go aboard because he was ill, he claimed.

used to express skepticism or doubt about the accuracy or veracity of a claim


tíralle do aire

Literally, “pull him/her by his/her air”, or more loosely translated as “take away his/her air”.

Agora, sacar a gorra e pola. Ou sexa, agora tíralle do aire. O Bloque non podía facer outra cousa. Ou afeitar en seco a quen o humillou, ou pór o cu aos azoutes.

2005, Barcos a pique, Santiago de Compostela: USC, →ISBN, page 136:

(idiomatic) used to express admiration for a negative event, or to express the impossibility of changing an older decision which had a negative result


from goo to you by way of the zoo

(informal, humorous) The gradual evolution of humankind from simple organisms.


三度目の正直

ja-phrase

さんどめ の しょうじき

三(さん)度(ど)目(め)の正(しょう)直(じき) • (sandome no shōjiki)

三度目の正直 (canonical)
sandome no shōjiki (romanization)

third time's a charm
third time's a charm


من النهر إلى البحر

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مِنَ النَّهْرِ إلَى الْبَحْرِ

مِنَ النَّهْرِ إلَى الْبَحْرِ • (mina n-nahri ʔilā l-baḥri)

مِنَ النَّهْرِ إلَى الْبَحْرِ (canonical)
mina n-nahri ʔilā l-baḥri (romanization)

desc

→ English: from the river to the sea (calque)

Literally, “from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea”, referring to the claim over all of pre-1948 territory of Palestine.

m-g

from the 􂀿Jordan􂁀 river to the 􂀿Mediterranean􂁀 sea

lit

لَنْ نَرْضَى إِلَّا بِتَحْرِيرِ فِلَسْطِينَ مِنَ ٱلنَّهْرِ إِلَى ٱلْبَحْرِ.

We will not content ourselves with anything but the liberation of Palestine from the river to the sea.

lan narḍā ʔillā bitaḥrīri filasṭīna mina n-nahri ʔilā l-baḥri.

(politics) A phrase expressing support for Palestinian self-determination.


道貌岸然

ㄉㄠˋ ㄇㄠˋ ㄢˋ ㄖㄢˊ

даомаоаньжань

/tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀän⁵¹ ʐän³⁵/

/tou̯²² maːu̯²² ŋɔːn²² jiːn²¹/

/tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀän⁵¹ ʐän³⁵/

/tou̯²² maːu̯²² ŋɔːn²² jiːn²¹/

(derogatory) sanctimonious; hypocritical; two-faced


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lentejas, si quieres las comes y si no, las dejas

Literally, “lentils, if you want to eat them and if not, leave them”.


嫁雞隨雞，嫁狗隨狗

married to a chicken ― follow the chicken; married to a dog ― follow the dog

ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄐㄧ ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄐㄧ

ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄍㄡˇ ㄙㄨㄟˊ ㄍㄡˇ

gaa³ gai¹ ceoi⁴ gai¹, gaa³ gau² ceoi⁴ gau²

chia⁴ chi¹ sui² chi¹, chia⁴ kou³ sui² kou³

цзя цзи суй цзи

цзя гоу суй гоу

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ su̯eɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵¹ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ su̯eɪ̯³⁵ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

gaa³ gai¹ tsoey⁴ gai¹, gaa³ gau² tsoey⁴ gau²

/kaː³³ kɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ kɐi̯⁵⁵ kaː³³ kɐu̯³⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ kɐu̯³⁵/

Once a woman has attached herself to a man, she should be faithful to him regardless of all circumstances.


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el sábado, sabadete, camisa nueva y polvete

/el ˌsabado | sabaˌdete | kaˌmisa ˌnweba i polˈbete/

[el ˌsa.β̞a.ð̞o | sa.β̞aˌð̞e.t̪e | kaˌmi.sa ˌnwe.β̞a i polˈβ̞e.t̪e]

Literally, “Saturday, Saturday, new shirt and powder”. Traditionally, before the days of washing machines, men would wash their shirt only once a week (Saturday). The polvete (powder) refers to the talcum powder used to clean the shirt. The word sabadete may have originally been a nonce word coined in order to rhyme with polvete.
Over the years, polvo has acquired a slang meaning of sexual intercourse, so the phrase has come to carry connotations of weekend sexual liaisons.

lit

(idiomatic, Spain) a phrase used to show excitement about the day being Saturday; thank God it's the weekend


矢志不渝

ㄕˇ ㄓˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩˊ

/ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ y³⁵/

/t͡sʰiː³⁵ t͡siː³³ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹/

/ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ y³⁵/

/t͡sʰiː³⁵ t͡siː³³ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹/

unwavering; unshaken; persistent; steadfast; unswerving


ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ

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ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ

ⲟⲩϫⲁⲓ ϧⲉⲛ ⲡϭⲟⲓⲥ • (oučai xen pcois) (m.)

(Bohairic) Literally well-being in the Lord, meaning goodbye.


an toàn là trên hết

[ʔaːn˧˧ twaːn˨˩ laː˨˩ t͡ɕen˧˧ het̚˧˦]

[ʔaːŋ˧˧ twaːŋ˦˩ laː˦˩ ʈen˧˧ het̚˦˧˥]

[ʔaːŋ˧˧ t⁽ʷ⁾aːŋ˨˩ laː˨˩ ʈəːn˧˧ həːt̚˦˥]


地久天長

ㄉㄧˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄔㄤˊ

дицзютяньчан

/ti⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/tei̯²² kɐu̯³⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

/ti⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/tei̯²² kɐu̯³⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

天長地久 天長地久#Chinese

天长地久 天长地久#Chinese

Alternative form of 天長地久／天长地久 (tiānchángdìjiǔ)


笑而不語

ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩˇ

/ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/siːu̯³³ jiː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jyː¹³/

/ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/siːu̯³³ jiː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jyː¹³/

to smile without saying anything; smilence


キボンヌ

キボンヌ (canonical)
きぼんぬ (canonical)
kibonnu (romanization)

Derived from 希望する (kibō suru, “to wish for”).

ソースキボンヌ


con hư tại mẹ, cháu hư tại bà

[kɔn˧˧ hɨ˧˧ taːj˧˨ʔ mɛ˧˨ʔ t͡ɕaw˧˦ hɨ˧˧ taːj˧˨ʔ ʔɓaː˨˩]

[kɔŋ˧˧ hɨ˧˧ taːj˨˩ʔ mɛ˨˩ʔ t͡ɕaw˨˩˦ hɨ˧˧ taːj˨˩ʔ ʔɓaː˦˩]

[kɔŋ˧˧ hɨ˧˧ taːj˨˩˨ mɛ˨˩˨ ca(ː)w˦˥ hɨ˧˧ taːj˨˩˨ ʔɓaː˨˩]

it's the mother's fault that her child's spoiled, and it's the grandmother's that her grandchild is


thương cho roi cho vọt, ghét cho ngọt cho bùi

[tʰɨəŋ˧˧ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ zɔj˧˧ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ vɔt̚˧˨ʔ ɣɛt̚˧˦ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ ŋɔt̚˧˨ʔ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ ʔɓuj˨˩]

[tʰɨəŋ˧˧ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ ʐɔj˧˧ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ vɔk̚˨˩ʔ ɣɛt̚˦˧˥ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ ŋɔk̚˨˩ʔ t͡ɕɔ˧˧ ʔɓuj˦˩]

[tʰɨəŋ˧˧ cɔ˧˧ ɹɔj˧˧ cɔ˧˧ vɔk̚˨˩˨ ɣɛk̚˦˥ cɔ˧˧ ŋɔk̚˨˩˨ cɔ˧˧ ʔɓuj˨˩]

[tʰɨəŋ˧˧ cɔ˧˧ ɹɔj˧˧ cɔ˧˧ jɔk̚˨˩˨ ɣɛk̚˦˥ cɔ˧˧ ŋɔk̚˨˩˨ cɔ˧˧ ʔɓuj˨˩]

(literal) love means whipping, hate means giving sweetness and gentleness

corporal punishment
corporal punishment#English

(figurative) love means corporal punishment, hate means lenient treatment


一仆一碌

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰʊk̚⁵ jɐt̚⁵ lʊk̚⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰʊk̚⁵ jɐt̚⁵ lʊk̚⁵/

(Cantonese) doddering; stumbling; rolling and crawling


腳踏實地

ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄊㄚˋ ㄕˊ ㄉㄧˋ

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰä⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ti⁵¹/

/kœːk̚³ taːp̚² sɐt̚² tei̯²²/

/kʰa⁴⁴ ta(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ sit̚⁴⁻³² te³³/

/kʰa⁴⁴ ta(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ sit̚⁴⁻³² te³³/

/kʰa³³⁻²³ taʔ⁴⁻² sik̚⁴⁻² ti¹¹/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰä⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ti⁵¹/

/kœːk̚³ taːp̚² sɐt̚² tei̯²²/

/kʰa⁴⁴ ta(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ sit̚⁴⁻³² te³³/

/kʰa⁴⁴ ta(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ sit̚⁴⁻³² te³³/

/kʰa³³⁻²³ taʔ⁴⁻² sik̚⁴⁻² ti¹¹/

to have one's feet on the ground; to be realistic and steady


異國他鄉

ㄧˋ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄊㄚ ㄒㄧㄤ

/i⁵¹ ku̯ɔ³⁵ tʰä⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/jiː²² kʷɔːk̚³ tʰaː⁵⁵ hœːŋ⁵⁵/

/i⁵¹ ku̯ɔ³⁵ tʰä⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/jiː²² kʷɔːk̚³ tʰaː⁵⁵ hœːŋ⁵⁵/

foreign countries or lands; far away from one's native place


千瘡百孔

ㄑㄧㄢ ㄔㄨㄤ ㄅㄞˇ ㄎㄨㄥˇ

цяньчуанбайкун

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ paːk̚³ hʊŋ³⁵/

/t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ paːk̚³ hʊŋ³⁵/

riddled with gaping wounds; afflicted with many ills; in very bad condition


亂噏廿四

/lyːn²²⁻³⁵ ŋɐp̚⁵ jaː²² sei̯³³/

/lyːn²² ŋɐp̚⁵ jaː²² sei̯³³/

/lyːn²²⁻³⁵ ŋɐp̚⁵ jaː²² sei̯³³/

/lyːn²² ŋɐp̚⁵ jaː²² sei̯³³/

(Cantonese) to talk nonsense; to talk rubbish; to talk balderdash


nu breekt mijn klomp

nou breekt mijn klomp
nou breekt mijn klomp#Dutch

Alternative form of nou breekt mijn klomp


代代相傳

ㄉㄞˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄔㄨㄢˊ

дайдайсянчуань

/taɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ taɪ̯⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än³⁵/

/tɔːi̯²² tɔːi̯²² sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰyːn²¹/

/taɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ taɪ̯⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än³⁵/

/tɔːi̯²² tɔːi̯²² sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰyːn²¹/

to pass down from generation to generation


sag schnell

Ich hatte doch diesen... ach, sag schnell... diesen Meniskusriss.

You know I had this... ah, you know what... this torn meniscus.

used to indicate that one is missing a word and to invite the collocutor to fill it in


沒日沒夜

ㄇㄟˊ ㄖˋ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄝˋ

/meɪ̯³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ jɛ⁵¹/

/muːt̚² jɐt̚² muːt̚² jɛː²²/

/meɪ̯³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ jɛ⁵¹/

/muːt̚² jɐt̚² muːt̚² jɛː²²/


漂洋過海

ㄆㄧㄠ ㄧㄤˊ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄞˇ

/pʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ jɑŋ³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pʰiːu̯⁵⁵ jœːŋ²¹ kʷɔː³³ hɔːi̯³⁵/

/pʰeu̯²⁴ i̯oŋ¹¹ ko⁵⁵ hoi̯³¹/

/pʰieu⁵⁵ yoŋ⁵³⁽⁻²¹⁾ ⁽ᵏ⁻⁾ŋuo²¹³⁻⁵³ ⁽ʰ⁻⁾ai³³/

/pʰiau⁴⁴⁻³³ iũ²³⁻³³ kue²¹⁻⁴¹ hai⁴¹/

/pʰiou³³⁻²³ ĩẽ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ kue²¹³⁻⁵⁵ hai⁵²⁻²¹/

/pʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ jɑŋ³⁵ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pʰiːu̯⁵⁵ jœːŋ²¹ kʷɔː³³ hɔːi̯³⁵/

/pʰeu̯²⁴ i̯oŋ¹¹ ko⁵⁵ hoi̯³¹/

/pʰiau⁴⁴⁻³³ iũ²³⁻³³ kue²¹⁻⁴¹ hai⁴¹/

/pʰiou³³⁻²³ ĩẽ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ kue²¹³⁻⁵⁵ hai⁵²⁻²¹/

to sail across the sea to a foreign land; to travel across the sea; to go abroad


qué xopá

From ¿qué pasó?, featuring traspalante (syllable inversion, akin to vesre) in pasó.


滿洋直界

/muã²⁴⁻²² iũ²⁴⁻²² tit̚⁴⁻³² kai²¹/

/muã²⁴⁻²² iũ²⁴⁻²² tit̚²⁴⁻² kai⁴¹/

/muã²⁴⁻²² iũ²⁴⁻²² tit̚⁴⁻³² kai²¹/

/muã²⁴⁻²² iũ²⁴⁻²² tit̚²⁴⁻² kai⁴¹/

(Quanzhou and Xiamen Hokkien) everywhere


Lux Mundi

Literally, “light of the world”. From John 8:12 in the Vulgate: “Iterum ergo locutus est eis Jesus, dicens: Ego sum lux mundi: qui sequitur me, non ambulat in tenebris, sed habebit lumen vitae. (“Then Jesus spoke again to the people, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”)

lang

Sancta Maria gloriosa Dei genetrix et semper virgo quae mundo meruisti generare salutem et lucem mundi caelorumque gloriam obtulisti sedentibus in tenebris et umbra mortis […]

9th century, Book of Cerne (Cambridge University Library MS LI.1.10), folio 78r:

Glorious and ever-virgin holy Mary, mother of God, who merited to give birth to salvation for the world, and bestowed the light of the world [Jesus Christ] and the glory of the heavens to those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death […]

O quam speciosa gemma et margarita quam lucis mundi illustrat gratia!

c. 990, Gradual of the Abbey of Prüm (BNF MS lat. 9448), folios 9v–10r:

O how splendid a jewel and pearl that the grace of the light of the world [Jesus Christ] illumines!

Intuitu provocavit ad lacrymas, quasi in mentem ei reducens quoties negaverat, quod ei praedixerat, nec potuit in tenebris remanere quem lux mundi respexit.

12th century, Glossa Ordinaria, Luke 22:61:

Having looked upon [Peter], [Jesus] provoked him to tears, as if recalling to his mind that as much as he had denied what he had foretold to him, what the light of the world looked upon could not remain in darkness.

(Ecclesiastical Latin, poetic) Jesus Christ


vitamins sa mata

someone pleasant to look at; someone physically or sexually attractive


ауыр тупрағы еңел булһын

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ауыр тупрағы еңел булһын

ауыр тупрағы еңел булһын • (awır tuprağı yeñel bulhın)

awır tuprağı yeñel bulhın (romanization)

[ɑˈwʊɾ.top.ɾɑˈʁɯ̞.jɪ̞ˈŋɪ̞l.boɫˈhɯ̞n]

Literally "May (his/her) heavy soil be light".
Compare to exactly analogous phrases in other Turkic languages:
Kazakh ауыр топырағы жеңіл болсын (auyr topyrağy jeñıl bolsyn),
Kyrgyz оор топурагы жеңил болсун (oor topuragı jeŋil bolsun).

cog

ауыр топырағы жеңіл болсын

оор топурагы жеңил болсун

(said about a person who has recently died) God rest his/her soul

en-ауыр_тупрағы_еңел_булһын-ba-phrase-0X27TfOV


qui matina fa farina

Literally, “who wakes up early, makes flour”.

lit

the early bird gets the worm
the early bird gets the worm

(idiomatic) the early bird gets the worm


déu n'hi do

Alternative letter-case form of Déu n'hi do


熱火朝天

ㄖㄜˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄔㄠˊ ㄊㄧㄢ

жэхо чаотянь

/ʐɤ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑʊ̯³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/jiːt̚² fɔː³⁵ t͡sʰiːu̯²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

/liɛt̚²⁴⁻² hə⁵⁵⁴ tiau²⁴⁻²² tʰiɛn³³/

/ʐɤ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑʊ̯³⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/jiːt̚² fɔː³⁵ t͡sʰiːu̯²¹ tʰiːn⁵⁵/

/liɛt̚²⁴⁻² hə⁵⁵⁴ tiau²⁴⁻²² tʰiɛn³³/

buzzing or bustling with activity; in full swing


三不五時

ㄙㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨˇ ㄕˊ

/sän⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/saːm⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ ŋ̍¹³ siː²¹/

/sam²⁴ put̚² ŋ̍³¹ sɨ¹¹/

/sam⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁴ ɡɔ²²⁻²¹ si²⁴/

/sam⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ ɡɔ³³⁻²¹ si²³/

/sam⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ ɡɔ³³⁻¹¹ si²⁴/

/sam⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁵ ɡɔ²²⁻²¹ si¹³/

/sam³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ ɡɔ²² si²⁴/

/sam³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ ɡɔ³³⁻²² si²⁴/

/sän⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ u²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/saːm⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ ŋ̍¹³ siː²¹/

/sam²⁴ put̚² ŋ̍³¹ sɨ¹¹/

/sam⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁴ ɡɔ²²⁻²¹ si²⁴/

/sam⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ ɡɔ³³⁻²¹ si²³/

/sam⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ ɡɔ³³⁻¹¹ si²⁴/

/sam⁴⁴⁻²² put̚³²⁻⁵ ɡɔ²²⁻²¹ si¹³/

/sam³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ ɡɔ²² si²⁴/

/sam³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ ɡɔ³³⁻²² si²⁴/

With a bottle of wine costing [only] twenty cents, lets get together every now and then

chi̍t poe chiú, nn̄g kak gîn, sam-put-gō͘-sî mā lâi tàu-tīn

一杯酒 兩角銀 三不五時嘛來鬥陣

一杯酒 两角银 三不五时嘛来斗阵

She said, "Shaving the head bald doesn't look good; I want to be a vegetarian Buddhist. From time to time I can even go see operas."

2005 December 20, 釋悟因, 戰後佛教在台灣——佛教面對現代挑戰的回應, in 香光莊嚴雜誌, issue 84, page 19

Tā shuō: “Tìtóu bù hǎokàn; wǒ yào zuò càigū. Sānbùwǔshí hái kěyǐ qù kàn gēzǐxì, gējù.”

她說：「剃頭不好看；我要做菜姑。三不五時還可以去看歌仔戲、歌劇。」

她说：「剃头不好看；我要做菜姑。三不五时还可以去看歌仔戏、歌剧。」

(Cantonese, Southern Min, Taiwanese Mandarin, Taiwanese Hakka) sometimes; from time to time; occasionally; now and then


ⲓⲥ ⲑⲛⲉⲓ

once upon a time
once upon a time#English


三沐三薰

ㄙㄢ ㄇㄨˋ ㄙㄢ ㄒㄩㄣ

саньмусаньсюнь

/sän⁵⁵ mu⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ ɕyn⁵⁵/

/sän⁵⁵ mu⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ ɕyn⁵⁵/


沐猴冠冕

ㄇㄨˋ ㄏㄡˊ ㄍㄨㄢˋ ㄇㄧㄢˇ

мухоугуаньмянь

/mu⁵¹ xoʊ̯³⁵ ku̯än⁵¹ mi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mu⁵¹ xoʊ̯³⁵ ku̯än⁵¹ mi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/


三薰三沐

ㄙㄢ ㄒㄩㄣ ㄙㄢ ㄇㄨˋ

саньсюньсаньму

/sän⁵⁵ ɕyn⁵⁵ sän⁵⁵ mu⁵¹/

/sän⁵⁵ ɕyn⁵⁵ sän⁵⁵ mu⁵¹/


三釁三沐

ㄙㄢ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄙㄢ ㄇㄨˋ

саньсиньсаньму

/sän⁵⁵ ɕin⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ mu⁵¹/

/sän⁵⁵ ɕin⁵¹ sän⁵⁵ mu⁵¹/

From an anecdote recorded in the Guoyu, describing the honour given to Guan Zhong by the Duke of Qi upon receiving him as a former enemy and fugitive. The original text reads 三釁三浴, where 浴 (OC *loɡ, “bathing”) appears instead of 沐 (OC *moːɡ, “hair-washing”).


萬壽無疆

ㄨㄢˋ ㄕㄡˋ ㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄤ

ваньшоууцзян

/wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/maːn²² sɐu̯²² mou̯²¹ kœːŋ⁵⁵/

/wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/maːn²² sɐu̯²² mou̯²¹ kœːŋ⁵⁵/

Occurred several times in the Classic of Poetry, for example, in poem 154 (《詩經·豳風·七月》)

lang

(《詩經·豳風·七月》)

(《詩經·豳風·七月》)

And go to the hall of our prince,
There raise the cup of rhinoceros horn,
And wish him long life, that he may live for ever.

The Classic of Poetry, c. 11ᵗʰ – 7ᵗʰ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Jī bǐ gōngtáng, chēng bǐ sì gōng, wànshòu wújiāng.

躋彼公堂，稱彼兕觥，萬壽無疆。

跻彼公堂，称彼兕觥，万寿无疆。

祝毛主席萬壽無疆

祝毛主席万寿无疆


how the sausage gets made

A reference to the aphorism "Anyone who loves the law or sausages should never watch either being made"; sausage-making often uses animal parts of which people would rather remain unaware.

It is worlds away from conducting exciting operations, but it allows the officer to see "how the sausage gets made" and a stint in the post usually leads to a more desirable position.

2007, Valerie Plame Wilson, Fair Game, page 163:

Nevertheless, reform-minded media professionals cannot seem to part with the idea that there is a substantial readership beyond those who subscribe to trade publications willing to spend money to read about how the sausage gets made in the news media business or to read critiques of press performance.

2008, Arthur S. Hayes, Press Critics are the Fifth Estate: Media Watchdogs in America, page 93:

I wanted to divulge not only “how the sausage gets made” (i.e., how film and television properties are actually conveyed through the stages of development, financing, production, screening, and promotion around the world) but also to unveil the wizards behind the tiers of curtains.

2017, Heather Hale, How to Work the Film & TV Markets: A Guide for Content Creators:

The unpleasant way in which a process or activity is carried on behind the scenes.


ngày nảy ngày nay

Từ láy formation of ngày nay (“nowadays”), jocularly inspired by ngày xửa ngày xưa.

(narratology, humorous) nowadays; in this day and age


et que ça saute

Va me chercher un café, et que ça saute !

(informal) and make it snappy! snap it up! chop-chop! move it! be quick about it!


車載斗量

enough to fill carts and be measured by the bushel

ㄔㄜ ㄗㄞˋ ㄉㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄤˋ

чэцзайдоулян

/ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ toʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɛː⁵⁵ t͡sɔːi̯³³ tɐu̯³⁵ lœːŋ²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ toʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɛː⁵⁵ t͡sɔːi̯³³ tɐu̯³⁵ lœːŋ²¹/


so is life

The end brings a beginning. As a walk begins, so it ends, often on some obscure shore. But we do not walk to reach the end. Rather we walk today to feel the sting of the highway, the cold of the morning, the heat of the sun, and the disquiet and ecstasies of the wind on our bodies, our minds, and our souls. And so is life. We are here now to feel all that and more—and then the door closes.

2007, Michael Metras, Walking Life: Meditations on the Pilgrimage of Life, page 50:

He just didn't give a fuck about anything, and that's when I met Arron. I should never have gone there, he was trouble from the start, but you really don't see it when you're in it, You think its love, but really it was stupidity on my part. We were together about a year and you know the rest, it didn't end too good. But so is life.

2012, Georgina Campbell, The Kickdown Girls, page 102:

I begged my mother to write notes excusing me from taking the gym classes. She used to get upset at me. I don't know when she realized the reason why I was acting the way I was but she did. She wrote a long letter to the gym teacher and explained my problem. They made an exception and I was excused from having to partake in gym. To this day, even in my prime, I couldn't do a summersault or cart wheel. Oh well, so is life.

2013, Brenda Sue, Jack and Jill, Not an Easy Climb:

Life is not like an oil painting, which can be rubbed out and done over time and again until the artist is satisfied. With the sumiye painting any brush-strokes painted over a second time results in a smudge; the life has left it. All corrections show when the ink dries. So is life.

2013, Osvald Sirén, The Chinese on the Art of Painting:

It may be that the realistic story is commonplace, but so is life, and the realistic tale is true.

1894, Current Opinion, volume 15, page 210:

If there is one who knows, I know more than he, and if there is one who ignores it, even more than he I ignore it. My life is a fight between this knowing and this ignorance and so is his life and so is life.

2000, Time and Space: A Poetic Autobiography, page 55:

If it has respected me so far, I don 't see why it would decide to consume me now, when all my body has to offer are weakened bones and sagging flesh. Malaria can be fatal in the long run, I know. Well, so is life.

We can come across the hill and die from anything, anything can happen and often does, and we must be prepared for that. Nothing, nobody is permanent, and everything will change. Death is inevitable, but so is life.

2016, Abraham Pedro, Peyote: The Divine Flower of Life, page 115:

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see so, is, life. i.e. life is, as well; life is (something) too.


the chuff

What the chuff are you doing here?!

(UK, informal) Synonym of the fuck (“intensifier”)


don't give up the day job

don't give up your day job
don't give up your day job#English

Alternative form of don't give up your day job


no show without Punch

A reference to the Punch puppet in a Punch and Judy show.

The demand for computer installations and more accurate and effective information services grows and will continue to do so for years to come but, as there is no show without Punch, there can be no meaningful information service without accurate data collection.

1975, Hospital & Health Services Review - Volume 71, page 391:

Outside, the music could have been little more than a low, muffled rumble, capable of penetrating nothing, certainly not the consciousnesses of the flush-faced Fianna Fáilers and their triumphant champion, or of spoiling their moment with its pointed accusations. This was their show, and there is no show without Punch.

1991, John Waters, Jiving At The Crossroads:

I was concerned I might be skirting just the wrong side of late and was relieved to see the main man only just on his way in too. No show without Punch, after all.

2007, Christopher Brookmyre, Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks, →ISBN, page 192:

“Of course I'm coming. No show without Punch.”

2016, Eva Scott, Red Dust Dancer, →ISBN:

A show or endeavor cannot proceed without its star or main purpose.


DFTT

don't feed the troll
don't feed the troll#English

(Internet slang) Initialism of don't feed the troll.


完美無缺

ㄨㄢˊ ㄇㄟˇ ㄨˊ ㄑㄩㄝ

/wän³⁵ meɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵⁵/

/wän³⁵ meɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵⁵/

perfect and without blemish; flawless; infallible


back atcha

"You drive me crazy," she said flatly. "Back atcha, my sistah," I said with a laugh, then changed the subject.

2007, Victoria Laurie, Crime Seen: A Psychic Eye Mystery, page 109:

“Or how about . . .Are you a parking ticket? Because you've got FINE written all over you.” Back atcha, gorgeous.

2014, Candis Terry, Something Sweeter, →ISBN:

“Back atcha, mister,” I say, holding my hand over my eyes to block out the sun.

2016, Alecia Whitaker, The Way Back Home, →ISBN:


大浪淘沙

ㄉㄚˋ ㄌㄤˋ ㄊㄠˊ ㄕㄚ

/tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɑŋ⁵¹ tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ ʂä⁵⁵/

/tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɑŋ⁵¹ tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ ʂä⁵⁵/

only the real gold remains after tides have washed the sands away; a tough competition aiming to weed out the less competent


光輝燦爛

ㄍㄨㄤ ㄏㄨㄟ ㄘㄢˋ ㄌㄢˋ

гуанхуэйцаньлань

/ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰän⁵¹⁻⁵³ län⁵¹/

/kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ fɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːn³³ laːn²²/

/ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰän⁵¹⁻⁵³ län⁵¹/

/kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵ fɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːn³³ laːn²²/


鬥智鬥勇

ㄉㄡˋ ㄓˋ ㄉㄡˋ ㄩㄥˇ

/toʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ toʊ̯⁵¹ jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/tɐu̯³³ t͡siː³³ tɐu̯³³ jʊŋ¹³/

/tɐu̯³³ t͡siː³³ tɐu̯³³ jʊŋ¹³/

to engage in a battle of wits and valour