三口六面

/saːm⁵⁵ hɐu̯³⁵ lʊk̚² miːn²²/

/saːm⁵⁵ hɐu̯³⁵ lʊk̚² miːn²²/

Explain yesterday's incident to me face-to-face.

cam⁴ jat⁶ go² daan¹ je⁵ tung⁴ ngo⁵ saam¹ hau² luk⁶ min⁶ gong² cing¹ co².

尋日嗰單嘢同我三口六面講清楚。

寻日嗰单嘢同我三口六面讲清楚。


心知肚明

ㄒㄧㄣ ㄓ ㄉㄨˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

синьчжидумин

/ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵/

/sɐm⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tʰou̯¹³ mɪŋ²¹/

/ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tu⁵¹ miŋ³⁵/

/sɐm⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ tʰou̯¹³ mɪŋ²¹/


可圈可點

ㄎㄜˇ ㄑㄩㄢ ㄎㄜˇ ㄉㄧㄢˇ

кэцюанькэдянь

/kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ti̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/hɔː³⁵ hyːn⁵⁵ hɔː³⁵ tiːm³⁵/

/hɔː³⁵ hyːn⁵⁵ hɔː³⁵ tiːm³⁵/

(of performance, achievement, etc.) praiseworthy; remarkable; commendable

(Hong Kong) doubtful; needing careful consideration


矯枉過正

ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄨㄤˇ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄓㄥˋ

цзяовангочжэн

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/kiːu̯³⁵ wɔːŋ³⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sɪŋ³³/

/kiːu̯³⁵ wɔːŋ³⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sɪŋ³³/

to overcorrect; to hypercorrect; to overcompensate


奄奄一息

ㄧㄢˇ ㄧㄢˇ ㄧ ㄒㄧ

/jɛn²¹⁴⁻³⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵/

/jɛn⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕi³⁵/

/jiːm⁵⁵ jiːm⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/iam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/am⁴⁴⁻³³ am⁴⁴⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/jɛn²¹⁴⁻³⁵ jɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕi⁵⁵/

/jɛn⁵⁵ jɛn⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕi³⁵/

/jiːm⁵⁵ jiːm⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/iam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ iam⁵³⁻⁴⁴ it̚³²⁻⁴ siɪk̚³²/

/am⁴⁴⁻³³ am⁴⁴⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ siɪk̚³²/

breathe one's last breath
breathe one's last breath


走遍天下

ㄗㄡˇ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ

цзоубяньтянься

/t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡sɐu̯³⁵ pʰiːn³³ tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²²/

/t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹/

/t͡sɐu̯³⁵ pʰiːn³³ tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²²/

A mastery of maths, physics and chemistry is a key to global success. (common saying)

Xuéhǎo shùlǐhuà, zǒubiàntiānxià dōu bùpà.

學好數理化，走遍天下都不怕。

学好数理化，走遍天下都不怕。

to wander through the world; to travel all over the world


騎驢找馬

to ride on a donkey and look for a horse

ㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄩˊ ㄓㄠˇ ㄇㄚˇ

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ly³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ly³⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(figurative, colloquial) to settle for what one has for the moment (e.g. job, girlfriend, etc.) while actively looking for something better


空前絕後

ㄎㄨㄥ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄏㄡˋ

кунцяньцзюэхоу

/kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/hʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹ t͡syːt̚² hɐu̯²²/

/kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/hʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰiːn²¹ t͡syːt̚² hɐu̯²²/

unprecedented and never to be duplicated; the first and the last; unmatched; unique


過目難忘

ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄇㄨˋ ㄋㄢˊ ㄨㄤˋ

/ku̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹ nän³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

/kʷɔː³³ mʊk̚² naːn²¹ mɔːŋ²¹/

/ku̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu⁵¹ nän³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

/kʷɔː³³ mʊk̚² naːn²¹ mɔːŋ²¹/

to be hard to forget when one has run eyes over something; unforgettable


塵埃落定

ㄔㄣˊ ㄞ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄉㄧㄥˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ ˀaɪ̯⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ tiŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐn²¹ ɔːi̯⁵⁵ lɔːk̚² tɪŋ²²/

/ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ ˀaɪ̯⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ tiŋ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰɐn²¹ ɔːi̯⁵⁵ lɔːk̚² tɪŋ²²/

(of a matter) to be finalised; to get sorted out


橫空出世

ㄏㄥˊ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄔㄨ ㄕˋ

/xɤŋ³⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/waːŋ²¹ hʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐi̯³³/

/xɤŋ³⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/waːŋ²¹ hʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ sɐi̯³³/

From the 1935 poem 《念奴嬌·崑崙》 by Mao Zedong.


味同嚼蠟

ㄨㄟˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄠˊ ㄌㄚˋ

ㄨㄟˋ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄌㄚˋ

вэйтунцзяола

/weɪ̯⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ lä⁵¹/

вэйтунцзюэла

/weɪ̯⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ lä⁵¹/

/mei̯²² tʰʊŋ²¹ t͡sœːk̚³ laːp̚²/

/weɪ̯⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ lä⁵¹/

/weɪ̯⁵¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ t͡ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ lä⁵¹/

/mei̯²² tʰʊŋ²¹ t͡sœːk̚³ laːp̚²/

tastes as if one is chewing wax; insipid; tasteless


騎牛搵馬

/kʰɛː²¹ ŋɐu̯²¹ wɐn³⁵ maː¹³/

/kʰɛː²¹ ŋɐu̯²¹ wɐn³⁵ maː¹³/

(Cantonese, figurative) to settle for what one has for the moment (e.g. job, girlfriend, etc.) while actively looking for something better


一無所獲

ㄧ ㄨˊ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄏㄨㄛˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ u³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ sɔː³⁵ wɔːk̚²/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ u³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ mou̯²¹ sɔː³⁵ wɔːk̚²/


鬱鬱寡歡

ㄩˋ ㄩˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄏㄨㄢ

юйюйгуахуань

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ y⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯än⁵⁵/

/wɐt̚⁵ wɐt̚⁵ kʷaː³⁵ fuːn⁵⁵/

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ y⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯än⁵⁵/

/wɐt̚⁵ wɐt̚⁵ kʷaː³⁵ fuːn⁵⁵/


重蹈覆轍

ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄓㄜˊ

ㄔㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄈㄨˋ ㄔㄜˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ tɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tou̯²² fʊk̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/

/t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tʰou̯⁵⁵ fʊk̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/

/teŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tau³⁵⁻¹¹ hok̚⁴⁻² tʰiek̚²/

/teŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tau³⁵⁻¹¹ hok̚⁴⁻² tʰiak̚²/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ tɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʊŋ³⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ fu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵¹/

/t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tou̯²² fʊk̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/

/t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ tʰou̯⁵⁵ fʊk̚⁵ t͡sʰiːt̚³/

/teŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tau³⁵⁻¹¹ hok̚⁴⁻² tʰiek̚²/

/teŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ tau³⁵⁻¹¹ hok̚⁴⁻² tʰiak̚²/

Now [we] are not considering past mistakes and following the tracks of an overturned cart again.

The Book of the Later Han, circa 5ᵗʰ century CE

Jīn bù lǜ qiánshì zhī shī, fù xún fùchē zhī guǐ.

今不慮前事之失，復循覆車之軌。

今不虑前事之失，复循覆车之轨。

to go on the tracks of an overturned cart again

We must remember and draw from the painful lessons of the past, and we absolutely cannot repeat the same mistakes and allow the same situation to reoccur.

2005 February 5, 總統府新聞稿, in 《總統府公報》, number 6617

Wǒmen wùbì yào jìqǔ guòqù cǎntòng de jiàoxùn, juéduì bùnéng chóngdàofùchè, ràng xiāngtóng de qíngxíng zài fāshēng.

我們務必要記取過去慘痛的教訓，絕對不能重蹈覆轍，讓相同的情形再發生。

我们务必要记取过去惨痛的教训，绝对不能重蹈覆辙，让相同的情形再发生。

It's just that I'm afraid; I'm afraid that my child will repeat my mistakes. I think it's enough just for me to live a muddled life as a woman; my child does not have to.

2010, 趙銳, 《母親手記：我與孩子的故事》, page 181

Wǒ bùguò shì pà a, wǒ pà wǒ de háizi chóngdǎo wǒ de fùzhé, wǒ xiǎng wǒ zhè yī shēng xīlihútú de zuò nǚrén jiù gòu le, wǒ de háizi bùbì le.

我不過是怕啊，我怕我的孩子重蹈我的覆轍，我想我這一生稀裏糊塗地做女人就夠了，我的孩子不必了。

2010, 趙銳, 《母親手記：我與孩子的故事》, page 181

我不过是怕啊，我怕我的孩子重蹈我的覆辙，我想我这一生稀里糊涂地做女人就够了，我的孩子不必了。

to repeat the same mistake; to recommit the same error


煥然一新

ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄖㄢˊ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄣ

хуаньжаньисинь

/xu̯än⁵¹ ʐän³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/wuːn²² jiːn²¹ jɐt̚⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/

/huan²¹⁻⁴¹ ziɛn²³⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ sin⁴⁴/

/huan¹¹⁻⁵³ liɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ it̚³²⁻⁴ sin⁴⁴/

/huaŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ d͡ziaŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sek̚⁴⁻² siŋ³³/

/xu̯än⁵¹ ʐän³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/wuːn²² jiːn²¹ jɐt̚⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/

/huan²¹⁻⁴¹ ziɛn²³⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ sin⁴⁴/

/huan¹¹⁻⁵³ liɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ it̚³²⁻⁴ sin⁴⁴/


壽終正寢

ㄕㄡˋ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄓㄥˋ ㄑㄧㄣˇ

шоучжунчжэнцинь

/ʂoʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰin²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐu̯²² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɪŋ³³ t͡sʰɐm³⁵/

/sɐu̯²² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɪŋ³³ t͡sʰɐm³⁵/

被難

to be killed in a disaster, political incident


刀下留人

ㄉㄠ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄖㄣˊ

/tɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ li̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/tou̯⁵⁵ haː²² lɐu̯²¹ jɐn²¹/

/tɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ li̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/tou̯⁵⁵ haː²² lɐu̯²¹ jɐn²¹/

used as an exclamation requesting that the decapitation of a prisoner be stayed or suspended: Spare him / her!


悒鬱寡歡

ㄧˋ ㄩˋ ㄍㄨㄚˇ ㄏㄨㄢ

/i⁵¹⁻⁵³ y⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯än⁵⁵/

/jɐp̚⁵ wɐt̚⁵ kʷaː³⁵ fuːn⁵⁵/

/i⁵¹⁻⁵³ y⁵¹ ku̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯än⁵⁵/

/jɐp̚⁵ wɐt̚⁵ kʷaː³⁵ fuːn⁵⁵/


畢其功於一役

ㄅㄧˋ ㄑㄧˊ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄩˊ ㄧ ㄧˋ

bì qí gōng yú yī yì [Phonetic:bì qí gōng yú yí yì]

би ци гун юй и и

/pi⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ y³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ i⁵¹/

/pi⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ y³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ i⁵¹/


無人問津

ㄨˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄣ

ужэньвэньцзинь

/u³⁵ ʐən³⁵ wən⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/mou̯²¹ jɐn²¹ mɐn²² t͡sɵn⁵⁵/

/bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ muŋ¹¹ t͡siŋ³³/

/u³⁵ ʐən³⁵ wən⁵¹ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/mou̯²¹ jɐn²¹ mɐn²² t͡sɵn⁵⁵/

/bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ naŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ muŋ¹¹ t͡siŋ³³/

Liu Ziji from Nanyang was a person of integrity. When he heard about the Peach Blossom Spring, he joyfully planned a visit, but eventually died before being able to reach there. Since then there have been no one trying to search for the Peach Blossom Spring.

Tao Yuanming, Story of the Peach Blossom Spring

Nányáng Liú Zǐjì, gāoshàng shì yě, wén zhī, xīnrán guī wǎng. Wèiguǒ, xún bìng zhōng. Hòu suì wú wènjīn zhě.

南陽劉子驥，高尚士也，聞之，欣然規往。未果，尋病終。後遂無問津者。

南阳刘子骥，高尚士也，闻之，欣然规往。未果，寻病终。后遂无问津者。

nobody is interested; unpopular; unattractive


其樂無窮

ㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄜˋ ㄨˊ ㄑㄩㄥˊ

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ lɤ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵/

/kʰei̯²¹ lɔːk̚² mou̯²¹ kʰʊŋ²¹/

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ lɤ⁵¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ʊŋ³⁵/

/kʰei̯²¹ lɔːk̚² mou̯²¹ kʰʊŋ²¹/

it is a great joy to (do something); to find it an infinite delight (to do something)


空穴來風

ㄎㄨㄥ ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄌㄞˊ ㄈㄥ

ㄎㄨㄥ ㄒㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄞˊ ㄈㄥ

кунсюэлайфэн

/kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ laɪ̯³⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵/

/kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ laɪ̯³⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵/

/hʊŋ⁵⁵ jyːt̚² lɔːi̯²¹ fʊŋ⁵⁵/

/kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hiɛt̚⁴⁻³² lai²⁴⁻¹¹ hɔŋ⁴⁴/

/kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hiɛt̚⁴⁻³² lai²³⁻³³ hɔŋ⁴⁴/

/kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ laɪ̯³⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵/

/kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ laɪ̯³⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵/

/hʊŋ⁵⁵ jyːt̚² lɔːi̯²¹ fʊŋ⁵⁵/

/kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hiɛt̚⁴⁻³² lai²⁴⁻¹¹ hɔŋ⁴⁴/

/kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ hiɛt̚⁴⁻³² lai²³⁻³³ hɔŋ⁴⁴/

From 《風賦》 by Song Yu:
:
Note: the historical usage of the idiom may be etymologically unrelated to the mainstream usage today.

A bent trifoliate orange tree will attract birds to nest; an empty hole will attract the wind.

枳句來巢，空穴來風。

枳句来巢，空穴来风。

(of a rumour, literary, dated) to be not completely unsound; to have a basis for its existence

(of a rumour, in modern uses) to be completely unsound; to be utterly baseless


不亦樂乎

ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˋ ㄌㄜˋ ㄏㄨ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɤ⁵¹ xu⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɪk̚² lɔːk̚² fuː²¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ²⁴/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ¹¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ²¹/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ i⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɤ⁵¹ xu⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ jɪk̚² lɔːk̚² fuː²¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ²⁴/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ¹¹/

/put̚³²⁻⁴ iɪk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴⁻³² hɔ²¹/

Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?

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

有朋自遠方來，不亦樂乎？

有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？

(original meaning) Isn't it a pleasure (to ...)?

玩得不亦樂乎

玩得不亦乐乎

忙得不亦樂乎

忙得不亦乐乎

(modifies an adjective or verb) to a great extent; extremely; very; awfully


冇咁嬲

/mou̯¹³ kɐm³³ nɐu̯⁵⁵/

/mou̯¹³ kɐm³³ nɐu̯⁵⁵/

(Cantonese) would be a better course of action


口水多過茶

/hɐu̯³⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ tɔː⁵⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sʰaː²¹/

/hɐu̯³⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ tɔː⁵⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sʰaː²¹/

all talk and no action
all talk and no action


失驚無神

/sɐt̚⁵ kɛːŋ⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ sɐn²¹/

/sɐt̚⁵ kɛːŋ⁵⁵ mou̯²¹ sɐn²¹/

(Cantonese) suddenly; unexpectedly; out of the blue


一言不發

ㄧ ㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ pu⁵¹ fä⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ jiːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ faːt̚³/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ pu⁵¹ fä⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ jiːn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ faːt̚³/


不求甚解

ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄡˊ ㄕㄣˋ ㄐㄧㄝˇ

/pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʂən⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹ sɐm²² kaːi̯³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ kʰɐu̯²¹ sɐm²² kaːi̯³⁵/

Originally means "to put emphasis on comprehending argumentation instead of words".

Hào dúshū, bùqiúshènjiě, měi yǒu huìyì, biàn xīnrán wàng shí.

好讀書，不求甚解，每有會意，便欣然忘食。

好读书，不求甚解，每有会意，便欣然忘食。

to not seek deep understanding; to read or know things on a superficial level


飲鴆止渴

ㄧㄣˇ ㄓㄣˋ ㄓˇ ㄎㄜˇ

иньчжэньчжикэ

inʹčžɛnʹčžikɛ

/in²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐm³⁵ t͡sɐm²² t͡siː³⁵ hɔːt̚³/

/jɐm³⁵ t͡sɐm²² t͡siː³⁵ hɔːt̚³/

Based on a quote in Book of Later Han:
*

It's like sating hunger with aconite roots and slaking thirst with zhen's poison; they would not even enter the stomach and guts before already having killed by blocking off the throat; how can such a thing be done?

Pìyóu liáojī yú fùzǐ, zhǐkě yú zhèndú, wèi rù chángwèi, yǐ jué yānhóu, qǐ kě wéi zāi!

譬猶療飢於附子，止渴於酖毒，未入膓胃，已絕咽喉，豈可爲哉！

譬犹疗饥于附子，止渴于鸩毒，未入肠胃，已绝咽喉，岂可为哉！

todrink poisonous liquor to quench thirst

to do something harmful in order to seek any relief


洛陽紙貴

ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄓˇ ㄍㄨㄟˋ

/lu̯ɔ⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/lɔːk̚² jœːŋ²¹ t͡siː³⁵ kʷɐi̯³³/

/lok̚⁴⁻² iaŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sua⁵²⁻³⁵ kui²¹³/

/lu̯ɔ⁵¹ jɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯eɪ̯⁵¹/

/lɔːk̚² jœːŋ²¹ t͡siː³⁵ kʷɐi̯³³/

/lok̚⁴⁻² iaŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ t͡sua⁵²⁻³⁵ kui²¹³/

From the incident that the Western Jin poet Zuo Si's work Rhapsodies on the Three Capitals was extremely popular that people were making copies of it, causing a shortage in paper and pushing up its price in Luoyang.

After that the noblemen were eagerly making copies of the work, causing paper to become expensive in Luoyang.

648 CE, Fang Xuanling (lead editor), Book of Jin

Yúshì háoguì zhī jiā jìngxiāng chuánxiě, Luòyáng wèi zhī zhǐ guì.

於是豪貴之家競相傳寫，洛陽為之紙貴。

于是豪贵之家竞相传写，洛阳为之纸贵。

(of a literary work, e.g. a new book) to be all the rage for a time; to be immensely popular


為虎作倀

ㄨㄟˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄔㄤ

ㄨㄟˊ ㄏㄨˇ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄔㄤ

/weɪ̯⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/weɪ̯³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐi̯²² fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐi̯²² fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰaːŋ²¹/

/wɐi̯²¹ fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐi̯²¹ fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰaːŋ²¹/

/ui²²⁻²¹ hɔ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tʰiɔŋ⁴⁴/

/weɪ̯⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/weɪ̯³⁵ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐi̯²² fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐi̯²² fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰaːŋ²¹/

/wɐi̯²¹ fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐi̯²¹ fuː³⁵ t͡sɔːk̚³ t͡sʰaːŋ²¹/

/ui²²⁻²¹ hɔ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ t͡sɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tʰiɔŋ⁴⁴/

to assist a devil; to help a villain do evil


魯魚亥豕

ㄌㄨˇ ㄩˊ ㄏㄞˋ ㄕˇ

/lu²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ xaɪ̯⁵¹ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/lou̯¹³ jyː²¹ hɔːi̯²² t͡sʰiː³⁵/

/lu²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ xaɪ̯⁵¹ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/lou̯¹³ jyː²¹ hɔːi̯²² t͡sʰiː³⁵/

Confusing the character 魯 with 魚, and 亥 with 豕 in ancient scripts.

Written characters, they are widely known to people, yet errors abound in written texts. Referring to this, an idiom goes: "After many rounds of copying, a fish (魚) gets foolhardy (魯), but the empty (虛) one becomes a tiger (虎)."

Ge Hong, c. 4th century, Baopuzi (《抱朴子》)

Shū zì, rén zhī zhī, yóu shàng xiě zhī duō wù. Gù yàn yuē, “shū sān xiě, yú chéng lǔ, xū chéng hǔ,” cǐ zhī wèi yě.

書字，人知之，猶尚寫之多誤。故諺曰，「書三寫，魚成魯，虛成虎，」此之謂也。

书字，人知之，犹尚写之多误。故谚曰，「书三写，鱼成鲁，虚成虎，」此之谓也。

Zi Xia, back in Wey, met someone reading historical annals aloud as such: "The armies of Jin attacked Qin; three pigs crossed the Yellow River." On hearing this, he said: "That's wrong. The text should read 'on the day of Ji-Hai' ."

The School Sayings of Confucius, c. 206 BCE– 220 CE

Cháng fǎn Wèi, jiàn dú shǐ zhì zhě yún: “Jìn shī fá Qín, sān shǐ dù Hé.” Zǐ Xià yuē: “Fēi yě, Jǐ Hài ěr.”

嘗返衛，見讀史志者云：「晉師伐秦，三豕渡河。」子夏曰：「非也，己亥耳。」

尝返卫，见读史志者云：「晋师伐秦，三豕渡河。」子夏曰：「非也，己亥耳。」

typographical errors caused by similar-looking characters


蛛絲馬跡

ㄓㄨ ㄙ ㄇㄚˇ ㄐㄧˋ

/ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵/

/t͡syː⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ maː¹³ t͡sɪk̚⁵/

/tu⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁴⁴⁻³³ mã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ziaʔ³²/

/tu³³⁻²³ si³³⁻²³ be⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡siaʔ²/

/ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵/

/t͡syː⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵ maː¹³ t͡sɪk̚⁵/

/tu⁴⁴⁻³³ si⁴⁴⁻³³ mã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ ziaʔ³²/

/tu³³⁻²³ si³³⁻²³ be⁵²⁻³⁵ t͡siaʔ²/


饑饉薦臻

ㄐㄧ ㄐㄧㄣˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄓㄣ

цзицзиньцзяньчжэнь

/t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕin²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕin²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂən⁵⁵/

That Heaven [thus] sends down death and disorder?
Famine comes again and again.

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

天降喪亂，饑饉薦臻。

天降丧乱，饥馑荐臻。


談笑風生

ㄊㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄈㄥ ㄕㄥ

таньсяофэншэн

/tʰän³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰaːm²¹ siːu̯³³ fʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰän³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰaːm²¹ siːu̯³³ fʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵/

to talk in a jovial mood; to joke together; to talk cheerfully and wittily


惺惺惜惺惺

ㄒㄧㄥ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄒㄧ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄒㄧㄥ

ㄒㄧㄥ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄒㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄥ ㄒㄧㄥ

синсинсисинсин

/ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕi³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵/

/ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕi³⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ⁵⁵/

/sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵/

people of intelligence and talent appreciate one another; like-minded people relate well to each other


畢恭畢敬

ㄅㄧˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄅㄧˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ

/pi⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ pi⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/

/pi⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ pi⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹/

reverent and respectful; extremely deferential


鬼哭狼嚎

ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄎㄨ ㄌㄤˊ ㄏㄠˊ

/ku̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰu⁵⁵ lɑŋ³⁵ xɑʊ̯³⁵/

/ku̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰu⁵⁵ lɑŋ³⁵ xɑʊ̯³⁵/

to wail like ghosts and howl like wolves


孤苦伶仃

ㄍㄨ ㄎㄨˇ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄉㄧㄥ

/ku⁵⁵ kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ liŋ³⁵ tiŋ⁵⁵/

/kuː⁵⁵ fuː³⁵ lɪŋ²¹ tɪŋ⁵⁵/

/ku⁵⁵ kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ liŋ³⁵ tiŋ⁵⁵/

/kuː⁵⁵ fuː³⁵ lɪŋ²¹ tɪŋ⁵⁵/


出謀劃策

ㄔㄨ ㄇㄡˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄘㄜˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ moʊ̯³⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰɤ⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ moʊ̯³⁵ xu̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰɤ⁵¹/

(sometimes derogatory) to put forward plans and ideas; to give advice


渾水摸魚

ㄏㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄇㄛ ㄩˊ

ㄏㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄇㄛ ㄩˊ

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ y³⁵/

/wɐn²² sɵy̯³⁵ mɔː³⁵ jyː²¹/

/wɐn²² sɵy̯³⁵ mɔː³⁵ jyː²¹⁻³⁵/

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ y³⁵/

/wɐn²² sɵy̯³⁵ mɔː³⁵ jyː²¹/

/wɐn²² sɵy̯³⁵ mɔː³⁵ jyː²¹⁻³⁵/

fish in troubled waters
fish in troubled waters

to take advantage of a crisis for personal gain; to fish in troubled waters


負隅頑抗

ㄈㄨˋ ㄩˊ ㄨㄢˊ ㄎㄤˋ

/fu⁵¹ y³⁵ wän³⁵ kʰɑŋ⁵¹/

/fuː²² jyː²¹ waːn²¹ kʰɔːŋ³³/

/fu⁵¹ y³⁵ wän³⁵ kʰɑŋ⁵¹/

/fuː²² jyː²¹ waːn²¹ kʰɔːŋ³³/

[…] There was a man named Feng Fu in Jin, famous for his skill in seizing tigers. Afterwards he became a scholar of reputation, and going once out to the wild country, he found the people all in pursuit of a tiger. The tiger took refuge in a corner of a hill, where no one dared to attack him.

Jìn rén yǒu Féng Fù zhě, shàn bó hǔ, zú wéi shànshì. Zé zhī yě, yǒu zhòng zhú hǔ. Hǔ fù yú, mò zhī gǎn yīng.

晉人有馮婦者，善搏虎，卒為善士。則之野，有眾逐虎。虎負嵎，莫之敢攖。

晋人有冯妇者，善搏虎，卒为善士。则之野，有众逐虎。虎负嵎，莫之敢撄。

(figurative) to make a last-ditch fight (relying on a strategically inaccessible place or other conditions)


摩拳擦掌

ㄇㄛˊ ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄘㄚ ㄓㄤˇ

моцюаньцачжан

/mu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵ t͡sʰä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mɔː⁵⁵ kʰyːn²¹ t͡sʰaːt̚³ t͡sœːŋ³⁵/

/mɔː⁵⁵ kʰyːn²¹ t͡sʰaːt̚³ t͡sœːŋ³⁵/

to rub one's fists and wipe one's palms; to roll up one's sleeves for a battle


混水摸魚

ㄏㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄇㄛ ㄩˊ

ㄏㄨㄣˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄇㄛ ㄩˊ

ㄏㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄇㄛ ㄩˊ

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ y³⁵/

/xu̯ən⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ y³⁵/

/wɐn²² sɵy̯³⁵ mɔː³⁵ jyː²¹/

/xu̯ən³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ y³⁵/

/xu̯ən⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mu̯ɔ⁵⁵ y³⁵/

/wɐn²² sɵy̯³⁵ mɔː³⁵ jyː²¹/

渾水摸魚 渾水摸魚#Chinese

浑水摸鱼 浑水摸鱼#Chinese

Alternative form of 渾水摸魚／浑水摸鱼 (húnshuǐmōyú)


死心塌地

ㄙˇ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄊㄚ ㄉㄧˋ

/sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕin⁵⁵ tʰä⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/sei̯³⁵ sɐm⁵⁵ tʰaːp̚³ tei̯²²/

/sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕin⁵⁵ tʰä⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/sei̯³⁵ sɐm⁵⁵ tʰaːp̚³ tei̯²²/

她死心塌地地跟著那個男人。

她死心塌地地跟着那个男人。

to be hell-bent on; to be dead set on (following someone)


無動於衷

ㄨˊ ㄉㄨㄥˋ ㄩˊ ㄓㄨㄥ

/u³⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵/

/mou̯²¹ tʊŋ²² jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

/u³⁵ tʊŋ⁵¹ y³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵/

/mou̯²¹ tʊŋ²² jyː⁵⁵ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

aloof; indifferent; unmoved; unconcerned


一錘定音

ㄧ ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄧㄥˋ ㄧㄣ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tiŋ⁵¹ in⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ tɪŋ²² jɐm⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tiŋ⁵¹ in⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ tɪŋ²² jɐm⁵⁵/


五勞七傷

ㄨˇ ㄌㄠˊ ㄑㄧ ㄕㄤ

/u²¹⁴⁻²¹ lɑʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/ŋ̍¹³ lou̯²¹ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/u²¹⁴⁻²¹ lɑʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/ŋ̍¹³ lou̯²¹ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

(traditional Chinese medicine) “five strains and seven impairments”, five referring to the five viscera (heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney), and seven to adverse effects on one's body as a result of: overeating (spleen), anger (liver), moisture (kidney), cold (lung), worry (heart), wind and rain (outer appearance) and fear (mind)

(by extension) various disease risk factors and pathogenic factors


原原本本

ㄩㄢˊ ㄩㄢˊ ㄅㄣˇ ㄅㄣˇ

юаньюаньбэньбэнь

/ɥɛn³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻³⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɥɛn³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻³⁵ pən²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/


義無反顧

ㄧˋ ㄨˊ ㄈㄢˇ ㄍㄨˋ

/i⁵¹ u³⁵ fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku⁵¹/

/jiː²² mou̯²¹ faːn³⁵ kuː³³/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ bo²⁴⁻²² huan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kɔ²¹/

/ɡi⁴¹⁻²² bo²⁴⁻²² huan⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ kɔ⁴¹/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ bo¹³⁻²² huan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kɔ²¹/

/ɡi³³⁻¹¹ bo²⁴⁻¹¹ huan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kɔ¹¹/

/ɡi³³⁻²¹ bɤ²³⁻³³ huan⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kɔ²¹/

/i⁵¹ u³⁵ fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku⁵¹/

/jiː²² mou̯²¹ faːn³⁵ kuː³³/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ bo²⁴⁻²² huan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kɔ²¹/

/ɡi⁴¹⁻²² bo²⁴⁻²² huan⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ kɔ⁴¹/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ bo¹³⁻²² huan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kɔ²¹/

/ɡi³³⁻¹¹ bo²⁴⁻¹¹ huan⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kɔ¹¹/

/ɡi³³⁻²¹ bɤ²³⁻³³ huan⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ kɔ²¹/

to pursue justice with no second thoughts; to proceed without hesitation


直接了當

ㄓˊ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄉㄤˋ

чжицзеляодан

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɑŋ⁵¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tɑŋ⁵¹/

直截了當 直截了當#Chinese

直截了当 直截了当#Chinese

Alternative form of 直截了當／直截了当 (zhíjiéliǎodàng)


驕奢淫逸

ㄐㄧㄠ ㄕㄜ ㄧㄣˊ ㄧˋ

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʂɤ⁵⁵ in³⁵ i⁵¹/

/kiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɛː⁵⁵ jɐm²¹ jɐt̚²/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʂɤ⁵⁵ in³⁵ i⁵¹/

/kiːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɛː⁵⁵ jɐm²¹ jɐt̚²/

From Zuo Zhuan. Duke Zhuang I of Wey (w:zh:衛前莊公) had a favored son, Zhou Yu (w:zh:州吁), and did not restrain him. One of his officers was concerned (《左傳·隱公三年》)

Shi Que remonstrated with the duke, saying, "Your servant has heard that, when you love a son, you should teach him righteous ways, and not help him on in the course of depravity. There are pride, extravagance, lewdness, and dissipation, by which one depraves himself; but these four vices come from over-indulgence and allowances. If you are going to make Zhou Yu your successor, settle him in that position; if you have not yet decided on such a step, you are paving the way for him to create disorder. …

Commentary of Zuo, c. 4ᵗʰ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Shí Què jiàn yuē: “Chén wén ài zǐ, jiào zhī yǐ yì fāng, fú nà yú xié. Jiāo, shē, yín, yì, suǒ zì xié yě. Sì zhě zhī lái, chǒng lù guò yě. Jiāng lì Zhōu Yù, nǎi dìng zhī yǐ, ruò yóu wèi yě, jiē zhī wéi huò.......

石碏諫曰：「臣聞愛子，教之以義方，弗納于邪。驕、奢、淫、泆，所自邪也。四者之來，寵祿過也。將立州籲，乃定之矣，若猶未也，階之為禍。……

石碏谏曰：「臣闻爱子，教之以义方，弗纳于邪。骄、奢、淫、泆，所自邪也。四者之来，宠禄过也。将立州吁，乃定之矣，若犹未也，阶之为祸。……


秀外慧中

ㄒㄧㄡˋ ㄨㄞˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ ㄓㄨㄥ

сювайхуэйчжун

/ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ waɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵/

/sɐu̯⁵⁵ ŋɔːi̯²² wɐi̯²² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

/siu²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ɡua¹¹ hui³⁵⁻¹¹ toŋ³³/

/sɐu̯⁵⁵ ŋɔːi̯²² wɐi̯²² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵/

/siu²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ɡua¹¹ hui³⁵⁻¹¹ toŋ³³/

(usually of a girl) good-looking and intelligent


五采繽紛

ㄨˇ ㄘㄞˇ ㄅㄧㄣ ㄈㄣ

уцайбиньфэнь

/u²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pin⁵⁵ fən⁵⁵/

/u²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡sʰaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pin⁵⁵ fən⁵⁵/

五彩繽紛 五彩繽紛#Chinese

五彩缤纷 五彩缤纷#Chinese

(uncommon) Alternative form of 五彩繽紛／五彩缤纷 (wǔcǎibīnfēn)


無魂無影

/bo²⁴⁻²² hun²⁴⁻²² bo²⁴⁻²² iã⁵³/

/bo²⁴⁻²² hun²⁴⁻²² bo²⁴⁻²² iã⁵⁵⁴/

/bo¹³⁻²² hun¹³⁻²² bo¹³⁻²² iã⁵³/

/bo²⁴⁻¹¹ hun²⁴⁻¹¹ bo²⁴⁻¹¹ iã⁵³/

/bɤ²³⁻³³ hun²³⁻³³ bɤ²³⁻³³ iã⁴¹/

/bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ huŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ ĩã⁵²/

/bo²⁴⁻²² hun²⁴⁻²² bo²⁴⁻²² iã⁵³/

/bo²⁴⁻²² hun²⁴⁻²² bo²⁴⁻²² iã⁵⁵⁴/

/bo¹³⁻²² hun¹³⁻²² bo¹³⁻²² iã⁵³/

/bo²⁴⁻¹¹ hun²⁴⁻¹¹ bo²⁴⁻¹¹ iã⁵³/

/bɤ²³⁻³³ hun²³⁻³³ bɤ²³⁻³³ iã⁴¹/

/bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ huŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ bo⁵⁵⁻¹¹ ĩã⁵²/

(Hakka, Southern Min) to disappear without a trace


烏七八糟

/u⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ pä⁵⁵ t͡sɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/vu⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹ pa²¹ t͡sau⁵⁵/

/wuː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ paːt̚³ t͡sou̯⁵⁵/

/u³³ t͡sʰi²⁴ pa̠²⁴ t͡sɒu̯³³/

/u³³ t͡ɕʰi²⁴ pa̠²⁴ t͡sɒu̯³³/

/u⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ pä⁵⁵ t͡sɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/vu⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹ pa²¹ t͡sau⁵⁵/

/wuː⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ paːt̚³ t͡sou̯⁵⁵/

/u³³ t͡sʰi²⁴ pa̠²⁴ t͡sɒu̯³³/

/u³³ t͡ɕʰi²⁴ pa̠²⁴ t͡sɒu̯³³/

everything in disorder; in a hideous mess; horribly messy


身懷六甲

ㄕㄣ ㄏㄨㄞˊ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄐㄧㄚˇ

ㄕㄣ ㄏㄨㄞˊ ㄌㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄚˇ

шэньхуайлюцзя

/ʂən⁵⁵ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

шэньхуайлуцзя

/ʂən⁵⁵ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵ lu⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐn⁵⁵ waːi̯²¹ lʊk̚² kaːp̚³/

/ʂən⁵⁵ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵ lu⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐn⁵⁵ waːi̯²¹ lʊk̚² kaːp̚³/


葉公好龍

ㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄏㄠˋ ㄌㄨㄥˊ

ㄕㄜˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄏㄠˋ ㄌㄨㄥˊ

/jɛ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯⁵¹ lʊŋ³⁵/

/ʂɤ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯⁵¹ lʊŋ³⁵/

/siːp̚³ kʊŋ⁵⁵ hou̯³³ lʊŋ²¹/

/jiːp̚² kʊŋ⁵⁵ hou̯³³ lʊŋ²¹/

/jɛ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯⁵¹ lʊŋ³⁵/

/ʂɤ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ xɑʊ̯⁵¹ lʊŋ³⁵/

/siːp̚³ kʊŋ⁵⁵ hou̯³³ lʊŋ²¹/

/jiːp̚² kʊŋ⁵⁵ hou̯³³ lʊŋ²¹/

From a parable in 《新序》 (New Prefaces), describing a man named 葉公 (Shè Gōng/Yè Gōng, “Lord Ye/Lord She”), who was obsessed with drawings of dragons, but fled in terror when he saw a real dragon.

zh-l

Lord Ye/She Zigao liked dragons, dragons drawn on hooks, dragons drawn on wine vessels, dragons drawn at house carvings. So, the dragon in the sky listened then went down, head peeking through the windowsill, tail extended into the hall. Lord Ye/She saw it, gave up then turned around and ran, losing his soul, extremely terrified. This is Lord Ye/She not liking dragons, he liked those resembling dragons but are not dragons.

Han Dynasty, New Prefaces (新序), Liu Xiang (劉向)

Shègōng Zǐgāo hào lóng, gōu yǐ xiě lóng, záo yǐ xiě lóng, wū shì diāo wén yǐ xiě lóng. Yúshì tiānlóng wén ér xià zhī, kuī tóu yú yǒu, yì wěi yú táng. Shègōng jiàn zhī, qì ér xúanzǒu, shī qí húnpò, wǔsèwúzhǔ. Shì Shègōng fēi hào lóng yě, hào fū sì lóng ér fēi lóng zhě yě.

葉公子高好龍，鉤以寫龍，鑿以寫龍，屋室雕文以寫龍。於是天龍聞而下之，窺頭於牖，施尾於堂。葉公見之，棄而還走，失其魂魄，五色無主。是葉公非好龍也，好夫似龍而非龍者也。

叶公子高好龙，钩以写龙，凿以写龙，屋室雕文以写龙。于是天龙闻而下之，窥头于牖，施尾于堂。叶公见之，弃而还走，失其魂魄，五色无主。是叶公非好龙也，好夫似龙而非龙者也。

to pretend to like something which one actually dislikes or fears


返老還童

ㄈㄢˇ ㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨㄢˊ ㄊㄨㄥˊ

фаньлаохуаньтун

/fän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯än³⁵ tʰʊŋ³⁵/

/faːn³⁵ lou̯¹³ waːn²¹ tʰʊŋ²¹/

/fän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯än³⁵ tʰʊŋ³⁵/

/faːn³⁵ lou̯¹³ waːn²¹ tʰʊŋ²¹/

to recover one's youthful vigour; to become young again; to become rejuvenated in one's old age


對號入座

ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄏㄠˋ ㄖㄨˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ

/tu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ xɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐu⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹/

ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄏㄠˋㄦ ㄖㄨˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋㄦ

дуйхаоржуцзор

/tu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ xaʊ̯ɻʷ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʐu⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡su̯ɔɻ⁵¹/

/tɵy̯³³ hou̯²² jɐp̚² t͡sɔː²²/

/tui²¹⁻⁴¹ hɤ³³⁻²¹ zip̚⁴⁻³² t͡sɤ³³/

/tui²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ho¹¹ d͡zip̚⁴⁻² t͡so¹¹/

/tɵy̯³³ hou̯²² jɐp̚² t͡sɔː²²/

/tui²¹⁻⁴¹ hɤ³³⁻²¹ zip̚⁴⁻³² t͡sɤ³³/

/tui²¹³⁻⁵⁵ ho¹¹ d͡zip̚⁴⁻² t͡so¹¹/

(literally) to take one's seat according to the number (on the ticket); to take the assigned seat

(figurative) to match people with descriptions; to associate oneself with something that appears similar; to take something personally; to respond to criticism without having being named


兩鬢斑白

ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄅㄧㄣˋ ㄅㄢ ㄅㄞˊ

лянбиньбаньбай

/li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pin⁵¹ pän⁵⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

/li̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pin⁵¹ pän⁵⁵ paɪ̯³⁵/

to have grey hair at the temples; to be old-aged or have overworked oneself


流連忘返

ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄨㄤˋ ㄈㄢˇ

люляньванфань

/li̯oʊ̯³⁵ li̯ɛn³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹ fän²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/lɐu̯²¹ liːn²¹ mɔːŋ²¹ faːn³⁵/

/liu⁵⁵⁻¹¹ liaŋ⁵⁵ buaŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ huaŋ⁵²/

/li̯oʊ̯³⁵ li̯ɛn³⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹ fän²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/lɐu̯²¹ liːn²¹ mɔːŋ²¹ faːn³⁵/

/liu⁵⁵⁻¹¹ liaŋ⁵⁵ buaŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ huaŋ⁵²/

to remain enjoying oneself and forget to go home; to be unable to tear oneself away; to linger


七月流火

ㄑㄧ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄏㄨㄛˇ

/t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ li̯oʊ̯³⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹ li̯oʊ̯³⁵ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

From the Classic of Poetry, poem 154 (《詩經·豳風·七月》):
:
In antiquity, Chinese astronomers saw the westerly motion of Antares, the Great Fire Star (大火), as a sign of autumn's arrival. Whether this idiom should be interpreted as referring to the current heat or the imminent cooling is a matter of constant dispute.

lang

(《詩經·豳風·七月》)

(《詩經·豳風·七月》)

In the seventh month, the Fire Star passes the meridian; in the ninth month, clothes are given out.
In the days of [our] first month, the wind blows cold; in the days of [our] second, the air is cold.

Qīyuè liú huǒ, jiǔyuè shòu yī.
Yī zhī rì bìfā, èr zhī rì lìliè.

七月流火，九月授衣。
一之日觱發，二之日栗烈。

七月流火，九月授衣。
一之日觱发，二之日栗烈。

the summer heat recedes during the seventh lunar month, and the cold season becomes imminent


束之高閣

ㄕㄨˋ ㄓ ㄍㄠ ㄍㄜˊ

/ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ kɤ³⁵/

/t͡sʰʊk̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ kɔːk̚³/

/ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ kɑʊ̯⁵⁵ kɤ³⁵/

/t͡sʰʊk̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ kou̯⁵⁵ kɔːk̚³/

If we have a correct theory but merely prate about it, pigeonhole it and do not put it into practice, then that theory, however good, is of no significance.

1937, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《實踐論》 (On Practice), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

Rúguǒ yǒu le zhèngquè de lǐlùn, zhǐshì bǎ tā kōngtán yīzhèn, shùzhīgāogé, bìngbù shíxíng, nàme, zhè zhǒng lǐlùn zài hǎo yě shì méiyǒu yìyì de.

如果有了正確的理論，只是把它空談一陣，束之高閣，並不實行，那末，這種理論再好也是沒有意義的。

如果有了正确的理论，只是把它空谈一阵，束之高阁，并不实行，那末，这种理论再好也是没有意义的。

tied up in a bundle on a high shelf; to put something on the back burner


義憤填膺

ㄧˋ ㄈㄣˋ ㄊㄧㄢˊ ㄧㄥ

/i⁵¹⁻⁵³ fən⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn³⁵ iŋ⁵⁵/

/jiː²² fɐn¹³ tʰiːn²¹ jɪŋ⁵⁵/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ hun²¹⁻⁵³ tʰiɛn²⁴⁻²² iɪŋ⁴⁴/

/ɡi⁴¹⁻²² hun⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tʰiɛn²⁴⁻²² iɪŋ³³/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ hun²¹⁻⁵³ tʰiɛn¹³⁻²² iɪŋ⁴⁴/

/ɡi³³⁻¹¹ hun¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰiɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ iɪŋ⁴⁴/

/ɡi³³⁻²¹ hun²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰiɛn²³⁻³³ iɪŋ⁴⁴/

/i⁵¹⁻⁵³ fən⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn³⁵ iŋ⁵⁵/

/jiː²² fɐn¹³ tʰiːn²¹ jɪŋ⁵⁵/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ hun²¹⁻⁵³ tʰiɛn²⁴⁻²² iɪŋ⁴⁴/

/ɡi⁴¹⁻²² hun⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tʰiɛn²⁴⁻²² iɪŋ³³/

/ɡi²²⁻²¹ hun²¹⁻⁵³ tʰiɛn¹³⁻²² iɪŋ⁴⁴/

/ɡi³³⁻¹¹ hun¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰiɛn²⁴⁻¹¹ iɪŋ⁴⁴/

/ɡi³³⁻²¹ hun²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰiɛn²³⁻³³ iɪŋ⁴⁴/

Kàn wán diànshì xīnwén suǒ bàodǎo de nüèdài dòngwù àn, dàjiā bùjiào dì yìfèntiányīng.

看完電視新聞所報導的虐待動物案，大家不覺地義憤填膺。

看完电视新闻所报导的虐待动物案，大家不觉地义愤填膺。


螳臂當車

→ Japanese: 蟷螂の斧

ㄊㄤˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤ ㄔㄜ

ㄊㄤˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄉㄤˇ ㄔㄜ

/tʰɑŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ tɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵/

/tʰɑŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ tɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵/

/tʰɔːŋ²¹ pei̯³³ tɔːŋ³⁵ kɵy̯⁵⁵/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² pi²¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰia⁴⁴/

/tɔŋ²³⁻³³ pi²¹⁻⁴¹ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ki⁴⁴/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ pi¹¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ku⁴⁴/

/tʰɑŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ tɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵/

/tʰɑŋ³⁵ pi⁵¹ tɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤ⁵⁵/

/tʰɔːŋ²¹ pei̯³³ tɔːŋ³⁵ kɵy̯⁵⁵/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² pi²¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ²¹⁻⁵³ t͡sʰia⁴⁴/

/tɔŋ²³⁻³³ pi²¹⁻⁴¹ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ki⁴⁴/

/tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ pi¹¹⁻⁵³ tɔŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ ku⁴⁴/

Do you not know the praying mantis? It angrily stretches out its arms, to block the car tracks, unconscious of its inability for such a task, but showing how much it thinks of its own powers.

Zhuangzi, circa 3ʳᵈ – 2ⁿᵈ centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Rǔ bùzhī fú tángláng hū? Nù qí bì yǐ dāng chēzhé, bùzhī qí bù shēngrèn yě, shì qí cái zhī měi zhě yě.

汝不知夫螳蜋乎？怒其臂以當車轍，不知其不勝任也，是其才之美者也。

汝不知夫螳蜋乎？怒其臂以当车辙，不知其不胜任也，是其才之美者也。

a mantis blocking a vehicle with its arms

稍有常識的人都會看出，如果我們的鐵騎繼續前進，這個螳臂當車的歹徒，難道能夠阻擋得了嗎？ [MSC, trad.]
稍有常识的人都会看出，如果我们的铁骑继续前进，这个螳臂当车的歹徒，难道能够阻挡得了吗？ [MSC, simp.]
Shāo yǒu chángshí de rén dōuhuì kànchū, rúguǒ wǒmen de tiěqí jìxù qiánjìn, zhège tángbìdāngchē de dǎitú, nándào nénggòu zǔdǎng de liǎo ma? [Pinyin]

Everyone with some common sense can see that if our tanks continued to move forward, how can this ruffian with no knowledge in his ability resist?

(figurative) to overrate oneself and attempt something impossible


一語成讖

ㄧ ㄩˇ ㄔㄥˊ ㄔㄣˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰən⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ jyː¹³ sɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰaːm³³/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰən⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ jyː¹³ sɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰaːm³³/

one's careless words (inauspiciously) turned out to be a prophecy


予取予求

ㄩˊ ㄑㄩˇ ㄩˊ ㄑㄧㄡˊ

/y³⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵/

/u²⁴⁻²² t͡sʰu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ u²⁴⁻²² kiu²⁴/

/u²⁴⁻²² t͡sʰu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ u²⁴⁻²² kiu²⁴/

/u¹³⁻²² t͡sʰu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ u¹³⁻²² kiu¹³/

/u²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ u²⁴⁻¹¹ kiu²⁴/

/u²³⁻³³ t͡sʰu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ u²³⁻³³ kiu²³/

/y³⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ y³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯³⁵/

/u²⁴⁻²² t͡sʰu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ u²⁴⁻²² kiu²⁴/

/u²⁴⁻²² t͡sʰu⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ u²⁴⁻²² kiu²⁴/

/u¹³⁻²² t͡sʰu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ u¹³⁻²² kiu¹³/

/u²⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰu⁵³⁻⁴⁴ u²⁴⁻¹¹ kiu²⁴/

/u²³⁻³³ t͡sʰu⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ u²³⁻³³ kiu²³/

(literally) to seek and ask (something) of me

(figurative) to make unlimited demands; to demand everything


干將莫邪

ㄍㄢ ㄐㄧㄤ ㄇㄛˋ ㄧㄝˊ

/kän⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ jɛ³⁵/

/kän⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ jɛ³⁵/


飢腸轆轆

ㄐㄧ ㄔㄤˊ ㄌㄨˋ ㄌㄨˋ

/t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ lu⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu⁵¹/

/kei̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ lʊk̚⁵ lʊk̚⁵/

/t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ lu⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu⁵¹/

/kei̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ lʊk̚⁵ lʊk̚⁵/


吃飯了嗎

ㄔ ㄈㄢˋ ˙ㄌㄜ ˙ㄇㄚ

чифань лэ ма

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ fän⁵¹ lə¹ mä¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵⁵ fän⁵¹ lə¹ mä¹/

你吃飯了嗎？

你吃饭了吗？


齊大非偶

ㄑㄧˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄈㄟ ㄡˇ

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ tä⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ ˀoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ tä⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ ˀoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(of someone from a humble background) to decline a marriage proposal from a rich family as one dare not aspire to such an honour


千錘百煉

ㄑㄧㄢ ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄅㄞˇ ㄌㄧㄢˋ

цяньчуйбайлянь

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯ɛn⁵¹/

/t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ paːk̚³ liːn²²/

/t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵy̯²¹ paːk̚³ liːn²²/


朝秦暮楚

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (朝秦暮楚):
* → Korean: 조진모초(朝秦暮楚) (jojinmocho)

in the morning, Qin; in the evening, Chu

ㄓㄠ ㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄇㄨˋ ㄔㄨˇ

чжаоциньмучу

/ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵ mu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵn²¹ mou̯²² t͡sʰɔː³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂɑʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰin³⁵ mu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡siːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɵn²¹ mou̯²² t͡sʰɔː³⁵/

(figurative) to be quick to switch sides


罪行累累

ㄗㄨㄟˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄟˇ ㄌㄟˇ

цзуйсинлэйлэй

/t͡su̯eɪ̯⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/


怙惡不悛

ㄏㄨˋ ㄜˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄩㄢ

/xu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/wuː²² ɔːk̚³ pɐt̚⁵ syːn⁵⁵/

/xu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ˀɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/wuː²² ɔːk̚³ pɐt̚⁵ syːn⁵⁵/

to keep doing evil without a sense of repentance


餓殍遍野

ㄜˋ ㄆㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄧㄝˇ

/ˀɤ⁵¹ pʰi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pi̯ɛn⁵¹ jɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ŋɔː²² pʰiːu̯¹³ pʰiːn³³ jɛː¹³/

/ŋɔː²² pʰiːu̯¹³ pʰiːn³³ jɛː¹³/

strewn with corpses of victims of starvation


畏葸不前

ㄨㄟˋ ㄒㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ

/weɪ̯⁵¹ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/weɪ̯⁵¹ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/


呶呶不休

ㄋㄠˊ ㄋㄠˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄡ

/nɑʊ̯³⁵ nɑʊ̯³⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/naːu̯²¹ naːu̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯⁵⁵/

/nɑʊ̯³⁵ nɑʊ̯³⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/naːu̯²¹ naːu̯²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jɐu̯⁵⁵/


厝火積薪

ㄘㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄐㄧ ㄒㄧㄣ

/t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰou̯³³ fɔː³⁵ t͡sɪk̚⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰu̯ɔ⁵¹ xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰou̯³³ fɔː³⁵ t͡sɪk̚⁵ sɐn⁵⁵/


稗官野史

ㄅㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄧㄝˇ ㄕˇ

/paɪ̯⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ jɛ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːi̯²² kuːn⁵⁵ jɛː¹³ siː³⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ jɛ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːi̯²² kuːn⁵⁵ jɛː¹³ siː³⁵/

anecdotal history; romances; books of anecdotes


博聞強識

博闻强识
博聞彊識
博聞強志/博聞彊志/博闻强志

ㄅㄛˊ ㄨㄣˊ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄓˋ

бовэньцянчжи

/pu̯ɔ³⁵ wən³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/pu̯ɔ³⁵ wən³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹/


載歌載舞

ㄗㄞˋ ㄍㄜ ㄗㄞˋ ㄨˇ

/t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ kɤ⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ u²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɔːi̯³³ kɔː⁵⁵ t͡sɔːi̯³³ mou̯¹³/

/t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ kɤ⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ u²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡sɔːi̯³³ kɔː⁵⁵ t͡sɔːi̯³³ mou̯¹³/

singing and dancing; festive celebrations


前倨後恭

ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄩˋ ㄏㄡˋ ㄍㄨㄥ

цяньцзюйхоугун

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕy⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰiːn²¹ kɵy̯³³ hɐu̯²² kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ t͡ɕy⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰiːn²¹ kɵy̯³³ hɐu̯²² kʊŋ⁵⁵/

Quoted from Su Qin, where he was ridiculng his sister-in-law for her attitude after he became famous

Su Qin smiled and said to his sister-in-law, “Why were you so arrogant in the past but so respectful to me now?”

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

Sū Qín xiào wèi qí sǎo yuē: “Hé qián jù ér hòu gōng yě?”

蘇秦笑謂其嫂曰：「何前倨而後恭也？」

苏秦笑谓其嫂曰：「何前倨而后恭也？」

to change from arrogance to humility (describing behaviour of snobbish people)


拾級而上

ㄕㄜˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄦˊ ㄕㄤˋ

/ʂɤ⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/ʂɤ⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

From the Book of Rites, Book 1 (《禮記·曲禮上》)

They then offer to each other the precedence in going up, but the host commences first, followed (immediately) by the other. They bring their feet together on every step, thus ascending by successive paces.

The Book of Rites, c. 4ᵗʰ – 2ⁿᵈ century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Zhǔrén yǔ kè ràng dēng, zhǔrén xiān dēng, kè cóng zhī, shèjí jùzú, lián bù yǐ shàng.

主人與客讓登，主人先登，客從之，拾級聚足，連步以上。

主人与客让登，主人先登，客从之，拾级聚足，连步以上。


椎心泣血

ㄔㄨㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄑㄧˋ ㄒㄩㄝˋ

ㄓㄨㄟ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄑㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄝˇ

чуйсиньцисюэ

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹/

чжуйсиньцисе

/ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ʈ͡ʂʰu̯eɪ̯³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹/


量體裁衣

ㄌㄧㄤˋ ㄊㄧˇ ㄘㄞˊ ㄧ

ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄊㄧˇ ㄘㄞˊ ㄧ

/li̯ɑŋ⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵/

/li̯ɑŋ³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵/

/li̯ɑŋ⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵/

/li̯ɑŋ³⁵ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰaɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵/

to act according to actual circumstances


相形見絀

ㄒㄧㄤ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄔㄨˋ

сянсинцзяньчу

/ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹/

/sœːŋ⁵⁵ jɪŋ²¹ kiːn³³ t͡syːt̚³/

/ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵¹/

/sœːŋ⁵⁵ jɪŋ²¹ kiːn³³ t͡syːt̚³/

Then Richardson's Pamela was taught. It's an epistolary novel popular at the time. However, The Sorrows of Young Werther, which I had read before, made it pale by comparison.

2016, Xu Yuanchong, Dreams and Truths, Henan Literature and Art Publishing House (March 2017), page 109

Jiēzhe jiǎng Lǐcháxùn de “Pàmónà”, zhè shì dāngshí fēngxíng de Lúsuō shūxìn tǐ xiǎoshuō, dànshì bǐqǐ wǒ dúguo de “Shàonián Wéitè Zhī Fánnǎo” lái, yòu xiàngxíngjiànchù le.

接著講理查遜的《帕摩娜》，這是當時風行的盧梭書信體小說，但是比起我讀過的《少年維特之煩惱》來，又相形見絀了。

接著讲理查逊的《帕摩娜》，这是当时风行的卢梭书信体小说，但是比起我读过的《少年维特之烦恼》来，又相形见绌了。


佶屈聱牙

ㄐㄧˊ ㄑㄩ ㄠˊ ㄧㄚˊ

/t͡ɕi³⁵ t͡ɕʰy⁵⁵ ˀɑʊ̯³⁵ jä³⁵/

/kiːt̚² wɐt̚⁵ ŋou̯²¹ ŋaː²¹/

/t͡ɕi³⁵ t͡ɕʰy⁵⁵ ˀɑʊ̯³⁵ jä³⁵/

/kiːt̚² wɐt̚⁵ ŋou̯²¹ ŋaː²¹/

The Announcements of Zhou and Pan Geng of Yin, with their unpronounceable phonology crooked and rough on the teeth.

c. 813, Han Yu, "On Advancing Scholarship" (《進學解》)

周誥殷盤，佶屈聱牙。

周诰殷盘，佶屈聱牙。

(of a text) difficult to read and understand


虛與委蛇

/ɕy⁵⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵ i³⁵/

/hɵy̯⁵⁵ jyː¹³ wɐi̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹/

/ɕy⁵⁵ y²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵ i³⁵/

/hɵy̯⁵⁵ jyː¹³ wɐi̯⁵⁵ jiː²¹/

I was showing him myself after the pattern of what was before I began to come from my author. I confronted him with pure vacancy, and an easy indifference.

Xiàng wú shì zhī yǐ wèi shǐ chū wú zōng, wú yǔ zhī xū ér wēiyí.

鄉吾示之以未始出吾宗，吾與之虛而委蛇。

乡吾示之以未始出吾宗，吾与之虚而委蛇。

sham politeness and compliance; courtesy without sincerity; false civility


叱吒風雲

ㄔˋ ㄓㄚˋ ㄈㄥ ㄩㄣˊ

ㄔˋ ㄔㄚˋ ㄈㄥ ㄩㄣˊ

чичжа фэнъюнь

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂä⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ yn³⁵/

чича фэнъюнь

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ yn³⁵/

/t͡sʰɪk̚⁵ t͡saː⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ wɐn²¹/

/t͡sʰɪk̚⁵ t͡sʰaːk̚⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ wɐn²¹/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂä⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ yn³⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵¹ fɤŋ⁵⁵ yn³⁵/

/t͡sʰɪk̚⁵ t͡saː⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ wɐn²¹/

/t͡sʰɪk̚⁵ t͡sʰaːk̚⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ wɐn²¹/


呼天搶地

ㄏㄨ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄤ ㄉㄧˋ

/xu⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/fuː⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

/fuː⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ³⁵ tei̯²²/

/xu⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ti⁵¹/

/fuː⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵ tei̯²²/

/fuː⁵⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ³⁵ tei̯²²/

to cry bitterly and loudly in excessive grief


一曝十寒

ㄧ ㄆㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄏㄢˊ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ pʰu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ xän³⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ pʰu⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ xän³⁵/

(figurative) to work for a bit then skimp


便宜行事

ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄧˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄕˋ

/pi̯ɛn⁵¹ i³⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/piːn²² jiː²¹ hɐŋ²¹ siː²²/

/pi̯ɛn⁵¹ i³⁵ ɕiŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/piːn²² jiː²¹ hɐŋ²¹ siː²²/


官運亨通

ㄍㄨㄢ ㄩㄣˋ ㄏㄥ ㄊㄨㄥ

гуаньюньхэнтун

/ku̯än⁵⁵ yn⁵¹ xɤŋ⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/kuːn⁵⁵ wɐn²² hɐŋ⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/ku̯än⁵⁵ yn⁵¹ xɤŋ⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/kuːn⁵⁵ wɐn²² hɐŋ⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

(of a political career) everything is going smoothly


暴虎馮河

ㄅㄠˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄏㄜˊ

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ xɤ³⁵/

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ xɤ³⁵/

The earliest reference was attested in the Classic of Poetry, poem 195 (《詩經·小雅·小旻》), in the negative :
:
The literal meaning was also commented upon in the Erya, likely quoting from Kong Anguo's commentary on the Analects.

lang

(《詩經·小雅·小旻》)

(《詩經·小雅·小旻》)

They dare not without weapons attack a tiger;
They dare not without a boat cross the He.

不敢暴虎，不敢馮河。

不敢暴虎，不敢冯河。

to fight tiger bare-handed and wade rivers

He who will unarmed attack a tiger, or cross a river without a boat, dying without any regret, I would not have act with me.

Bàohǔpínghé, sǐ ér wúhuǐ zhě, wú bù yǔ yě.

暴虎馮河，死而無悔者，吾不與也。

暴虎冯河，死而无悔者，吾不与也。

Analects
Classic of Poetry
Erya
Kong Anguo


開花結果

ㄎㄞ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄍㄨㄛˇ

ㄎㄞ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄍㄨㄛˇ

/kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

ㄎㄞ ㄏㄨㄚㄦ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄍㄨㄛˇㄦ

кайхуарцзегор

/kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯ɑɻ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔɻ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ ku̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/hɔːi̯⁵⁵ faː⁵⁵ kiːt̚³ kʷɔː³⁵/

/kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ ku̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ xu̯ä⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵ ku̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/hɔːi̯⁵⁵ faː⁵⁵ kiːt̚³ kʷɔː³⁵/


審時度勢

ㄕㄣˇ ㄕˊ ㄉㄨㄛˊ ㄕˋ

ㄕㄣˇ ㄕˊ ㄉㄨㄛˋ ㄕˋ

/ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tu̯ɔ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/sɐm³⁵ siː²¹ tɔːk̚² sɐi̯³³/

/ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tu̯ɔ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/ʂən²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/sɐm³⁵ siː²¹ tɔːk̚² sɐi̯³³/

to judge the hour and size up the situation; to take stock


縱橫捭闔

ㄗㄨㄥˋ ㄏㄥˊ ㄅㄞˇ ㄏㄜˊ

ㄗㄨㄥ ㄏㄥˊ ㄅㄞˇ ㄏㄜˊ

цзунхэнбайхэ

/t͡sʊŋ⁵¹ xɤŋ³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ³⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ xɤŋ³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ³⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵¹ xɤŋ³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ³⁵/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ xɤŋ³⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xɤ³⁵/

(figurative) to manoeuvre amongst various countries or political groupings in order to unite or divide


歃血為盟

ㄕㄚˋ ㄒㄩㄝˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄥˊ

ㄕㄚˋ ㄒㄩㄝˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄥˊ

ㄕㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄝˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄥˊ

/ʂä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ mɤŋ³⁵/

/ʂä⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ mɤŋ³⁵/

/ʂä⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ mɤŋ³⁵/

/saːp̚³ hyːt̚³ wɐi̯²¹ mɐŋ²¹/

/sap̚³²⁻⁴ hiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ ui²⁴⁻²² biɪŋ²⁴/

/ʂä⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕy̯ɛ⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ mɤŋ³⁵/

/ʂä⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ mɤŋ³⁵/

/ʂä⁵¹ ɕi̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ mɤŋ³⁵/

/saːp̚³ hyːt̚³ wɐi̯²¹ mɐŋ²¹/

/sap̚³²⁻⁴ hiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ ui²⁴⁻²² biɪŋ²⁴/

to smear the lips with blood when taking an oath


不蔓不枝

neitherspreading about nor branching out

ㄅㄨˋ ㄇㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ män⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ maːn²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ män⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ maːn²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

(figurative) succinct and to the point; written in a pithy and smooth style; concise (of an article, speech, etc.)


揠苗助長

ㄧㄚˋ ㄇㄧㄠˊ ㄓㄨˋ ㄓㄤˇ

/jä⁵¹ mi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

ㄧㄚˋ ㄇㄧㄠˊㄦ ㄓㄨˋ ㄓㄤˇ

ямяорчжучжан

/jä⁵¹ mi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/aːt̚³ miːu̯²¹ t͡sɔː²² t͡sœːŋ³⁵/

/at̚³²⁻⁴ biau²⁴⁻²² t͡sɔ²²⁻²¹ tiɔŋ⁵³/

/jä⁵¹ mi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jä⁵¹ mi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/aːt̚³ miːu̯²¹ t͡sɔː²² t͡sœːŋ³⁵/

/at̚³²⁻⁴ biau²⁴⁻²² t͡sɔ²²⁻²¹ tiɔŋ⁵³/

There was a man of Song, who was grieved that his growing corn was not longer, and so he pulled it up. Having done this, he returned home, looking very troubled, and said to his people, “I am tired today. I have been helping the corn to grow long.” His son ran to look at it, and found the corn all withered.

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

Sòng rén yǒu mǐn qí miáo zhī bù zhǎng ér yà zhī zhě, mángmángrán guī. Wèi qí rén yuē: “Jīnrì bìng yǐ, yú zhù miáo zhǎng yǐ.” Qí zǐ qū ér wǎng shì zhī, miáo zé gǎo yǐ.

宋人有閔其苗之不長而揠之者，芒芒然歸。謂其人曰：「今日病矣，予助苗長矣。」其子趨而往視之，苗則槁矣。

宋人有闵其苗之不长而揠之者，芒芒然归。谓其人曰：「今日病矣，予助苗长矣。」其子趋而往视之，苗则槁矣。

(figurative) to be hasty and use inappropriate methods in order to achieve a goal quickly, but by doing so ruin things instead and fail in the end


自怨自艾

ㄗˋ ㄩㄢˋ ㄗˋ ㄧˋ

/t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɥɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

/t͡siː²² jyːn³³ t͡siː²² ŋaːi̯²²/

/t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɥɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ i⁵¹/

/t͡siː²² jyːn³³ t͡siː²² ŋaːi̯²²/


獨樂樂不如眾樂樂

ㄉㄨˊ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄜˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄜˋ

duk⁶ ngok⁶ lok⁶ bat¹ jyu⁴ zung³ ngok⁶ lok⁶

ду юэ лэ бужу чжун юэ лэ

/tu³⁵ ɥɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɥɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lɤ⁵¹/

duk⁹ ngok⁹ lok⁹ bat⁷ jy⁴ dzung³ ngok⁹ lok⁹

dug⁶ ngog⁶ log⁶ bed¹ yu⁴ zung³ ngog⁶ log⁶

/tʊk̚² ŋɔːk̚² lɔːk̚² pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ t͡sʊŋ³³ ŋɔːk̚² lɔːk̚²/

Mencius asked, "Which is the more pleasant - to enjoy music by yourself alone, or to enjoy it with others?" "To enjoy it with others," was the reply.
"And which is the more pleasant - to enjoy music with a few, or to enjoy it with many?" "To enjoy it with many."

Yuē: “Dú yuè lè, yǔ rén yuè lè, shú lè?” Yuē: “Bùruò yǔ rén.”
Yuē: “Yǔ shǎo yuè lè, yǔ zhòng yuè lè, shú lè?” Yuē: “Bùruò yǔ zhòng.”

曰：「獨樂樂，與人樂樂，孰樂？」曰：「不若與人。」
曰：「與少樂樂，與眾樂樂，孰樂？」曰：「不若與眾。」

曰：「独乐乐，与人乐乐，孰乐？」曰：「不若与人。」
曰：「与少乐乐，与众乐乐，孰乐？」曰：「不若与众。」

the joy of playing music alone is not as good as the joy of playing music together

It is much more joyful to share the joy than enjoy alone.


磊磊落落

ㄌㄟˇ ㄌㄟˇ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄨㄛˋ

/leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ leɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ lu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯ɔ⁵¹/

/lɵy̯¹³ lɵy̯¹³ lɔːk̚² lɔːk̚²/

/lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴/

/lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔk̚¹²¹⁻²¹ lɔk̚¹²¹/

/lui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lɔk̚²⁴⁻² lɔk̚²⁴/

/lɵy̯¹³ lɵy̯¹³ lɔːk̚² lɔːk̚²/

/lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔk̚⁴⁻³² lɔk̚⁴/

/lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lui⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lɔk̚¹²¹⁻²¹ lɔk̚¹²¹/

/lui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lui⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lɔk̚²⁴⁻² lɔk̚²⁴/


家徒四壁

there is nothing in the house except four bare walls

ㄐㄧㄚ ㄊㄨˊ ㄙˋ ㄅㄧˋ

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵ sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹/

/kaː⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹ sei̯³³ pɪk̚⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ tʰu³⁵ sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹/

/kaː⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹ sei̯³³ pɪk̚⁵/


故弄玄虛

ㄍㄨˋ ㄋㄨㄥˋ ㄒㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄩ

гунунсюаньсюй

/ku⁵¹⁻⁵³ nʊŋ⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛn³⁵ ɕy⁵⁵/

/kuː³³ lʊŋ²² jyːn²¹ hɵy̯⁵⁵/

/ku⁵¹⁻⁵³ nʊŋ⁵¹ ɕy̯ɛn³⁵ ɕy⁵⁵/

/kuː³³ lʊŋ²² jyːn²¹ hɵy̯⁵⁵/

deliberately mystifying; to make something unnecessarily mysterious


有名無實

ㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄧㄥˊ ㄨˊ ㄕˊ

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ miŋ³⁵ u³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/jɐu̯¹³ mɪŋ²¹ mou̯²¹ sɐt̚²/

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ miŋ³⁵ u³⁵ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/jɐu̯¹³ mɪŋ²¹ mou̯²¹ sɐt̚²/


一衣帶水

ㄧ ㄧ ㄉㄞˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ i⁵⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ jiː⁵⁵ taːi̯³³ sɵy̯³⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ i⁵⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ jiː⁵⁵ taːi̯³³ sɵy̯³⁵/

China and Japan are neighbouring countries separated only by a narrow strip of water.

Zhōngguó hé Rìběn shì yīyīdàishuǐ de línbāng.

中國和日本是一衣帶水的鄰邦。

中国和日本是一衣带水的邻邦。


近朱者赤，近墨者黑

Proximity to cinnabar makes one red, to pitch makes one black.

ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓㄨ ㄓㄜˇ ㄔˋ

ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄇㄛˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄏㄟ

chin⁴ chu¹ chê³ chʻih⁴, chin⁴ mo⁴ chê³ hei¹

цзинь чжу чжэ чи

цзинь мо чжэ хэй

czinʹ čžu čžɛ či

/t͡ɕin⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xeɪ̯⁵⁵/

gan⁶ dzy¹ dze² tsek⁸, gan⁶ mak⁹ dze² hak⁷

/kɐn²² t͡syː⁵⁵ t͡sɛː³⁵ t͡sʰɛːk̚³ kɐn²² mɐk̚² t͡sɛː³⁵ hɐk̚⁵/

Different environments provide different influences; who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl


平分秋色

ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄈㄣ ㄑㄧㄡ ㄙㄜˋ

/pʰiŋ³⁵ fən⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/pʰɪŋ²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/

/pʰiŋ³⁵ fən⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ sɤ⁵¹/

/pʰɪŋ²¹ fɐn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵ sɪk̚⁵/


跳進黃河洗不清

cannot wash oneself clean after jumping into the (muddy)Yellow River

ㄊㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄏㄜˊ ㄒㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄥ

tʻiao⁴ chin⁴ Huang² Ho² hsi³ pu⁴ chʻing¹

тяо цзинь Хуан Хэ си бу цин

/tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕin⁵¹ xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ xɤ³⁵ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰiŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰiːu̯³³ t͡sɵn³³ wɔːŋ²¹ hɔː²¹ sɐi̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɪŋ⁵⁵/

to have a wrongful accusation that is unable to be got rid of


莘莘學子

ㄕㄣ ㄕㄣ ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄗˇ

ㄒㄧㄣ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄗˇ

шэньшэньсюэцзы

/ʂən⁵⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

синьсиньсюэцзы

/ɕin⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐn⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵ hɔːk̚² t͡siː³⁵/

/ʂən⁵⁵ ʂən⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕin⁵⁵ ɕin⁵⁵ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/sɐn⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵ hɔːk̚² t͡siː³⁵/


火中取栗

ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄑㄩˇ ㄌㄧˋ

/xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ li⁵¹/

/xu̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ li⁵¹/

to pull someone's chestnuts out of the fire; to be someone's cat's-paw


螳螂捕蟬，黃雀在後

ㄊㄤˊ ㄌㄤˊ ㄅㄨˇ ㄔㄢˊ

ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄑㄩㄝˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄏㄡˋ

tong⁴ long⁴ bou⁶ sim⁴, wong⁴ zoek³ zoi⁶ hau⁶

танлан бу чань

хуанцюэ цзай хоу

/tʰɑŋ³⁵ lɑŋ³⁵ pu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰän³⁵ xu̯ɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

tòhng lòhng bouh sìhm, wòhng jeuk joih hauh

tong⁴ long⁴ bou⁶ sim⁴, wong⁴ dzoek⁸ dzoi⁶ hau⁶

tong⁴ long⁴ bou⁶ xim⁴, wong⁴ zêg³ zoi⁶ heo⁶

/tʰɔːŋ²¹ lɔːŋ²¹ pou̯²² siːm²¹ wɔːŋ²¹ t͡sœːk̚³ t͡sɔːi̯²² hɐu̯²²/

The king of Wu wanted to subdue the Chu state, and told the ministers: "whoever dares to remonstrate dies!" A young man wished to remonstrate with the king but did not dare. He had hidden a projectile in his bosom with a slingshot in hand, and when wandering in the backyard, the dew wet his clothes for a few days like this. The king of Wu asked “how did you wet your clothes hard like this?"
 The young man replied: "there is a tree in the garden with a cicada on the tree. The cicada was standing at a high place wailing and drinking dew, ignorant of a praying mantis behind it; the praying mantis curled up close to the branch, bent its forelimbs, attempting to grab the cicada, ignorant of a siskin next to it; the siskin extended its neck to peck the mantis, ignorant of the slingshot and projectile underneath it. All three of them chased after their immediate benefits without considering the hidden dangers behind them."
The king of Wu said "good!”, thus suspending his plan of conquest.

Wú wáng yù fá jīng, gào qí zuǒyòu yuē: “Gǎn yǒu jiàn zhě sǐ!” Shè rén yǒu shào rúzǐ yù jiàn bùgǎn, zé huái wán cāo dàn, yóu yú hòu yuán, lù zhān qí yī, rú shì zhě zài sān. Wú wáng yuē: “Zǐ lái, hé kǔ zhān yī rúcǐ!”,
Duì yuē: “Yuán zhōng yǒu shù, qí shàng yǒu chán, chán gāo jū bēimíng, yǐn lù, bùzhī tángláng zài qí hòu yě; tángláng wěi shēn qū fù, yù qǔ chán, bùzhī huángquè zài qí páng yě; huángquè yán jǐng, yù zhuó tángláng, ér bùzhī dàn wán zài qí xià yě. Cǐ sān zhě jiē wù yù dé qí qián lì, ér bùgù qí hòu zhī yǒu huàn yě.”
Wú wáng yuē: “Shàn zāi!” Nǎi bà qí bīng.

吳王欲伐荊，告其左右曰：「敢有諫者死！」舍人有少孺子欲諫不敢，則懷丸操彈，游於後園，露沾其衣，如是者再三。吳王曰：「子來，何苦沾衣如此！」，
對曰：「園中有樹，其上有蟬，蟬高居悲鳴、飲露，不知螳螂在其後也；螳螂委身曲附，欲取蟬，不知黃雀在其旁也；黃雀延頸，欲啄螳螂，而不知彈丸在其下也。此三者皆務欲得其前利，而不顧其後之有患也。」
吳王曰：「善哉！」乃罷其兵。

吴王欲伐荆，告其左右曰：「敢有谏者死！」舍人有少孺子欲谏不敢，则怀丸操弹，游于后园，露沾其衣，如是者再三。吴王曰：「子来，何苦沾衣如此！」，
对曰：「园中有树，其上有蝉，蝉高居悲鸣、饮露，不知螳螂在其后也；螳螂委身曲附，欲取蝉，不知黄雀在其旁也；黄雀延颈，欲啄螳螂，而不知弹丸在其下也。此三者皆务欲得其前利，而不顾其后之有患也。」
吴王曰：「善哉！」乃罢其兵。

the mantis catches the cicada, unaware of thesiskin behind

to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger


虛懷若谷

ㄒㄩ ㄏㄨㄞˊ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄍㄨˇ

/ɕy⁵⁵ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/ɕy⁵⁵ xu̯aɪ̯³⁵ ʐu̯ɔ⁵¹ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

From Tao Te Ching Chapter 15 "敦兮其若樸，曠兮其若谷".


見怪不怪

ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄞˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄍㄨㄞˋ

цзяньгуайбугуай

/t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ ku̯aɪ̯⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ku̯aɪ̯⁵¹/

to keep one's calm in the face of the unexpected; to not wonder at strange sights


下不為例

ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄌㄧˋ

/ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ li⁵¹/

/haː²² pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ lɐi̯²²/

/ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ li⁵¹/

/haː²² pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯²¹ lɐi̯²²/


金童玉女

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄩˋ ㄋㄩˇ

цзиньтунъюйнюй

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ³⁵ y⁵¹ ny²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kɐm⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ jʊk̚² nɵy̯¹³/

/kɐm⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ jʊk̚² nɵy̯¹³⁻³⁵/

/kim²⁴ tʰuŋ¹¹ ŋi̯uk̚⁵ ŋ̍³¹/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ³⁵ y⁵¹ ny²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/kɐm⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ jʊk̚² nɵy̯¹³/

/kɐm⁵⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ jʊk̚² nɵy̯¹³⁻³⁵/

/kim²⁴ tʰuŋ¹¹ ŋi̯uk̚⁵ ŋ̍³¹/

(Taoism) child attendants of the immortals

Jīntóngyùnǚ yì tóujī, cáizǐjiārén shì hǎn xī.

金童玉女意投機，才子佳人世罕稀。

金童玉女意投机，才子佳人世罕稀。

(figurative) innocent and lovely young children

(figurative) talented and good-looking couple; lovely young couple


力不從心

ㄌㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄣ

/li⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/lɪk̚² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ sɐm⁵⁵/

/liɪk̚⁴⁻³² put̚³²⁻⁴ t͡siɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴/

/liɪk̚⁴⁻³² put̚³²⁻⁴ t͡siɔŋ²⁴⁻²² sim⁴⁴/

/liɪk̚⁴⁻³² put̚³²⁻⁴ t͡siɔŋ²³⁻³³ sim⁴⁴/

/li⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡sʰʊŋ³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

/lɪk̚² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊŋ²¹ sɐm⁵⁵/

/liɪk̚⁴⁻³² put̚³²⁻⁴ t͡siɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ sim⁴⁴/

/liɪk̚⁴⁻³² put̚³²⁻⁴ t͡siɔŋ²⁴⁻²² sim⁴⁴/

/liɪk̚⁴⁻³² put̚³²⁻⁴ t͡siɔŋ²³⁻³³ sim⁴⁴/

to lack the ability to do what one wants; one's strength does not match one's ambitions; the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak


好花插在牛糞上

Pleasant flowers stuck into a pile of cow dung

ㄏㄠˇ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄔㄚ ㄗㄞˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄈㄣˋ ㄕㄤˋ

хао хуа чацзай нюфэнь шан

/xɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰä⁵⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ fən⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

一朵鮮花插在牛糞上 一朵鮮花插在牛糞上#Chinese

一朵鲜花插在牛粪上 一朵鲜花插在牛粪上#Chinese

Synonym of 一朵鮮花插在牛糞上／一朵鲜花插在牛粪上 (yī duǒ xiānhuā chā zài niúfèn shàng)


白山黑水

ㄅㄞˊ ㄕㄢ ㄏㄟ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

байшаньхэйшуй

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ xeɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːk̚² saːn⁵⁵ hɐk̚⁵ sɵy̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ xeɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːk̚² saːn⁵⁵ hɐk̚⁵ sɵy̯³⁵/

白山 (Báishān, literally “white mountains”) refers to 長白山／长白山 (Chángbáishān, “Changbai Mountain”), while 黑水 (Hēishuǐ, literally “black waters”) refers to the Songhua (Sungari) River, historically referred to as 混同江. First attested in the History of Jin

zh-l

1344 CE, Toqto'a (lead editor), History of Jin

Shēngnǚzhí dì yǒu Hùntóngjiāng, Chángbáishān, Hùntóngjiāng yì hào Hēilóngjiāng, suǒwèi “báishān, hēishuǐ” shìyě.

生女直地有混同江、長白山，混同江亦號黑龍江，所謂「白山、黑水」是也。

生女直地有混同江、长白山，混同江亦号黑龙江，所谓「白山、黑水」是也。


拔苗助長

ㄅㄚˊ ㄇㄧㄠˊ ㄓㄨˋ ㄓㄤˇ

бамяочжучжан

/pä³⁵ mi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

ㄅㄚˊ ㄇㄧㄠˊㄦ ㄓㄨˋ ㄓㄤˇ

бамяорчжучжан

/pä³⁵ mi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚² miːu̯²¹ t͡sɔː²² t͡sœːŋ³⁵/

/puat̚⁴⁻³² biau²⁴⁻²² t͡sɔ²²⁻²¹ tiɔŋ⁵³/

/pä³⁵ mi̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pä³⁵ mi̯aʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚² miːu̯²¹ t͡sɔː²² t͡sœːŋ³⁵/

/puat̚⁴⁻³² biau²⁴⁻²² t͡sɔ²²⁻²¹ tiɔŋ⁵³/

揠苗助長／揠苗助长 (yàmiáozhùzhǎng)

to try to help the shoots grow by pulling them upward


九牛二虎之力

the strength of nine bulls and two tigers

ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄦˋ ㄏㄨˇ ㄓ ㄌㄧˋ

цзю ню эр ху чжи ли

/t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯oʊ̯³⁵ ˀɤɻ⁵¹ xu²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/kɐu̯³⁵ ŋɐu̯²¹ jiː²² fuː³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ lɪk̚²/


金城湯池

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (金城湯池):
* → Japanese: 金(きん)城(じょう)湯(とう)池(ち) (kinjōtōchi)

[[[city]] with]metal walls and boiling moat

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄔㄥˊ ㄊㄤ ㄔˊ

цзиньчэнтанчи

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ tʰɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵/

/kɐm⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ tʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹/

/*k(r)[ə]m [d]eŋ l̥aŋ|l̥ˤaŋ|r̥ˤaŋ Cə.lraj/

/*krɯm djeŋ l̥ʰaːŋ|l̥ʰaːŋs|hljaŋ l'aːl|l'al/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ tʰɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩³⁵/

/kɐm⁵⁵ sɪŋ²¹ tʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰiː²¹/


想入非非

ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄖㄨˋ ㄈㄟ ㄈㄟ

/ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐu⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵/

/sœːŋ³⁵ jɐp̚² fei̯⁵⁵ fei̯⁵⁵/

/sĩõ³⁵⁻¹¹ d͡zip̚⁴⁻² hui³³⁻²³ hui³³/

/ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐu⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵ feɪ̯⁵⁵/

/sœːŋ³⁵ jɐp̚² fei̯⁵⁵ fei̯⁵⁵/

/sĩõ³⁵⁻¹¹ d͡zip̚⁴⁻² hui³³⁻²³ hui³³/

to indulge in fantastical thoughts; to daydream


有恃無恐

ㄧㄡˇ ㄕˋ ㄨˊ ㄎㄨㄥˇ

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ u³⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐu̯¹³ t͡sʰiː¹³ mou̯²¹ hʊŋ³⁵/

/joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ u³⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐu̯¹³ t͡sʰiː¹³ mou̯²¹ hʊŋ³⁵/

Paraphrase of a story [634 BCE] from the Zuo Zhuan

In summer, Duke Xiao of Qi invaded our northern frontiers… "Are the people of Lu afraid?" asked the Duke of Qi. "The inferior are afraid indeed, but the superior ones are not," said Zhan Xi in reply. The Duke asks, "Your households suffer from such want like empty containers hang upside down, and not even green grass grow on your fields, let alone food. Whence your lack of fear?" "We rely on the indisputable and everlasting commandments of the Sovereign Forefather," said Xi. "… thus supported, we have nothing to fear."

Xià, Qí Xiàogōng fá wǒ běi bǐ... Qíhóu yuē: “Lǔrén kǒng hū?” Duì yuē: “Xiǎorén kǒng yǐ, jūnzǐ zé fǒu.” Qíhóu yuē: “Shì rú xuán qìng, yě wú qīngcǎo, héshì ér bùkǒng?” Duì yuē: “Shì xiānwáng zhī mìng.... Shì cǐ yǐ bùkǒng.”

夏，齊孝公伐我北鄙…齊侯曰：「魯人恐乎？」對曰：「小人恐矣，君子則否。」齊侯曰：「室如縣罄，野無青草，何恃而不恐？」對曰：「恃先王之命。…恃此以不恐。」

夏，齐孝公伐我北鄙…齐侯曰：「鲁人恐乎？」对曰：「小人恐矣，君子则否。」齐侯曰：「室如县罄，野无青草，何恃而不恐？」对曰：「恃先王之命。…恃此以不恐。」

Deprived, in a disturbance;
Possessed, how supercilious.

dé bùdào de yǒngyuǎn zài sāodòng, bèi piān'ài de dōu yǒushìwúkǒng

得不到的永遠在騷動 被偏愛的都有恃無恐

得不到的永远在骚动 被偏爱的都有恃无恐

to be emboldened in the knowledge that one has backing; to fear nothing with someone at one's back

Duke Xiao of Qi
King Cheng of Zhou
Zuo Zhuan


事到如今

ㄕˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄣ

шидаожуцзинь

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/siː²² tou̯³³ jyː²¹ kɐm⁵⁵/

/su³³⁻²¹ kau²¹⁻⁴¹ zu²³⁻³³ kim⁴⁴/

/su³³⁻¹¹ kau¹¹⁻⁵³ lu²⁴⁻¹¹ kim⁴⁴/

/ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/siː²² tou̯³³ jyː²¹ kɐm⁵⁵/

/su³³⁻²¹ kau²¹⁻⁴¹ zu²³⁻³³ kim⁴⁴/

/su³³⁻¹¹ kau¹¹⁻⁵³ lu²⁴⁻¹¹ kim⁴⁴/

What should I do at this point? I don't dare make a decision.

sū-kàu-lû-kim beh cháiⁿ-iūⁿ, gún iā m̄-káⁿ chòe chú-ì

事到如今要怎樣 阮也不敢做主意

事到如今要怎样 阮也不敢做主意

as things stand; currently; getting this far; up to this point


臨陣磨槍

ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄓㄣˋ ㄇㄛˊ ㄑㄧㄤ

линьчжэньмоцян

/lin³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹ mu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/lɐm²¹ t͡sɐn²² mɔː²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/

/lin³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹ mu̯ɔ³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/lɐm²¹ t͡sɐn²² mɔː²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ⁵⁵/


不速之客

ㄅㄨˋ ㄙㄨˋ ㄓ ㄎㄜˋ

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ su⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ kʰɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊk̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ haːk̚³/

/pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ su⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ kʰɤ⁵¹/

/pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰʊk̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ haːk̚³/

The topmost SIX, divided, shows its subject entered into the cavern. (But) there are three guests coming, without being urged, (to his help). If he receive them respectfully, there will be good fortune in the end.

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

Shàng liù: rù yú xué, yǒu bùsù zhī kè sān rén lái, jìng zhī zhōng jí.

上六：入于穴，有不速之客三人來，敬之終吉。

上六：入于穴，有不速之客三人来，敬之终吉。

She was an uninvited guest at the party.

她是晚会上的不速之客。

List of hexagrams of the I Ching#Hexagram 5


飽經滄桑

ㄅㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄘㄤ ㄙㄤ

баоцзинцансан

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ sɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːu̯³⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ sɔːŋ⁵⁵/

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ sɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːu̯³⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ sɔːŋ⁵⁵/

to experience many vicissitudes; to have experienced many vicissitudes of life; to have lived through many changes


飽食終日

ㄅㄠˇ ㄕˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄖˋ

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/paːu̯³⁵ sɪk̚² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚²/

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹/

/paːu̯³⁵ sɪk̚² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚²/

See 飽食終日，無所用心／饱食终日，无所用心 (bǎoshízhōngrì, wúsuǒyòngxīn).

zh-l

to spend the whole day eating (i.e. not doing any work)


報仇雪恥

ㄅㄠˋ ㄔㄡˊ ㄒㄩㄝˇ ㄔˇ

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰoʊ̯³⁵ ɕy̯ɛ²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pou̯³³ sɐu̯²¹ syːt̚³ t͡sʰiː³⁵/

/pou̯³³ sɐu̯²¹ syːt̚³ t͡sʰiː³⁵/

to avenge a wrong and wipe out or erase humiliation; to take revenge for an insult


飽學之士

ㄅㄠˇ ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄓ ㄕˋ

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/paːu̯³⁵ hɔːk̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ siː²²/

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/paːu̯³⁵ hɔːk̚² t͡siː⁵⁵ siː²²/

erudite person; learned scholar; man of learning


飽以老拳

ㄅㄠˇ ㄧˇ ㄌㄠˇ ㄑㄩㄢˊ

баоилаоцюань

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ i²¹⁴⁻³⁵ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰy̯ɛn³⁵/

/paːu̯³⁵ jiː¹³ lou̯¹³ kʰyːn²¹/

/paːu̯³⁵ jiː¹³ lou̯¹³ kʰyːn²¹/


報喜不報憂

ㄅㄠˋ ㄒㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄅㄠˋ ㄧㄡ

bàoxǐ bù bàoyōu [Phonetic:bàoxǐ bú bàoyōu]

баоси бу баою

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pɑʊ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯⁵⁵/

/pou̯³³ hei̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ pou̯³³ jɐu̯⁵⁵/

/pɑʊ̯⁵¹ ɕi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ pɑʊ̯⁵¹ joʊ̯⁵⁵/

/pou̯³³ hei̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ pou̯³³ jɐu̯⁵⁵/

to report the good news but not the bad news; to report only what is good while withholding what is unpleasant


寶山空回

return empty-handed from a mountain of treasure

ㄅㄠˇ ㄕㄢ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄏㄨㄟˊ

баошанькунхуэй

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂän⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ xu̯eɪ̯³⁵/

/pou̯³⁵ saːn⁵⁵ hʊŋ⁵⁵ wuːi̯²¹/

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂän⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ xu̯eɪ̯³⁵/

/pou̯³⁵ saːn⁵⁵ hʊŋ⁵⁵ wuːi̯²¹/

to fail to benefit from a visit to a great master, a center of learning, etc.


飽經風霜

ㄅㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄈㄥ ㄕㄨㄤ

баоцзинфэншуан

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːu̯³⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/pau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² sɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːu̯³⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/pau⁵³⁻⁴⁴ kiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² hɔŋ⁴⁴⁻²² sɔŋ⁴⁴/

weather-beaten; having had one's fill of hardships; having experienced the hardship of life


包治百病

ㄅㄠ ㄓˋ ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄧㄥˋ

баочжибайбин

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ piŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ t͡siː²² paːk̚³ pɛːŋ²²/

/pau³³⁻²³ ti¹¹ peʔ²⁻⁴ pẽ¹¹/

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ piŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ t͡siː²² paːk̚³ pɛːŋ²²/

/pau³³⁻²³ ti¹¹ peʔ²⁻⁴ pẽ¹¹/

guaranteed to cure all illnesses; cure-all


包治百病

ㄅㄠ ㄓˋ ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄧㄥˋ

баочжибайбин

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ piŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ t͡siː²² paːk̚³ pɛːŋ²²/

/pau³³⁻²³ ti¹¹ peʔ²⁻⁴ pẽ¹¹/

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ piŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ t͡siː²² paːk̚³ pɛːŋ²²/

/pau³³⁻²³ ti¹¹ peʔ²⁻⁴ pẽ¹¹/

(neologism, humorous) bags can cure all unhappiness


少兒不宜

ㄕㄠˋ ㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˊ

/ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ i³⁵/

/ʂɑʊ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ pu⁵¹ i³⁵/

(of a film etc.) unsuitable for minors; 18+


飽食終日，無所用心

ㄅㄠˇ ㄕˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄖˋ

ㄨˊ ㄙㄨㄛˇ ㄩㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄣ

baau² sik⁶ zung¹ jat⁶, mou⁴ so² jung⁶ sam¹

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹ u³⁵ su̯ɔ²¹⁴⁻²¹ jʊŋ⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

baau² sik⁹ dzung¹ jat⁹, mou⁴ so² jung⁶ sam¹

bao² xig⁶ zung¹ yed⁶, mou⁴ so² yung⁶ sem¹

/paːu̯³⁵ sɪk̚² t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ jɐt̚² mou̯²¹ sɔː³⁵ jʊŋ²² sɐm⁵⁵/

The Master said, "Hard is it to deal with who will stuff himself with food the whole day, without applying his mind to anything good! Are there not gamesters and chess players? To be one of these would still be better than doing nothing at all."

Zǐyuē: “Bǎoshí zhōngrì, wú suǒ yòngxīn, nán yǐ zāi! Bù yǒu bóyì zhě hū, wéi zhī yóu xián hū yǐ.”

子曰：「飽食終日，無所用心，難矣哉！不有博弈者乎，為之猶賢乎已。」

子曰：「饱食终日，无所用心，难矣哉！不有博弈者乎，为之犹贤乎已。」

to eat all day without thinking; to eat three square meals a day and do no work; to be sated with food and lead an idle life


霸王硬上弓

ㄅㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄥ

баван ин шан гун

/pä⁵¹ wɑŋ³⁵ iŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/paː³³ wɔːŋ²¹ ŋaːŋ²² sœːŋ¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/pä⁵¹ wɑŋ³⁵ iŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/paː³³ wɔːŋ²¹ ŋaːŋ²² sœːŋ¹³ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

It is said that the mighty leader Xiang Yu could bend a bow and attach the string with only one hand.

Xiang Yu (the overlord) attaches the bowstring

(euphemistic) to force oneself upon; to rape


包辦代替

ㄅㄠ ㄅㄢˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄊㄧˋ

баобань дайти

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ taɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰi⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ paːn²² tɔːi̯²² tʰɐi̯³³/

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ taɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰi⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ paːn²² tɔːi̯²² tʰɐi̯³³/

to take away somebody else's work; to run things all by oneself without consulting others


包攬詞訟

ㄅㄠ ㄌㄢˇ ㄘˊ ㄙㄨㄥˋ

баолань цысун

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ län²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵ sʊŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ laːm¹³ t͡sʰiː²¹ t͡sʊŋ²²/

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ län²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰz̩³⁵ sʊŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ laːm¹³ t͡sʰiː²¹ t͡sʊŋ²²/

to pettifog; to engage in legal pettifoggery; to practice chicanery


半新不舊

ㄅㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ

баньсинь буцзю

/pän⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/puːn³³ sɐn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯²²/

/pän⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵¹/

/puːn³³ sɐn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ kɐu̯²²/

no longer new; showing signs of wear; worn


包藏禍心

ㄅㄠ ㄘㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄒㄧㄣ

баоцанхосинь

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ³⁵ xu̯ɔ⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ²¹ wɔː²² sɐm⁵⁵/

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ³⁵ xu̯ɔ⁵¹ ɕin⁵⁵/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ²¹ wɔː²² sɐm⁵⁵/

Our small country has not done wrong; the only real fault of ours, if any, is that we have had no choice but to rely on others. If only our trust on your mighty country were enough to keep ourselves at peace! But are you not, with concealed malice, conspiring to take us over?

Xiǎoguó wúzuì, shì shí qí zuì. Jiāng shì dàguó zhī ānjìng jǐ, ér wúnǎi bāocánghuòxīn yǐ tú zhī.

小國無罪，恃實其罪。將恃大國之安靖己，而無乃包藏禍心以圖之。

小国无罪，恃实其罪。将恃大国之安靖己，而无乃包藏祸心以图之。

to harbor evil intentions; to conceal malice


飽漢不知餓漢飢

饱汉不知饿汉饥
飽漢不知餓漢饑

well-fed men do not know starving men's hunger

ㄅㄠˇ ㄏㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄜˋ ㄏㄢˋ ㄐㄧ

бао хань бучжи э хань цзи

/pɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ ˀɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xän⁵¹ t͡ɕi⁵⁵/

/paːu̯³⁵ hɔːn³³ pɐt̚⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ ŋɔː²² hɔːn³³ kei̯⁵⁵/

the well-fed do not know how the starving suffer; to have no realization of how others feel; to be oblivious


包羅萬象

ㄅㄠ ㄌㄨㄛˊ ㄨㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄤˋ

баолованьсян

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ³⁵ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ lɔː²¹ maːn²² t͡sœːŋ²²/

/pau⁴⁴⁻²² lo²⁴⁻²² ban²²⁻²¹ siɔŋ²²/

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ lu̯ɔ³⁵ wän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ lɔː²¹ maːn²² t͡sœːŋ²²/

/pau⁴⁴⁻²² lo²⁴⁻²² ban²²⁻²¹ siɔŋ²²/


半信半疑

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (半信半疑):
* → Japanese: 半(はん)信(しん)半(はん)疑(ぎ) (hanshinhangi)
* → Korean: 반신반의(半信半疑) (bansinbanui)
* → Vietnamese: bán tín bán nghi (半信半疑)

ㄅㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄅㄢˋ ㄧˊ

баньсиньбаньи

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ pän⁵¹ i³⁵/

/puːn³³ sɵn³³ puːn³³ jiː²¹/

/puan¹¹⁻⁵³ sin¹¹⁻⁵³ puan¹¹⁻⁵³ ɡi²⁴/

/puan²¹⁻⁴¹ sin²¹⁻⁴¹ puan²¹⁻⁴¹ ɡi²³/

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ pän⁵¹ i³⁵/

/puːn³³ sɵn³³ puːn³³ jiː²¹/

/puan¹¹⁻⁵³ sin¹¹⁻⁵³ puan¹¹⁻⁵³ ɡi²⁴/

/puan²¹⁻⁴¹ sin²¹⁻⁴¹ puan²¹⁻⁴¹ ɡi²³/

half-believing, half-doubting; not quite convinced


金蘭之交

ㄐㄧㄣ ㄌㄢˊ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄠ

цзиньланьчжицзяо

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ län³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/kɐm⁵⁵ laːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕin⁵⁵ län³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵/

/kɐm⁵⁵ laːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ kaːu̯⁵⁵/


八面光

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːt̚³ miːn²² kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵/

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːt̚³ miːn²² kʷɔːŋ⁵⁵/

smooth and slick (in making social contacts)


八面威風

ㄅㄚ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄨㄟ ㄈㄥ

бамяньвэйфэн

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵/

/paːt̚³ miːn²² wɐi̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵/

/pat̚² mi̯en⁵⁵ vi²⁴⁻¹¹ fuŋ²⁴/

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵⁵/

/paːt̚³ miːn²² wɐi̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ⁵⁵/

/pat̚² mi̯en⁵⁵ vi²⁴⁻¹¹ fuŋ²⁴/

intimidating, commanding presence; aura of awesome might


八面見光

ㄅㄚ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄨㄤ

бамянь цзяньгуан

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ ku̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/


跋山涉水

ㄅㄚˊ ㄕㄢ ㄕㄜˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ

/pä³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ ʂɤ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚² saːn⁵⁵ siːp̚³ sɵy̯³⁵/

/puat̚⁴⁻³² san⁴⁴⁻²² siap̚⁴⁻³² sui⁵³/

/pä³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵ ʂɤ⁵¹ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐt̚² saːn⁵⁵ siːp̚³ sɵy̯³⁵/

/puat̚⁴⁻³² san⁴⁴⁻²² siap̚⁴⁻³² sui⁵³/

to travel afar under difficult conditions; to travel over land and water


把水攪渾

ㄅㄚˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄏㄨㄣˊ

башуйцзяохунь

/pä²¹⁴⁻³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ən³⁵/

/paː³⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ kaːu̯³⁵ wɐn²²/

/paː³⁵ sɵy̯³⁵ kaːu̯³⁵ wɐn²²/


跋前疐後

ㄅㄚˊ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄓˋ ㄏㄡˋ

бацяньчжихоу

/pä³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚² t͡sʰiːn²¹ t͡siː³³ hɐu̯²²/

/pä³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/pɐt̚² t͡sʰiːn²¹ t͡siː³³ hɐu̯²²/

Originally from the Classic of Poetry (《詩》), 《豳風·狼跋》:
Han Yu wrote in the 9th century

The wolf springs forward on his dewlap,
Or trips back on his tail.

狼跋其胡，載疐其尾。

狼跋其胡，载疐其尾。

Yet you, in public affairs, fail to gain the trust of others. In private, none of your friends are willing to help you. You go forward and step on your dewlap, and step back only to trip on your tail. As soon as you move at all, you incur fault upon yourself.

c. 813, Han Yu, "On Encouraging Scholarship" (《進學解》)

Rán'ér gōng bù jiàn xìn yú rén, sī bù jiàn zhù yú yǒu, báqiánzhìhòu, dòngzhé dé jiù.

然而公不見信於人，私不見助於友，跋前疐後，動輒得咎。

然而公不见信于人，私不见助于友，跋前疐后，动辄得咎。

Tā zhèng chǔyú báqiánzhìhòu de gāngà júmiàn.

他正處於跋前疐後的尷尬局面。

他正处于跋前疐后的尴尬局面。

to encounter obstacles ahead and behind; to be beset with difficulties; to be surrounded by problems


白璧微瑕

ㄅㄞˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄨㄟ ㄒㄧㄚˊ

ㄅㄞˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄚˊ

/paɪ̯³⁵ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä³⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ɕi̯ä³⁵/

/paːk̚² pɪk̚⁵ mei̯²¹ haː²¹/

/paɪ̯³⁵ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä³⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ pi⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ɕi̯ä³⁵/

/paːk̚² pɪk̚⁵ mei̯²¹ haː²¹/

minor blemish in a thing of beauty; slight defect in a person of integrity


八面玲瓏

ㄅㄚ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄌㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄨㄥˊ

бамяньлинлун

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ liŋ³⁵ lʊŋ³⁵/

/paːt̚³ miːn²² lɪŋ²¹ lʊŋ²¹/

/pä⁵⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ liŋ³⁵ lʊŋ³⁵/

/paːt̚³ miːn²² lɪŋ²¹ lʊŋ²¹/


白手成家

ㄅㄞˊ ㄕㄡˇ ㄔㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄚ

байшоучэнцзя

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² sɐu̯³⁵ sɪŋ²¹ kaː⁵⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʂoʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² sɐu̯³⁵ sɪŋ²¹ kaː⁵⁵/

to build up from nothing; to start from scratch


白日做夢

ㄅㄞˊ ㄖˋ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄇㄥˋ

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ mɤŋ⁵¹/

/paːk̚² jɐt̚² t͡sou̯²² mʊŋ²²/

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡su̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ mɤŋ⁵¹/

/paːk̚² jɐt̚² t͡sou̯²² mʊŋ²²/

build castles in the air
build castles in the air

to spin daydreams; to indulge in wishful thinking; to build castles in the air


白衣戰士

ㄅㄞˊ ㄧ ㄓㄢˋ ㄕˋ

байи чжаньши

/paɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/paːk̚² jiː⁵⁵ t͡siːn³³ siː²²/

/paɪ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/paːk̚² jiː⁵⁵ t͡siːn³³ siː²²/

(honorific, figurative) medical worker; doctor or nurse


白字連篇

ㄅㄞˊ ㄗˋ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄆㄧㄢ

байцзы ляньпянь

/paɪ̯³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ li̯ɛn³⁵ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² t͡siː²² liːn²¹ pʰiːn⁵⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ li̯ɛn³⁵ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² t͡siː²² liːn²¹ pʰiːn⁵⁵/

reams of wrong characters; full of mispronounced or wrong words (of speech or writing)


白面書生

ㄅㄞˊ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄕㄨ ㄕㄥ

баймяньшушэн

/paɪ̯³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂu⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² miːn²² syː⁵⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/pɛiʔ⁵⁻²¹ mieŋ²⁴²⁽⁻²¹⁾ ^((t͡s-))ʒy⁵⁵ ⁽ˢ⁻⁾lɛiŋ⁵⁵/

/piɪk̚⁴⁻³² bin³³⁻²¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

/piɪk̚⁴⁻³² bin³³⁻¹¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

/pe(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ bin³³⁻²¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

/pe(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ bin³³⁻¹¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

/paɪ̯³⁵ mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂu⁵⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² miːn²² syː⁵⁵ sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/piɪk̚⁴⁻³² bin³³⁻²¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

/piɪk̚⁴⁻³² bin³³⁻¹¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

/pe(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ bin³³⁻²¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

/pe(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ bin³³⁻¹¹ su⁴⁴⁻³³ siɪŋ⁴⁴/

young scholar who is well-versed in academic theories but lacks real-life experience; young and inexperienced person without practical experience


白紙黑字

ㄅㄞˊ ㄓˇ ㄏㄟ ㄗˋ

байчжихэйцзы

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xeɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹/

/paːk̚² t͡siː³⁵ hɐk̚⁵ t͡siː²²/

/paɪ̯³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xeɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹/

/paːk̚² t͡siː³⁵ hɐk̚⁵ t͡siː²²/


白璧無瑕

ㄅㄞˊ ㄅㄧˋ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄚˊ

/paɪ̯³⁵ pi⁵¹ u³⁵ ɕi̯ä³⁵/

/paːk̚² pɪk̚⁵ mou̯²¹ haː²¹/

/paɪ̯³⁵ pi⁵¹ u³⁵ ɕi̯ä³⁵/

/paːk̚² pɪk̚⁵ mou̯²¹ haː²¹/


白雲蒼狗

white clouds are so changeable in shape that they look now like white garments and now like grey hounds

ㄅㄞˊ ㄩㄣˊ ㄘㄤ ㄍㄡˇ

байюньцангоу

/paɪ̯³⁵ yn³⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːk̚² wɐn²¹ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ kɐu̯³⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ yn³⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ koʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːk̚² wɐn²¹ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ kɐu̯³⁵/

freakishness; changeable and strange; changes in human affairs often take freakish forms


百般刁難

ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄢ ㄉㄧㄠ ㄋㄢˋ

ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄢ ㄉㄧㄠ ㄋㄢˊ

байбань дяонань

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pän⁵⁵ ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ nän⁵¹/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pän⁵⁵ ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ nän³⁵/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pän⁵⁵ ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ nän⁵¹/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pän⁵⁵ ti̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ nän³⁵/

to create innumerable obstacles; to make things difficult for; to create obstructions of every description


白費唇舌

ㄅㄞˊ ㄈㄟˋ ㄔㄨㄣˊ ㄕㄜˊ

байфэй чуньшэ

/paɪ̯³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən³⁵ ʂɤ³⁵/

/paːk̚² fɐi̯³³ sɵn²¹ siːt̚³/

/paɪ̯³⁵ feɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ən³⁵ ʂɤ³⁵/

/paːk̚² fɐi̯³³ sɵn²¹ siːt̚³/


青靚白淨

/t͡sʰɛːŋ⁵⁵ lɛːŋ³³ paːk̚² t͡sɛːŋ²²/

/t͡sʰɛːŋ⁵⁵ lɛːŋ³³ paːk̚² t͡sɛːŋ²²/

(Cantonese, of young men) young and good-looking


白髮蒼蒼

ㄅㄞˊ ㄈㄚˋ ㄘㄤ ㄘㄤ

ㄅㄞˊ ㄈㄚˇ ㄘㄤ ㄘㄤ

байфа цанцан

/paɪ̯³⁵ fä⁵¹ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² faːt̚³ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ fä⁵¹ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paɪ̯³⁵ fä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚² faːt̚³ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵/


走過場

ㄗㄡˇ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄔㄤˇ

ㄗㄡˇ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄔㄤˊ

/t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/t͡sɐu̯³⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

/t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/t͡sɐu̯³⁵ kʷɔː³³ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹/

(theater, of an actor or actress) to walk from one end of the stage to the other without stopping

go through the motions
go through the motions

(figurative) to go through the motions; to do something as a mere formality


包辦替代

ㄅㄠ ㄅㄢˋ ㄊㄧˋ ㄉㄞˋ

баобань тидай

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ taɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ paːn²² tʰɐi̯³³ tɔːi̯²²/

/pɑʊ̯⁵⁵ pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ tʰi⁵¹⁻⁵³ taɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːu̯⁵⁵ paːn²² tʰɐi̯³³ tɔːi̯²²/

包辦代替 包辦代替#Chinese

包办代替 包办代替#Chinese

Alternative form of 包辦代替／包办代替 (bāobàn dàitì)


老夫老妻

ㄌㄠˇ ㄈㄨ ㄌㄠˇ ㄑㄧ

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵⁵ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/

/lou̯¹³ fuː⁵⁵ lou̯¹³ t͡sʰɐi̯⁵⁵/

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵⁵ lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/

/lou̯¹³ fuː⁵⁵ lou̯¹³ t͡sʰɐi̯⁵⁵/


遍體鱗傷

ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄊㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄕㄤ

бяньтилиньшан

/pi̯ɛn⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ lin³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/pʰiːn³³ tʰɐi̯³⁵ lɵn²¹ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/pʰiɛn²¹⁻⁵³ tʰe⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴⁻²² siɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pʰiɛn⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tʰe⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lin²⁴⁻²² siɔŋ³³/

/pʰiɛn²¹⁻⁵³ tʰe⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin¹³⁻²² siɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pʰiɛn¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰe⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴⁻¹¹ siɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pʰiɛn²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰe⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ lin²³⁻³³ siɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pi̯ɛn⁵¹ tʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ lin³⁵ ʂɑŋ⁵⁵/

/pʰiːn³³ tʰɐi̯³⁵ lɵn²¹ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/pʰiɛn²¹⁻⁵³ tʰe⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴⁻²² siɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pʰiɛn⁴¹⁻⁵⁵⁴ tʰe⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ lin²⁴⁻²² siɔŋ³³/

/pʰiɛn²¹⁻⁵³ tʰe⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin¹³⁻²² siɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pʰiɛn¹¹⁻⁵³ tʰe⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴⁻¹¹ siɔŋ⁴⁴/

/pʰiɛn²¹⁻⁴¹ tʰe⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ lin²³⁻³³ siɔŋ⁴⁴/

2004 December 9, Xu Wei (lyrics and music), “曾經的你 [You in the Past]”, in 每一刻都是嶄新的 [Every Moment Is Completely New], performed by Xu Wei:

Love always made you eager and upset / It once made you seriously wounded

Àiqíng zǒng ràng nǐ kěwàng yòu gǎndào fánnǎo, Céng ràng nǐ biàntǐlínshāng

愛情總讓你渴望又感到煩惱 曾讓你遍體鱗傷

爱情总让你渴望又感到烦恼 曾让你遍体鳞伤

to be covered all over with cuts and bruises; to be seriously wounded


粗身大勢

/t͡sʰou̯⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵ taːi̯²² sɐi̯³³/

/t͡sʰou̯⁵⁵ sɐn⁵⁵ taːi̯²² sɐi̯³³/


有落

/jɐu̯¹³ lɔːk̚²/

/jɐu̯¹³ lɔːk̚²/

地鐵站有落。

地铁站有落。

(Cantonese) I want to get off (the minibus)


雞啄唔斷

someone would not stop, just like chicken poking

/kɐi̯⁵⁵ tœːŋ⁵⁵ m̩²¹ tʰyːn¹³/

/kɐi̯⁵⁵ tœːŋ⁵⁵ m̩²¹ tʰyːn¹³/


三姑六婆

ㄙㄢ ㄍㄨ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄆㄛˊ

/sän⁵⁵ ku⁵⁵ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹ pʰu̯ɔ³⁵/

/saːm⁵⁵ kuː⁵⁵ lʊk̚² pʰɔː²¹/

/sam⁴⁴⁻²² kɔ⁴⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² po²⁴/

/sã⁴⁴⁻²² kɔ⁴⁴ lak̚⁴⁻³² po²⁴/

/sän⁵⁵ ku⁵⁵ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹ pʰu̯ɔ³⁵/

/saːm⁵⁵ kuː⁵⁵ lʊk̚² pʰɔː²¹/

/sam⁴⁴⁻²² kɔ⁴⁴ liɔk̚⁴⁻³² po²⁴/

/sã⁴⁴⁻²² kɔ⁴⁴ lak̚⁴⁻³² po²⁴/

Refers to the three 姑 (gū):
* 尼姑 (nígū, “Buddhist nun”),
* 道姑 (dàogū, “Taoist nun”), and
* 卦姑 (guàgū, “female fortune teller”),
and the six 婆 (pó):
* 牙婆 (yápó, “female human trafficker”),
* 媒婆 (méipó, “female matchmaker”),
* 師婆／师婆 (shīpó, “sorceress”),
* 虔婆 (qiánpó, “female brothel keeper”),
* 藥婆／药婆 (yàopó, “female doctor”), and
* 穩婆／稳婆 (wěnpó, “female midwife”).
In ancient China, women of these occupations often swindled money from people and were not reputable.

women with disreputable or illegal professions


一天到晚

ㄧ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄉㄠˋ ㄨㄢˇ

итяньдаовань

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ wän²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ tou̯³³ maːn¹³/

/iəʔ²⁻⁵⁴ tʰie¹¹ tau⁴⁵ væ̃⁵³/

/i²⁴ tʰi̯ẽ³³ tɒu̯⁴⁵ u̯an⁴¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ tɑʊ̯⁵¹ wän²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ tʰiːn⁵⁵ tou̯³³ maːn¹³/

/iəʔ²⁻⁵⁴ tʰie¹¹ tau⁴⁵ væ̃⁵³/

/i²⁴ tʰi̯ẽ³³ tɒu̯⁴⁵ u̯an⁴¹/


滄海桑田

ja-r

滄海桑田(そうかいそうでん) (sōkaisōden)

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (滄海桑田):
* → Japanese: 滄海桑田(そうかいそうでん) (sōkaisōden)
* → Korean: 창해상전(滄海桑田) (changhaesangjeon)
* → Vietnamese: thương hải tang điền (滄海桑田)

→ Vietnamese: bể dâu (calque)

ㄘㄤ ㄏㄞˇ ㄙㄤ ㄊㄧㄢˊ

цанхайсантянь

/t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ sɑŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ hɔːi̯³⁵ sɔːŋ⁵⁵ tʰiːn²¹/

/t͡sʰaŋ³³⁻²³ hai⁵² sɯŋ³³⁻²³ t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰɑŋ⁵⁵ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ sɑŋ⁵⁵ tʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵ hɔːi̯³⁵ sɔːŋ⁵⁵ tʰiːn²¹/

/t͡sʰaŋ³³⁻²³ hai⁵² sɯŋ³³⁻²³ t͡sʰaŋ⁵⁵/

Originally 東海桑田／东海桑田 (literally “East China sea becoming mulberry fields”). From Shenxian Zhuan (神仙傳·麻姑)

zh-l

Magu said: "Since we met last time, I have seen the East China Sea turned into mulberry fields thrice. When I visited Penglai Island just now, I saw that the water was shallower than half of it was when we met. Is it going to turn into land again?"

Mágū zì shuō yún: “Jiēdài yǐlái, yǐ jiàn Dōnghǎi sān wèi sāngtián. Xiàng dào Pénglái, shuǐ yòu qiǎn yú wǎngzhě huì shí lüè bàn yě. Qǐ jiāng fùhái wèi líng lù hū.”

麻姑自說云：「接待以來，已見東海三為桑田。向到蓬萊，水又淺于往者會時略半也。豈將復還為陵陸乎。」

麻姑自说云：「接待以来，已见东海三为桑田。向到蓬莱，水又浅于往者会时略半也。岂将复还为陵陆乎。」

the vast sea (turned into) mulberry fields

time brings drastic changes to the world; the vicissitudes of life


七國咁亂

/t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ kʷɔːk̚³ kɐm³³ lyːn²²/

/t͡sʰɐt̚⁵ kʷɔːk̚³ kɐm³³ lyːn²²/

(Cantonese, simile) extremely messy; in total chaos


煩過梵蒂岡

/faːn²¹ kʷɔː³³ faːn²¹ tɐi̯³³ kɔːŋ⁵⁵/

/faːn²¹ kʷɔː³³ faːn²¹ tɐi̯³³ kɔːŋ⁵⁵/

A pun on the first syllable of 梵蒂岡, which is often homophonous to 煩.

having more trouble than the Vatican City

(Cantonese) very annoying; very troublesome; full of trouble


亂過黎巴嫩

/lyːn²² kʷɔː³³ lɐi̯²¹ paː⁵⁵ nyːn²²/

/lyːn²² kʷɔː³³ lɐi̯²¹ paː⁵⁵ nyːn²²/

A pun on the last syllable of 黎巴嫩 (lai⁴ baa¹ nyun⁶, “Lebanon”), which is a (near) homophone of 亂／乱 (lyun⁶, “messy; chaotic; disorderly”).

(Cantonese, simile) very messy; very chaotic


格殺勿論

Beat (someone) dead, and (the killer) will not be prosecuted.

ㄍㄜˊ ㄕㄚ ㄨˋ ㄌㄨㄣˋ

/kɤ³⁵ ʂä⁵⁵ u⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯ən⁵¹/

/kaːk̚³ saːt̚³ mɐt̚² lɵn²²/

/kɤ³⁵ ʂä⁵⁵ u⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯ən⁵¹/

/kaːk̚³ saːt̚³ mɐt̚² lɵn²²/

Use of deadly force authorized; it is permitted to kill (someone) without any legal consequence.


授受不親

ㄕㄡˋ ㄕㄡˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄣ

шоушоубуцинь

/ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰin⁵⁵/

/sɐu̯²² sɐu̯²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɐn⁵⁵/

/ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰin⁵⁵/

/sɐu̯²² sɐu̯²² pɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɐn⁵⁵/

(of a man and woman) to not have direct contact when giving or receiving an item


襄王有意，神女無心

ㄒㄧㄤ ㄨㄤˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄧˋ

ㄕㄣˊ ㄋㄩˇ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣ

шэньнюй усинь

/ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ wɑŋ³⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ i⁵¹ ʂən³⁵ ny²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ ɕin⁵⁵/

King Xiang is willing, but the goddess has no desire


十指相扣

ㄕˊ ㄓˇ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄎㄡˋ

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯⁵¹/

/sɐp̚² t͡siː³⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ kʰɐu̯³³/

/ʂʐ̩³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ kʰoʊ̯⁵¹/

/sɐp̚² t͡siː³⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ kʰɐu̯³³/


回頭見

ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

хуэйтоу цзянь

/xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊㄦ ㄐㄧㄢˋ

хуэйтоурцзянь

/xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰɤʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰɤʊ̯ɻʷ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹/


大吉大利

ㄉㄚˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄉㄚˋ ㄌㄧˋ

/tä⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹/

/taːi̯²² kɐt̚⁵ taːi̯²² lei̯²²/

/tʰaɪ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ kit̚¹ tʰaɪ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ li⁵³/

/tai²²⁻²¹ kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ tai²²⁻²¹ li²²/

/tai³³⁻²¹ kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ tai³³⁻²¹ li³³/

/tai³³⁻¹¹ kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ tai³³⁻¹¹ li³³/

/tai³⁵⁻¹¹ kik̚²⁻⁴ tai³⁵⁻¹¹ li³⁵/

/tä⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ li⁵¹/

/taːi̯²² kɐt̚⁵ taːi̯²² lei̯²²/

/tʰaɪ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ kit̚¹ tʰaɪ⁵³⁻⁵⁵ li⁵³/

/tai²²⁻²¹ kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ tai²²⁻²¹ li²²/

/tai³³⁻²¹ kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ tai³³⁻²¹ li³³/

/tai³³⁻¹¹ kiɛt̚³²⁻⁴ tai³³⁻¹¹ li³³/

/tai³⁵⁻¹¹ kik̚²⁻⁴ tai³⁵⁻¹¹ li³⁵/


彬彬有禮

ㄅㄧㄣ ㄅㄧㄣ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧˇ

/pin⁵⁵ pin⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐn⁵⁵ pɐn⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ lɐi̯¹³/

/pin⁵⁵ pin⁵⁵ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/pɐn⁵⁵ pɐn⁵⁵ jɐu̯¹³ lɐi̯¹³/


死雞撐飯蓋

a dead chicken props up the lid of a rice pot

/sei̯³⁵ kɐi̯⁵⁵ t͡sʰaːŋ³³ faːn²² kɔːi̯³³/

(Cantonese) to refuse to admit fault or error by defending oneself even when the truth is obvious


下巴輕輕

/haː²² pʰaː²¹ hɛːŋ⁵⁵ hɛːŋ⁵⁵/

/haː²² pʰaː²¹ hɛːŋ⁵⁵ hɛːŋ⁵⁵/

(Cantonese) to speak carelessly; to promise something casually


牙齒當金使

/ŋaː²¹ t͡sʰiː³⁵ tɔːŋ³³ kɐm⁵⁵ sɐi̯³⁵/

/ŋaː²¹ t͡sʰiː³⁵ tɔːŋ³³ kɐm⁵⁵ sɐi̯³⁵/

(Cantonese) to be reliable; to be trustworthy; to keep one's word


珍珠都冇咁真

/t͡sɐn⁵⁵ t͡syː⁵⁵ tou̯⁵⁵ mou̯¹³ kɐm³³ t͡sɐn⁵⁵/

A pun on the first syllable of 珍珠 (zan¹ zyu¹) and 真 (zan¹).

(Cantonese) completely true; absolutely real


自欺欺人

ㄗˋ ㄑㄧ ㄑㄧ ㄖㄣˊ

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/t͡siː²² hei̯⁵⁵ hei̯⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

/t͡sɯ³⁵⁻¹¹ kʰi³³⁻²³ kʰi³³⁻²³ naŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/t͡siː²² hei̯⁵⁵ hei̯⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

/t͡sɯ³⁵⁻¹¹ kʰi³³⁻²³ kʰi³³⁻²³ naŋ⁵⁵/

to deceive oneself as well as others; to fool oneself alongside others


取而代之

ㄑㄩˇ ㄦˊ ㄉㄞˋ ㄓ

/t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵ jiː²¹ tɔːi̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰɵy̯³⁵ jiː²¹ tɔːi̯²² t͡siː⁵⁵/

to take the place of; to substitute for; to replace


大相徑庭

ㄉㄚˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄊㄧㄥˊ

дасянцзинтин

/tä⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ tʰiŋ³⁵/

/taːi̯²² sœːŋ³³ kɪŋ³³ tʰɪŋ²¹/

/tä⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕiŋ⁵¹ tʰiŋ³⁵/

/taːi̯²² sœːŋ³³ kɪŋ³³ tʰɪŋ²¹/

I was frightened and scared by his words; they were like the Milky Way which cannot be traced to its beginning or end. They had no connexion with one another, and were not akin to the experiences of men.

Wú jīngbù qí yán, yóu héhàn ér wújí yě; dà yǒu jìngtíng, bù jìn rénqíng yān.

吾驚怖其言，猶河漢而無極也；大有徑庭，不近人情焉。

吾惊怖其言，犹河汉而无极也；大有径庭，不近人情焉。

completely different; poles apart; as different as can be


百裡挑一

ㄅㄞˇ ㄌㄧˇ ㄊㄧㄠ ㄧ

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ lɵy̯¹³ tʰiːu̯⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ lɵy̯¹³ tʰiːu̯⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵/


百無禁忌

ㄅㄞˇ ㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄐㄧˋ

байуцзиньцзи

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕi⁵¹/

nothing is taboo; anything goes; all taboos are lifted (a magic formula credited with the power to neutralize offenses committed against taboos)


百煉成鋼

ㄅㄞˇ ㄌㄧㄢˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄍㄤ

байляньчэнган

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ kɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚³ liːn²² sɪŋ²¹ kɔːŋ³³/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯ɛn⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ kɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚³ liːn²² sɪŋ²¹ kɔːŋ³³/


百喙莫辯

ㄅㄞˇ ㄏㄨㄟˋ ㄇㄛˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ

байхуэймобянь

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi̯ɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ fuːi̯³³ mɔːk̚² piːn²²/

/paːk̚³ fuːi̯³³ mɔːk̚² piːn²²/


百聽不厭

ㄅㄞˇ ㄊㄧㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˋ

байтин буянь

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰiŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ tʰɪŋ³³ pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰiŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ tʰɪŋ³³ pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³/

worth hearing a hundred times; never boring to listen to it


百孔千瘡

ㄅㄞˇ ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄔㄨㄤ

байкунцяньчуан

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚³ hʊŋ³⁵ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵/

/paːk̚³ hʊŋ³⁵ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɔːŋ⁵⁵/

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


百萬雄師

ㄅㄞˇ ㄨㄢˋ ㄒㄩㄥˊ ㄕ

байвань сюнши

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wän⁵¹ ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/paːk̚³ maːn²² hʊŋ²¹ siː⁵⁵/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wän⁵¹ ɕi̯ʊŋ³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/paːk̚³ maːn²² hʊŋ²¹ siː⁵⁵/


百無聊賴

ㄅㄞˇ ㄨˊ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄌㄞˋ

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ laɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ mou̯²¹ liːu̯²¹ laːi̯²²/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ laɪ̯⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ mou̯²¹ liːu̯²¹ laːi̯²²/

bored to death; bored stiff; overcome with boredom


百問不厭

ㄅㄞˇ ㄨㄣˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˋ

байвэнь буянь

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wən⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ mɐn²² pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wən⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ mɐn²² pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³/

never get impatient with somebody's questions (of a shop assistant, teacher, etc.)


百年之後

ㄅㄞˇ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄓ ㄏㄡˋ

байняньчжихоу

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ niːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ hɐu̯²²/

/*pˤrak C.nˤi[ŋ] tə [ɢ]ˤ(r)oʔ|[ɢ]ˤ(r)oʔ-s/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ xoʊ̯⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ niːn²¹ t͡siː⁵⁵ hɐu̯²²/

I built the temple for the survivors so that they can pay their respects to their ancestors. If the souls know this, what would I regret after hundred years?

Wèi cún zhě lì miào, shǐ shì qí xiānrén. Hún ér yǒu líng, wú bǎi nián zhīhòu hé hèn zāi!

為存者立廟，使視其先人。魂而有靈，吾百年之後何恨哉！

为存者立庙，使视其先人。魂而有灵，吾百年之后何恨哉！

(euphemistic) after somebody's death; when somebody has passed away


百問不厭，百拿不煩

ㄅㄞˇ ㄨㄣˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˋ

ㄅㄞˇ ㄋㄚˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄢˊ

baak³ man⁶ bat¹ jim³, baak³ naa⁴ bat¹ faan⁴

байвэнь буянь

байна буфань

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wən⁵¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ nä³⁵ pu⁵¹ fän³⁵/

baak⁸ man⁶ bat⁷ jim³, baak⁸ naa⁴ bat⁷ faan⁴

/paːk̚³ mɐn²² pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³ paːk̚³ naː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ faːn²¹/

to patiently answer the customer's questions and show them the goods they want; to serve the customers patiently and tirelessly (of a shop assistant)


半死不活

ㄅㄢˋ ㄙˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄛˊ

/pän⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ xu̯ɔ³⁵/

/pän⁵¹ sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ xu̯ɔ³⁵/


百步穿楊

ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄧㄤˊ

байбучуаньян

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵ jɑŋ³⁵/

/paːk̚³ pou̯²² t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵ jœːŋ²¹/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵ jɑŋ³⁵/

/paːk̚³ pou̯²² t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵ jœːŋ²¹/

Derived from the story of the archer 養由基 (Yang Youji) as presented in Zhan Guo Ce.

to shoot an arrow through a willow leaf at a hundred paces; to split a willow wand at a hundred paces

(figurative, of archery, gun shooting, basketball, etc.) to shoot with great precision


百川歸海

ㄅㄞˇ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄏㄞˇ

байчуаньгуйхай

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵ xaɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːk̚³ t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ hɔːi̯³⁵/

/paːk̚³ t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵ hɔːi̯³⁵/

natural trend; all eyes look toward; all things tend to go in the same logical direction; everyone turns to somebody for guidance


百端待舉

ㄅㄞˇ ㄉㄨㄢ ㄉㄞˋ ㄐㄩˇ

байдуань дайцзюй

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu̯än⁵⁵ taɪ̯⁵¹ t͡ɕy²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːk̚³ tyːn⁵⁵ tɔːi̯²² kɵy̯³⁵/

/paːk̚³ tyːn⁵⁵ tɔːi̯²² kɵy̯³⁵/

much remains to be done; numerous tasks remain to be undertaken


百分之百

ㄅㄞˇ ㄈㄣ ㄓ ㄅㄞˇ

байфэньчжибай

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fən⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/paːk̚³ fɐn²² t͡siː⁵⁵ paːk̚³/

/paːk̚³ fɐn²² t͡siː⁵⁵ paːk̚³/

one hundred percent; out and out; absolute


敗子回頭

ㄅㄞˋ ㄗˇ ㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄡˊ

байцзыхуэйтоу

/paɪ̯⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/

/paːi̯²² t͡siː³⁵ wuːi̯²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹/

/paɪ̯⁵¹ t͡sz̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯eɪ̯³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³⁵/

/paːi̯²² t͡siː³⁵ wuːi̯²¹ tʰɐu̯²¹/


百花爭妍

ㄅㄞˇ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄓㄥ ㄧㄢˊ

байхуачжэнъянь

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ jɛn³⁵/

/paːk̚³ faː⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵ jiːn²¹/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ jɛn³⁵/

/paːk̚³ faː⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵ jiːn²¹/

a hundred flowers contend in beauty; the flowers are a riot of color


半路出家

ㄅㄢˋ ㄌㄨˋ ㄔㄨ ㄐㄧㄚ

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/

/puːn³³ lou̯²² t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵/

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/

/puːn³³ lou̯²² t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵/

to switch to a job one was not trained for; to change professions completely


板板六十四

ㄅㄢˇ ㄅㄢˇ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄕˊ ㄙˋ

баньбань люшисы

/pän²¹⁴⁻³⁵ pän²¹⁴⁻²¹ li̯oʊ̯⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ sz̩⁵¹/

/paːn³⁵ paːn³⁵ lʊk̚² sɐp̚² sei̯³³/

/paːn³⁵ paːn³⁵ lʊk̚² sɐp̚² sei̯³³/

During Song dynasty, the number of coins that could be produced with one mold was 64 as prescribed by law.

(regional) unaccommodating; inflexible; hard-nosed


搬弄是非

ㄅㄢ ㄋㄨㄥˋ ㄕˋ ㄈㄟ

баньнуншифэй

/pän⁵⁵ nʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵/

/puːn⁵⁵ lʊŋ²² siː²² fei̯⁵⁵/

/pän⁵⁵ nʊŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ feɪ̯⁵⁵/

/puːn⁵⁵ lʊŋ²² siː²² fei̯⁵⁵/

to sow discord; to tell tales; to make mischief


半壁江山

ㄅㄢˋ ㄅㄧˋ ㄐㄧㄤ ㄕㄢ

баньбицзяншань

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/puːn³³ pɪk̚⁵ kɔːŋ⁵⁵ saːn⁵⁵/

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/puːn³³ pɪk̚⁵ kɔːŋ⁵⁵ saːn⁵⁵/

half of the country (usually referring to the unoccupied part of an invaded country)


斑駁陸離

ㄅㄢ ㄅㄛˊ ㄌㄨˋ ㄌㄧˊ

/pän⁵⁵ pu̯ɔ³⁵ lu⁵¹ li³⁵/

/paːn⁵⁵ pɔːk̚³ lʊk̚² lei̯²¹/

/pän⁵⁵ pu̯ɔ³⁵ lu⁵¹ li³⁵/

/paːn⁵⁵ pɔːk̚³ lʊk̚² lei̯²¹/


阪上走丸

ㄅㄢˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄗㄡˇ ㄨㄢˊ

баньшанцзоувань

/pän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wän³⁵/

/paːn³⁵ sœːŋ²² t͡sɐu̯³⁵ jyːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/faːn³⁵ sœːŋ²² t͡sɐu̯³⁵ jyːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/pän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂɑŋ⁵¹ t͡soʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ wän³⁵/

/paːn³⁵ sœːŋ²² t͡sɐu̯³⁵ jyːn²¹⁻³⁵/

/faːn³⁵ sœːŋ²² t͡sɐu̯³⁵ jyːn²¹⁻³⁵/

rapidly developing situation; rapid changes


敗興而歸

ㄅㄞˋ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄦˊ ㄍㄨㄟ

байсин эргуй

/paɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/

/paːi̯²² hɪŋ³³ jiː²¹ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵/

/paɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɕiŋ⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ku̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/

/paːi̯²² hɪŋ³³ jiː²¹ kʷɐi̯⁵⁵/

to return in low spirits; to come back disappointed


百發百中

ㄅㄞˇ ㄈㄚ ㄅㄞˇ ㄓㄨㄥˋ

байфабайчжун

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fä⁵⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ faːt̚³ paːk̚³ t͡sʊŋ³³/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ huat̚³² piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ²¹/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ fä⁵⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ faːt̚³ paːk̚³ t͡sʊŋ³³/

/piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ huat̚³² piɪk̚³²⁻⁴ tiɔŋ²¹/

In Chu there was Yang Youji, a sharpshooter. After having walked one hundred paces away, he would shoot at willow-leaves, shooting one hundred times and hitting one hundred times. Left and right, several officials who watched (him shooting) all said he was a sharpshooter.

Zhanguo Ce, circa 5ᵗʰ – 3ʳᵈ centuries BCE

Chǔ yǒu Yǎng Yóujī zhě, shànshè, qù liǔyè bǎibù ér shè zhī, bǎifābǎizhòng zhī. Zuǒyòu guānzhě shù gànrén, jiē yuē shànshè.

楚有養由基者，善射，去柳葉百步而射之，百發百中之。左右觀者數幹人，皆曰善射。

楚有养由基者，善射，去柳叶百步而射之，百发百中之。左右观者数干人，皆曰善射。

(literally, figuratively) every shot hits the target; to shoot with unfailing accuracy; to be a crack shot


自命不凡

ㄗˋ ㄇㄧㄥˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄢˊ

цзыминбуфань

/t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ fän³⁵/

/t͡siː²² mɪŋ²² pɐt̚⁵ faːn²¹/

/t͡sz̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ fän³⁵/

/t͡siː²² mɪŋ²² pɐt̚⁵ faːn²¹/

to think no end of oneself; to think too much of oneself; to be self-important


半壁河山

ㄅㄢˋ ㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄢ

баньбихэшань

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/puːn³³ pɪk̚⁵ hɔː²¹ saːn⁵⁵/

/pän⁵¹⁻⁵³ pi⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ ʂän⁵⁵/

/puːn³³ pɪk̚⁵ hɔː²¹ saːn⁵⁵/


半生不熟

ㄅㄢˋ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄨˊ

ㄅㄢˋ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄡˊ

/pän⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʂu³⁵/

баньшэнбушоу

/pän⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯³⁵/

/puːn³³ saːŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sʊk̚²/

/põ⁴⁵ sən³³ pu²⁴ ʂəu̯²⁴/

/põ⁴⁵ sən³³ pu²⁴ səu̯²⁴/

/pän⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʂu³⁵/

/pän⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʂoʊ̯³⁵/

/puːn³³ saːŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ sʊk̚²/

/põ⁴⁵ sən³³ pu²⁴ ʂəu̯²⁴/

/põ⁴⁵ sən³³ pu²⁴ səu̯²⁴/

not mastered; not skilled (of a technique)


搬起石頭打自己的腳

ㄅㄢ ㄑㄧˇ ㄕˊ ˙ㄊㄡ ㄉㄚˇ ㄗˋ ㄐㄧˇ ˙ㄉㄜ ㄐㄧㄠˇ

bun¹ hei² sek⁶ tau⁴ daa² zi⁶ gei² dik¹ goek³

pan¹-chʻi³ shih²-tʻou⁵ ta³ tzŭ⁴-chi³ tê⁵ chiao³

баньци шитоу да цзыцзи дэ цзяо

/pän⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵ tʰoʊ̯³ tä²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡sz̩⁵¹ t͡ɕi²¹⁴ d̥ə⁴ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

bun¹ hei² sek⁹ tau⁴ daa² dzi⁶ gei² dik⁷ goek⁸

bun¹ héi² ség⁶ teo⁴ da² ji⁶ géi² dig¹ gêg³

/puːn⁵⁵ hei̯³⁵ sɛːk̚² tʰɐu̯²¹ taː³⁵ t͡siː²² kei̯³⁵ tɪk̚⁵ kœːk̚³/

搬石頭砸自己的腳 搬石頭砸自己的腳#Chinese

搬石头砸自己的脚 搬石头砸自己的脚#Chinese

Synonym of 搬石頭砸自己的腳／搬石头砸自己的脚 (bān shítou zá zìjǐ de jiǎo)


百讀不厭

ㄅㄞˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˋ

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ tʊk̚² pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ tʊk̚² pɐt̚⁵ jiːm³³/

worth reading a hundred times; can be reread many times with delight


稀奇古怪

ㄒㄧ ㄑㄧˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄍㄨㄞˋ

/ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯aɪ̯⁵¹/

/hei̯⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ kuː³⁵ kʷaːi̯³³/

/ɕi⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku̯aɪ̯⁵¹/

/hei̯⁵⁵ kʰei̯²¹ kuː³⁵ kʷaːi̯³³/

crazy; bizarre; weird; fantastic; strange


有空無榫

/u²² kʰaŋ³³ bo²⁴⁻²² sun⁵⁵⁴/

/u³³⁻¹¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bo²⁴⁻¹¹ sun⁵³/

/u³³⁻²¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bɤ²³⁻³³ sun⁴¹/

/u²²⁻²¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴ bo²⁴⁻²² sŋ̍⁵³/

/u²²⁻²¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴ bo¹³⁻²² sŋ̍⁵³/

/u²² kʰaŋ³³ bo²⁴⁻²² sun⁵⁵⁴/

/u³³⁻¹¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bo²⁴⁻¹¹ sun⁵³/

/u³³⁻²¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ bɤ²³⁻³³ sun⁴¹/

/u²²⁻²¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴ bo²⁴⁻²² sŋ̍⁵³/

/u²²⁻²¹ kʰaŋ⁴⁴ bo¹³⁻²² sŋ̍⁵³/

(Southern Min) crazy; bizarre; weird; fantastic; strange


有七無八

/u²² t͡sʰit̚⁵ bo²⁴⁻²² pueʔ⁵/

/u²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰit̚³²⁻⁴ bo²⁴⁻²² pueʔ³²/

/u²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰit̚³²⁻⁵ bo¹³⁻²² peʔ³²/

/u²² t͡sʰit̚⁵ bo²⁴⁻²² pueʔ⁵/

/u²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰit̚³²⁻⁴ bo²⁴⁻²² pueʔ³²/

/u²²⁻²¹ t͡sʰit̚³²⁻⁵ bo¹³⁻²² peʔ³²/

(Hokkien) at sixes and sevens; all sixes and nines; in a state of confusion; in a state of uncertainty; in a state of incompleteness; in a state of disorder; in an awful mess


百花爭豔

ㄅㄞˇ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄓㄥ ㄧㄢˋ

байхуачжэнъянь

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ faː⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵ jiːm²²/

/paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ xu̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ jɛn⁵¹/

/paːk̚³ faː⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵ jiːm²²/


戛然而止

ㄐㄧㄚˊ ㄖㄢˊ ㄦˊ ㄓˇ

цзяжаньэрчжи

/t͡ɕi̯ä³⁵ ʐän³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/t͡ɕi̯ä³⁵ ʐän³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

(especially of a sound) to stop abruptly


旗鼓相當

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (旗鼓相當):
* → Japanese: 旗(き)鼓(こ)相(あい)当(あ)たる (kiko aiataru)

two armies have equivalent banners and drums

ㄑㄧˊ ㄍㄨˇ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄉㄤ

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ tɑŋ⁵⁵/

/kʰei̯²¹ kuː³⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ tɔːŋ⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕʰi³⁵ ku²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ tɑŋ⁵⁵/

/kʰei̯²¹ kuː³⁵ sœːŋ⁵⁵ tɔːŋ⁵⁵/

to be well-matched; to match in capabilities


冒天下之大不韙

ㄇㄠˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄓ ㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄟˇ

мао тянься чжи дабувэй

/mɑʊ̯⁵¹ tʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ tä⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/mou̯²² tʰiːn⁵⁵ haː²² t͡siː⁵⁵ taːi̯²² pɐt̚⁵ wɐi̯¹³/

to act in defiance of universal condemnation


不分伯仲

unable to distinguish eldest brother from second brother

ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄣ ㄅㄛˊ ㄓㄨㄥˋ

буфэньбочжун

/pu⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ pu̯ɔ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/

/pu⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ pu̯ɔ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵¹/


不能自拔

ㄅㄨˋ ㄋㄥˊ ㄗˋ ㄅㄚˊ

/pu⁵¹ nɤŋ³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ pä³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ nɐŋ²¹ t͡siː²² pɐt̚²/

/pu⁵¹ nɤŋ³⁵ t͡sz̩⁵¹ pä³⁵/

/pɐt̚⁵ nɐŋ²¹ t͡siː²² pɐt̚²/

to be in an inextricable situation; to be unable to stop


惟妙惟肖

ㄨㄟˊ ㄇㄧㄠˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄠˋ

вэймяовэйсяо

/weɪ̯³⁵ mi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/

/weɪ̯³⁵ mi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ weɪ̯³⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹/


引人入勝

ㄧㄣˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄖㄨˋ ㄕㄥˋ

иньжэньжушэн

inʹžɛnʹžušɛn

/in²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ ʐu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/jɐn¹³ jɐn²¹ jɐp̚² sɪŋ³³/

/in⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ zin²³⁻³³ zip̚⁴⁻³² siɪŋ²¹/

/in⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴⁻²² lip̚⁴⁻³² siɪŋ²¹/

/in²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʐən³⁵ ʐu⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂɤŋ⁵¹/

/jɐn¹³ jɐn²¹ jɐp̚² sɪŋ³³/

/in⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ zin²³⁻³³ zip̚⁴⁻³² siɪŋ²¹/

/in⁵³⁻⁴⁴ lin²⁴⁻²² lip̚⁴⁻³² siɪŋ²¹/

to be bewitching; attractive; spectacular


反覆無常

ㄈㄢˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄨˊ ㄔㄤˊ

/fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/faːn³⁵ fʊk̚⁵ mou̯²¹ sœːŋ²¹/

/fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/faːn³⁵ fʊk̚⁵ mou̯²¹ sœːŋ²¹/

to be capricious; to be erratic; to be fickle


反復無常

ㄈㄢˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄨˊ ㄔㄤˊ

/fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

/fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ fu⁵¹ u³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵/

反覆無常 反覆無常#Chinese

反复无常 反复无常#Chinese

Alternative form of 反覆無常／反复无常 (fǎnfùwúcháng)


大街小巷

ㄉㄚˋ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄤˋ

/tä⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/taːi̯²² kaːi̯⁵⁵ siːu̯³⁵ hɔːŋ²²/

/tua³³⁻¹¹ ke⁴⁴⁻³³ sio⁵³⁻⁴⁴ haŋ³³/

/tua³³⁻²¹ ke⁴⁴⁻³³ siɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ haŋ³³/

/tua¹¹ koi³³⁻²³ sio⁵²⁻³⁵ haŋ¹¹/

/tä⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ɛ⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵¹/

/taːi̯²² kaːi̯⁵⁵ siːu̯³⁵ hɔːŋ²²/

/tua³³⁻¹¹ ke⁴⁴⁻³³ sio⁵³⁻⁴⁴ haŋ³³/

/tua³³⁻²¹ ke⁴⁴⁻³³ siɤ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ haŋ³³/

/tua¹¹ koi³³⁻²³ sio⁵²⁻³⁵ haŋ¹¹/

high streets and back lanes; throughout the city


洪荒之力

ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨㄤ ㄓ ㄌㄧˋ

хунхуанчжили

/xʊŋ³⁵ xu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/hʊŋ²¹ fɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ lɪk̚²/

/xʊŋ³⁵ xu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/hʊŋ²¹ fɔːŋ⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ lɪk̚²/

Originated from a post-match interview with Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui.

(neologism, slang, humorous) all of one's ability or power; the entirety of one's potential; mystic powers


異曲同工

ㄧˋ ㄑㄩˇ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄍㄨㄥ

/i⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jiː²² kʰʊk̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/i²²⁻²¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kɔŋ⁴⁴/

/i⁴¹⁻²² kʰiɔk̚⁵⁻²⁴ tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kɔŋ³³/

/i²²⁻²¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁵ tɔŋ¹³⁻²² kɔŋ⁴⁴/

/i³³⁻¹¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ kɔŋ⁴⁴/

/i³³⁻²¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²³⁻³³ kɔŋ⁴⁴/

/i⁵¹ t͡ɕʰy²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jiː²² kʰʊk̚⁵ tʰʊŋ²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵/

/i²²⁻²¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kɔŋ⁴⁴/

/i⁴¹⁻²² kʰiɔk̚⁵⁻²⁴ tɔŋ²⁴⁻²² kɔŋ³³/

/i²²⁻²¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁵ tɔŋ¹³⁻²² kɔŋ⁴⁴/

/i³³⁻¹¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ kɔŋ⁴⁴/

/i³³⁻²¹ kʰiɔk̚³²⁻⁴ tɔŋ²³⁻³³ kɔŋ⁴⁴/

different approaches but equally satisfactory results


萎靡不振

ㄨㄟˇ ㄇㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄣˋ

ㄨㄟ ㄇㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄣˋ

ㄨㄟˇ ㄇㄧˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄣˋ

вэймибучжэнь

/weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹/

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹/

/weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mi³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹/

/weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻³⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹/

/weɪ̯⁵⁵ mi²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹/

/weɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ mi³⁵ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹/

to be in low spirits; to be lethargic-looking; out of sorts


融會貫通

ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄏㄨㄟˋ ㄍㄨㄢˋ ㄊㄨㄥ

жунхуэйгуаньтун

/ʐʊŋ³⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ku̯än⁵¹ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jʊŋ²¹ wuːi̯²² kuːn³³ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/ioŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ hue³⁵⁻¹¹ kuaŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ tʰoŋ³³/

/ʐʊŋ³⁵ xu̯eɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ ku̯än⁵¹ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/jʊŋ²¹ wuːi̯²² kuːn³³ tʰʊŋ⁵⁵/

/ioŋ⁵⁵⁻¹¹ hue³⁵⁻¹¹ kuaŋ²¹³⁻⁵⁵ tʰoŋ³³/

to gain a thorough understanding of something by integrating knowledge from different areas


一分為二

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ˀɤɻ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ fɐn²² wɐi̯²¹ jiː²²/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ fən⁵⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ˀɤɻ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ fɐn²² wɐi̯²¹ jiː²²/


蓋棺定論

ㄍㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄉㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄨㄣˋ

гайгуаньдинлунь

/kaɪ̯⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ tiŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯ən⁵¹/

/kaɪ̯⁵¹ ku̯än⁵⁵ tiŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ lu̯ən⁵¹/

to judge the accomplishments and faults of a person after their death


無孔不入

ㄨˊ ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˋ

/u³⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/mou̯²¹ hɔːŋ³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jɐp̚²/

/u³⁵ kʰʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹⁻³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/mou̯²¹ hɔːŋ³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jɐp̚²/

to seize every opportunity; to be all pervasive


各有千秋

ㄍㄜˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄑㄧㄡ

/kɤ⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵/

/kɔːk̚³ jɐu̯¹³ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵/

/kɔːk̚³ jɐu̯¹³ t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɐu̯⁵⁵/


千篇一律

ㄑㄧㄢ ㄆㄧㄢ ㄧ ㄌㄩˋ

цяньпяньилюй

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ly⁵¹/

/t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ pʰiːn⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ lɵt̚²/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² pʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² it̚³²⁻⁴ lut̚⁴/

/t͡sʰiɛn³³ pʰiɛn³³ it̚⁵⁻²⁴ lut̚²⁴/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² pʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² it̚³²⁻⁵ lut̚¹²¹/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ pʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ lut̚⁴/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ pʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ lut̚⁴/

/t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ pʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ly⁵¹/

/t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ pʰiːn⁵⁵ jɐt̚⁵ lɵt̚²/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² pʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² it̚³²⁻⁴ lut̚⁴/

/t͡sʰiɛn³³ pʰiɛn³³ it̚⁵⁻²⁴ lut̚²⁴/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ pʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ lut̚⁴/

/t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ pʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ it̚³²⁻⁴ lut̚⁴/


澧蘭沅芷

ㄌㄧˇ ㄌㄢˊ ㄩㄢˊ ㄓˇ

лиланьюаньчжи

/li²¹⁴⁻²¹ län³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/li²¹⁴⁻²¹ län³⁵ ɥɛn³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

The Yuan has angelicas; the Li has orchids

沅有茝兮澧有蘭

沅有茝兮澧有兰


一聲不響

ㄧ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ hœːŋ³⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ sɪŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ hœːŋ³⁵/


一反常態

ㄧ ㄈㄢˇ ㄔㄤˊ ㄊㄞˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ tʰaɪ̯⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ faːn³⁵ sœːŋ²¹ tʰaːi̯³³/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ fän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ³⁵ tʰaɪ̯⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ faːn³⁵ sœːŋ²¹ tʰaːi̯³³/

to act out of character; uncharacteristically


一年一度

ㄧ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄧ ㄉㄨˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ tu⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ niːn²¹ jɐt̚⁵ tou̯²²/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ni̯ɛn³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ tu⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ niːn²¹ jɐt̚⁵ tou̯²²/


一呼百應

ㄧ ㄏㄨ ㄅㄞˇ ㄧㄥˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ xu⁵⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ iŋ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ fuː⁵⁵ paːk̚³ jɪŋ³³/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ xu⁵⁵ paɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ iŋ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ fuː⁵⁵ paːk̚³ jɪŋ³³/

to be able to rally multitudes at one's call


一唱一和

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ xɤ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ³³ jɐt̚⁵ wɔː²²/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɑŋ⁵¹ i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ xɤ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰœːŋ³³ jɐt̚⁵ wɔː²²/


一紙空文

ㄧ ㄓˇ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄨㄣˊ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ wən³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː³⁵ hʊŋ⁵⁵ mɐn²¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩²¹⁴⁻²¹ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ wən³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡siː³⁵ hʊŋ⁵⁵ mɐn²¹/


一塵不染

ㄧ ㄔㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄢˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐän²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jiːm¹³/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰən³⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐän²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡sʰɐn²¹ pɐt̚⁵ jiːm¹³/

(Buddhism) to be unstained by an evil environment; to be selfless and incorruptible

(figurative) to be immaculate; to be spotless


一病不起

ㄧ ㄅㄧㄥˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧˇ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ piŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ pɛːŋ²² pɐt̚⁵ hei̯³⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ piŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/jɐt̚⁵ pɛːŋ²² pɐt̚⁵ hei̯³⁵/

to fall gravely ill and never recover since


一命嗚呼

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ miŋ⁵¹ u⁵⁵ xu⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ mɪŋ²² wuː⁵⁵ fuː⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ miŋ⁵¹ u⁵⁵ xu⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ mɪŋ²² wuː⁵⁵ fuː⁵⁵/


一拍即合

ㄧ ㄆㄞ ㄐㄧˊ ㄏㄜˊ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵ xɤ³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰaːk̚³ t͡sɪk̚⁵ hɐp̚²/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰaɪ̯⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵ xɤ³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰaːk̚³ t͡sɪk̚⁵ hɐp̚²/

(of two parties) to hit it off immediately; things fit together at one go


一往無前

ㄧ ㄨㄤˇ ㄨˊ ㄑㄧㄢˊ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ wɔːŋ¹³ mou̯²¹ t͡sʰiːn²¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ u³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ wɔːŋ¹³ mou̯²¹ t͡sʰiːn²¹/

to advance indomitably; to press forward


一落千丈

ㄧ ㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄓㄤˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ lɔːk̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sœːŋ²²/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ lo(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² tŋ̍²²/

/it̚⁵⁻²⁴ lo(ʔ)²⁴⁻² t͡sʰiɛn³³ tŋ̍⁴¹/

/it̚³²⁻⁵ lo(ʔ)¹²¹⁻²¹ t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² tŋ̍²²/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ lo(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ tŋ̍³³/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ lɤ(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ tŋ̍³³/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ lu̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɑŋ⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ lɔːk̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ t͡sœːŋ²²/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ lo(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻²² tŋ̍²²/

/it̚⁵⁻²⁴ lo(ʔ)²⁴⁻² t͡sʰiɛn³³ tŋ̍⁴¹/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ lo(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ tŋ̍³³/

/it̚³²⁻⁴ lɤ(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ tŋ̍³³/

(figurative) to suffer a devastating decline; to decline drastically


一敗塗地

ㄧ ㄅㄞˋ ㄊㄨˊ ㄉㄧˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ tʰu³⁵ ti⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ paːi̯²² tʰou̯²¹ tei̯²²/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ paɪ̯⁵¹ tʰu³⁵ ti⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ paːi̯²² tʰou̯²¹ tei̯²²/


一而再，再而三

цзай эр сань

/i⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ sän⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ jiː²¹ t͡sɔːi̯³³ t͡sɔːi̯³³ jiː²¹ saːm⁵⁵/

again and again; time and again; repeatedly


一馬平川

ㄧ ㄇㄚˇ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄔㄨㄢ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ maː¹³ pʰɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ pʰiŋ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰu̯än⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ maː¹³ pʰɪŋ²¹ t͡sʰyːn⁵⁵/

wide expanse of flat land; wide stretch of flat country


一諾千金

Sino-Xenic (一諾千金):
* → Japanese: 一諾千金(いちだくせんきん) (ichidakusenkin)
* → Korean: 일낙천금(一諾千金) (illakcheon'geum)

ㄧ ㄋㄨㄛˋ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄐㄧㄣ

иноцяньцзинь

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ nu̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ nɔːk̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ kɐm⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ nu̯ɔ⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ nɔːk̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ kɐm⁵⁵/

From Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian.

The people of Chu have a saying: "receiving 100 jin of gold is nothing compared to accepting a promise from Ji Bu."

“Chǔrén yàn yuē ‘Dé huángjīn bǎi, bùrú dé Jì Bù yī nuò’”

「楚人諺曰『得黃金百，不如得季布一諾』」

「楚人谚曰『得黄金百，不如得季布一诺』」

Records of the Grand Historian
Sima Qian


東觀西望

ㄉㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄒㄧ ㄨㄤˋ

дунгуаньсиван

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵ mɔːŋ²²/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ ku̯än⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ wɑŋ⁵¹/

/tʊŋ⁵⁵ kuːn⁵⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵ mɔːŋ²²/


臨陣脫逃

ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄓㄣˋ ㄊㄨㄛ ㄊㄠˊ

линьчжэньтотао

/lin³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹ tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ tʰɑʊ̯³⁵/

/lin³⁵ ʈ͡ʂən⁵¹ tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ tʰɑʊ̯³⁵/

to irresponsibly flee in the face of danger


中西合璧

ㄓㄨㄥ ㄒㄧ ㄏㄜˊ ㄅㄧˋ

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ xɤ³⁵ pi⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵ hɐp̚² pɪk̚⁵/

/ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ ɕi⁵⁵ xɤ³⁵ pi⁵¹/

/t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ sɐi̯⁵⁵ hɐp̚² pɪk̚⁵/

to harmoniously combine Chinese and Western elements


一吐為快

ㄧ ㄊㄨˇ ㄨㄟˊ ㄎㄨㄞˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ kʰu̯aɪ̯⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ tʰou̯³³ wɐi̯²¹ faːi̯³³/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ tʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ weɪ̯³⁵ kʰu̯aɪ̯⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ tʰou̯³³ wɐi̯²¹ faːi̯³³/

get something off one's chest
get something off one's chest


一言既出，駟馬難追

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (一言既出，駟馬難追):
* → Vietnamese: nhất ngôn ký xuất, tứ mã nan truy (一言既出，駟馬難追)

ja-r

一言既に出ずれば駟馬も追い難し

いちごん すで に いずれば しば も おい がた し

→ Japanese: 一言既(いちごんすで)に出(い)ずれば駟馬(しば)も追(お)い難(がた)し (ichigon sude ni izureba shiba mo oi gata shi) (calque)

ㄧ ㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧˋ ㄔㄨ

ㄙˋ ㄇㄚˇ ㄋㄢˊ ㄓㄨㄟ

jat¹ jin⁴ gei³ ceot¹, si³ maa⁵ naan⁴ zeoi¹

сымананьчжуй

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ t͡ɕi⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰu⁵⁵ sz̩⁵¹ mä²¹⁴⁻²¹ nän³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu̯eɪ̯⁵⁵/

jat⁷ jin⁴ gei³ tsoet⁷, si³ maa⁵ naan⁴ dzoey¹

/jɐt̚⁵ jiːn²¹ kei̯³³ t͡sʰɵt̚⁵ siː³³ maː¹³ naːn²¹ t͡sɵy̯⁵⁵/

Based on a passage in the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》)

Zigong said: "How regrettable are your words about the superior person. A four-horse-team cannot overtake the tongue. …"

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

Zǐgòng yuē: “Xī hū! Fūzǐ zhī shuō jūnzǐ yě. Sì bùjí shé.......”

子貢曰：「惜乎！夫子之說君子也。駟不及舌。……」

子贡曰：「惜乎！夫子之说君子也。驷不及舌。……」

once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it

A word once spoken cannot be taken back; A promise must be kept


臨淵羨魚

tostand on the edge of a pool and idly long for fish

ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄩㄢ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄩˊ

линьюаньсяньюй

/lin³⁵ ɥɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ y³⁵/

/lɐm²¹ jyːn⁵⁵ siːn²² jyː²¹/

/lin³⁵ ɥɛn⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɛn⁵¹ y³⁵/

/lɐm²¹ jyːn⁵⁵ siːn²² jyː²¹/

to wish for something good but take no action to obtain it; irresoluteness


樂善好施

ㄌㄜˋ ㄕㄢˋ ㄏㄠˋ ㄕ

/lɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ xɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/lɔːk̚² siːn²² hou̯³³ siː⁵⁵/

/lɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʂän⁵¹⁻⁵³ xɑʊ̯⁵¹ ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/lɔːk̚² siːn²² hou̯³³ siː⁵⁵/


一擲千金

ㄧ ㄓˋ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄐㄧㄣ

ㄧ ㄓˊ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄐㄧㄣ

ичжицяньцзинь

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡saːk̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ kɐm⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵¹ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡ɕin⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ t͡saːk̚² t͡sʰiːn⁵⁵ kɐm⁵⁵/

to spend money like water; to be extravagant


一家之言

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ jɛn³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ jiːn²¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵ jɛn³⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ kaː⁵⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵ jiːn²¹/

With these brief notes, I hope that I may add to the lost parts of the Canons and Arts, establish another school of scholarship, thereby provide accompaniment to the voluminous commentaries on the Six Classics, and consolidate the diverse teachings by the previous masters.

Xù lüè, yǐ shíyí bǔyì, chéng yījiāzhīyán, jué xié liùjīng yìzhuàn, zhěngqí bǎijiā záyǔ.

序略，以拾遺補蓺，成一家之言，厥協六經異傳，整齊百家雜語。

序略，以拾遗补蓺，成一家之言，厥协六经异传，整齐百家杂语。

statements of a school; (merely) one school of thought

(often humble) one's own thought, opinion, interpretation, etc. (implying bias, incompleteness, etc.)


買櫝還珠

ㄇㄞˇ ㄉㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄢˊ ㄓㄨ

майдухуаньчжу

/maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ xu̯än³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵/

/maɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ tu³⁵ xu̯än³⁵ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵/

From Han Feizi, Chapter 32 (《韓非子·外儲說左上》). Originally meant to criticize those who put too much rhetoric into their writings, causing people to be impressed with their words but miss their useful ideas.

lang

(《韓非子·外儲說左上》)

(《韓非子·外儲說左上》)

Once upon a time a man of Chu was selling pearls in Zheng. For the pearls he made magnolia boxes, which he perfumed with cassia spice, bound with beads, decorated them with red gems, and filled harmoniously with the kingfisher's feather. In the long run people in Zheng bought the caskets but returned the pearls. This may be said to be good in selling caskets but cannot be said to be good in trading pearls.

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

Chǔ rén yǒu mài qí zhū yú Zhèng zhě, wéi mùlán zhī dú, xūn yǐ guìjiāo, zhuì yǐ zhūyù, shì yǐ méiguī, jí yǐ fěicuì. Zhèng rén mǎi qí dú ér huán qí zhū. Cǐ kěwèi shàn mài dú yǐ, wèi kěwèi shàn yù zhū yě.

楚人有賣其珠於鄭者，爲木蘭之櫝，薰以桂椒，綴以珠玉，飾以玫瑰，輯以翡翠。鄭人買其櫝而還其珠。此可謂善賣櫝矣，未可謂善鬻珠也。

楚人有卖其珠于郑者，为木兰之椟，薰以桂椒，缀以珠玉，饰以玫瑰，辑以翡翠。郑人买其椟而还其珠。此可谓善卖椟矣，未可谓善鬻珠也。

tobuy a wooden box and return the pearls inside


一擁而入

ㄧ ㄩㄥˇ ㄦˊ ㄖㄨˋ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jʊŋ⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ³⁵ jiː²¹ jɐp̚²/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jʊŋ⁵⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ jʊŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʐu⁵¹/

/jɐt̚⁵ jʊŋ³⁵ jiː²¹ jɐp̚²/


例行公事

ㄌㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄕˋ

/li⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/lɐi̯²² hɐŋ²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ siː²²/

/li⁵¹ ɕiŋ³⁵ kʊŋ⁵⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹/

/lɐi̯²² hɐŋ²¹ kʊŋ⁵⁵ siː²²/

to do one's routine business; to do as a mere formality; routine business


一往直前

ㄧ ㄨㄤˇ ㄓˊ ㄑㄧㄢˊ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ wɑŋ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵ t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵/

一往無前 一往無前#Chinese

一往无前 一往无前#Chinese


樂不可支

ㄌㄜˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄓ

/lɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/lɔːk̚² pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

/lɤ⁵¹⁻⁵³ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/lɔːk̚² pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ t͡siː⁵⁵/

Yang Xiong, The Canon of Supreme Mystery, 2 BCE

Cì èr: lèbùkězhī, chén yú tiān. Cè yuē: lèbùkězhī, yǐ shí suì yě.

次二：樂不可支，辰於天。測曰：樂不可支，以時歲也。

次二：乐不可支，辰于天。测曰：乐不可支，以时岁也。

The Book of the Later Han, circa 5ᵗʰ century CE

Bǎixìng gē yuē: “Sāng wú fù zhī, màisuì liǎng qí. Zhāng jūn wèizhèng, lèbùkězhī.”

百姓歌曰：「桑無附枝，麥穗兩岐。張君為政，樂不可支。」

百姓歌曰：「桑无附枝，麦穗两岐。张君为政，乐不可支。」


臨危授命

ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄟ ㄕㄡˋ ㄇㄧㄥˋ

ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄕㄡˋ ㄇㄧㄥˋ

линьвэйшоумин

/lin³⁵ weɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹/

/lin³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹/

/lin³⁵ weɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹/

/lin³⁵ weɪ̯³⁵ ʂoʊ̯⁵¹⁻⁵³ miŋ⁵¹/


點知

(Cantonese, rhetorical question) how would [someone] know; [someone] doesn't know


迫在眉睫

ㄆㄛˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄇㄟˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ

поцзаймэйцзе

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/pɪk̚⁵ t͡sɔːi̯²² mei̯²¹ t͡siːt̚²/

/pʰu̯ɔ⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡saɪ̯⁵¹ meɪ̯³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛ³⁵/

/pɪk̚⁵ t͡sɔːi̯²² mei̯²¹ t͡siːt̚²/


鸞翔鳳集

ㄌㄨㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄐㄧˊ

луаньсян фэнцзи

/lu̯än³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/lyːn²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ fʊŋ²² t͡saːp̚²/

/lu̯än³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/

/lyːn²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ fʊŋ²² t͡saːp̚²/

gathering of talented people; galaxy of talent; super talented literary group


鸞飄鳳泊

ㄌㄨㄢˊ ㄆㄧㄠ ㄈㄥˋ ㄅㄛˊ

луаньпяофэнбо

/lu̯än³⁵ pʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹ pu̯ɔ³⁵/

/lyːn²¹ pʰiːu̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ²² pɔːk̚²/

/lu̯än³⁵ pʰi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹ pu̯ɔ³⁵/

/lyːn²¹ pʰiːu̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ²² pɔːk̚²/

free and powerful calligraphic style; fine calligraphy

husband and wife separated; marriage broken up

men of worth neglected; scholar unsuccessful


鸞交鳳友

ㄌㄨㄢˊ ㄐㄧㄠ ㄈㄥˋ ㄧㄡˇ

луаньцзяо фэнъю

/lu̯än³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹ joʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/lyːn²¹ kaːu̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ²² jɐu̯¹³/

/lyːn²¹ kaːu̯⁵⁵ fʊŋ²² jɐu̯¹³/


鸞鳳和鳴

ㄌㄨㄢˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄏㄜˋ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

ㄌㄨㄢˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄇㄧㄥˊ

луаньфэнхэмин

/lu̯än³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xɤ⁵¹ miŋ³⁵/

/lu̯än³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ miŋ³⁵/

/lyːn²¹ fʊŋ²² wɔː²² mɪŋ²¹/

/lyːn²¹ fʊŋ²² wɔː²¹ mɪŋ²¹/

/lu̯än³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ xɤ⁵¹ miŋ³⁵/

/lu̯än³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹ xɤ³⁵ miŋ³⁵/

/lyːn²¹ fʊŋ²² wɔː²² mɪŋ²¹/

/lyːn²¹ fʊŋ²² wɔː²¹ mɪŋ²¹/

(literal, of the luan and the phoenix) to sing together in harmony

(figurative) to be in harmony in marriage; to have conjugal felicity; to be a happily married couple


一盤散沙

ㄧ ㄆㄢˊ ㄙㄢˇ ㄕㄚ

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰän³⁵ sän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂä⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰuːn²¹ saːn³⁵ saː⁵⁵/

/i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ pʰän³⁵ sän²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʂä⁵⁵/

/jɐt̚⁵ pʰuːn²¹ saːn³⁵ saː⁵⁵/


鸞翔鳳翥

ㄌㄨㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄓㄨˋ

луаньсян фэнчжу

/lu̯än³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/

/lyːn²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ fʊŋ²² t͡syː³³/

/lu̯än³⁵ ɕi̯ɑŋ³⁵ fɤŋ⁵¹⁻⁵³ ʈ͡ʂu⁵¹/

/lyːn²¹ t͡sʰœːŋ²¹ fʊŋ²² t͡syː³³/

flamboyant calligraphy; free and powerful strokes


鷦鷯一枝

ㄐㄧㄠ ㄌㄧㄠˊ ㄧ ㄓ

jiāoliáo yīzhī [Phonetic:jiāoliáo yìzhī]

цзяоляо ичжи

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/

/t͡ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵⁵ li̯ɑʊ̯³⁵ i⁵⁵⁻⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩⁵⁵/


鷽鳩笑鵬

ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄐㄧㄡ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄆㄥˊ

сюэцзюсяопэн

/ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ pʰɤŋ³⁵/

/ɕy̯ɛ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯oʊ̯⁵⁵ ɕi̯ɑʊ̯⁵¹ pʰɤŋ³⁵/


五時花六時變

五时花六时变
午時花六時變

/ŋ̍¹³ siː²¹ faː⁵⁵ lʊk̚² siː²¹ piːn³³/

/ŋ̍¹³ siː²¹ faː⁵⁵ lʊk̚² siː²¹ piːn³³/

(Cantonese) fickle; changeable; capricious


夾手夾腳

/kaːp̚³ sɐu̯³⁵ kaːp̚³ kœːk̚³/

/kaːp̚³ sɐu̯³⁵ kaːp̚³ kœːk̚³/

(Cantonese) to work together; to cooperate


鷸蚌相爭

ㄩˋ ㄅㄤˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄓㄥ

юйбансянчжэн

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ pɑŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/lɵt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/jyːt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/y⁵¹⁻⁵³ pɑŋ⁵¹ ɕi̯ɑŋ⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤŋ⁵⁵/

/wɐt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/lɵt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

/jyːt̚² pʰɔːŋ¹³ sœːŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɐŋ⁵⁵/

neighbors who can't agree lose out to a third party