Chinese idiom

  • Jǔ Àn Qí Méi (举案齐眉)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 举案齐眉Pinyin: jǔ àn qí méiLiteral Meaning: Hold the food tray level with one’s eyebrows.Figurative Meaning: Describe a married couple who treat each other with deep respect and courtesy in daily life.

  • Yǐn Láng Rù Shì (引狼入室)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 引狼入室Pinyin: yǐn láng rù shìLiteral Meaning: Lead a wolf into one’s own house.Figurative Meaning: To invite malicious, dangerous people into one’s home, team or inner circle, thus bringing disasters and troubles upon oneself.

  • Ān Bù Dāng Chē (安步当车)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 安步当车Pinyin: ān bù dāng chē Literal Meaning: Take leisurely slow walks as if riding a carriage. Figurative Meaning: Lead a simple, tranquil life without craving luxurious transportation or material comforts; walk unhurriedly and contentedly instead of taking a vehicle. It also embodies a calm, peaceful mindset that finds satisfaction in plain living.…

  • Sì Tǐ Bù Qín, Wǔ Gǔ Bù Fēn (四体不勤,五谷不分)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 四体不勤,五谷不分Pinyin: sì tǐ bù qín, wǔ gǔ bù fēnLiteral Meaning: One does not work with one’s four limbs, and cannot tell the five staple grains apart.Figurative Meaning: A person who lives in comfort, never engages in manual labor, and lacks basic knowledge of farming and everyday practical life. It criticizes…

  • Huàn Nàn Yǔ Gòng (患难与共)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 患难与共Pinyin: huàn nàn yǔ gòngLiteral Meaning: Share hardships and misfortunes together.Figurative Meaning: Stand side by side through all troubles, disasters and difficult times, bearing hardships jointly with another person or group. Cultural Background This idiom embodies the virtue of loyal companionship in Chinese culture. Its source sentence creates a sharp…

  • Huàn Dé Huàn Shī (患得患失)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 患得患失Pinyin: huàn dé huàn shīLiteral Meaning: Worry about both gaining and losing something.Figurative Meaning: Before obtaining something, one frets about failing to get it; once possessed, one lives in constant fear of losing it. It describes people who obsessively fixate on personal gains and losses, trapped in endless anxiety over…

  • Hé Ér Bù Tóng (和而不同)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 和而不同 Pinyin: hé ér bù tóng Literal Meaning: Live in harmony yet do not seek blind uniformity. Figurative Meaning: Maintain peaceful, respectful relations with others while retaining independent viewpoints; coexist amicably without blindly conforming to others’ opinions. Cultural Background This core Confucian philosophy outlines the ideal way of interpersonal communication…

  • Yùn Chóu Wéi Wò (运筹帷幄)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 运筹帷幄Pinyin: yùn chóu wéi wòLiteral Meaning: Devise strategies inside the military tent.Figurative Meaning: Formulate clever plans and make vital strategic decisions behind the scenes, without needing to fight on the front line. It also generally refers to taking charge of major affairs and laying out core policies.

  • Mǐ Mǐ Zhī Yīn (靡靡之音)

    Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 靡靡之音Pinyin: mǐ mǐ zhī yīnLiteral Meaning: Weak and dispiriting tunesFigurative Meaning: Soft, decadent and demoralizing music that indulges sensual pleasures and weakens people’s will. Cultural Background This idiom first appeared in the Warring States period, in the chapter ‘Ten Faults’ of Han Fei’s work Hanfeizi as to be specified below.…