Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 画蛇添足 Pinyin: huà shé tiān zú Literal Meaning: Draw a snake and then add feet to it. Figurative Meaning: Do something unnecessary that ruins what is already perfect; overdo a thing and end up making a fool of oneself. Cultural Background This well-known fable-based idiom comes from the Warring States…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 鹬蚌相争，渔人得利Pinyin: yù bàng xiāng zhēng, yú rén dé lìLiteral Meaning: A sandpiper and a clam fight with each other, and the fisherman gains the benefit.Figurative Meaning: When two parties engage in a fierce conflict and both end up suffering losses, an outsider takes advantage and reaps the profits. Cultural Background…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 愚公移山Pinyin: yú gōng yí shānLiteral Meaning: The Foolish Old Man removes mountains.Figurative Meaning: To overcome immense difficulties with unyielding perseverance, diligence and firm belief that human efforts can triumph over natural obstacles. Cultural Background This famous fable is a classic in traditional Chinese culture. It advocates persistence, dedication and the…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 缘木求鱼Pinyin: yuán mù qiú yúLiteral Meaning: Climb a tree to catch fish.Figurative Meaning: Try to achieve a goal by using wrong methods or taking the wrong direction, which is doomed to fail. Cultural Background This idiom comes from Mencius, one of the core classics of Confucianism. It adopts a vivid…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 一鼓作气 Pinyin: yī gǔ zuò qì Literal Meaning: Rally courage at the first beat of the war drum; Using the first drumroll to raise morale and launch an attack Figurative Meaning: Press ahead and finish a task in one go while enthusiasm and energy are at their peak. Cultural Background…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 一鸣惊人 Pinyin: yī míng jīng rén Literal Meaning: Its single cry stuns everyone. Figurative Meaning: Someone who stays obscure for a long time suddenly achieves remarkable success and amazes others. Cultural Background This is a classic inspirational Chinese idiom with two recorded ancient sources. It tells the story of a…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 煮豆燃萁 Pinyin: zhǔ dòu rán qí Literal Meaning: Boil beans with bean stalks as fuel. Figurative Meaning: Brothers or close kin attack and harm one another. Cultural Background This idiom comes from a well-known story of the Cao brothers during the Three Kingdoms period. Cao Pi (曹丕), the new emperor,…
Basic Information Chinese Idiom: 价值连城Pinyin: jià zhí lián chéngLiteral Meaning: Worth a cluster of connected cities, worth several cities.Figurative Meaning: Extremely precious and invaluable Cultural Background Derived from the tale of the He Shi Bi jade, a legendary ancient treasure. The idiom is used to praise rare treasures, precious artworks or invaluable talents. In…