พจนานุกรมเฉิงหวี่

lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous/to overdo it

to paint a dragon and dot in the eyes (idiom); fig. to add the vital finishing touch/the crucial point that brings the subject to life/a few words to clinch the point

lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom)/to wait idly for opportunities/to trust to chance rather than show initiative

to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm (idiom)

lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom)/fig. to act belatedly/better late than never/to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted

lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances

to contradict oneself/self-contradictory/inconsistent

lit. to cover one's ears whilst stealing a bell/to deceive oneself/to bury one's head in the sand (idiom)

lit. the fox exploits the tiger's might (idiom); fig. to use powerful connections to intimidate people

lit. to see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake (idiom); fig. unnecessary suspicions/overly fearful

lit. Lord Ye's passion for dragons (idiom)/fig. to pretend to be fond of sth while actually fearing it/ostensible fondness of sth one really fears

to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)

lit. to play the yu 竽 mouth organ to make up numbers (idiom); fig. to make up the numbers with inferior products/to masquerade as having an ability/token member of a group

to copy the way they walk in Handan (idiom)/slavishly copying others, one risks becoming a caricature

lit. Dong Shi imitates Xi Shi's frown (idiom)/fig. to mimick sb's idiosyncrasies but make a fool of oneself

(lit.) a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow (idiom)/(fig.) sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences

lit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the best (idiom)/fig. a blessing in disguise/it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good

(lit.) a mantis trying to stop a chariot (idiom)/(fig.) to overrate oneself and attempt sth impossible

(lit.) a frog at the bottom of a well (idiom)/(fig.) a person of limited outlook and experience

lit. military tactics on paper (idiom)/fig. theoretical discussion that is worse than useless in practice/armchair strategist/idle theorizing/cf Zhao Kuo 趙括|赵括[Zhao4 Kuo4] leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 長平之戰|长平之战[Chang2 ping2 zhi1 Zhan4] in 260 BC

lit. on all sides, the songs of Chu (idiom)/fig. surrounded by enemies, isolated and without help

lit. to break the cauldrons and sink the boats (idiom); fig. to cut off one's means of retreat/to burn one's boats

variant of 臥薪嘗膽|卧薪尝胆[wo4 xin1 chang2 dan3]

lit. to make three visits to the thatched cottage (idiom) (allusion to an episode in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4] in which Liu Bei 劉備|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] recruits Zhuge Liang 諸葛亮|诸葛亮[Zhu1 ge3 Liang4] to his cause by visiting him three times)/fig. to make earnest and repeated requests of sb

lit. to quench one's thirst by thinking of plums (idiom)/fig. to console oneself with illusions

to start practicing at the first crow of the cock (idiom)/to be diligent in one's studies

lit. mythical bird Jingwei tries to fill the ocean with stones (idiom); futile ambition/task of Sisyphus/determination in the face of impossible odds

the old man moves mountains (idiom); fig. where there's a will, there's a way

(lit.) like the man of 杞[Qi3] who feared the sky would fall (idiom)/(fig.) to entertain groundless fears

lit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom)/fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience/to cast pearls before swine/caviar to the general/to preach to deaf ears/to talk over sb's head

to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom); an overnight celebrity

(lit.) a promise worth a thousand pieces of gold (idiom)/(fig.) a promise that can be counted on

lit. one arrow, two golden eagles (idiom)/to kill two birds with one stone

to kill two birds with one stone (idiom)

concentrating one's thoughts and efforts/single-minded/bent on/intently

(idiom) to take the lead

propitious wind throughout the journey (idiom)/plain sailing/to go smoothly/have a nice trip!

to treat everyone equally favorably (idiom); not to discriminate between people

lit. to draw blood on the first prick (idiom)/fig. to hit the nail on the head

hard to explain in a few words (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly

in two minds about sth (idiom)/half-hearted/shilly-shallying

in a few words (idiom); expressed succinctly

(idiom) all directions; all around

multicolored/every color under the sun

myriad/all kinds of/all sorts of

at sixes and sevens/perturbed state of mind/in a mess

(lit.) one hair from nine oxen (idiom)/(fig.) a drop in the ocean

complete and beautiful/to be perfect (idiom)

(lit.) one hundred shots, one hundred hits (idiom)/(fig.) to shoot with unfailing accuracy; to hit the mark every time

to emerge victorious in every battle/to be ever-victorious

magnificent army with thousands of men and horses (idiom); impressive display of manpower/all the King's horses and all the King's men

lit. thousand ways, a hundred plans (idiom); by every possible means

surefire; absolutely safe (idiom)

millions of people all of one mind (idiom); the people united

to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished

(idiom) half believing, half doubting; not quite convinced; skeptical

(idiom) (of two or more people) to take the same action without prior consultation; (usu. used adverbially) all (or both) of them, independently; as if by prior agreement

lit. not requiring a detailed understanding (idiom); only looking for an overview/not bothered with the details/superficial/content with shallow understanding

(idiom) to reap without sowing; to get sth without working for it; to sponge off others

(idiom) inconceivable; unimaginable; unfathomable

to disappear without trace/to vanish all of a sudden/to spread fast/to spread like wildfire

unable to take one's eyes off (idiom); to gaze steadily/to stare

(idiom) dumbstruck; stupefied; stunned

(idiom) to act with confusion or in a disorderly manner; flustered

to burst with joy (idiom)/to be over the moon/to be elated

(idiom) burning with anxiety; extremely anxious or impatient

(idiom) to have one's wishes come true; wish you the best!

delighted to (do sth, idiom)/perfectly happy to do/most willing to do

(idiom) to have a well-thought-out plan in mind

to have one's feet firmly planted on the ground (idiom); realistic without flights of fancy/steady and serious character

lit. to seek truth from facts (idiom)/fig. to be practical and realistic

(idiom) to constantly seek to improve; to keep perfecting

to continue the struggle (idiom); to persist/unremitting efforts

unyielding/indomitable

(idiom) to persevere unremittingly; to keep going until the end

to pursue unremittingly (idiom); to persevere

(idiom) to make an all-out effort

(idiom) single-minded; fully focused

to concentrate one's attention (idiom)

(idiom) to concentrate one's attention completely; with rapt attention

not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules/meticulous/not one hair out of place

(idiom) cautious; careful; prudent

negligent/careless/inadvertent

careless/casual/vague/not so bad/so-so/tolerable/fair

(idiom) chaotic; in disorder; muddled

variant of 糊裡糊塗|糊里糊涂[hu2 li5 hu2 tu2]

with keen interest (idiom)/with great pleasure/with gusto/eagerly

reluctant to part

(idiom) unable to hold oneself back; eager to do sth without delay

happy and excited (idiom)/in high spirits/in great delight

hanging one's head dispiritedly (idiom); dejected/crestfallen

joyfully satisfied/to be immensely proud of oneself/proudly/an air of complacency

so pleased as to lose one's sense of measure/beside oneself with joy

(idiom) carefree; without worries

dispirited and downcast (idiom); listless/in low spirits/washed out

to make a fuss about nothing (idiom)

delighted/with great joy/in high spirits

to be pleased beyond one's expectations (idiom)/overjoyed at the turn of events

brows raised in delight, eyes laughing (idiom); beaming with joy/all smiles

full of joy (idiom); jubilation

affable/genial

amiable and approachable (idiom); easygoing/modest and unassuming/(of writing) plain and simple/easy to understand

refined and courteous/urbane

cultured and refined (idiom); gentle and cultivated

pleasure from helping others (idiom)

(idiom, from the Analects) (usu. of a passer-by who comes across a critical situation) to step in and help; to take brave or selfless action

to pick up money and not hide it (idiom); to return property to its owner

selfless/impartial

open and candid (idiom); straightforward and upright

receptive as an echoing canyon (idiom); modest and open-minded

(idiom) possessing both integrity and talent

(idiom) erudite and multitalented; versatile and able

full of political wisdom (idiom)/politically astute/with encyclopedic experience of state policy

brimming over with talent (esp. literary)/brilliant

of great erudition and scholarship (idiom)

(idiom) of great talent

to rank among the best

to excel the common (idiom); surpassing/preeminent/outstanding

(idiom) to stand out from the crowd; distinctive; different from the rest

to raise one and infer three/to deduce many things from one case (idiom)

to comprehend (new things) by analogy

(idiom) to integrate knowledge from various sources into a deep and coherent understanding of a subject

to review the old and know the new (idiom, from the Analects)/to recall the past to understand the future

(idiom) to study sth in order to apply it

with familiarity you learn the trick (idiom); practice makes perfect

(idiom) hard work can make up for lack of natural talent

lit. the clumsy bird flies early (idiom); fig. to work hard to compensate for one's limited abilities

dripping water penetrates the stone (idiom); constant perseverance yields success/You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up./Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty.

to accumulate over a long period of time

daily renewal, monthly change (idiom)/every day sees new developments/rapid progress

to advance by leaps and bounds

becoming more prosperous with each passing day

(idiom) flourishing/thriving

having sound and color (idiom); vivid/dazzling

vivid and colorful (idiom); true to life/lively and realistic

vivid and lifelike (idiom); true to life/realistic

to imitate to perfection/to be remarkably true to life

lit. extreme saturation (idiom)/fig. vividly and thoroughly/in great detail/without restraint/(of a performance) brilliant

to enchant/fascinating

to have a rich aftertaste/(fig.) memorable; to linger in one's memory

(idiom) thought-provoking; to provide food for thought

(idiom) to suddenly realize; to suddenly see the light

suddenly opens up to a wide panorama (idiom); to come to a wide clearing/fig. everything becomes clear at once/to achieve speedy enlightenment

lit. the willow trees make the shade, the flowers give the light (idiom); at one's darkest hour, a glimmer of hope/light at the end of the tunnel

(idiom) to find a way to survive when everything seems hopeless

to rise from the dead (idiom); fig. an unexpected recovery

to turn peril into safety (idiom); to avert a danger (esp. political or medical)

to turn peril into safety (idiom); to avert disaster

safe and sound (idiom)/to come out unscathed (e.g. from an accident or illness)

to have all one's wishes (idiom)/best wishes/all the best/may all your hopes be fulfilled

to climb step by step/to rise steadily/on the up and up

lit. the divine steed Feihuang gallops (idiom)/fig. to achieve meteoric success in one's career

rising straight up in a clear sky (idiom); rapid promotion to a high post/meteoric career

to win success and recognition (idiom)

to become known far and wide (idiom)/famous

world-famous (idiom)

understood by everyone (idiom); well known/a household name

understood by everyone (idiom); well known/a household name

(idiom) can't stop praising

(idiom) to gasp in amazement/to acclaim as the peak of perfection

to submit cheerfully/to accept willingly (idiom)

to prostrate oneself in admiration (idiom); to adulate sb

to step down gracefully (humble expression)/to concede defeat/to play second fiddle

to be unwilling to pass on one's responsibilities to others

not to be shirked without dishonor (idiom)/incumbent/bounden (duty)

to be duty bound/to be one's unshirkable responsibility

to step forward bravely

to dash on bravely with no thought of personal safety (idiom); undaunted by dangers/regardless of perils

to abandon self for others (idiom, from Analects); to sacrifice one's own interest for other people/altruism

to bend to a task and spare no effort (idiom); striving to the utmost

lit. to spit out one's heart and spill blood (idiom)/to work one's heart out/blood, sweat and tears

to suffer every possible torment (idiom); bitter hardship/to bear one's cross

lit. to cut one's way through thistles and thorns (idiom)/fig. to overcome all obstacles on the way/to break through hardships/to blaze a new trail

to brave the wind and the billows (idiom); to have high ambitions

to advance bravely

to win instant success (idiom)

old but still full of vitality (idiom)

lit. lively dragon and animated tiger (idiom)/fig. vigorous and lively

lit. dragon soaring and tiger leaping (idiom)/fig. prosperous and bustling; vigorous and active

lit. tiger's head, snake's tail (idiom); fig. a strong start but weak finish

lit. if the rabbit dies, the fox grieves (idiom); fig. to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distress

a cornered dog will jump over the wall (idiom)/to be driven to desperate action

lit. not even the chickens and dogs are left undisturbed (idiom)/fig. great commotion/pandemonium

lit. chicken feathers and garlic skins (idiom)/fig. trivial (matter)

the fabled roc flies ten thousand miles (idiom)/one's future prospects are brilliant

a crane in a flock of chicken (idiom); way above the common/manifestly superior

(idiom) chicken-hearted; gutless

like a fish back in water (idiom); glad to be back in one's proper surroundings

lit. birdsong and fragrant flowers (idiom); fig. the intoxication of a beautiful spring day

lit. verdant hills and limpid water (idiom)/fig. enchanting scenery

moderate wind, beautiful sun (idiom); fine sunny weather, esp. in springtime

(lit.) springtime when the weather is warm and flowers are in bloom (idiom)/(fig.) a time of renewal and flourishing

clear and refreshing autumn weather

a world of ice and snow

wide sea and sky (idiom); boundless open vistas/the whole wide world/chatting about everything under the sun

the ends of the earth/separated worlds apart

all parts of the country

thousands of purples and reds (idiom); a blaze of color/fig. a profusion of flourishing trades

a hundred flowers bloom (idiom); let the arts have free expression

lit. after rain, the spring bamboo (idiom); fig. rapid new growth/many new things emerge in rapid succession