Chinese idioms · 71 idioms
Chinese idioms about time
Chengyu whose meaning is about time, each with pinyin, meaning and sound.
- 一年一度yīnián-yīdùannual
- 久而久之jiǔ’ér-jiǔzhīover time
- 应运而生yìngyùn-érshēngto emerge in response to the times
- 有生之年yǒushēng-zhīniánin one's lifetime
- 立竿见影lìgān-jiànyǐngto get instant results
- 无时无刻wúshí-wúkèall the time
- 吉祥如意jíxiáng-rúyìgood luck and happiness (New Year greeting)
- 年事已高niánshì-yǐgāoadvanced in years
- 起早贪黑qǐzǎo-tānhēito work from dawn to dusk
- 地老天荒dìlǎo-tiānhuānguntil the end of time
- 年复一年niánfù-yīniányear after year
- 日积月累rìjī-yuèlěito accumulate over time
- 招财进宝zhāocái-jìnbǎoto bring in wealth and treasure (New Year greeting)
- 沧海桑田cānghǎi-sāngtiángreat changes over time
- 不合时宜bùhé-shíyíout of step with the times
- 雨过天晴yǔguò-tiānqíngthings improve after a bad time
- 时不我待shíbù-wǒdàitime waits for no one
- 好景不长hǎojǐng-bùchánggood times don't last
- 千载难逢qiānzǎi-nánféngonce in a lifetime
- 茶余饭后cháyú-fànhòuin one's spare time
- 雪中送炭xuězhōng-sòngtàntimely help in time of need
- 朝思暮想zhāosī-mùxiǎngto yearn day and night
- 斗转星移dǒuzhuǎn-xīngyíthe passage of time
- 少年老成shàonián-lǎochéngmature beyond one's years
- 事不宜迟shìbù-yíchíthere's no time to lose
- 白驹过隙báijū-guòxìtime flies
- 似水流年sìshuǐ-liúniántime passing like flowing water
- 安不忘危ānbù-wàngwēito be mindful of danger in times of peace
- 日月如梭rìyuè-rúsuōtime flies
- 不舍昼夜bùshě-zhòuyèday and night
- 光阴似箭guāngyīn-sìjiàntime flies
- 天长日久tiāncháng-rìjiǔover a long period of time
- 韬光养晦tāoguāng-yǎnghuìto hide one's abilities and bide one's time
- 相濡以沫xiāngrú-yǐmòto help each other in hard times
- 黄金时间huángjīn-shíjiānprime time
- 良辰美景liángchén-měijǐngbeautiful moment and scene
- 时过境迁shíguò-jìngqiāntimes have changed
- 天荒地老tiānhuāng-dìlǎotill the end of time
- 峥嵘岁月zhēngróng-suìyuèeventful years
- 处心积虑chǔxīn-jīlǜto scheme for a long time
- 从长计议cóngcháng-jìyìto take one's time to consider
- 经年累月jīngnián-lěiyuèfor years on end
- 来日方长láirì-fāngchángthere's plenty of time
- 披星戴月pīxīng-dàiyuèto work from dawn to dusk
- 夙夜在公sùyè-zàigōngworking day and night for the public
- 乍暖还寒zhànuǎn-huánhánwarm one moment and cold the next (of early spring)
- 长年累月chángnián-lěiyuèyear after year
- 百年好合bǎinián-hǎohémay you live happily together forever (wedding wish)
- 常年累月chángnián-lěiyuèyear after year
- 春去秋来chūnqù-qiūláias time goes by
- 春宵一刻chūnxiāo-yīkèa moment of a spring night (is worth a thousand gold)
- 积年累月jīnián-lěiyuèfor years on end
- 屡战屡败lǚzhàn-lǚbàito fight repeatedly and lose every time
- 没日没夜méirì-méiyèday and night
- 名噪一时míngzào-yīshíto become famous for a time
- 生离死别shēnglí-sǐbiéparting forever
- 生死关头shēngsǐ-guāntóucritical moment
- 盛极一时shèngjí-yīshíto be all the rage for a time
- 一来二去yīlái-èrqùover time
- 一年半载yīnián-bànzǎia year or so
- 整年累月zhěngnián-lěiyuèyear after year
- 百年树人bǎinián-shùrénit takes a hundred years to cultivate people
- 不识时务bùshíshíwùto be unaware of the times
- 晨光熹微chénguāng-xīwēifaint light of dawn
- 度日如年dùrì-rúniáneach day feels like a year
- 否极泰来pǐjí-tàiláiafter bad times come good times
- 见缝插针jiànfèng-chāzhēnto make use of every bit of space or time
- 历久弥坚lìjiǔ-míjiānto grow firmer with time
- 马到成功mǎdào-chénggōngto win instant success
- 日夜兼程rìyè-jiānchéngto travel day and night
- 因时制宜yīnshí-zhìyíto act according to the circumstances of the time
What is a Chinese idiom about time?
一年一度 (yīnián-yīdù): annual. It is the most common of the 71 on this page.
What is a chengyu?
A set phrase, nearly always four characters, that packs a story or an image into a few words: 画蛇添足, “drawing legs on a snake”, means spoiling something by overdoing it. Chinese speakers use them in writing, speeches and everyday talk.
More free tools
Chengyu from the Xinhua idiom list; meanings from our own dictionary. Open one for its characters and real sentences.