Chinese idioms · 84 proverbs
Chinese proverbs
Sayings longer than a chengyu, each with pinyin, meaning and sound.
- 学而优则仕xué’éryōuzéshìone who excels in study should become an official
- 一步一个脚印yībùyīgèjiǎoyìnto make steady progress
- 更上一层楼gèngshàngyīcénglóuto climb to a higher level
- 防患于未然fánghuànyúwèiránto nip trouble in the bud
- 一去不复返yīqùbùfùfǎngone forever
- 迅雷不及掩耳xùnléibùjíyǎn’ěras sudden as a thunderclap
- 八九不离十bājiǔbùlíshípretty close
- 牵一发而动全身qiānyīfà’érdòngquánshēna small change affects the whole
- 欲速则不达yùsùzébùdáhaste makes waste
- 不知天高地厚bùzhītiāngāodìhòunot to know one's own limits
- 出淤泥而不染chūyūní’érbùrǎnto emerge unsullied from the mud
- 赶鸭子上架gǎnyāzishàngjiàto force someone to do something beyond their ability
- 万变不离其宗wànbiànbùlíqízōngthe essence stays the same through all changes
- 何乐而不为hélè’érbùwéiwhy not do it
- 不费吹灰之力bùfèichuīhuīzhīlìeffortlessly
- 有过之而无不及yǒuguòzhī’érwúbùjíto go even further than
- 挂羊头卖狗肉guàyángtóumàigǒuròuto cry up wine and sell vinegar
- 恨铁不成钢hèntiěbùchénggāngfrustrated that someone fails to live up to expectations
- 天有不测风云tiānyǒubùcèfēngyúnanything can happen
- 无所不用其极wúsuǒbùyòngqíjíto stop at nothing
- 有钱能使鬼推磨yǒuqiánnéngshǐguǐtuīmòmoney talks
- 百思不得其解bǎisībùdéqíjiěto be utterly puzzled
- 摸不着头脑mōbuzháotóunǎoto be confused
- 吃力不讨好chīlìbùtǎohǎothankless task
- 风马牛不相及fēngmǎniúbùxiāngjícompletely unrelated
- 皇天不负有心人huángtiānbùfùyǒuxīnrénHeaven rewards those who persevere
- 损人不利己sǔnrénbùlìjǐto harm others without benefiting oneself
- 立于不败之地lìyúbùbàizhīdìto be in an invincible position
- 神不知鬼不觉shénbùzhīguǐbùjuéwithout anyone knowing
- 天时地利人和tiānshídìlìrénhéfavorable timing, terrain and support of the people
- 打肿脸充胖子dǎzhǒngliǎnchōngpàngzito keep up appearances beyond one's means
- 高不成低不就gāobùchéngdībùjiùunable to get what one wants and unwilling to settle for less
- 牛头不对马嘴niútóubùduìmǎzuǐirrelevant
- 秋风扫落叶qiūfēngsǎoluòyèeasily sweeping away
- 三百六十行sānbǎiliùshíhángall trades and professions
- 十万八千里shíwànbāqiānlǐa very long way
- 无敌于天下wúdíyútiānxiàinvincible throughout the world
- 一失足成千古恨yīshīzúchéngqiāngǔhènone false step can bring lifelong regret
- 不可同日而语bùkětóngrì’éryǔnot to be mentioned in the same breath
- 反其道而行之fǎnqídào’érxíngzhīto do the opposite
- 老死不相往来lǎosǐbùxiāngwǎngláito never have contact with each other
- 皮笑肉不笑píxiàoròubùxiàoto put on a fake smile
- 三思而后行sānsī’érhòuxínglook before you leap
- 不管三七二十一bùguǎnsānqī’èrshíyīregardless of the consequences
- 群起而攻之qúnqǐ’érgōngzhīeveryone rises up against it
- 十八般武艺shíbābānwǔyìall kinds of skills
- 物以稀为贵wùyǐxīwéiguìscarcity makes things valuable
- 一年之计在于春yīniánzhījìzàiyúchūnthe whole year's work depends on a good start in spring
- 一言以蔽之yīyányǐbìzhīin a word
- 针尖对麦芒zhēnjiānduìmàimángsharp against sharp
- 兵败如山倒bīngbàirúshāndǎoa defeated army collapses like a landslide
- 病急乱投医bìngjíluàntóuyīto try anything in desperation
- 初生牛犊不怕虎chūshēngniúdúbùpàhǔthe young are fearless
- 近水楼台先得月jìnshuǐlóutáixiāndéyuèthose close to the source benefit first
- 柳暗花明又一村liǔ’ànhuāmíngyòuyīcūnthere is always a way out (hope after despair)
- 热锅上的蚂蚁règuōshàngdemǎyǐlike an ant on a hot pan
- 三寸不烂之舌sāncùnbùlànzhīshésilver tongue
- 识时务者为俊杰shíshíwùzhěwéijùnjiéhe who understands the times is wise
- 小巫见大巫xiǎowūjiàndàwūto pale into insignificance
- 行百里者半九十xíngbǎilǐzhěbànjiǔshíthe last stretch is the hardest
- 羊毛出在羊身上yángmáochūzàiyángshēnshàngyou end up paying for it one way or another
- 一个巴掌拍不响yīgèbāzhǎngpāibùxiǎngit takes two to tango
- 不打不相识bùdǎbùxiāngshífrom enemies to friends
- 不得已而为之bùdéyǐ’érwéizhīto do something because one has no choice
- 不分青红皂白bùfēnqīnghóngzàobáiindiscriminately
- 东方不亮西方亮dōngfāngbùliàngxīfāngliàngif one door closes another opens
- 放之四海而皆准fàngzhīsìhǎi’érjiēzhǔnuniversally applicable
- 过五关斩六将guòwǔguānzhǎnliùjiàngto overcome many obstacles
- 化干戈为玉帛huàgāngēwéiyùbóto turn hostility into friendship
- 九牛二虎之力jiǔniú’èrhǔzhīlìtremendous effort
- 拒人于千里之外jùrényúqiānlǐzhīwàito keep people at arm's length
- 可望而不可及kěwàng’érbùkějíwithin sight but out of reach
- 可望而不可即kěwàng’érbùkějívisible but unattainable
- 民以食为天mínyǐshíwéitiānfood is the first necessity of the people
- 赔了夫人又折兵péilefūrényòuzhébīngto suffer a double loss after a failed scheme
- 人生自古谁无死rénshēngzìgǔshuíwúsǐsince ancient times, who has not died
- 瑞雪兆丰年ruìxuězhàofēngniántimely snow promises a good harvest
- 杀人不眨眼shārénbùzhǎyǎnto kill without batting an eye
- 十八层地狱shíbācéngdìyùthe eighteen levels of hell
- 时势造英雄shíshìzàoyīngxióngthe times produce their heroes
- 温良恭俭让wēnliánggōngjiǎnrànggentle, kind, respectful, frugal and modest
- 习惯成自然xíguànchéngzìránhabit becomes second nature
- 心有余而力不足xīnyǒuyú’érlìbùzúthe spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
- 有志者事竟成yǒuzhìzhěshìjìngchéngwhere there's a will there's a way
What is the difference between a proverb and a chengyu?
A chengyu is a set phrase of (nearly always) four characters, used inside a sentence. A proverb, 谚语, is a whole saying that stands on its own, often longer: 欲速则不达, “haste makes waste”.
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.