Home > Blossary: Chinese Idioms (Chengyu - 成语)
Chinese is an ancient language and so has a wealth of fascinating idiomatic expressions referred to as chengyu (成语) that reveal not only the poetry of the language but the incredible culture that is its backdrop.

Category: Culture

Company: CSOFT

10 Terms

Created by: CSOFT International

Number of Blossarys: 3

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For Westerners, China can seem a very unfamiliar place; there's strange food, strange customs, and a strange language. The best thing you can do is repeat this Chinese idiom to yourself, which has ...

Domain: Culture; Category: General culture

This idiom means to "sit around waiting for opportunities" but the story behind it is quite entertaining. Once upon a time, a rabbit was running away from something or other and ran smack into a ...

Domain: Culture; Category: General culture

Similar to the English expression - "to cast pearls before swine" - this idiom means to "play the qin (an ancient Chinese wind instrument) for a cow." It is usually used to indicate that someone is ...

Domain: Culture; Category: General culture

The literal meaning of this idiom is that there are difficulties on the left and the right sides. Simply put, it means you've got a dilemma or you've found yourself between a bull's two horns.

Domain: Culture; Category: General culture

Literally this phrase means to "throw out a brick to attract jade" and means to toss an idea out there. Perhaps you know the idea isn't great but you're hoping just throwing it out there in the hopes ...

Domain: Culture; Category: General culture

Literally, this idiom means to draw a snake but add a foot. The meaning behind it is that something has been ruined by trying to add something unnecessary. We have a similar expression in English, ...

Domain: Culture; Category: General culture

This idiom literally means to walk or step on solid ground. Basically, it's a way of saying 'focus on the fundamentals, keep working hard, and don't stop'. This is a great saying for bosses to ...

Domain: Culture; Category: General culture

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