Chengyu
Chengyu: 400 four-character Chinese idioms
The 成语: four-character idioms, each with its literal sense, what it actually means, its origin story and two example sentences with pinyin. Open to browse here and free inside Wanyu.
All 400, one by one
画蛇添足 To ruin something by overdoing it; to add a pointless, superfluous touch that spoils what was already fine. 守株待兔 To passively wait for a lucky break to repeat itself instead of working for it; to cling to an outdated method. 刻舟求剑 Clinging to a rigid method while ignoring that circumstances have changed; stubborn inflexibility in the face of a situation that has already moved on. 自相矛盾 To contradict oneself; to hold two mutually incompatible claims at the same time. 井底之蛙 A person of narrow vision and limited knowledge who mistakes their tiny world for the whole. 塞翁失马 Misfortune may turn into fortune and fortune into misfortune; one can't tell whether what happens is ultimately good or bad. 愚公移山 To persevere relentlessly against a huge task until it yields; unwavering determination that overcomes any difficulty. 掩耳盗铃 To deceive oneself, thinking that if you don't see or hear an obvious fact, others won't notice it either; foolish self-deception. 亡羊补牢 To fix the problem after suffering a loss; it is not too late to mend things once you realize the mistake. 画龙点睛 To add the one crucial finishing touch that brings a whole work or speech to life. 对牛弹琴 To address someone incapable of understanding; to speak over an audience's head and waste one's words on the wrong listener. 拔苗助长 To ruin something by forcing its progress; to do harm by pushing for results faster than is natural. 杯弓蛇影 To be frightened by a false alarm; to let groundless suspicion make one anxious or even ill. 滥竽充数 To pass oneself off as qualified without the skill; to fill a quota or make up the numbers with someone or something second-rate. 叶公好龙 To profess a love or admiration for something one does not actually want or welcome when it appears for real; to like the image of a thing, not the thing itself. 卧薪尝胆 To willingly endure hardship and self-denial, never forgetting one's humiliation or goal, in order to grow strong and finally triumph or take revenge. 望梅止渴 To console oneself with empty hopes or illusions; to satisfy a need with imagination rather than something real. 三顾茅庐 To repeatedly and humbly seek out a worthy person, calling on them again and again to win their help. 草木皆兵 To be so panic-stricken that one sees enemies everywhere; jumping at shadows out of fear. 四面楚歌 To be besieged on all sides and utterly isolated; surrounded by enemies with no way out and no allies. 破釜沉舟 To burn one's boats: to commit fully with no way back, staking everything on a single decisive effort. 指鹿为马 To call a deer a horse: to deliberately distort the truth, brazenly passing off a lie by abusing one's power. 完璧归赵 To return something to its rightful owner intact and unharmed; to fulfill a delicate mission without loss. 负荆请罪 To humbly admit one's fault and sincerely apologize, offering oneself for punishment. 纸上谈兵 To theorize without practical experience; to be an armchair strategist all talk and no action. 朝三暮四 To be fickle and inconstant, forever changing one's mind (and, in its original sense, to fool someone with a trick that changes only the appearance, not the substance). 狐假虎威 to bully others by borrowing someone else's power or authority. 班门弄斧 to show off one's meager skill before a true master. 邯郸学步 To imitate others blindly and lose even one's own original ability in the process. 南辕北辙 To act in a way that runs directly counter to one's goal, so that effort only takes one further away. 闻鸡起舞 To diligently train oneself and rise early to improve; to apply oneself with exemplary dedication and perseverance. 入木三分 Of an analysis, critique or description: penetrating and incisive, getting to the very heart of the matter. (Originally, of forceful calligraphy.) 悬梁刺股 To study with extreme, painstaking effort, enduring sleep and fatigue in order to learn. 凿壁偷光 To study diligently despite extreme poverty, seizing any means to learn. 孟母三迁 Environment shapes a person; a parent's effort to give a child the right surroundings in which to grow and learn. 一鸣惊人 To astonish everyone all at once with a great feat after a long stretch of apparent silence or obscurity. 老马识途 An experienced person knows the way; veterans' know-how is invaluable for solving problems. 唇亡齿寒 When one falls, the other is endangered; two neighbors share a common fate and depend on each other. 名落孙山 To fail an exam or not make the cut; to miss the list of those who passed. 程门立雪 To honor one's teacher and study with sincere devotion; reverent respect for one's master. 天下无双 Peerless, second to none; so outstanding that nothing else compares. Used of people, talents, products or places that are truly exceptional. 一鼓作气 To seize the initial burst of energy and finish something in one sustained effort, without pauses that let momentum cool; to get it done in one go while morale is high. 一字千金 Said of writing of immense value, where every single word is worth its weight in gold; used to praise a literary work so polished that not one character could be improved. 一诺千金 A promise worth its weight in gold; said of someone whose word is utterly reliable and who always keeps a commitment. 一箭双雕 To achieve two goals with a single action; to kill two birds with one stone. 九牛一毛 A tiny amount within something vast; so small it hardly counts. The equivalent of "a drop in the ocean." 三人成虎 A rumor or lie, repeated by enough people, ends up being taken as truth. It warns that collective insistence can make a falsehood prevail over reality. 千钧一发 A moment of extreme crisis when everything hangs by a thread; a situation so precarious that the slightest slip would bring disaster. 退避三舍 To back off and yield in order to avoid a confrontation, whether out of respect, gratitude, or prudence. Today it means stepping aside or making concessions rather than picking a fight. 约法三章 To agree in advance on a few clear, simple rules that both sides commit to following. 庖丁解牛 To master a craft so thoroughly that the hard becomes effortless and fluid; to act with the natural, consummate skill of a true expert. 望洋兴叹 To feel small and powerless before something vast and sigh at one's own inadequacy; to realize with dismay that something is beyond one's reach or ability. 螳臂当车 To take on an unstoppable force with hopelessly inadequate means; to overrate oneself and court certain defeat out of sheer recklessness. 鹏程万里 A bright, boundless future; said as a wish or compliment for someone with great prospects ahead. 东施效颦 To imitate someone admirable clumsily and blindly, without grasping what makes them appealing, ending up looking ridiculous or even worse than before. 杞人忧天 To fret needlessly over disasters that are unlikely or impossible; to worry about something that almost certainly will never happen. 高山流水 Sublime music or art; and above all the kindred spirit (知音) who truly understands your heart, the rare friend who is so hard to find. 螳螂捕蝉 To chase an immediate gain while blind to the danger lurking right behind you; short-sighted greed that sees only the prey and forgets one may be someone else's prey. 鹬蚌相争 When two sides lock horns in a stubborn quarrel and neither gives way, a third party walks off with the prize. It warns that fighting among equals only benefits the outsider waiting on the sidelines. 惊弓之鸟 Someone so badly frightened by a past experience that they panic at the slightest hint of danger, real or not; once bitten, twice shy. 围魏救赵 To relieve pressure on yourself not by confronting a problem head-on but by striking the opponent's weak spot, forcing them to pull back; to solve a crisis indirectly. 背水一战 To stake everything on one decisive effort with no way back; to fight with one's back to the wall. 多多益善 The more the better; you can never have too much of a good thing. 毛遂自荐 To volunteer oneself for a task or position on one's own initiative, without being asked; to step forward confidently to take on a responsibility. 脱颖而出 To suddenly stand out from the crowd, revealing a talent that had gone unnoticed until then. 价值连城 Priceless; so valuable it is worth a fortune. Said of an object or a work of art, and figuratively of anything (talent, information, an opportunity) of extraordinary worth. 图穷匕见 When the true, hidden intention is finally exposed at the very end; the secret plan or motive comes to light at the last moment. 高枕无忧 To rest easy and live free of worry because everything has been safely arranged in advance. 狡兔三窟 To keep several safeguards or escape routes ready in advance so as to be protected whatever happens. Today it praises the foresight of someone who never bets everything on one option, though it can also carry a hint of calculating cunning. 项庄舞剑 To do something seemingly harmless that actually masks a hostile intent aimed at someone else; an act with an ulterior motive. Often completed with the phrase meaning "the real target is somebody else." 投笔从戎 To give up a scholarly or clerical career and enlist in the army to serve one's country; to throw down the pen for the sword, usually out of patriotism or a longing for greater deeds. 老当益壮 To stay vigorous and high-spirited in old age, even more so than before; old but full of energy and drive. 马革裹尸 To die honorably on the battlefield, giving one's life for one's country; said of a soldier ready to fall fighting rather than die at home in bed. 举案齐眉 Describes a couple who treat each other with deep mutual respect and affection; a harmonious marriage in which husband and wife honor one another. 推心置腹 To treat someone with utter sincerity and trust, opening your heart to them without any reservation or pretense. 得陇望蜀 Insatiable, ever-growing greed: the moment you get one thing, you crave the next. Never being content with what you already have. 刮目相看 To see someone in a completely new light; to revise your opinion of them upward after they have visibly changed for the better. 手不释卷 To read tirelessly, to be so devoted to study that one never puts a book down; to apply oneself diligently and constantly to learning. 乐不思蜀 To be so happy and comfortable somewhere that one forgets home, roots, or duty; to be having such a good time that one has no wish to go back. 如鱼得水 To be in one's element; to find the perfect environment, job or companionship in which one thrives with complete ease. 言过其实 To overstate things, to exaggerate beyond the facts; to make something sound better or bigger than it really is. 鞠躬尽瘁 To devote oneself utterly to a cause or duty, sparing no effort until one's strength is spent. It praises someone's total loyalty and dedication, often right up to the end of their life. 画饼充饥 To comfort oneself with empty illusions that solve nothing; to feed on hollow hopes or promises that never meet the real need. 才高八斗 Immensely gifted in letters; said of someone with extraordinary literary talent and a brilliance far above the ordinary. 洛阳纸贵 Said of a work so celebrated and sought-after that everyone wants a copy of it; a runaway bestseller that sells out instantly. 鹤立鸡群 To stand head and shoulders above the rest; to be conspicuously outstanding among ordinary people thanks to one's talent or bearing. 风声鹤唳 A state of extreme panic in which every sound or sign is mistaken for an approaching threat; so jittery that one sees danger everywhere. 东山再起 To make a comeback and return to action after a retreat, defeat or failure; to regain lost power or success. 不耻下问 To not be ashamed to ask questions of or seek advice from those beneath you in knowledge, age or rank; to be humble enough to learn from anyone. 温故知新 To review what one has already learned and gain fresh understanding from it; revisiting the old reveals something new. 任重道远 To carry a heavy responsibility with a long road still ahead; the task is weighty and much effort and time remain before it is achieved. 见贤思齐 On seeing someone worthy, to aspire to become their equal and take them as a model; to strive to measure up to those who are better than oneself. 青出于蓝 The student ends up surpassing the teacher; something new that grows out of its source ends up bettering it. 锲而不舍 To persevere doggedly without ever giving up; to keep at something with constant effort until the goal is reached. 居安思危 To stay vigilant and guard against danger even when all is well; to not grow complacent in times of peace but prepare for hard times ahead. 黔驴技穷 To have exhausted one's few, limited resources; to be at the end of one's meager bag of tricks with nothing left to try. 胸有成竹 To have a well-laid plan already in mind; to approach something with full confidence because everything has been thought through in advance. 口蜜腹剑 Someone with honeyed words but a murderous heart; a dangerous hypocrite who flatters to your face while plotting your ruin behind your back. 请君入瓮 To trap someone using the very method or cruelty they devised for others; to give someone a taste of their own medicine. 破镜重圆 The reunion of a couple who had separated or divorced, coming back together after time apart. 入乡随俗 When you arrive somewhere new, adapt to the local customs rather than imposing your own; when in Rome, do as the Romans do. 丢三落四 To be scatterbrained and forgetful, always leaving things behind or losing them. Said of someone who does things carelessly and forgets half of them. 莫名其妙 Baffling and inexplicable; something so strange that no one can make sense of it. It can also describe someone behaving in a way no one can fathom. 想方设法 To try every possible way; to do whatever it takes to get something done. 半途而废 To give up halfway, abandoning a task or effort before it's finished. 实事求是 To base one's judgement on facts and assess things objectively, without bias or wishful thinking; to be realistic and honest. 千方百计 To use every possible means, to try every trick in the book to achieve something. 全力以赴 To go all out and throw every ounce of effort into something to see it through. 迫不及待 So impatient that one cannot wait a moment longer; itching to do something right away. 不可思议 Inconceivable, unimaginable, astonishing: something that completely defies the mind's ability to grasp or explain it. 一心一意 Wholeheartedly and single-mindedly, devoting one's full attention and effort to something or someone. 三心二意 To be half-hearted and of two minds, hesitating between options instead of committing fully to one thing. 五颜六色 Colorful, multicolored; said of anything bright and full of varied colors. By extension, also 'all sorts, every kind.' 乱七八糟 In a complete mess, all jumbled up and chaotic; also said of a tangled or muddled situation. 与众不同 Different from everyone else; standing out as singular or out of the ordinary. 兴高采烈 Bursting with joy and enthusiasm; in high spirits, elated. 恍然大悟 To suddenly grasp something; to understand all at once what had been confusing, as if a light switched on. 不知不觉 Without realizing it, imperceptibly; describing something that happens gradually before one notices. 自言自语 To talk to oneself, muttering quietly without addressing anyone in particular. 东张西望 To look around distractedly or nervously, glancing this way and that without focusing on what one should be doing. 络绎不绝 Describes an endless, uninterrupted stream of people, vehicles or things coming and going. 半信半疑 To half-believe and half-doubt: to accept something only partly while still being skeptical about it. 不约而同 To say or do the same thing at the same time without having agreed on it beforehand. 理所当然 Something so logical and expected that it is taken for granted; only natural, a matter of course. 自由自在 Free and easy, carefree; doing as one pleases without restraint or worry. 名副其实 When something genuinely lives up to its name or reputation; well-deserved and matching reality. 津津有味 With great relish and enjoyment; doing something (eating, reading, listening) with keen, absorbed pleasure. 一模一样 Exactly alike, identical; said of two things or people that cannot be told apart. 心甘情愿 Perfectly willing; to do something gladly and of one's own accord, with no reluctance or complaint. 不由自主 Involuntarily, without being able to help it: when the body or emotions react on their own, beyond one's control. 全心全意 Heart and soul; doing something wholeheartedly and without reservation. 无忧无虑 Carefree and free of worries; living at ease without anything weighing on your mind. 没完没了 Endless and never-ending; something that drags on and on, often to the point of being tiresome or annoying. 不三不四 Dubious and disreputable: said of shady, shifty people, or of things done in a half-baked, improper way. 三言两语 In just a few words, briefly; often used to say that something can be told quickly, or in the negative, that a few words aren't enough to explain it. 一目了然 So clear and well laid out that you grasp it the moment you look; obvious at first sight. 千辛万苦 Untold hardships; every kind of toil and suffering endured to achieve something. 全神贯注 To be fully absorbed in something, with all one's attention and energy focused on a single task. 引人注目 Eye-catching and noticeable; striking enough to draw everyone's attention. 迫在眉睫 Extremely urgent and brooking no delay; a matter that is right upon us. 众所周知 A fact everyone takes as given, and which is therefore simply stated, as the starting point for whatever comes next. 家喻户晓 So well known there is not a household that hasn't heard of it: a person, a story, or a brand that everybody recognizes. 潜移默化 To change someone little by little and without their noticing, through the steady influence of surroundings, company, or habit. 循序渐进 To move forward in order and step by step, without skipping stages or trying to arrive early; said above all of studying and of work. 精益求精 Not settling for something being good already, but polishing it again and again in search of an even better result. 大同小异 Things that agree on everything important and differ only in small details: much the same, in different wrapping. 雪中送炭 To lend a hand at the worst moment, when help is genuinely needed; aid that counts double because it arrives in time. 情不自禁 When feeling gets the better of you and the reaction slips out: laughing, crying, or hugging someone without being able to help it. 一如既往 To carry on exactly as before, with the same attitude or the same course, unchanged by the passing of time. 锦上添花 To add a nice extra to something that was already good: a welcome improvement, but one that wasn't needed and changes nothing essential. 前所未有 Unprecedented; something so big, so serious, or so new that nothing like it has been seen before. 无可奈何 To have no choice but to put up with something; you would change it if you could, but it's out of your hands. 息息相关 To be so closely bound together that whatever happens to one immediately affects the other; to be tied by a shared interest. 举一反三 To grasp one thing and work out the rest on your own; to learn one case and apply it to many similar ones. 目瞪口呆 To be stunned speechless; so amazed or so startled that you just stare, unable to get a word out. 事半功倍 To get far more done with far less effort, thanks to the right method, the right timing, or the right tool. 大惊小怪 To make a fuss over nothing; to react far more dramatically than the situation actually calls for. 雪上加霜 One misfortune piled on top of another; a bad situation made worse at exactly the worst moment. 层出不穷 To keep appearing one after another, in such numbers that there is no end to them in sight. 未雨绸缪 To take precautions while there's still time, so you're ready when trouble comes instead of improvising. 得不偿失 To come out behind on balance: what you gain doesn't make up for the effort, the money, or the harm it cost you. 齐心协力 To pull together with one mind and one effort, everyone working toward the same goal to get something done. 供不应求 Demand far outstrips supply: there isn't enough of something to go around for everyone who wants it. 与日俱增 To grow day after day without letup: the feeling, the pressure, or the figure in question keeps building as time goes on. 一丝不苟 To do things with scrupulous care, never allowing yourself the smallest slip or letting a single detail slide. 熟能生巧 Practice brings skill: what feels clumsy at first ends up coming easily once you have done it enough times. 根深蒂固 So deeply rooted — a habit, a prejudice, an idea — that it has become very hard to change or to pull out. 日新月异 To change and renew itself so fast that what you saw a short while ago looks nothing like what is there now. 废寝忘食 To throw yourself into something so completely that you skip sleep and meals — total dedication, for better or worse. 举足轻重 To carry decisive weight: someone's position or decision is enough on its own to tip the balance either way. 目不转睛 To keep your eyes glued to something, without looking away for a second: it describes the gaze itself, not how much of it you are actually taking in. 因地制宜 To tailor what you do to the actual conditions of each place, instead of applying the same formula everywhere. 名列前茅 To rank among the very top of a list, whether it's exam scores, sales figures, or any other ranking. 力不从心 To genuinely want to do something but not be able to, because you no longer have the strength, time, or means for it. 水落石出 For the truth to finally come out once whatever was covering it recedes; for a murky matter to be fully cleared up. 当务之急 The most pressing thing right now, the one item that has to be dealt with before anything else on the list. 显而易见 Plain to see and beyond argument: a conclusion that imposes itself without needing to be spelled out; it usually turns up in the course of a line of reasoning. 脚踏实地 To work with your feet on the ground: stick to what is real and do a good job of the thing in front of you, without airs or promises you can't keep. 自以为是 To assume you're always right and listen to no one; to take your own view for the correct one without ever questioning it. 顺其自然 To stop pushing and accept whatever comes; it promises no happy ending, only the calm of not fighting what you cannot control. 恰到好处 Said of something pitched exactly right: neither too little nor too much, and perfect for that reason. 司空见惯 Something seen so often that it has become ordinary and no longer surprises anyone, however striking it may look to an outsider. 措手不及 To be caught by something so sudden that there is no time to react or get ready. 心不在焉 To be physically present but with your mind elsewhere, paying no attention to what is right in front of you. 见义勇为 To step in and do the right thing the moment the situation calls for it, even at a cost or a risk to yourself. 一塌糊涂 A complete mess, with no order and no fixing it; used of a room in chaos, a job botched, or a situation fallen apart. 滔滔不绝 To talk on and on without a break, like a river that never stops; it can praise someone's fluency or complain about the flood of words. 提心吊胆 To be on edge, in constant tension because you are afraid something bad may happen at any moment. 微不足道 So small or so slight that it isn't worth mentioning; used of a figure, a detail, or, modestly, of one's own contribution. 走投无路 To have run out of every option, with no road left and no one to turn to; to be backed into a corner. 五花八门 Wildly varied, of every kind imaginable: a mix so diverse it's hard to take in. It describes things, offers, or excuses, and also a crowd of every sort of person. 小心翼翼 With painstaking care and caution, weighing every move for fear of breaking something, slipping up, or giving offense. 打草惊蛇 To act clumsily or too soon and tip off the very person you meant to catch off guard. 随心所欲 To do exactly as you please, bound by no rules and no one else's opinion. Depending on context it sounds like enviable freedom or like self-indulgence. 突如其来 Arriving all at once and with no warning at all. It is used mostly of events: a storm, a piece of news, an illness, a sudden change of plan. 取而代之 To take something's or someone's place and step into it. It works equally for things — one technology displacing another — and for jobs and people. 察言观色 To read what someone says and the look on their face, gauge what they think, and act accordingly; it can sound like social skill or like currying favor. 三思而行 To think a thing over carefully, more than once, before acting. It usually comes as advice, or as a warning to someone in a hurry. 同舟共济 To get through the same trouble together, differences parked for as long as the crossing lasts: they need not like each other, only be in the same boat. 知己知彼 To know your own strengths and the other side's before making a move; that is what lets you decide on solid ground. 无微不至 To look after someone with such meticulous care that not even the smallest detail is overlooked; usually said as praise. 引人入胜 So absorbing or so beautiful that it pulls you right in; said of books, movies, exhibits, and scenery. 出尔反尔 To go back on your word: to say one thing today and the opposite tomorrow, until nobody can rely on what you promise. 顾名思义 As the name suggests: you only have to look at what something is called to understand what it is. 千篇一律 All cut from the same cloth: many supposedly different things that keep repeating one formula until it gets tiresome. 前功尽弃 To lose everything you had achieved in one stroke: a slip or a quit near the end that wipes out all the work behind it. 一毛不拔 Impossibly tightfisted: someone who won't part with the smallest thing, even when it costs little and would help a lot. 不假思索 To answer or act on the spot without stopping to think — sometimes out of sheer mastery, sometimes out of rashness. 走马观花 To take something in quickly and from a distance, keeping only the surface impression without really getting to know it. 欣欣向荣 Thriving and flourishing: said of plants shooting up and, above all nowadays, of industries, companies, or projects doing very well. 势如破竹 To advance irresistibly, clearing one obstacle after another once the momentum has built and nothing can check it. 世外桃源 A peaceful, secluded place untouched by the noise and troubles of the world, and the idealized life imagined there. 独一无二 Truly one of a kind, with nothing comparable to set beside it, whether for being excellent, unusual, or unrepeatable. 出人意料 Turning out in a way nobody saw coming, against what everyone took for granted — for better or for worse. 好高骛远 Chasing lofty or distant goals without first laying the groundwork, and getting nowhere as a result. 截然不同 Sharply, categorically different, with no middle ground: two things that are nothing alike even on close inspection. 相提并论 To put two things on the same level and judge them together as if comparable — often used precisely to deny that they are. 不知所措 To be at a complete loss when something sudden or difficult hits, too rattled to know where to begin. 一帆风顺 Going smoothly from start to finish, without a single setback — also a set wish for someone starting out. 因材施教 To teach each person according to their character and aptitude instead of applying one method to the whole group. 开门见山 To get straight to the point, with no preamble or throat-clearing: to say the important thing in the very first sentence. 一针见血 To hit the nail on the head in a few words; to put your finger on the exact heart of the matter instead of circling it. 得寸进尺 To trade on what you've been given: the moment someone yields a little, you come back for more. There is always someone who gave ground first, which is why it is said reproachfully: give them an inch and they take a mile. 声东击西 To feign an attack in one direction and strike in another: to pull your opponent's attention one way and move where nobody is looking. 盲人摸象 To judge the whole from one small part and end up with a badly mistaken conclusion. 草船借箭 To get what you need out of your opponent's own resources through sheer cleverness, at almost no cost to yourself. 对症下药 To find the real cause first and only then act: work out what the trouble actually is and apply exactly what it calls for, instead of trying fixes at random. 从容不迫 To act calmly and with composure, unhurried and unruffled even when the moment is tense. 理直气壮 To speak or act with confidence because right is on your side — and also, reproachfully, of someone who does so when it isn't. 争先恐后 To rush in all at once, everyone scrambling to be first and afraid of being left behind, whether out of eagerness or sheer jostling. 前车之鉴 Someone else's mistake, or one's own earlier one, taken as a warning so the same thing isn't repeated. 兢兢业业 To do the job day in and day out with a seriousness that never slackens; not brilliance and not precision, but responsibility kept up over the years. 一成不变 Staying the same year after year and never changing with the times; usually said reproachfully, of methods, rules or ideas the world has already left behind. 似曾相识 The sense of having seen a face, a place or a scene before, without being able to say where or when. 一见钟情 To fall in love with someone the moment you see them; it's also used, half jokingly, about a thing or a place you take to instantly. 一劳永逸 To settle something once and for all with one big effort, so you never have to touch it again; often said skeptically, doubting such a fix exists. 见仁见智 That people see the same thing differently and both readings can be legitimate; a matter of where you're standing. 因噎废食 To give up something necessary or useful because of one isolated mishap; being so cautious after a single scare that you end up losing what was worth keeping. 望尘莫及 To lag so far behind someone that catching up is out of the question; usually said in admiration, or to play down your own standing. 后来居上 When the one who started later, or from further back, ends up overtaking the front-runners; today it's usually admiring, though it began as a complaint. 水到渠成 When the conditions are ripe, the result comes of itself: there is no need to force it or rush ahead, only to let the process run its course. 柳暗花明 Just when it seemed there was no way out, a hopeful turn suddenly appears. It can also describe a lush, flowering landscape, though today the figurative sense is the common one. 心旷神怡 To feel your mind open up and your spirits settle, usually in front of a beautiful landscape or a setting that puts you at ease. 千载难逢 An extremely rare occasion, the kind that hardly ever comes around again; an exceptional opportunity you shouldn't let slip. 独当一面 To be able to run a whole front on your own — an area, a project, a branch — carrying the responsibility without anyone having to look over your shoulder. 天经地义 Something so right and natural that it is taken as beyond question: it goes without saying, and nobody thinks to argue with it. 翻天覆地 A huge change that transforms something from top to bottom; used for the deep turns a city, an industry or a life takes, and it usually sits in front of the word for "change." 安然无恙 To come through danger safe and sound, with no harm done; it is also said of things that come out undamaged. 老生常谈 The same old talk, repeated so often that it adds nothing new; usually said with a touch of disdain, though sometimes with the admission that the worn advice is right. 讳疾忌医 To hide your own flaw and refuse to have it pointed out or fixed, until the problem is past saving. 开天辟地 To do something for the first time ever, to open a new era; jokingly, something so rare it has never happened before (开天辟地头一回). 敬而远之 To treat someone or something with respect but from a safe distance; today it is usually a polite way of steering clear of them. 自强不息 To strive tirelessly to better yourself and stand on your own feet; a serious term of praise, common in speeches, mottoes, and biographies. 悲欢离合 The sorrows and joys, partings and reunions of a life; unlike 酸甜苦辣, the stress falls on people drifting apart and coming back together. 不亦乐乎 Originally "isn't it a joy?"; today, after 得, it means "like crazy": 忙得不亦乐乎 is to be run off your feet, said half-jokingly. 萍水相逢 Two strangers crossing paths by chance; it stresses the lack of any prior tie, whether to highlight a kindness or to keep one's distance. 袖手旁观 To stand by with folded arms when you could help; unlike 视而不见, the problem is plain to see, and you simply choose to stay out of it. 天长地久 Lasting as long as heaven and earth; it is usually wished on a love or a friendship, and is sometimes said with a skeptical edge. 似是而非 Seemingly right at first glance but wrong on closer inspection; said of misleading ideas, arguments, or answers, much like "specious." 哄堂大笑 A whole roomful of people bursting out laughing at once, be it a class, an audience, or a meeting; general, spontaneous laughter. 门庭若市 Crowded with people coming and going all the time; said of a busy home, shop, or clinic that everyone flocks to. 门可罗雀 So deserted you could net sparrows at the door: a business with no customers, or someone nobody visits anymore. 病入膏肓 For an illness to be past all cure; said of a patient, a business, or a problem that is too far gone to be saved. 尔虞我诈 Each side deceiving and scheming against the other; said disapprovingly of a world of mutual distrust and double-dealing. 水滴石穿 Small but steady effort ends up achieving what seemed impossible; the stress is on something tiny, repeated over a long time. 相濡以沫 To look after each other through hard times with what little you have; said mostly of couples, in praise of their devotion. 车水马龙 Dense, unending traffic along streets and avenues; it paints a lively, prosperous city rather than just people streaming past. 三令五申 To issue an order or warning again and again, usually from some authority; often said when people still ignore it. 三十而立 By thirty you should have your life in order, with a job, independence and direction of your own; quoted as a yardstick or wryly. 东窗事发 For a secret scheme or misdeed to come to light, leaving its author to face the music; used in earnest and also in jest. 兵不厌诈 In war, and in any contest, deceiving your opponent is fair game; often invoked, half in jest, to excuse a trick. All's fair in love and war. 功亏一篑 To fail at the very last step, through one final slip or a missing last push; unlike 前功尽弃, the stress is on the unfinished job, not on what is lost. 名正言顺 To have the proper title, position or justification behind what you do, so you can act openly and nobody has grounds to object. 呕心沥血 To pour heart and soul into a work, a project or a cause at an exhausting cost; the stress is on the toll, not on loyal service (鞠躬尽瘁). 夜郎自大 To swagger with self-importance out of sheer ignorance of the wider world; unlike 井底之蛙, the stress falls on arrogance, not just on narrow horizons. 如履薄冰 To tread with fear and caution in a precarious situation where one false step could cost dearly; unlike 小心翼翼, the stress is on the danger itself. 差强人意 Passable, acceptable and no more: it just about does the job without impressing anyone. Careful: it does not mean "disappointing," a common misreading of 差. 幸灾乐祸 To take pleasure in someone else's misfortune and enjoy watching them struggle; it is said in reproach. Schadenfreude, in a word. 应接不暇 To be unable to keep up with everything coming at once, be it customers, requests, news or sights; it began as praise for a landscape. 当仁不让 To take on, without false modesty, what is rightly yours or what you are best suited for; unlike 毛遂自荐, it is not about volunteering unasked. 扑朔迷离 So tangled and murky that it is hard to see clearly or tell what is true; said mostly of cases, plots and situations. 抛砖引玉 To offer a modest first idea so others will come up with better ones; a humble formula for one's own words when opening a discussion. 春风得意 Riding high and visibly pleased after a success, a promotion or a lucky streak; said of someone at their peak, sometimes with irony. 杯水车薪 Help so small against the size of the problem that it cannot solve it: the point is not how little it is, but how far it falls short. 标新立异 To go out of one's way to be new and different; today usually a criticism of someone who stands apart just to get noticed. 殊途同归 To reach the same result or conclusion by different roads, methods or viewpoints; all roads lead to Rome. 江郎才尽 For someone of proven talent to have run dry; said of writers and artists, and often jokingly of oneself. 沧海桑田 Change so profound over a long span of time that the old world is no longer recognizable; usually said wistfully. 玩物丧志 To lose one's drive and sense of purpose by indulging in hobbies or amusements; a reproach, often from parents to children. 礼尚往来 Courtesy calls for reciprocity: a gift, an invitation or a favor should be returned; sometimes, wryly, a slight as well. 视而不见 To look right at something and not see it, or to pretend not to; today it is mostly a rebuke to someone who turns a blind eye to an obvious problem. 空穴来风 Of a rumor or report, that it has no basis; originally it meant exactly the opposite, that there had to be something behind it. 网开一面 To go easy on someone who has slipped up, leaving them a way out instead of the full penalty; common when asking for leniency. 脍炙人口 Of a poem, song, or line: so well loved that everyone quotes it and repeats it with relish; it is praise, not just a way of saying "famous." 过犹不及 Going too far is as bad as falling short: a warning that any excess, even of a good thing, does as much harm as too little. 迎刃而解 Of a problem: to sort itself out easily, almost on its own, once the key point is tackled; it usually follows a condition (只要…就…). 运筹帷幄 To plan and direct shrewdly from headquarters rather than the front line; praise for whoever masterminds the strategy. 道听途说 Hearsay: something picked up in passing and repeated without checking; used to dismiss secondhand information or whoever spreads it. 锦囊妙计 A clever plan prepared in advance for just the right moment; today also, often playfully, any trick or tip that fixes everything. 青梅竹马 A boy and a girl who were childhood playmates, especially if they later become a couple; also that childhood bond itself. 不学无术 To have neither learning nor any real ability; to be uneducated and good for nothing. It is a harsh criticism, often said with contempt. 先发制人 To act before the other side does and seize the initiative, putting them on the defensive, whether in an argument, in business, or in open conflict. 独善其身 To stay out of things and look after only one's own integrity or interests; today it is very often used in the negative, when no one can escape a shared problem. 耳濡目染 To absorb something without trying, from seeing and hearing it every day; unlike 潜移默化, it comes in through eyes and ears and is usually concrete, like a trade or a language. 以身作则 To lead by example, doing yourself what you ask of others so that your own conduct sets the standard; said above all of parents, teachers, and bosses. 后顾之忧 Worries about what you leave behind you, such as family or money, that keep you from committing fully to something; people usually speak of having none or of removing them. 哭笑不得 Not knowing whether to laugh or cry at something both absurd and exasperating; usually said of what someone else did, more resigned than angry. 垂头丧气 Crestfallen and dejected after a failure or bad news; not mere tiredness or listlessness, but the look of someone a setback has knocked the spirit out of. 来龙去脉 The full story of a matter, from where it began through how it unfolded to how it ended up as it is; the whole chain of cause and effect, from start to finish. 讨价还价 To haggle over a price; figuratively, to bargain over terms point by point, sometimes disapprovingly, of someone who haggles over what they should simply accept. 一无所有 To have nothing at all, with no possessions or means; said of someone starting from zero or who has lost everything (knowing nothing is 一无所知). 一无所知 To know nothing whatsoever about something, not to have the faintest idea; usually 对……一无所知. Not to be confused with 一无所有, having nothing. 一概而论 To lump different things together and judge them all alike; almost always negated, as in 不能一概而论: "you can't generalize; it depends." 七嘴八舌 Of a group, all talking at once, each chipping in with no order; a hubbub that can be described fondly or can suggest noise and poor organization. 万无一失 So safe that nothing can go wrong; said of foolproof plans or preparations, and also, with 以为, of what seemed certain but went wrong after all. 不了了之 To let a matter fizzle out unresolved, quietly shelving it; not giving up halfway on an effort, but letting the problem die away. 不以为然 To disagree, to refuse to accept a view as right, often with a touch of disdain; it does not mean "to shrug something off," which is 不以为意. 不翼而飞 To vanish into thin air without anyone knowing how; less often, of a piece of news, to spread on its own at great speed. 依依不舍 To part from someone with a heavy heart, dragging out the goodbye; usually said of people parting, whereas 恋恋不舍 stresses attachment to what is left behind. 喜出望外 To be overjoyed at something good one never expected; unlike 兴高采烈, the stress is on the surprise rather than on any outward show of high spirits. 岂有此理 An indignant outburst at something so unfair or absurd that it defies all reason; emphatic, a little theatrical, roughly "the nerve of it!" 异想天开 To dream up wildly unrealistic ideas; usually said mockingly, though it can also praise a daring imagination. 心安理得 To feel at ease because you believe you have done right; often used ironically of someone who does something wrong without a twinge of guilt. 无济于事 Said of a measure, an effort or a complaint: to be of no use, to change nothing; it is the action that is futile, not the person attempting it. 无能为力 To have no means or power to change something or help someone; it stresses the lack of capacity, not failing strength or resigned acceptance. 灵机一动 To be struck by a sudden bright idea, often just in time to get out of a tight spot; it has a positive ring. 爱不释手 To love something so much you cannot put it down; said of objects, gifts or books, and stressing fondness rather than studiousness. 美中不足 The one small flaw in something otherwise excellent; used to qualify praise, much like "a fly in the ointment." 记忆犹新 To remember something as vividly as if it had just happened, even though time has passed; usually said of experiences that left a mark. 身不由己 To be unable to act as you wish because circumstances or other people decide; it usually conveys a lack of freedom rather than an impulse of your own. 轻而易举 With the greatest ease and hardly any effort; very often used in the negative to stress that something is harder than it looks. 过意不去 To feel bad, with a twinge of conscience, about the trouble you are putting someone to or about a kindness you don't know how to repay. 鸦雀无声 Utter silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop; usually said of a place full of people, whether it falls silent at once or stays hushed. 格格不入 To not fit in at all; to clash with a setting, a set of ideas, or a group of people, like a piece that simply won't go into place. 恼羞成怒 To lash out in anger because you have been embarrassed or caught out, shame curdling into rage; usually said critically of someone else. 触目惊心 So shocking to look at that it sends a chill through you; used of scenes, damage, or figures so grim they are hard to take in. 耐人寻味 Thought-provoking; said of a text, a remark, or a gesture with layers of meaning that keep you turning it over in your mind. 无可厚非 Understandable, if not beyond criticism: there may be a flaw, but it doesn't deserve harsh blame; milder than 无可非议, which means blameless. 门当户对 Of a couple: the two families are well matched in social standing and wealth; today it is invoked both to defend that ideal and to criticize it. 小题大做 To make a mountain out of a molehill, treating a minor matter as a major one; it inflates the issue itself, unlike 大惊小怪, which is overreacting in surprise. 一头雾水 To be completely lost, unable to make sense of what is being explained or what is going on; it describes the confused person, not an odd situation. 口是心非 Saying one thing while meaning another, so that your words don't match what you feel. It faults insincerity, sometimes teasingly, rather than hidden malice. 火上浇油 To add fuel to the fire: to make anger, a conflict or an already bad situation worse by word or deed; unlike 雪上加霜, someone is doing the damage. 心知肚明 To know something perfectly well even though no one says it out loud; typically used when everyone involved knows and would rather keep quiet. 虎头蛇尾 To start out with great vigor and then peter out or finish sloppily; unlike 半途而废, the stress is on the gap between a strong start and a weak end. 斤斤计较 To fuss over every trivial gain or loss, whether in money or effort, and let nothing slide; it is a reproach, unlike the approving 精打细算. 手忙脚乱 To rush about in a flurry, doing several things at once with no order, out of haste or because something came up; it is not freezing up. 相依为命 To depend on each other to get by because there is no one else; the stress falls on having only each other rather than on how they care for each other. 约定俗成 Established by usage: something no one ever officially decided, but that is accepted because everyone has done it or said it that way for a long time. 孤陋寡闻 To be poorly informed and unaware of what goes on beyond one's own circle; most often said modestly of oneself, though it can also be a criticism. 暗度陈仓 To advance in secret behind a visible decoy; unlike 声东击西, the hidden part is what counts; today also deals or love affairs kept quiet. 每况愈下 To go steadily downhill: health, a business, or the quality of something keeps getting worse over time rather than all at once. 一落千丈 To plummet all at once: reputation, standing, grades, or sales suddenly collapse from a great height, rather than slowly sliding. 买椟还珠 To keep the showy wrapping and let the truly valuable thing go; a criticism of judging by the packaging and missing the substance. 五体投地 To admire someone without reservation, to bow down before their talent; usually said with some exaggeration, as in 佩服得五体投地. 只欠东风 To have everything ready except one last crucial condition, often one beyond your control; usually heard as 万事俱备，只欠东风. 孤注一掷 To stake everything on a single risky throw, often out of desperation; it suggests recklessness rather than the resolve of 破釜沉舟. 游刃有余 To handle something with such command that there is room to spare; doing a job with ease and slack left over, not merely with skill. 虎视眈眈 To eye something greedily, like a tiger that never takes its eyes off its prey and waits for the moment to pounce; a note of menace. 豁然开朗 Of a space, to open out wide and bright after a narrow passage; of the mind, to have a block lift and suddenly see everything clearly. 铁面无私 Strictly impartial and incorruptible: applying the rules to everyone alike, unmoved by pleas, favors or friendships. 曲高和寡 Said of work or ideas so refined or demanding that few people appreciate them; it can be praise, or a jab at something too highbrow. 义无反顾 To press ahead without hesitation or second thoughts toward what one feels is a duty or a just cause; admiring and somewhat solemn. 无中生有 To make something up out of thin air, such as a false charge or a fake story; not passing on a rumor but fabricating it outright. 明察秋毫 To be so sharp-eyed that not even the smallest detail slips past; usually praise for someone who judges, investigates or supervises. 黄粱一梦 A dream of wealth, fame or success that turns out to be pure illusion; also the sense that what seemed so important was fleeting. 无精打采 Listless, with no energy, from tiredness, lack of sleep, boredom or low spirits; it paints a lack of spark, not the blow of a setback. 恋恋不舍 To be loath to leave someone or something out of attachment; unlike 依依不舍, it suits places, things or stages of life, not just farewells. 争分夺秒 To make every minute and second count, racing against the clock because time is short; urgent in tone and usually admiring. 因人而异 To vary from person to person: said of effects, tastes or needs that differ between individuals; also, to tailor something to each person. 异口同声 For everyone to say the same thing with one voice; the stress is on unanimous words, not the unplanned coincidence of 不约而同. 毫不犹豫 To act without the slightest hesitation or a moment's doubt; the opposite of 犹豫不决, it describes a quick, firm decision. 犹豫不决 To keep wavering, going back and forth without making up one's mind; often critical in tone, the opposite of 毫不犹豫. 精打细算 To budget carefully, managing money or resources in detail so that nothing goes to waste; usually said approvingly. 赞不绝口 To be full of praise and keep raving, like someone who can't stop complimenting a meal, a piece of work or a person. 一事无成 To have achieved nothing at all, in life or in an undertaking; often said ruefully of oneself or critically of others. 酸甜苦辣 The ups and downs, all the joys and hardships of life or of one stage of it, such as a job or years spent abroad. 目中无人 To look down on everyone and treat them with contempt; unlike 自以为是, being sure you're right, it means respecting no one. 名不虚传 To live up to the reputation you had heard of, said on seeing it firsthand; 名副其实, by contrast, says a name or title fits reality. 趁热打铁 To act promptly while things go your way; unlike 一鼓作气, it is about timing, not drive. Strike while the iron is hot. 本末倒置 To get one's priorities backwards, pouring effort into minor matters while neglecting what counts; putting the cart before the horse. 两全其美 A solution that reconciles two interests or two parties that seemed at odds, so that neither has to lose out; the best of both worlds. 众志成城 Many people united like a wall nothing can breach; more solemn than 齐心协力, it is usually said in the face of a disaster or a shared threat. 熙熙攘攘 Describes a crowded, bustling place with people milling to and fro and jostling; it paints the hubbub of a throng rather than a steady stream. 厚积薄发 To build up knowledge and experience patiently for years before showing it; unlike 一鸣惊人, which stresses the surprise, the weight is on the long groundwork. 含沙射影 To attack or disparage someone through insinuation, without naming them, in a veiled and spiteful way; the phrase itself is a reproach. 大义灭亲 To put justice above family ties, even turning in a guilty relative; jokingly, it is also said of someone who tells on a family member. 一往情深 To feel a deep, wholehearted devotion to someone or something that one cannot shake off; not love at first sight, but a profound and steadfast attachment. 釜底抽薪 To tackle a problem by cutting off what feeds it rather than its effects; also, to deprive a rival of what gives it strength. 罪魁祸首 The chief culprit behind a crime or disaster; these days it very often names the main cause of a problem, with a note of blame. 不相上下 To be so evenly matched that neither comes out on top; said of people, teams or things alike, with no disparaging overtone. 愈演愈烈 To keep escalating: a conflict, a controversy or a bad trend that, far from dying down, grows more intense all the time. 有朝一日 Someday, at some still uncertain point in the future; it usually comes with a hope, a wish or a vow one means to fulfill in time. 耳熟能详 To have heard something so often that you know it by heart and can tell it in detail; the stress is on familiarity, not on fame. 相辅相成 To complement and reinforce each other, so that each part needs the other to work at its best; to go hand in hand. 得心应手 To do something with complete ease, the hand doing just what the mind intends; said of a mastered skill or a tool that feels right. 八仙过海 Everyone draws on their own talents or means to get something done; it is nearly always followed by 各显神通 and usually sounds admiring. 念念不忘 To be unable to get someone or something out of your mind, usually fondly or longingly, though also over a lingering regret. 一蹴而就 To achieve something in a single step, with no time or effort; it is nearly always negated, as a reminder that a goal takes sustained work. 事与愿违 For things to turn out contrary to what one wanted or hoped for; usually said with resignation when a well-meant plan goes awry.
Frequently asked questions
What is a chengyu?
A four-character Chinese idiom that packs a whole idea, often born from a classical story. They are used constantly, in writing and in speech.
How many chengyu are here, and what does each include?
400, each with tone-colored pinyin, its literal sense and its figurative meaning. The full origin story lives inside the app.
Are the chengyu free?
Yes: all 400 are free inside the Wanyu app — like the rest of the app — and here on the web you can browse them with no sign-up.