Chinese Idioms
Explore over 1,000 Chinese idioms (Chengyu) and their corresponding historical narratives. Each entry details the origins, cultural context, and profound wisdom behind these timeless phrases, offering deep insight into the heritage that shaped the Chinese language.
Table of contents
一木难支 (One Log Cannot Prop a Falling House)
一日千里 (A Thousand Li a Day)
一见如故 (Friends at First Sight)
一毛不拔 (Not Even One Hair)
一以当十 (One Against Ten)
一龙一猪 (A Dragon and a Pig)
一叶障目 (A Leaf Before the Eye)
一丘之貉 (Jackals of the Same Lair)
一发千钧 (A Single Hair, a Thousand Jin)
一丝不苟 (Meticulous in Every Detail)
一死一生 (Life and Death)
一网打尽 (Catch All in One Net)
一衣带水 (A Narrow Strip of Water)
一字千金 (A Single Word Worth a Thousand Gold)
一字之师 (One-Character Teacher)
一抔黄土 (A Handful of Yellow Earth)
一时之秀 (A Flash of Brilliance)
一身是胆 (All Courage)
一身两任 (One Person, Two Roles)
一饭千金 (A Meal Repaid a Thousandfold)
一国三公 (One State, Three Rulers)
一鸣惊人 (Startle the World with a Single Cry)
一败涂地 (A Crushing Defeat)
一往情深 (Deeply Attached)
一挥而就 (A Single Stroke to Completion)
一举两得 (Kill Two Birds with One Stone)
一误再误 (Repeated Mistakes)
一钱不值 (Not Worth a Penny)
一笔勾销 (Wiped Out with One Stroke)
一窍不通 (Not a Single Clue)
一诺千金 (A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold)
一厢情愿 (Wishful Thinking)
一琴一鹤 (A Lute and a Crane)
一朝一夕 (Overnight)
一傅众咻 (One Teacher, Many Distractions)
一寒如此 (Reduced to Such Poverty)
一鼓作气 (Strike While the Iron Is Hot)
一筹莫展 (At a Loss)
一意孤行 (Acting on One's Own Will)
一箭双雕 (One Arrow, Two Eagles)
一夔已足 (One Kui Is Enough)
一去不复返 (Gone Forever)
一问三不知 (Three Nos to One Question)
一不做，二不休 (Do It Once, Do It Right)
一蟹不如一蟹 (Each Crab Worse Than the Last)
一人得道，鸡犬升天 (When One Attains Immortality, Even Chickens and Dogs Ascend to Heaven)
二桃杀三士 (Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors)
七步之才 (Seven-Step Genius)
七擒七纵 (Seven Captures, Seven Releases)
十二金牌 (Twelve Golden Medals)
十行俱下 (Reading Ten Lines at Once)
十羊九牧 (Ten Sheep, Nine Shepherds)
十鼠同穴 (Ten Rats in One Hole)
八仙过海 (The Eight Immortals Cross the Sea)
入木三分 (Entering Three-Tenths of an Inch)
入幕之宾 (The Insider at the Curtain)
九牛一毛 (One Hair from Nine Oxen)
人人自危 (Everyone in Danger)
人中之龙 (A Dragon Among Men)
人心如面 (Hearts as Varied as Faces)
人自为战 (Each Man Fights for Himself)
人言可畏 (Gossip Is a Fearful Thing)
人弃我取 (Take What Others Discard)
人杰地灵 (Outstanding People, Blessed Land)
人面桃花 (Peach Blossoms and a Face)
人给家足 (Every Household Well-Provided)
人琴俱亡 (Both Man and Zither Are Lost)
人非圣贤，孰能无过 (To Err Is Human)
卜昼卜夜 (Divining Day and Night)
土崩瓦解 (Like Tiles Crumbling)
下车泣罪 (Weeping Over the Prisoners)
下笔成章 (Writing Becomes a Chapter)
才气无双 (Unrivaled Talent)
才高八斗 (Eight Bushels of Talent)
才疏意广 (Limited Talent, Vast Ambitions)
与虎谋皮 (Bargaining with a Tiger)
万人之敌 (A Match for Ten Thousand)
万马齐喑 (Ten Thousand Horses Fall Silent)
万死不辞 (Ten Thousand Deaths I Would Not Refuse)
万全之策 (A Foolproof Plan)
万事俱备，只欠东风 (All Is Ready, Only the East Wind)
三人成虎 (Three Men Make a Tiger)
三寸之舌 (A Three-Inch Tongue)
三千珠履 (Three Thousand Pearl-Adorned Guests)
三分鼎足 (Three Points of the Tripod)
三户亡秦 (Three Households Destroy Qin)
三迁之教 (Three Moves for a Child's Education)
三豕涉河 (Three Pigs Cross the River)
三纸无驴 (Three Sheets Without a Donkey)
三顾茅庐 (Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage)
三衅三沐 (Three Baths, Three Incenses)
三过其门而不入 (Three Passes Without Entry)
大义灭亲 (Place Righteousness Above Family Ties)
大公无私 (Perfectly Selfless)
大功毕成 (The Great Task Is Complete)
大失所望 (Greatly Disappointed)
大材小用 (A Great Talent Wasted on Small Tasks)
大逆不道 (Rebellious and Unprincipled)
大笔如椽 (A Brush as Big as a Beam)
大腹便便 (Big Belly, Big Appetite)