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
大谬不然 (Greatly Mistaken)
上下其手 (Manipulating from Above and Below)
口血未干 (The Blood Oath Still Fresh)
口若悬河 (A Torrent of Words)
口尚乳臭 (Mouth Still Smelling of Milk)
口无择言 (Words Without Selection)
口蜜腹剑 (Honeyed Words, Hidden Daggers)
山鸡舞镜 (The Pheasant Dances at Its Reflection)
义无反顾 (Honor Binds No Turning Back)
及瓜而代 (Relief at the Melon Season)
千万买邻 (A Million for a Neighbor)
千夫所指 (Pointed at by a Thousand)
千金市骨 (A Thousand Gold for a Horse's Bones)
千载难逢 (A Rare Chance in a Thousand Years)
千虑一得 (One in a Thousand Thoughts)
之乎者也 (Zhi Hu Zhe Ye)
亡羊补牢 (Mend the Pen After the Sheep Are Lost)
亡命之徒 (Outlaws Without a Past)
亡戟得矛 (Lose a Halberd, Gain a Spear)
门无杂宾 (No Unworthy Guests)
门可罗雀 (Sparrows at the Door)
门庭若市 (The Courtyard as Crowded as a Marketplace)
尸位素餐 (Sitting Idle and Eating Free)
尸居余气 (Corpse-Like, Breath Remaining)
女中尧舜 (A Sage Among Women)
马齿徒增 (Horse Teeth Grown in Vain)
马革裹尸 (Wrapped in Horsehide)
马首是瞻 (Follow My Lead)
小心翼翼 (Extreme Caution)
小丑跳梁 (A Clown on the Beam)
小时了了 (A Child Prodigy)
小巫见大巫 (A Lesser Wizard Meets a Greater)
飞扬跋扈 (Arrogant and Domineering)
飞沙转石 (Flying Sand and Shifting Stones)
飞蛾扑火 (A Moth to the Flame)
飞熊入梦 (Flying Bear Enters the Dream)
飞鹰走狗 (Flying Falcons, Running Hounds)
韦编三绝 (Three Readings of the Leather Bindings)
匹夫之勇 (The Courage of a Common Man)
专心致志 (Wholehearted Focus)
专横跋扈 (Arrogant and Tyrannical)
王祥卧冰 (Wang Xiang Lies on Ice)
瓦器蚌盘 (Earthenware Vessels and Clam Shells)
井臼亲操 (Drawing Water and Pounding Rice)
井底之蛙 (A Frog in a Well)
木人石心 (Wooden Man, Stone Heart)
木鸡养到 (A Wooden Rooster)
太丘道广 (Taiqiu's Wide Circle)
太公钓鱼 (Jiang Ziya Fishing)
车水马龙 (Carriages Like Streams, Horses Like Dragons)
车载斗量 (Cartloads and Bushels)
车辙马迹 (Cart Tracks and Horse Hoofprints)
比肩继踵 (Shoulder to Shoulder)
开门揖盗 (Opening the Door to Robbers)
开天辟地 (The Creation of Heaven and Earth)
开卷有益 (Opening a Book Brings Benefit)
开诚布公 (Open and Honest)
犬牙交错 (Interlocking Dog Teeth)
犬兔俱毙 (Both Dog and Hare Die)
五马分尸 (Dismembered by Five Carts)
五日京兆 (Five Days as Governor)
五世其昌 (Five Generations of Prosperity)
五色无主 (Losing One's Composure)
五里雾中 (Lost in Five Li Fog)
五十步笑百步 (Fifty Steps Laughing at a Hundred)
天下无双 (Unrivaled Under Heaven)
天上石麟 (A Stone Qilin from Heaven)
天之骄子 (The Chosen Son of Heaven)
天衣无缝 (Seamless as Heavenly Garments)
天花乱坠 (Heavenly Flowers Scatter)
天罗地网 (Heaven's Net, Earth's Snare)
天经地义 (Heaven's Law and Earth's Right)
天真烂漫 (Innocent and Artless)
天崩地裂 (Heaven Splits, Earth Cracks)
天壤王郎 (A World Apart from Wang Lang)
天子无戏言 (The Emperor's Words Are Law)
无人之境 (No Man's Land)
无功受禄 (Rewards Without Merit)
无可奈何 (No Way Out)
无出其右 (None Can Surpass)
无所不容 (All-Embracing Tolerance)
无所畏忌 (Fearless and Unrestrained)
无所畏惧 (Fearless and Unyielding)
无面目见江东父老 (No Face to Return Home)
不一而足 (More Than One)
不可多得 (Hard to Come By)
不可胜数 (Too Numerous to Count)
不可救药 (Beyond Cure)
不因人热 (Not Following Others' Fire)
不自量力 (Overestimating One's Strength)
不合时宜 (Out of Step with the Times)
不名一钱 (Not a Single Coin)
不远千里 (Not Afraid of a Thousand Li)
不求甚解 (No Seeking Deep Understanding)
不求闻达 (No Desire for Fame)
不足为意 (Not Worth a Thought)
不拘一格 (Not Bound by One Pattern)
不拘小节 (Not Bound by Trifles)
不知所云 (Incomprehensible Ramblings)
不念旧恶 (Letting Go of Past Grievances)