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
束手就擒 (Hands Tied and Captured)
束装盗金 (Bundled Robes and Stolen Gold)
束蕴请火 (Bundle Kindling, Beg a Light)
走马看花 (Riding Past Flowers)
还淳反朴 (Return to Simplicity)
违天逆理 (Defying Heaven and Reason)
运斤成风 (Wielding the Axe Like the Wind)
运筹帷幄 (Strategic Planning in the Tent)
运用之妙，存乎一心 (The Marvel of Application Lies in the Mind)
远水不救近火 (Distant Water Cannot Quench Nearby Fire)
连城之璧 (Jade Worth a Chain of Cities)
连篇累牍 (Lengthy and Tedious Pages)
报仇雪耻 (Avenge the Humiliation)
抛砖引玉 (Cast a Brick to Attract Jade)
投袂而起 (Flinging Sleeves to Rise)
投笔从戎 (Throwing Down the Brush)
投鼠忌器 (Throw No Stones at a Rat)
投膏止火 (Pour Oil on Fire)
投鞭断流 (Throw Whips to Block the River)
技痒难忍 (Itching to Show Off Skills)
花朝月夕 (Flower Mornings and Moonlit Evenings)
求田问舍 (Seeking Fields and Houses)
助桀为虐 (Helping Jie to Tyranny)
步步生莲花 (Lotus Blooms at Every Step)
呆若木鸡 (Dumb as a Carved Wooden Chicken)
吴牛喘月 (The Buffalo Panting at the Moon)
吴市吹箫 (Playing a Flute in Wu Market)
呕心沥血 (Pouring Out Heart and Blood)
吮痈舐痔 (Sucking Sores and Licking Hemorrhoids)
吠非其主 (Barking at the Wrong Master)
听人穿鼻 (Led by the Nose)
坚壁清野 (Fortify Walls, Clear the Fields)
别无长物 (Nothing But Necessities)
别有天地 (A World Apart)
旷日持久 (Prolonged and Drawn Out)
时移事改 (Times Change, Affairs Shift)
囫囵吞枣 (Swallowing Dates Whole)
我见犹怜 (Even I Find Her Lovely)
每况愈下 (Going from Bad to Worse)
伴食宰相 (The Dinner-Table Chancellor)
何足挂齿 (Not Worth Mentioning)
伯乐一顾 (A Single Glance from Bole)
伯乐相马 (Bole Appraises Horses)
伯俞泣杖 (Boyu Weeps at the Rod)
伯道无儿 (Bo Dao Has No Son)
作法自弊 (Trapped by One's Own Laws)
作威作福 (Playing the Tyrant)
作壁上观 (Watch from the Ramparts)
肝脑涂地 (Liver and Brain on the Ground)
近水楼台 (A Pavilion Near the Water)
近悦远来 (Those Near Rejoice, Those Far Come)
返老还童 (Return to Youth)
犹豫不决 (Hesitant and Indecisive)
狂奴故态 (The Madman's Old Ways)
坐观成败 (Sit Back and Watch)
利令智昏 (Blinded by Greed)
兵不血刃 (Victory Without Bloodshed)
兵出无名 (A Troop Without Cause)
兵连祸结 (War and Calamity Entwined)
兵贵神速 (Speed Is the Soul of War)
兵强马壮 (Strong Soldiers and Sturdy Horses)
余音绕梁 (Reverberating Notes Lingering)
余勇可贾 (Surplus Courage for Sale)
饮鸩止渴 (Drinking Poison to Quench Thirst)
饮醇自醉 (Drunk on Fine Wine)
身先士卒 (Leading from the Front)
身轻言微 (Light Words, Little Weight)
身在曹营心在汉 (Body in Cao's Camp, Heart in Han)
身首分离 (Severed Head from Body)
完璧归赵 (Returning the Jade Intact)
补天浴日 (Mending the Sky, Bathing the Sun)
补阙拾遗 (Fill Gaps, Pick Up Omissions)
社鼠猛狗 (Temple Rats and Vicious Dogs)
间不容发 (Not a Hair's Breadth)
忘年交 (Friends Beyond Age)
沆瀣一气 (One in Spirit)
沐猴而冠 (A Monkey in a Crown)
沧海桑田 (The Seas Turn to Mulberry Fields)
沧海遗珠 (A Pearl Lost in the Sea)
沉默寡言 (Silent and Reserved)
怀刺漫灭 (Dull Thorns, Blunt Edges)
忧心如焚 (Burning Anxiety)
穷凶极恶 (Utterly Vicious and Evil)
穷兵黩武 (Waging War at All Costs)
言无不尽 (Speak Without Reserve)
言不二价 (No Haggling)
言不及私 (Never Speaking of Private Matters)
言不由衷 (Words from the Heart)
言归于好 (Making Up Again)
言过其实 (Words Exceed Reality)
言听计从 (Listen and Follow)
言笑自若 (Laughing and Talking as Usual)
识时务者为俊杰 (A Wise Man Knows the Times)
尾大不掉 (A Tail Too Big to Wag)
驴鸣犬吠 (Donkey Braying, Dog Barking)
陈陈相因 (Granary Upon Granary)
陈雷胶漆 (Chen Lei's Unbreakable Bond)
阿保之劳 (The Labor of Abao)
妒贤嫉能 (Jealous of Talent and Virtue)
纸上谈兵 (Fighting Wars on Paper)