Common idioms and proverbs L4

Here are all the common idioms and proverbs for students at level 4.

yī kè qiān jīn一刻千金Time is precious.

sān gù máo lú三顾茅庐have visited the cottage thrice in succession

bù luò kē jiù不落窠臼not follow the beaten track

dōng shī xiào pín东施效颦ugly woman trying to imitate a famous beauty knitting her brows

liǎng miàn sān dāo两面三刀play a double game

mǎi dú huán zhū买椟还珠make the wrong choice

luàn tán qín乱弹琴act or talk like a fool

yǐ yī dāng shí以一当十pit one against ten

yú yīn rào liáng余音绕梁the music lingered around the beams

kè zhōu qiú jiàn刻舟求剑make a notch on the side of a moving boat to indicate where one's sword has dropped―take measures without regard to changes in circumstances

shí zhǐ lián xīn十指连心intimately linked

qǔ zhī bù jìn yòng zhī bù jié取之不尽，用之不竭inexhaustible

chī bu kāi吃不开unpopular

āi hóng biàn yě哀鸿遍野disaster victims moaning everywhere

xiǎng è xíng yún响遏行云being so sonorous as to stop the passing clouds

miào bǐ shēng huā妙笔生花ingenious writing with exquisite description; #$

wán bì guī zhào完璧归赵return the jade intact to the State of Zhao

qiǎo shé rú huáng巧舌如簧have a ready tongue

shǒu jí yǎn kuài手疾眼快moving or acting quickly

tóu bǐ cóng róng投笔从戎cast aside the pen and join the army—forsake the pen for the sword

shí rén yá huì拾人牙慧steal/appropriate other people's ideas as one's own

yǒu jiào wú lèi有教无类in education there should be no class distinction

shuǐ dī shí chuān水滴石穿Dripping water wears through rock.

yá yá xué yǔ牙牙学语babble out one's first speech sounds

mù bù rěn shì目不忍视same as 目不忍睹

chéng mén lì xuě程门立雪stand in the snow at the master Cheng's gate

bǐ zǒu lóng shé笔走龙蛇vigorous and graceful

shéng jù mù duàn绳锯木断little strokes fell great oaks

liáo shèng yú wú聊胜于无a little better than nothing

táng bì dāng chē螳臂当车a mantis trying to stop a cart from advancing—overestimate oneself and try to hold back an overwhelmingly superior force

jiàn xián sī qí见贤思齐emulate those better than oneself

fù jīng qǐng zuì负荆请罪the deepest possible apology one can make to another

hán dān xué bù邯郸学步imitate others slavishly only to lose one's own individuality and attributes

wén guò zé xǐ闻过则喜be glad to have one's errors pointed out

fēng dāo shuāng jiàn风刀霜剑biting wind and stinging frost-freezing cold; adverse circumstances

mǎ gé guǒ shī马革裹尸die on the battlefield

chàng niàn zuò dǎ唱念做打singing, recitation, acting and acrobatics

qì yǔ xuān áng器宇轩昂now written as 气宇轩昂

dà xiǎn shén tōng大显神通display one's remarkable prowess to the full

xué ér bù yàn学而不厌have an insatiable desire to learn

tuō wù yán zhì托物言志express thoughts and feelings by describing the image of specific things

páng yì xié chū旁逸斜出grow out from the side irregularly

táo hóng liǔ lǜ桃红柳绿red peach blossoms and green willows—beautiful spring scene

gài shì wú shuāng盖世无双second to none

liáng yào kǔ kǒu良药苦口Bitter pills have wholesome effects.

lùn gōng xíng shǎng论功行赏decide on awards on the basis of merit

zǒu lǎo lù走老路stick to the old path

zhē tiān gài dì遮天盖地blot out the sky and hide the earth

jiàn wǎng zhī lái鉴往知来foresee the future by reviewing the past

bù róng zhì biàn不容置辩indisputable

bù bì jiān xiǎn不避艰险flinch/shrink from no difficulty or danger

lìng chū rú shān令出如山Orders are like a mountain.

yí tài wàn qiān仪态万千appear in all her glory

zhòng xīng gǒng yuè众星拱月a myriad of stars surrounding the moon

xīng guó ān bāng兴国安邦make the country prosperous and stable

běi guó fēng guāng北国风光a magnificent scene of the north

jiān qiáng bù qū坚强不屈adamant

suì yuè rú liú岁月如流The months and years pass by like a stream.

kāi shān bí zǔ开山鼻祖the first person to do something

yōu yōu yáng yáng悠悠扬扬soft and ringing

zhèn bì yī hū振臂一呼call to action

dí zhòng wǒ guǎ敌众我寡be outnumbered by the enemy

liǎn shēng bǐng qì敛声屏气keep silent and hold one's breath

lái qù wú zōng来去无踪come and go mysteriously leaving no trace

shuǐ tiān yī sè水天一色The waters and skies merge in one color.

bì kōng rú xǐ碧空如洗a cloudless blue sky

shén tài zì ruò神态自若appear calm and composed at ease

lù lín hǎo hàn绿林好汉greenwood heroes; a band of bandits entrenched in a mountain stronghold

guō zào bù xiū聒噪不休talk endlessly

fāng cǎo rú yīn芳草如茵Soft green grass carpets the ground.

zhuī gēn qiú yuán追根求源trace back to the sources

cháng fēng pò làng长风破浪ride the wind and cleave the waves

fēng liú xiāo sǎ风流潇洒gay and lighthearted

fēng xuě jiāo jiā风雪交加A snowstorm is raging.

yú guàn ér rù鱼贯而入enter in single file

qǐn bù ān xí寝不安席be worried and sleepless

kāi juàn yǒu yì开卷有益Reading is always profitable.

shí bù xià yàn食不下咽unable to eat or swallow

yù zhī yǐ lǐ喻之以理try to make somebody see reason

pí juàn bù kān疲倦不堪tired

yī yuán fù shǐ一元复始a new year begins

shēng míng yuǎn yáng声名远扬gain far-flung fame

dǎ cuò suàn pán打错算盘miscalculate

bō tāo qǐ fú波涛起伏waves roll

yī bǐ hú tu zhàng一笔糊涂账chaotic accounts

èr shí nián hòu yòu shì yī tiáo hǎo hàn二十年后又是一条好汉twenty years later, one will be a hero again

gè dǎ gè de suàn pán各打各的算盘everyone has his own intention

yǒu bí zi yǒu yǎn有鼻子有眼have a nose and eyes; describe fictitious things in vivid and life like details

zì jǐ dǎ zì jǐ zuǐ ba自己打自己嘴巴slap oneself in the face; there are contradictions in one's words and actions

jìn guǐ mén guān进鬼门关enter the gate of hell; put oneself in danger

yī wǎn shuǐ duān píng一碗水端平hold a bowl of water level; handle fairly

dǎ pò shā guō wèn dào dǐ打破沙锅问到底insist on getting to the bottom of matters; wish to know every detail of something

gè dǎ wǔ shí dà bǎn各打五十大板punish the wronged and the wrongdoer alike; put the blame on the two parties equally

yī xīn bù néng èr yòng一心不能二用a man can’t spin and reel at the same time

rén féng xǐ shì jīng shen shuǎng人逢喜事精神爽joy puts heart into a man

jí rén zì yǒu tiān xiàng吉人自有天相blessed are the good men

hǎo sǐ bù rú è huó好死不如恶活a living ass is better than a dead lion

qiú rén bù rú qiú jǐ求人不如求己better depend on oneself than ask for help from others

lǎo niú lá pò chē老牛拉破车like an old bullock pulling a broken cart; drag along at a snail's pace

bīng tàn bù tóng lú冰炭不同炉as incompatible as ice and hot coals