Common idioms and proverbs L4
Here are all the common idioms and proverbs for students at level 4.
jiǎn fó shāo xiāng拣佛烧香curry favour with the right person
hèng zāo bú xìng横遭不幸a sudden misfortune
dàn bó míng zhì淡泊明志show one's aspirations by leading a simple life
xuě zhào yún guāng雪照云光snowblink
róng wéi yī tǐ融为一体hypostatic union
zhì cún gāo yuǎn志存高远aim for the highest goal
xiǎng yǒu shèng yù享有盛誉be prestigious
dī shēng xì yǔ低声细语speak in a soft low voice
nù mù yuán zhēng怒目圆睁glaring eyes
yì wén qù shì逸闻趣事anecdotes and interesting episodes
shǎi cǎi bān lán色彩斑斓multicolored
gōng zhèng bù ē公正不阿standing on principles and not yielding to pressure
fèi jìn kǒu shé费尽口舌try one's best to persuade
kè jiàn yī bān可见一斑from a small clue one can see that is coming
cóng wèi móu miàn从未谋面have never met before
zì yǒu miào yòng自有妙用have a special effect of its own
dà nào tiān gōng大闹天宫Monkey Wreaks Havoc in Heaven, story about the Monkey King Sun Wukong
dà péng zhǎn chì大鹏展翅a great hawk spreads its wings
yī rén yī kǒu tù mo yě néng bǎ nǐ yān sǐ一人一口吐沫，也能把你淹死there is strength in numbers
yī lín bù liǎng hǔ一林不两虎aforest can't keep two tigers together at the same time
yī zhī dòng bǎi zhī yáo一枝动，百枝摇as one branch shakes, other branches will shake accordingly
rén wú tóu bù zǒu niǎo wú tóu bù fēi人无头不走，鸟无头不飞people will not go into action without a leader, and a bird will not fly without a head
rén wú bǎi rì hǎo huā wú bǎi rì hóng人无百日好，花无百日红nobody can get along well with others for a hundred days and no flower can bloom for a hundred days
rén yǒu shī shǒu mǎ yǒu shī tí人有失手，马有失蹄men all make mistakes
bā tái dà jiào qǐng bù dòng八抬大轿请不动one won't go even if a big sedan chair carried by eight men is designated to send him to the place
zhǐ yào xiān shàng chuán zì ran xiān dào àn只要先上船，自然先到岸as long as one gets on the boat first, he'll get ashore first
zhǐ yào zhàn de zhèng bù pà yǐng zi wāi只要站得正，不怕影子歪a person standing straight doesn't worry about his shadow slanting
hé chàng yī tái xì合唱一台戏work together
jūn zǐ dòng kǒu xiǎo rén dòng shǒu君子动口，小人动手a gentleman uses his tongue, while a villain uses his fists
chuī shén me fēng luò shén me yǔ吹什么风，落什么雨the strength of the wind indicates the size of the rain
hǎo xì nài kàn hǎo qǔ zhōng tīng好戏耐看，好曲中听the wonderful play stands up to any scrutiny, and the melodious music stands up to any appreciation
píng shí bù shāo xiāng lín shí bào fó jiǎo平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚neglect to burn incense but clasp Buddha's feet at the last minute; wait until the last minute
bǎ zuǐ pí shuō pò把嘴皮说破keep speaking until the lips are bleeding; try to persuade patiently
yǒu yì zāi huā huā bù kāi wú xīn chā liǔ liǔ chéng yīn有意栽花花不开，无心插柳柳成荫when one wants to plant flowers, the flowers don't blossom, but when one doesn't intend to plant willows, the willows flourish; what one wants the most can't be achieved, but what he least expects happens
měi jiā dōu yǒu nán niàn de jīng每家都有难念的经everyfamily has some sort of trouble; every family has its own hard nut to crack
bái lù shēn bù lù白露身不露when the White Dew comes, people should not expose their skin
bǎi bù wéi duō yī bù wéi shǎo百不为多，一不为少one hundred cannot be counted as a considerable number, while one cannot be counted as a small number; if I have 100 precious, it is not enough, but if I have one, I will be satisfactory
bǎi rén bǎi tiáo xīn百人百条心a hundred people have a hundred hearts; a lot of people can't be united because they hold different opinions and intentions
dù zi lǐ yǒu mò shuǐ肚子里有墨水there is a lot of ink in one's stomach; have profound erudition
cāng ying bù zuān wú fèng de dàn苍蝇不钻无缝的蛋flies don't land on eggs without cracks; evil people influences only those with frailties
jìn rén bù shuō yuǎn huà近人不说远话friends never speak as if they were strangers; be straightforward when talking to friends
bīng lái jiàng dǎng shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn兵来将挡，水来土掩confront soldiers with generals and stem water with earth; take proper measures as the situation calls for
dāo zi zuǐ dòu fu xīn刀子嘴，豆腐心be sharp-tongued but tender-hearted
chén gǔ zi làn zhī ma陈谷子烂芝麻outdated customs and habits
lái zhě bù shàn shàn zhě bù lái来者不善，善者不来he who has come is surely strong or he'd never have come along
yī chuán shí shí chuán bǎi一传十，十传百spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred; spread far and wide
yǒu lǐ zǒu biàn tiān xià wú lǐ cùn bù nán xíng有理走遍天下，无理寸步难行with justice on your side, you can go anywhere
zhǐ zhòng yī shān bù zhòng rén只重衣衫不重人only value the clothes the man wears and not the man himself
jūn zǐ bào chóu shí nián bù wǎn君子报仇，十年不晚it's never too late for a gentleman to take his revenge
rì chū ér zuò rì luò ér xī日出而作，日落而息begin work at sunrise and retire at sunset
yuǎn zài tiān biān jìn zài yǎn qián远在天边，近在眼前seemingly far away, actually close at hand
sù rán wú shēng肃然无声in perfect silence
yáo yáo zài wàng遥遥在望far away
yī bì qiān lǐ一碧千里watery blue reaching far beyond the horizon
yín zhuāng sù guǒ银装素裹clad in white, adorned in red
èr bā yuè de zhuāng jià qīng huáng bù jiē二八月的庄稼—青黄不接crops in February and August - a new crop has not yet come
yī kē dà shù kū le xīn wài qiáng zhōng gān一棵大树枯了心—外强中干a big tree with its heart withered - outwardly strong but inwardly weak
èr sì liù bā shí wú dú yǒu ǒu二四六八十—无独有偶24680 - it happens that there is a similar case
mǎ tǒng dào jìn chòu shuǐ gōu tóng liú hé wū马桶倒进臭水沟—同流合污the toilet is poured into the smelly ditch - associate oneself with undesirable elements
qì chē huài le fāng xiàng pán héng chōng zhí zhuàng汽车坏了方向盘—横冲直撞the car's steering wheel is broken - push one's way by shoving or humping
zuǐ ba shàng guà yóu píng yóu zuǐ huá shé嘴巴上挂油瓶—油嘴滑舌hang an oil bottle on your mouth - person with a glib tongue
shí wǔ de yuè liàng wán měi wú quē十五的月亮—完美无缺moon in the fiftheenth day of each month - be the pink of perfection
chí zhōng lāo ǒu tuō ní dài shuǐ池中捞藕—拖泥带水fish lotus root in the pond - do things sloppily
xiā zi bēi bǒ zi qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn瞎子背跛子—取长补短the blind carrying the lame - learn from others' strong points and close the gap
guò hé chāi qiáo wàng ēn fù yì过河拆桥—忘恩负义burn the bridge after crossing it - devoid of gratitude
huā chóu zi shang xiù mǔ dān jǐn shàng tiān huā花绸子上绣牡丹—锦上添花peony is embroidered on flower silk - add a beautiful thing to a contrasting beautiful thing
shuǐ lǐ àn hú lu cǐ qǐ bǐ luò水里按葫芦—此起彼落water press gourd - as one falls, another rises
chéng duì de hú dié bǐ yì shuāng fēi成对的蝴蝶—比翼双飞paired butterflies - fly wing to wing, happy couple
zào tái shàng de mā bù kāi yóu灶台上的抹布—揩油dishcloth on stove - wipe off
dà hǎi lǐ bǔ yú shēn shān lǐ dǎ liè gè chī yī fāng大海里捕鱼，深山里打猎—各吃一方fishing in the sea and hunting in the mountains - eat one side each
yóu qī gōng de tú dì hào sè zhī tú油漆工的徒弟—好色之徒painter's apprentice - amorist
hàn dì de luó sī yǒu kǒu nán kāi旱地的螺蛳—有口难开dryland snail - it's hard to open a mouth
nǚ dà shí bā biàn yuè biàn yuè hǎo kàn女大十八变—越变越好看a girl changes fast in physical appearance from childhood to adulthood - more and more beautiful
bí zi shàng guà chèng tuó tái bù qǐ tóu lái鼻子上挂秤砣—抬不起头来hang a weight on your nose - I can't lift my head
mù bǎn shang dìng dīng gè gè suàn shù木板上钉钉—个个算数nails on the board - all count
bǎ chǎng shàng liàn miáo zhǔn zhēng zhī yǎn bì zhī yǎn靶场上练瞄准—睁只眼闭只眼practice aiming on the shooting range - turn a blind eye
jǐng shuǐ yǔ hé shuǐ liǎng bù xiāng fàn井水与河水—两不相犯well water and river water - two don't commit and violate each other
wēn shì lǐ zāi huā jīng bù qǐ fēng shuāng温室里栽花—经不起风霜plant flowers in a greenhouse - can't stand wind and frost, well protected, hard to adapt to life outside
bǎi líng xì mǔ dān niǎo yǔ huā xiāng百灵戏牡丹—鸟语花香larks fooling around peony - birds' twitter and fragrance of flowers
yī fù wǎn kuài liǎng rén yòng bù fēn bǐ cǐ一副碗筷两人用—不分彼此a pair of dishes and chopsticks for two - make no distinction between what's one's own and what's another's
dú mù qiáo xiāng yù jìn tuì liǎng nán独木桥相遇—进退两难single wooden bridge meets - be in a dilemma
juē zhe pì gu kàn tiān yǒu yǎn wú zhū撅着屁股看天—有眼无珠look at the sky with your ass - have eyes but fail to see
duì niú tán qín bái fèi jìn对牛弹琴—白费劲cast pearls before swine - in vain
xiāng jiāo shù de yǐng zi cū zhī dà yè香蕉树的影子—粗枝大叶banana tree shadow - crude and careless
chuī niú pí bù dǎ cǎo gǎo xìn kǒu kāi hé吹牛皮不打草稿—信口开河brag without draft - speak carelessly, rapidly, voluminously like the outflow of river water when the sluice gates are opened
luò jìn rè tāng guō lǐ de wáng ba pǎo bù liǎo落进热汤锅里的王八—跑不了son of a bitch in a hot soup pot - cannot run away
rú rén yǐn shuǐ lěng nuǎn zì zhī如人饮水—冷暖自知like drinking water - know by oneself whether it is cold or warm
qiān niú qiān bí zi zhuā zhù le guān jiàn牵牛牵鼻子—抓住了关键lead a cow by the nose - seize the key
káng guān cái tiào shuǐ ān xīn sòng sǐ扛棺材跳水—安心送死dive with a coffin - die at ease
èr shí yī tiān fū bù chū xiǎo jī huài dàn二十一天孵不出小鸡—坏蛋no chicks hatched in 21 days - bad egg, indicating a bad guy
tōu jī méi chéng diū bǎ mǐ dé bù cháng shī偷鸡没成丢把米—得不偿失fail to steal a chicken and lose a handful of rice - the loss outweighs the gain
mài chǎng shàng guà mǎ dēng zhào cháng麦场上挂马灯—照常horse lanterns are hung on the wheat field - business as usual
sì liǎng mián huā bā zhāng gōng xì tán四两棉花八张弓—细谈four liang cotton and eight bows - detailed talk
wàn zhàng xuán yá shang de xiān táo méi rén cǎi万丈悬崖上的鲜桃—没人睬fresh peach on wanzhang cliff - no one paid attention
qiáng shang guà pí pa bù tán le墙上挂琵琶—不谈了lute is hung on the wall - don't talk about it
lú zi fān shēn dǎo méi炉子翻身—倒霉turn over the stove - bad luck
sēn lín lǐ shēng huǒ jiù dì qǔ cái森林里生火—就地取材make a fire in the forest - obtain raw material locally
cè suǒ lǐ shuǎ bǐ gān chǒu wén厕所里耍笔杆—丑闻play with a pen holder in the toilet - scandal
guāng zhe nǎo ké dǎ sǎn wú fǎ wú tiān光着脑壳打伞—无法无天hold an umbrella with bare head - absolutely lawless
yī fēn qián bāi chéng liǎng bàn huā一分钱掰成两半花make one cent do the work of two
