心机

tā nián líng bù dà dàn hěn yǒu xīn jī

她年龄不大，但很有心机。

Young as she is, she has a mind of her own.

tā yòng jìn xīn jī

她用尽心机。

She exhausts her abilities.

fèi le duō shǎo xīn jī yī xià dōu chéng wéi le pào yǐng

费了多少心机，一下都成为了泡影。

All that planning came to naught in an instant.

wǎng fèi xīn jī

枉费心机

rack one's brains in vain

ruò tā shì yī gè xīn jī guò zhòng zhī rén shì qing bì dìng bù huì zuò de rú cǐ míng mù zhāng dǎn

若他是一个心机过重之人，事情必定不会做得如此明目张胆。

If he is a person with over-weight scheming, the affair necessarily can't do thus aboveboard defiant act.

tā xīn jī shēn zhòng de qiáo le tā yī yǎn

他心机深重地瞧了她一眼。

He gave her a calculating look.