Explore our curated collections of Chinese idioms (chengyu) organized by topic. Each list features carefully selected idioms with meanings, origins, and practical examples.
Master these essential Chinese idioms (chengyu) to impress in business meetings, negotiations, and professional settings.
Discover romantic Chinese idioms that express love, devotion, and relationships in poetic ways.
Essential Chinese idioms about learning, education, and academic success that will inspire your studies.
Celebrate the bonds of friendship with these heartfelt Chinese idioms about loyalty, trust, and companionship.
Motivational Chinese idioms about achieving success, overcoming obstacles, and reaching your goals.
Powerful Chinese idioms that celebrate diligence, persistence, and the value of hard work.
Deep philosophical Chinese idioms that offer wisdom about life, change, and the human experience.
Get inspired with these powerful Chinese idioms about motivation, determination, and pushing through challenges.
Ancient Chinese wisdom on patience, persistence, and the power of waiting for the right moment.
Powerful Chinese idioms that celebrate collaboration, unity, and working together to achieve common goals.
Philosophical Chinese idioms about embracing change, adapting to circumstances, and personal transformation.
Impress your audience with these eloquent Chinese idioms perfect for speeches, toasts, and professional presentations.
Inspiring Chinese idioms about courage, facing fears, and having the bravery to pursue your dreams.
Start your Chinese idiom journey with these simple, commonly-used chengyu that every beginner should know.
Deep, beautiful Chinese idioms with powerful meanings that make meaningful tattoo choices.
Discover amusing Chinese idioms whose literal translations are unexpectedly funny or absurd.
What are the best Chinese New Year greetings? These auspicious idioms are perfect for CNY 2026 wishes, red envelopes, and celebrations.
Congratulate graduates with these inspiring Chinese idioms about achievement, future success, and new beginnings.
Beautiful Chinese idioms celebrating family bonds, filial piety, and the warmth of home.
Philosophical Chinese idioms reflecting on time, aging, and making the most of life.
Poetic Chinese idioms drawing wisdom from mountains, water, plants, and the natural world.
Concise, impactful Chinese idioms that make perfect social media captions and bios.
Wise Chinese idioms about financial success, wealth attitudes, and the true value of money.
Embrace the Year of the Snake with idioms celebrating wisdom, patience, and strategic insight - the serpent's greatest gifts.
Celebrate the Year of the Horse with these powerful horse-themed Chinese idioms perfect for CNY 2026 greetings, wishes, and red envelopes.
What to write on a red envelope? These short, auspicious Chinese idioms are perfect for hongbao messages during Chinese New Year 2026.
What to say at Chinese New Year family gatherings? Beautiful idioms about togetherness for 团圆 reunion dinners.
Inspiring Chinese idioms about fresh starts, renewal, and embracing new opportunities in the Lunar New Year.
How to wish prosperity in Chinese besides gong xi fa cai? These powerful idioms wish wealth, career success, and fortune for CNY.
Serene Chinese idioms about peace, harmony, and tranquility perfect for Chinese New Year blessings.
What to say on Chu Yi (初一)? Special Chinese idioms for the first day of Chinese New Year, the most auspicious day for greetings.
How to respectfully wish elders Happy New Year in Chinese? Traditional idioms for blessing seniors with longevity and health.
Encouraging Chinese idioms for students entering the new year, perfect for academic success and learning wishes.
What to say to Chinese in-laws during CNY? These sophisticated idioms help you make a great impression and show cultural respect.
What to say to grandparents in Chinese at CNY? These heartfelt idioms wish health, longevity, and happiness to 爷爷奶奶 or 外公外婆.
What to say to aunties and uncles during Chinese New Year? Polite idioms for greeting 阿姨, 叔叔, 舅舅, 姑姑 during family visits.
What Chinese phrases should kids learn for CNY? Easy-to-remember idioms perfect for teaching children to participate in New Year greetings.
Sophisticated Chinese idioms for professional Chinese New Year greetings to colleagues, bosses, and business partners.
Chinese idioms representing all 12 zodiac animals, perfect for personalized Chinese New Year blessings.
Heartfelt Chinese idioms about health and vitality, perfect for Chinese New Year health wishes.
What to say when toasting at Chinese New Year dinner? Perfect idioms for 年夜饭 toasts when raising a glass with family.
Inspiring Chinese idioms about perseverance, persistence, and the strength to keep going. Learn how to say perseverance in Chinese.
Discover the most beautiful Chinese idioms describing beauty, including the famous 闭月羞花 and 沉鱼落雁 from the Four Beauties of ancient China.
The most commonly searched Chinese idioms with their English translations. Perfect for learners looking for accurate chengyu meanings.
Learn Chinese idioms from classic fables including the fox and tiger, the frog in the well, and waiting for rabbits by a tree stump.
Wise Chinese idioms about being prepared, planning ahead, and the importance of foresight. Learn wei yu chou mou and related planning chengyu.
The most popular and frequently searched Chinese idioms including wu ji bi fan, liu an hua ming, ren shan ren hai, and more.
Discover Chinese idioms featuring the dragon (龙), a symbol of power, luck, and imperial authority in Chinese culture.
Explore powerful Chinese idioms featuring the tiger (虎), representing courage, power, and authority.
Master Chinese idioms featuring the horse (马), symbolizing speed, success, and perseverance.
Learn Chinese idioms featuring the snake (蛇), representing wisdom, caution, and hidden dangers.
Discover Chinese idioms featuring the ox (牛), symbolizing hard work, strength, and determination.
Explore Chinese idioms featuring the heart (心), expressing emotions, intentions, and inner feelings.
Learn Chinese idioms featuring the eye (目/眼), about vision, perception, and understanding.
Master Chinese idioms featuring the hand (手), about skill, action, and capability.
Discover Chinese idioms featuring the number one (一), symbolizing unity, singularity, and completeness.
Learn Chinese idioms featuring the number three (三), a number of completeness and multiplicity.
Explore auspicious Chinese idioms featuring eight (八), the luckiest number in Chinese culture.
Master Chinese idioms featuring wind (风), symbolizing change, influence, and natural forces.
Learn Chinese idioms featuring water (水), embodying adaptability, purity, and life force.
Explore Chinese idioms featuring mountains (山), symbolizing stability, challenges, and grandeur.
Discover Chinese idioms featuring fire (火), representing passion, urgency, and transformation.
Learn Chinese idioms featuring sky/heaven (天), representing the divine, fate, and limitless possibility.
Master the best Chinese idioms for New Year greetings, blessings, and celebrations.
Beautiful Chinese idioms perfect for wedding wishes, toasts, and celebrating love.
Motivational Chinese idioms perfect for graduation wishes and academic achievements.
Explore Chinese idioms featuring the rooster (鸡), representing punctuality, courage, and vigilance.
Explore Chinese idioms featuring birds (鸟), representing freedom, aspiration, and natural beauty.
Discover Chinese idioms featuring fish (鱼), symbolizing abundance, prosperity, and good fortune.
Perfect Chinese idioms for birthday greetings, wishing longevity, happiness, and success.
Appropriate Chinese idioms for expressing condolences, sympathy, and respect during difficult times.
Beautiful Chinese idioms for the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrating the moon, reunion, and harvest.
Energetic Chinese idioms for the Dragon Boat Festival, celebrating competition, tradition, and remembrance.
Essential Chinese idioms for celebrating Spring Festival with wishes of prosperity, luck, and family reunion.
Beautiful Chinese idioms for the Lantern Festival, celebrating lights, reunion, and the first full moon.
Thoughtful Chinese idioms for Qingming (Tomb Sweeping Day), honoring ancestors and reflecting on life.
Romantic Chinese idioms for Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day), celebrating love and devotion.
Auspicious Chinese idioms for the Double Ninth Festival, celebrating longevity and honoring elders.
Lucky Chinese idioms for housewarming celebrations, wishing prosperity and peace in a new home.
Motivational Chinese idioms for career advancement, professional success, and achieving your goals.
Heartwarming Chinese idioms to congratulate new parents and bless newborn babies.
Thoughtful Chinese idioms for retirement, wishing happiness, leisure, and well-deserved rest.
Caring Chinese idioms to wish someone a speedy recovery and good health.
Inspiring Chinese idioms to encourage and motivate someone facing challenges.
Expressive Chinese idioms about anger, rage, and losing one's temper - learn how Chinese culture describes fury.
Beautiful Chinese idioms expressing happiness, joy, and contentment - discover how Chinese culture celebrates positive emotions.
Vivid Chinese idioms describing fear, anxiety, and nervousness - learn how Chinese language expresses worry and dread.
Poignant Chinese idioms expressing sadness, grief, and sorrow - understand how Chinese culture articulates melancholy.
Beautiful Chinese idioms celebrating spring, renewal, and new beginnings - poetic expressions of the season of rebirth.
Evocative Chinese idioms about autumn, harvest, and reflection - discover the poetry of the fall season.
Striking Chinese idioms about winter, snow, and enduring the cold - expressions of resilience in harsh times.
Chinese idioms featuring the number two - expressions about pairs, duality, and achieving two goals at once.
Chinese idioms featuring the number four - expressions about all directions and comprehensive coverage.
Chinese idioms featuring the number seven - expressions often paired with eight to describe chaos or activity.
Chinese idioms featuring the auspicious number nine - expressions of longevity, abundance, and imperial power.
Powerful Chinese idioms featuring hundred - expressions of perseverance, completeness, and large quantities.
Grand Chinese idioms featuring thousand and ten thousand - expressions of vast scale and immense value.
Profound Chinese idioms about wisdom, cleverness, and intellectual insight - ancient Chinese perspectives on intelligence.
Noble Chinese idioms about honesty, truthfulness, and moral integrity - expressions celebrating upright character.
Thought-provoking Chinese idioms about karma, cause and effect, and reaping what you sow.
Beneficial Chinese idioms about health, healing, and physical wellbeing - ancient wisdom for modern wellness.
Inspiring Chinese idioms for teachers about education, mentorship, and the noble profession of teaching.
Beautiful Chinese idioms for couples about love, marriage, and lifelong partnership - perfect for weddings and anniversaries.
Wise Chinese idioms about parenting, raising children, and the parent-child relationship.
Respectful Chinese idioms about aging, elderly wisdom, and the journey through life's later years.
Chinese idioms that have similar meanings to famous English proverbs - bridge two languages through shared wisdom.
Hopeful Chinese idioms about finding good in bad situations, silver linings, and unexpected fortune.
The most well-known Chinese idioms that every learner should master - essential chengyu for cultural fluency.
Chinese idioms with the most interesting historical stories behind them - learn the tales that created these expressions.
Chinese idioms featuring the rabbit - expressions about cleverness, caution, and unexpected outcomes.
Chinese idioms featuring sheep and goats - expressions about gentleness, herding, and learning from mistakes.
Virtuous Chinese idioms about staying humble, avoiding arrogance, and the wisdom of modesty.
Strategic Chinese idioms about seizing opportunities, perfect timing, and being prepared when chances arise.
Powerful Chinese idioms about unity, working together, and strength in numbers - collective wisdom for groups.
Intense Chinese idioms about revenge, payback, and settling scores - expressions of determined vengeance.
Noble Chinese idioms about loyalty, faithfulness, and unwavering devotion to people and principles.
Cunning Chinese idioms about deception, tricks, and seeing through falsehoods - lessons in wariness.
Inspiring Chinese idioms about iron will, determination, and the resolve to achieve your goals no matter what.
Powerful Chinese idioms that demonstrate your skills, work ethic, and cultural knowledge in professional interviews.
Ancient Chinese wisdom on leadership, guiding others, and the qualities of effective leaders and managers.
Colorful Chinese idioms describing terrible bosses, incompetent managers, and toxic workplace behavior.
Must-know Chinese idioms for professional settings - from teamwork to handling office politics.
Key Chinese idioms every HSK 4 student should know - commonly tested chengyu for intermediate learners.
Challenging Chinese idioms for HSK 5 preparation - expand your vocabulary for upper-intermediate Mandarin.
High-level Chinese idioms for HSK 6 candidates - demonstrate native-like fluency with these chengyu.
Strategic Chinese idioms inspired by Sun Tzu and ancient military wisdom - timeless tactics for modern challenges.
Fierce Chinese idioms about competition, beating rivals, and coming out on top in any contest.
Wise Chinese idioms about planning ahead, strategic thinking, and anticipating future challenges.
Wise Chinese idioms about failure, learning from errors, and turning setbacks into growth opportunities.
Inspiring Chinese idioms about personal development, continuous improvement, and becoming your best self.
Powerful Chinese idioms about facing hardship, enduring struggles, and emerging stronger from challenges.
Intense Chinese idioms about betrayal, backstabbing, and those who abandon others in times of need.
Heartfelt Chinese idioms about thankfulness, repaying kindness, and appreciating those who help us.
Compassionate Chinese idioms about forgiveness, mercy, and the wisdom of letting go of grudges.
Auspicious Chinese idioms about wealth, fortune, and achieving prosperity through wisdom and effort.
Practical Chinese idioms about being thrifty, avoiding waste, and the wisdom of saving for the future.
Fascinating Chinese idioms where the surface meaning differs dramatically from the true meaning - linguistic surprises.
Eloquent Chinese idioms about speech, communication, and the immense power words hold in shaping reality.
Our curated Chinese idiom lists help you learn chengyu in context. Instead of memorizing random expressions, you can focus on idioms relevant to specific situations - whether you're preparing for a business meeting, writing a wedding speech, or seeking motivation.
Each list includes idioms with their pinyin pronunciation, literal meaning, metaphorical meaning, historical context, and practical usage examples. Click through to individual idiom pages for even more detailed explanations and related expressions.