8 Chinese Horse Idioms You Need to Know (马成语大全) - Year of the Horse 2026
Beyond 马到成功: discover 8 fascinating Chinese horse idioms (马成语) about love, deception, caution, and everyday life for Year of the Horse 2026.
You probably know 马到成功 (instant success) and 龙马精神 (dragon-horse vitality), but the Chinese language has many more horse idioms that reveal fascinating cultural wisdom. From childhood sweethearts (青梅竹马) to political deception (指鹿为马), these 8 horse idioms cover the full range of human experience - perfect knowledge for the Year of the Horse 2026.
青梅竹马
qīng méi zhú mǎChildhood sweethearts or friends
Literal: Green plums and bamboo horses
This nostalgic idiom pairs green plums (青梅) with bamboo horses (竹马), originating from Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai's verse about childhood playmates. It described children gathering plums while riding makeshift hobby horses crafted from bamboo—a common children's game in ancient China. The specific imag...
Example
The couple had known each other since early childhood, playing together in their village
这对夫妇从小就认识，在村子里一起玩耍
指鹿为马
zhǐ lù wéi mǎDeliberately distort truth as power display
Literal: Point deer call horse
This idiom references the historical incident where someone pointed at (指) a deer (鹿) and called it (为) a horse (马), originating from the Qin Dynasty. Historical records recount how powerful minister Zhao Gao tested his influence by leading a deer into court and calling it a horse, executing officia...
Example
The corrupt official deliberately misrepresented facts to protect his allies
腐败官员故意歪曲事实以保护他的盟友
悬崖勒马
xuán yá lè mǎStop before too late
Literal: Pull horse at cliff edge
This vivid idiom describes pulling (勒) a horse's reins at the edge of a cliff (悬崖), drawing from actual incidents along the treacherous mountain paths of ancient China. Military chronicles from the Warring States period detail how skilled horsemen would train their steeds to stop abruptly at dangero...
Example
The company halted the risky project just before major losses occurred
公司在发生重大损失之前及时叫停了高风险项目
走马观花
zǒu mǎ guān huāObserve hastily and superficially
Literal: View flowers from galloping horse
This vivid idiom describes viewing (观) flowers (花) while riding (走) a galloping horse (马), originating from Tang Dynasty tourism practices. Historical records mention how imperial messengers or officials traveling quickly through regions could only glimpse scenes briefly before moving on. The image ...
Example
The three-day tour only allowed for a superficial impression of the ancient city
为期三天的旅游只能对这座古城有一个肤浅的印象
心猿意马
xīn yuán yì mǎRestless, unfocused mind
Literal: Heart monkey mind horse
This restless idiom compares the heart/mind (心) to a monkey (猿) and thoughts/intentions (意) to a galloping horse (马), originating from Buddhist meditation texts during the Tang Dynasty. It described the challenging experience of untamed consciousness constantly jumping between objects of attention. ...
Example
The student couldn't focus on studying with so many distractions
这个学生在如此多的干扰下无法专注于学习
马马虎虎
mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔJust so-so or passable quality
Literal: Horse horse tiger tiger
This moderate assessment idiom, literally 'horse (马) horse tiger (虎) tiger,' emerged from a folk tale about a careless artist whose painting was neither clearly a horse nor a tiger. During the Qing Dynasty, it appeared in vernacular literature describing casual or imprecise work. The repeating anima...
Example
His performance in the presentation was just passable, neither impressive nor terrible
他在演讲中的表现只是马马虎虎，既不出色也不糟糕
害群之马
hài qún zhī mǎIndividual whose behavior harms entire group
Literal: Harm herd's horse
Han Dynasty horse breeders first noted how a single problematic horse (马) could harm (害) an entire herd (群). Tang Dynasty administrators adopted it to describe how one disruptive official could damage entire departments. The agricultural observation proved universally applicable - groups dependent o...
Example
The employee's repeated violations damaged team morale and productivity
该员工的反复违规损害了团队士气和生产力
走马看花
zǒu mǎ kàn huāSuperficial observation without depth
Literal: Galloping horse views flowers
This idiom describes viewing flowers (看花) while galloping past on horseback (走马), originating from Tang Dynasty poet Li Shangyin's verses lamenting hasty appreciation of beauty. The image perfectly captures the blur of motion - a rider glimpsing floral colors without perceiving individual petals or ...
Example
The whirlwind tour gave tourists only a superficial impression of the country's culture
匆忙的旅行只给游客留下了对这个国家文化的肤浅印象
Quick Reference
More Chinese Idiom Lists
10 Powerful Chinese Idioms for Business Success
Master these essential Chinese idioms (chengyu) to impress in business meetings, negotiations, and professional settings.
8 Beautiful Chinese Idioms About Love & Romance
Discover romantic Chinese idioms that express love, devotion, and relationships in poetic ways.
10 Chinese Idioms Every Student Should Know
Essential Chinese idioms about learning, education, and academic success that will inspire your studies.
8 Meaningful Chinese Idioms About Friendship
Celebrate the bonds of friendship with these heartfelt Chinese idioms about loyalty, trust, and companionship.
Learn Chinese Idioms Daily
Get a new Chinese idiom delivered to your home screen every day with our free iOS app. Features pinyin pronunciation, meanings, and cultural context.
Download Free App