10 Chinese Idioms About Competition & Rivalry
Fierce Chinese idioms about competition, beating rivals, and coming out on top in any contest.
Competition has driven human achievement throughout history. These Chinese idioms capture the intensity of rivalry, the thrill of victory, and the strategies for coming out ahead.
追本溯源
zhuī běn sù yuánTrace back to source
Literal: Chase root trace source
Emerging from Song Dynasty (960-1279) scholarly methodology, this idiom combines the actions of chasing (追) to the root (本) and tracing (溯) to the source (源). It reflected the Neo-Confucian emphasis on understanding phenomena by examining their origins, influenced by Han Dynasty historiographical tr...
Example
The researcher tracked the problem to its root cause
研究人员追踪到问题的根源
笑里藏刀
xiào lǐ cáng dāoHide malice behind smile
Literal: Hide knife in smile
This chilling idiom describes hiding a knife (刀) within a smile (笑), originating from historical accounts of court intrigue during the Late Han period. It gained prominence through stories of strategic advisors who maintained friendly appearances while plotting against rivals. The contrast between t...
Example
His friendly investment advice concealed a fraudulent scheme
他友好的投资建议掩盖着诈骗计划
蚁穴坏堤
yǐ xuē huài dīSmall problems cause disaster
Literal: Ant holes break dike
Dating to ancient Chinese agricultural texts, this observation of how tiny ant (蚁) holes (穴) can ultimately destroy (坏) a massive dike (堤) became a powerful metaphor for how small problems can lead to catastrophic failures. The imagery draws from the annual flooding seasons when river management was...
Example
A minor oversight in the code led to a critical system failure
代码中的一个小疏忽导致了系统的重大故障
浩浩荡荡
hào hào dàng dàngVast and mighty
Literal: Vast mighty flow
This rhythmic description of vast (浩浩) flowing (荡荡) movement originated from classical descriptions of the Yellow River's mighty course. During the Tang Dynasty, it evolved to describe impressive military processions and large-scale social movements. The doubled characters create a sense of continuo...
Example
The reform movement swept through the industry like a mighty wave
改革运动浩浩荡荡地席卷了整个行业
插翅难飞
chā chì nán fēiUtterly impossible to escape
Literal: Add wings difficult fly
This vivid idiom suggests that even adding (插) wings (翅) wouldn't make escape possible (难飞), originating from Tang Dynasty prison terminology. Historical records describe how imperial prisons were designed so securely that the metaphorical addition of wings wouldn't enable flight. The phrase gained ...
Example
The criminal found escape impossible despite elaborate plans
尽管有精心策划，罪犯发现逃脱是不可能的
兼收并蓄
jiān shōu bìng xùEmbrace diverse ideas inclusively
Literal: Gather all store together
This inclusive approach advocates gathering (收) comprehensively (兼) while storing (蓄) everything together (并), originating from Tang Dynasty intellectual movements. It gained prominence through scholar-officials like Liu Zongyuan who advocated synthesizing Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist wisdom rath...
Example
Her research methodology incorporated diverse approaches from multiple disciplines
她的研究方法融合了多个学科的各种方法
囫囵吞枣
hú lún tūn zǎoAccept without proper understanding
Literal: Swallow dates whole
This digestive idiom describes swallowing (吞) jujube dates (枣) whole (囫囵) without proper chewing, originating from Song Dynasty educational texts. It first appeared in critiques of students who memorized classical texts without understanding their meaning. The specific reference to dates was meaning...
Example
The student memorized the formulas without understanding the underlying principles
学生死记硬背公式，而不理解基本原理
本末倒置
běn mò dào zhìPrioritize minor over fundamental matters
Literal: Root branch reversed position
This organizational idiom criticizes reversing (倒置) the proper order of root/fundamental (本) and branch/peripheral matters (末), originating from Han Dynasty governance texts. It first appeared in discussions about administrative priorities, warning officials against focusing on secondary issues whil...
Example
The project focused on minor details while neglecting the core objectives
项目专注于次要细节，而忽视了核心目标
过犹不及
guò yóu bù jíModeration in all things
Literal: Excess equals deficiency
This balanced idiom states that going too far (过) is just as (犹) problematic as not reaching far enough (不及), originating from Confucius's teachings in the Analects. The concept formed a cornerstone of Confucian moderation philosophy, where extremes in either direction were considered equally flawed...
Example
The excessive marketing campaign alienated customers instead of attracting them
过度的营销活动疏远了顾客，而不是吸引他们
掩耳盗铃
yǎn ěr dào língSelf-deception through ignoring reality
Literal: Cover ears while stealing bell
This self-deceptive idiom describes covering (掩) one's ears (耳) while stealing (盗) a bell (铃), originating from the Warring States period text 'Lüshi Chunqiu.' It tells of a thief who coveted a bell but worried about its sound. His solution was to cover his own ears while stealing it, foolishly beli...
Example
The company ignored customer complaints while claiming excellent service
公司无视客户投诉，同时声称提供卓越服务
Quick Reference
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