12 Chinese Idioms With Horse (马) for Success

Misfortune might be a blessing

Literal: Old man loses horse

This profound idiom originates from the story of a wise old man (塞翁) living near the northern border who lost his prized horse (失马). When neighbors came to console him, he asked, 'How do you know this isn't good fortune?' Indeed, the horse later returned with a magnificent wild horse. When neighbors...

Cannot undo what's done

Literal: Four horses can't catch

Originally from the Spring and Autumn period, this phrase describes how even four (驷) horses (马) cannot catch (难追) spoken words once uttered. The image of a four-horse chariot - the fastest vehicle of ancient China - emphasizes the irreversible nature of speech. The idiom gained particular significa...

Stop 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...

Experience brings wisdom

Literal: Old horse knows way

Dating back to the Zhou Dynasty, this idiom comes from the story of Duke Mu of Qin who, lost in unfamiliar territory, relied on an old horse (老马) to find their way (识途) home through a snowstorm. The horse, having traversed these paths in its youth, remembered the safe routes despite years passing. O...

Deliberately 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...

Powerful unstoppable momentum

Literal: Ten thousand horses galloping

This dynamic idiom envisions ten thousand (万) horses (马) galloping (奔腾) together, originating from Tang Dynasty military descriptions. It first appeared in chronicles describing the impressive cavalry forces of border generals, where the thundering hooves created both visual and auditory spectacle. ...

Observe 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 ...

Restless, 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. ...

Childhood 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...

Youthful vigor despite old age

Literal: Dragon-horse spirit

This vigorous idiom combines dragon (龙) and horse (马) energy (精神), originating from Tang Dynasty descriptions of elderly but energetic officials. Both animals symbolized tremendous vitality in Chinese culture—dragons representing imperial power and horses signifying tireless strength. The phrase gai...

Magnificent military might and valor

Literal: Gold spears iron horses

This martial idiom paints a scene of golden (金) spears (戈) and iron (铁) horses (马), first appearing in Li Bai's famous Tang Dynasty poetry describing frontier warfare. The phrase captured both the visual brilliance of bronze weapons and the thundering power of cavalry forces. During the Song Dynasty...

Just 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...