8 Clever Chinese Idioms With Monkey (猴)
Playful Chinese idioms featuring monkeys - expressing cleverness, mischief, and quick thinking.
Monkeys in Chinese idioms represent cleverness, agility, and sometimes mischief - much like the legendary Monkey King. These expressions celebrate quick thinking and resourcefulness.
狐假虎威
hú jiǎ hǔ wēiBorrow authority to intimidate
Literal: Fox uses tiger's power
This idiom emerged from a Warring States period fable where a fox (狐) borrowed (假) the authority (威) of a tiger (虎) to intimidate other animals. The story first appeared in the Zhan Guo Ce, using the clever fox and powerful tiger to criticize political parasites who derived their influence from powe...
Example
The junior manager kept dropping the CEO's name to get his way
这个初级经理总是搬出CEO的名字来达到目的
毛遂自荐
máo suì zì jiànVolunteer oneself confidently
Literal: Mao Sui recommends himself
Named after Mao Sui (毛遂), a lesser official from the Warring States period (475-221 BCE) who boldly recommended (荐) himself (自) for a crucial diplomatic mission. Despite his low rank, he demonstrated such eloquence and courage that he successfully secured an alliance for his state. The story reflect...
Example
When no one else stepped forward, she boldly volunteered to lead the difficult project
当没有人愿意站出来时，她主动请缨领导这个困难的项目
守株待兔
shǒu zhū dài tùWait passively for luck
Literal: Guard tree wait rabbit
This Warring States period parable tells of a farmer who, after seeing a rabbit die by running into a tree stump (株), waited (待) endlessly for more rabbits (兔) at the same spot. His guard (守) of the stump became a classic example of misguided persistence and inflexible thinking. The story appeared i...
Example
Instead of developing new skills, he just waited for promotions to come
他没有提升技能，只是等待升职机会
鹤立鸡群
hè lì jī qúnStand out from crowd
Literal: Crane stands among chickens
Han Dynasty observers first used this image of a crane standing (鹤立) among chickens (鸡群) to describe natural nobility amid the common. Unlike artificial status, it described innate distinction that becomes immediately apparent through contrast. Modern usage celebrates those whose natural excellence ...
Example
Her innovative solution distinguished her from conventional thinkers
她的创新解决方案使她从传统思维者中脱颖而出
三人成虎
sān rén chéng hǔRepeated lie becomes truth
Literal: Three people make tiger real
This idiom originates from the Wei state minister Pang Cong's warning to his king about how three (三) people's (人) repeated lies can make even an absurd claim - like a tiger (虎) loose in the marketplace - seem true (成). The story, recorded in Warring States texts, demonstrates how repeated rumors ca...
Example
The untrue rumor about a product defect spread on social media until customers started believing it without evidence
关于产品缺陷的不实传言在社交媒体上传播，直到顾客开始在没有证据的情况下相信它
巧夺天工
qiǎo duó tiān gōngCraftsmanship beyond natural limits
Literal: Skill surpasses nature's work
This expression praises human craftsmanship so skillful (巧) it seems to surpass (夺) heaven's/nature's (天) work (工), first appearing in Han Dynasty art criticism. It originated from evaluations of exceptional jade carvings and bronze vessels that achieved seemingly impossible refinement. The concept ...
Example
The intricate jade carving exceeded what seemed humanly possible
这件精细的玉雕超越了人力所能及的极限
叶公好龙
yè gōng hào lóngProfessed love hiding actual fear
Literal: Lord Ye loves dragons
This ironic tale tells of Lord Ye (叶公) who professed to love (好) dragons (龙) but fled in terror when faced with a real one. During the Six Dynasties period, it became a standard criticism of superficial appreciation without genuine understanding. The dragon imagery carried particular weight in Chine...
Example
The executive claimed to value innovation but rejected every new idea presented
这位高管声称重视创新，但拒绝了提出的每一个新想法
虎踞龙盘
hǔ jù lóng pánCommanding imposing strategic position
Literal: Tiger crouch dragon coil
Three Kingdoms period geographers first described Nanjing's terrain as having tigers crouching (虎踞) and dragons coiling (龙盘). The image combined earth's greatest predator with its supreme mythical creature to capture the city's naturally commanding position. Tang Dynasty writers expanded it to descr...
Example
The ancient fortress commanded the mountain pass with intimidating strategic position
这座古堡以令人生畏的战略位置控制着山口
Quick Reference
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