Chinese Idioms Containing “一”

Sudden, remarkable success

Literal: Bird cry that startles all

Exactly identical

Literal: One mold one appearance

Practice what you know

Literal: Knowledge and action unite as one

Many twists and turns

Literal: One wave three turns

Learn many from one example

Literal: Raise one reflect three

Two goals with one action

Literal: One stone two birds

Words carry great weight

Literal: Words heavy as nine cauldrons

Extremely careful and thorough

Literal: Not loose one thread

Miss big picture

Literal: Leaf blocks eye

Complete in one effort

Literal: One drum make spirit

Small signs show big picture

Literal: One leaf know autumn

Complete in one go

Literal: Complete in one breath

Keep promises faithfully

Literal: One promise thousand gold

Fail due to giving up near the end

Literal: Work fails one basket

Brief, fleeting appearance

Literal: Night flower appears once

Fight with total commitment having no retreat

Literal: Back to water one battle

Disdainfully dismiss as beneath consideration

Literal: Not deign one glance

A drop in the bucket; negligible amount

Literal: One hair from nine oxen

A refreshing new experience

Literal: Ears and eyes completely renewed

Wholeheartedly; with undivided attention

Literal: One heart one mind

Capable of taking charge independently

Literal: Alone handle one side

Smooth sailing; everything going well

Literal: One sail with favorable wind

Press forward courageously

Literal: Once going, nothing ahead can stop

False alarm; scare for nothing

Literal: Empty fright for nothing

Extremely popular for a time

Literal: Wind bending grass for a time

Take in everything at a glance

Literal: One glance nothing remaining

Hit the nail on the head; incisive

Literal: One needle sees blood

Treat everyone equally without discrimination

Literal: One view same benevolence

One of a kind; unique

Literal: Unique one without a second

Solve a problem once and for all

Literal: One labor forever ease

As always; unchanged

Literal: Same as it has always been

Practice what one preaches

Literal: Words and actions consistent

Kill two birds with one stone

Literal: One action two gains

Clear at a glance; obvious

Literal: One look completely clear

Wishful thinking; one-sided assumption

Literal: One side's wishful feeling

Be consistent inside and out

Literal: Outside and inside as one

A promise once made must be kept

Literal: Once a word is spoken

Love at first sight

Literal: One glance, feelings concentrate

Absolutely sure; foolproof

Literal: Ten thousand without one failure

Be unique; have distinctive style

Literal: Alone raise one banner

Have unique style; be distinctive

Literal: Separately possess one style

Lead the charge

Literal: One horse leads

Learn from mistakes

Literal: Gain wisdom through setbacks

Invaluable writing

Literal: One word worth a thousand gold

Instant connection

Literal: Meet like old friends

Comprehensive approach

Literal: Capture all in one net

All-in risk

Literal: Stake everything on one throw

Lack of originality

Literal: Thousand pieces one pattern

Extreme danger

Literal: A thousand jun on one hair

Punish to deter others

Literal: Kill one warn a hundred

Foremost; top-ranked

Literal: Bend the thumb first

Moral purity

Literal: Untouched by a single speck of dust

Influential leadership

Literal: One call, hundred responses

Rapid decline

Literal: Fall a thousand zhang

Continuity of tradition

Literal: One vein mutually inherit

Extremely stingy

Literal: Not pluck a single hair

Completely ignorant

Literal: Not understand a single aperture

Conceal the truth

Literal: Hide the sky with one hand

Free from burdens

Literal: Not a thread hanging

Detail everything

Literal: Count by fives and tens

Complex situation

Literal: Difficult to express in words

Exceptional rarity

Literal: One in a hundred

Embrace diversity

Literal: Not restricted to one standard

Unnecessary action

Literal: Take a superfluous action

Ephemeral dreams

Literal: A dream of yellow millet