10 Chinese Idioms About Drinking & Wine (酒)

Advantage from close connections

Literal meaning: Pavilion close to water

First appearing in Tang Dynasty poetry, this idiom describes pavilions (楼台) close (近) to water (水), referring to their advantageous position to catch the moon's reflection first. The phrase gained wider usage during the Song Dynasty as a metaphor for privileged access or favorable positioning. Origi...

Overestimate oneself

Literal meaning: Small kingdom thinks itself great

This idiom references the ancient kingdom of Yelang (夜郎), whose ruler allegedly believed his small state rivaled the Han Empire in greatness (自大). The story first appeared in official Han histories, recording how a Yelang king asked a Han envoy if his kingdom was larger than Han - displaying remarka...

Value harmony above all

Literal meaning: Value harmony as precious

This idiom, promoting harmony (和) as precious (贵), traces back to the Zhou Dynasty classic 'Guoyu,' reflecting early Chinese diplomatic philosophy. The concept gained renewed importance during the Tang Dynasty's cosmopolitan empire, where it guided both domestic governance and international relation...

Face challenges together

Literal meaning: Cross river in same boat

This idiom shares deep connections with China's river-centric civilization, where crossing (济) together (共) in the same boat (同舟) was often a matter of life and death. Ancient texts tell of strangers becoming allies when facing treacherous waters, especially along the mighty Yangtze. During the Thre...

Share hardships together

Literal meaning: Share boat in wind and rain

Closely related to '同舟共济' but with added emotional depth, this idiom evokes sharing a boat (同舟) amid wind (风) and rain (雨). It first appeared in Song Dynasty poetry describing political allies weathering court intrigues together. The imagery draws from the experiences of river travelers who formed d...

Make situation worse

Literal meaning: Carry wood save fire

This paradoxical image of carrying (抱) firewood (薪) to extinguish (救) a fire (火) emerged during the Warring States period as a metaphor for self-defeating actions. Historical records show it being used to criticize policies that appeared helpful but actually worsened situations. The image was partic...

Observe troubles from safe distance

Literal meaning: Watch fire from opposite shore

This evocative idiom describes watching (观) a fire (火) from the opposite (隔) shore (岸), originating from Tang Dynasty accounts of riverside village fires. Historical records tell how those safely across the river could observe disasters without personal risk. The phrase gained moral dimensions durin...

Understand with absolute clarity

Literal meaning: Clear as watching fire

This idiom describes understanding something as clearly (洞) as (若) watching (观) fire (火), originating from the Warring States period. It first appeared in Daoist texts describing the mental clarity achieved through meditation, where complex truths became as obvious as flames in darkness. The fire me...

Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems

Literal meaning: City gate catches fire

This idiom comes from a longer expression where the city gate (城门) catches fire (失火), but the disaster spreads to harm fish in the moat (殃及池鱼). It originated from Han Dynasty governance warnings about how problems at centers of power affect even distant, unrelated parties. The image drew from actual...

Highest level of mastery; consummate skill

Literal meaning: Furnace fire pure blue

This idiom derives from Daoist alchemy, where the furnace fire (炉火) turning pure blue (纯青) indicated the highest temperature needed for successful transmutation. This color change signified mastery of the alchemical process. The phrase evolved to describe supreme skill in any field - when technique ...