Discover profound Chinese idioms about life's meaning, perspective, and philosophical wisdom. These expressions capture ancient insights on how to live meaningfully.
77 idioms in this category
fēng huá zhèng mào
“Prime of youth and vigor”
At peak of youth's ability
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zhǐ shàng fù guì
“Wealth on paper only”
Success in theory not reality
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rén shān rén hǎi
“People mountain people sea”
Vast crowds of people
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shēn bù yóu jǐ
“Body not self-controlled”
Forced to act against will
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qí hǔ nán xià
“Hard to dismount tiger”
Unable to stop dangerous course
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rěn jùn bù jīn
“Cannot suppress a smile”
Unable to hide amusement
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huà bǐng chōng jī
“Draw cakes to alleviate hunger”
Empty promises satisfy nothing
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gū xī yǎng jiān
“Tolerate evil, nurture harm”
Leniency encourages worse behavior
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rú lǚ báo bīng
“Like walking on thin ice”
Extreme caution in risky situations
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jiāng láng cái jìn
“Jiang Yan's talent exhausted”
Creativity permanently dried up
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huì jí jì yī
“Conceal illness, avoid doctors”
Hiding problems worsens them
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fù shuǐ nán shōu
“Spilled water hard to recover”
Actions cannot be undone
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chà qiáng rén yì
“Barely satisfies expectations”
Meets minimum standards only
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yú mù hùn zhū
“Fish eyes as pearls”
Passing fakes as genuine
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hè fà tóng yán
“Crane hair, child face”
Youthful despite old age
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qī shàng bā xià
“Seven up eight down”
Anxious and unsettled
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fú guāng lüè yǐng
“Floating light fleeting shadow”
Superficial impression without depth
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míng cún shí wáng
“Name exists reality gone”
Exist in name only
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rú zuì rú mèng
“Like drunk like dream”
Entranced in dreamlike state
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kǒu gān shé zào
“Mouth dry tongue parched”
Exhausted from excessive talking
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qǐ rén yōu tiān
“Qi person worries sky”
Worry needlessly about impossible disasters
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bù tòng bù yǎng
“Neither painful nor itchy”
Ineffective and inconsequential
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xīn yuán yì mǎ
“Heart monkey mind horse”
Restless, unfocused mind
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bù jìng ér zǒu
“Without legs yet walks”
Spread widely and rapidly on its own
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zǒu mǎ guān huā
“View flowers from galloping horse”
Observe hastily and superficially
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chéng mén shī huǒ
“City gate catches fire”
Innocent bystanders suffer from others' problems
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wàn mǎ bēn téng
“Ten thousand horses galloping”
Powerful unstoppable momentum
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jiá rán ér zhǐ
“Suddenly and stop”
Come to an abrupt halt
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zhǐ lù wéi mǎ
“Point deer call horse”
Deliberately distort truth as power display
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tán huā yī xiàn
“Night flower appears once”
Brief, fleeting appearance
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fēng yuè wú biān
“Wind moon without boundaries”
Boundless natural beauty and romance
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kè gǔ míng xīn
“Carve bone inscribe heart”
Deeply and permanently affected
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fān yún fù yǔ
“翻Turn clouds overturn rain”
Unpredictable, dramatic changes
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míng zhé bǎo shēn
“Wise person protects self”
Protect oneself from danger wisely
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shù shǒu wú cè
“Bind hands no strategy”
Completely helpless without options
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chā chì nán fēi
“Add wings difficult fly”
Utterly impossible to escape
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zhǐ zuì jīn mí
“Paper drunk gold confused”
Decadent luxury lifestyle
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wàng yáng xìng tàn
“Gaze at ocean sigh deeply”
Feel overwhelmed by greatness
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gé àn guān huǒ
“Watch fire from opposite shore”
Observe troubles from safe distance
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gōng kuī yī kuì
“Work fails one basket”
Fail due to giving up near the end
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mù bù xiá jǐ
“Eyes too busy to attend”
Too much to take in
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pò zài méi jié
“Urgent as brow and lash”
Extremely urgent
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kuā kuā qí tán
“Talk big and empty”
All talk no substance
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chún wáng chǐ hán
“Lips gone teeth cold”
Fates linked together
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liáo ruò chén xīng
“Sparse as morning stars”
Very rare
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bēi gōng shé yǐng
“Bow in cup snake shadow”
Needlessly suspicious
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zhěn liú shù shí
“Pillow stream rinse stone”
Live simply
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liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēng
“Two tigers fight”
Fierce competition between equals
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yǐ xuē huài dī
“Ant holes break dike”
Small problems cause disaster
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sì hǎi wéi jiā
“Four seas become home”
At home anywhere
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yǐn huǒ shāo shēn
“Draw fire burn self”
Bring trouble upon oneself
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shì wài táo yuán
“Peach spring beyond world”
Perfect peaceful place
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zhěn shí shù liú
“Pillow stone rinse stream”
Endure hardship for goals
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liǔ àn huā míng
“Dark willows bright flowers”
Hope appears in darkness
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jiè huā xiàn fó
“Borrow flower offer Buddha”
Use others' resources
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xiào lǐ cáng dāo
“Hide knife in smile”
Hide malice behind smile
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guā shú dì luò
“Melon ripe stem falls”
Things happen when ready
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shǒu zhū dài tù
“Guard tree wait rabbit”
Wait passively for luck
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kǒu mì fù jiàn
“Mouth honey belly sword”
Hide evil behind sweet words
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fēng yún tū biàn
“Wind cloud sudden change”
Sudden dramatic change
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tōu liáng huàn zhù
“Steal beam swap pillar”
Deceive by substitution
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zhòng kǒu shuò jīn
“Many mouths melt gold”
Public opinion is powerful
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shí lái yùn zhuǎn
“Time comes and fortune turns”
Fortune's wheel will turn.
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qián lǘ jì qióng
“Donkey's tricks exhausted”
Run out of tricks
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jīn fēng yù lù
“Golden wind jade dew”
Perfect timing and conditions
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wàng méi zhǐ ké
“Think of plums stop thirst”
Console with false hopes
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fēng shēng hè lì
“Wind sound crane call”
Overly fearful and suspicious
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wèi yǔ chóu móu
“Prepare umbrella before rain”
Prepare before problems arise
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sì miàn chǔ gē
“Chu songs from four sides”
Surrounded by hostility
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yīn guǒ bào yìng
“Cause and effect return”
Actions have consequences
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yè láng zì dà
“Small kingdom thinks itself great”
Overestimate oneself
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jìn shuǐ lóu tái
“Pavilion close to water”
Advantage from close connections
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sài wēng shī mǎ
“Old man loses horse”
Misfortune might be a blessing
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wù jí bì fǎn
“Things at extreme reverse”
Extremes lead to reversal
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hào yì wù láo
“Love ease hate work”
Love ease, hate work
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gǎi xié guī zhèng
“Turn from wrong return to right”
Return to righteousness
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yī bō sān zhé
“One wave three turns”
Many twists and turns
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