6-1
自相矛盾
to contradict oneself / self-contradictory / inconsistent
典故起步·高频故事成语 · Classical Allusions · High-Frequency Story Chengyu
6-2
划蛇添足
lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous / to overdo it
6-3
守株待兔
lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom) / to wait idly for opportunities / to trust to chance rather than show initiative
6-4
刻舟求剑
lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances
6-5
叶公好龙
lit. Lord Ye's passion for dragons (idiom) / fig. to pretend to be fond of sth while actually fearing it / ostensible fondness of sth one really fears
6-6
掩耳盗铃
lit. to cover one's ears whilst stealing a bell / to deceive oneself / to bury one's head in the sand (idiom)
6-7
狐假虎威
lit. the fox exploits the tiger's might (idiom); fig. to use powerful connections to intimidate people
6-8
井底之蛙
(lit.) a frog at the bottom of a well (idiom) / (fig.) a person of limited outlook and experience
6-9
滥竽充数
lit. to play the yu 竽 mouth organ to make up numbers (idiom); fig. to make up the numbers with inferior products / to masquerade as having an ability / token member of a group
6-10
南辕北辙
to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)
6-11
杯弓蛇影
lit. to see a bow reflected in a cup as a snake (idiom); fig. unnecessary suspicions / overly fearful
6-12
划饼充饥
lit. to allay one's hunger using a picture of a cake / to feed on illusions (idiom)
6-13
塞翁失马
lit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the best (idiom) / fig. a blessing in disguise / it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
6-14
愚公移山
the old man moves mountains (idiom); fig. where there's a will, there's a way
6-15
对牛弹琴
lit. to play the lute to a cow (idiom) / fig. offering a treat to an unappreciative audience / to cast pearls before swine / caviar to the general / to preach to deaf ears / to talk over sb's head
6-16
班门弄斧
to display one's slight skill before an expert (idiom)
6-17
毛遂自荐
Mao Sui recommends himself (idiom); to offer one's services (in the style of Mao Sui offering his services to king of Chu 楚 of the Warring states)
6-18
完璧归赵
lit. to return the jade annulus to Zhao (idiom); fig. to return something intact to its rightful owner
6-19
负荆请罪
lit. to bring a bramble and ask for punishment (idiom) / fig. to offer sb a humble apology
6-20
纸上谈兵
lit. military tactics on paper (idiom) / fig. theoretical discussion that is worse than useless in practice / armchair strategist / idle theorizing / cf Zhao Kuo 赵括|赵括[Zhao4 Kuo4] leading an army of 400,000 to total annihilation at battle of Changping 长平之战|长平之战[Chang2 ping2 zhi1 Zhan4] in 260 BC
6-21
四麺楚歌
lit. on all sides, the songs of Chu (idiom) / fig. surrounded by enemies, isolated and without help
6-22
指鹿为马
making a deer out to be a horse (idiom); deliberate misrepresentation
6-23
洛阳纸贵
lit. paper has become expensive in Luoyang (because everyone is making a copy of a popular story) (idiom) / fig. (of a product) to sell like hotcakes
6-24
闻鸡起舞
to start practicing at the first crow of the cock (idiom) / to be diligent in one's studies
6-25
程门立雪
lit. the snow piles up at Cheng Yi's door (idiom) / fig. deep reverence for one's master
6-26
卧薪尝胆
variant of 卧薪尝胆|卧薪尝胆[wo4 xin1 chang2 dan3]
6-27
凿壁偷光
lit. to pierce the wall to steal a light (idiom) / fig. to study diligently in the face of hardship
6-28
三顾茅庐
lit. to make three visits to the thatched cottage (idiom) (allusion to an episode in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 三国演义|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4] in which Liu Bei 刘备|刘备[Liu2 Bei4] recruits Zhuge Liang 诸葛亮|诸葛亮[Zhu1 ge3 Liang4] to his cause by visiting him three times) / fig. to make earnest and repeated requests of sb
6-29
东施效颦
lit. Dong Shi imitates Xi Shi's frown (idiom) / fig. to mimick sb's idiosyncrasies but make a fool of oneself
6-30
惊弓之鸟
(lit.) a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow (idiom) / (fig.) sb who frightens easily, due to past experiences
6-31
揠苗助长
see 拔苗助长|拔苗助长[ba2 miao2 zhu4 zhang3]
6-32
望梅止渴
lit. to quench one's thirst by thinking of plums (idiom) / fig. to console oneself with illusions
6-33
高山流水
No canonical translation seeded yet.
6-34
门庭若市
front yard as busy as a marketplace (idiom) / a place with many visitors
6-35
望洋兴叹
(lit.) to gaze at the ocean and lament one's inadequacy (idiom) / (fig.) to feel powerless and incompetent (to perform a task)
6-36
买椟还珠
to buy a wooden box and return the pearls inside / to show poor judgment (idiom)
6-37
守口如瓶
lit. to guard one's mouth like a closed bottle (idiom); tight-lipped / reticent / not breathing a word
6-38
邯郸学步
to copy the way they walk in Handan (idiom) / slavishly copying others, one risks becoming a caricature
6-39
退避三舍
(lit.) to retreat ninety li (idiom) / (fig.) to shun; to assiduously avoid
6-40
唇亡齿寒
lit. without the lips, the teeth feel the cold (idiom); fig. intimately interdependent
6-41
朝三暮四
lit. say three in the morning but four in the evening (idiom); to change sth that is already settled upon / indecisive / to blow hot and cold
6-42
盲人摸象
blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃经|大般涅盘经[da4 ban1 Nie4 pan2 jing1]); fig. unable to see the big picture / to mistake the part for the whole / unable to see the wood for the trees
6-43
螳臂当车
(lit.) a mantis trying to stop a chariot (idiom) / (fig.) to overrate oneself and attempt sth impossible
6-44
伯乐相马
No canonical translation seeded yet.
6-45
车水马龙
endless stream of horse and carriages (idiom) / heavy traffic
6-46
不耻下问
not feel ashamed to ask and learn from one's subordinates
6-47
草木皆兵
lit. every tree or bush an enemy soldier (idiom); fig. to panic and treat everyone as an enemy / to feel beleaguered
6-48
老马识途
an old horse knows the way (idiom); an experienced worker knows what to do / an old hand knows the ropes
6-49
讳疾忌医
hiding a sickness for fear of treatment (idiom); fig. concealing a fault to avoid criticism / to keep one's shortcomings secret / to refuse to listen to advice
6-50
一鸣惊人
to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom); an overnight celebrity