Word pack · Chinese
成语
Common four-character idioms with their literal meaning.
58 words
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- 马马虎虎so-so; careless (lit. horse horse tiger tiger)
- 乱七八糟in a mess, chaotic (lit. messy seven, jumbled eight)
- 一举两得to kill two birds with one stone (lit. one move, two gains)
- 一心一意wholeheartedly, single-mindedly (lit. one heart, one mind)
- 三心二意half-hearted, unable to make up one's mind (lit. three hearts, two minds)
- 半途而废to give up halfway (lit. stop midway along the road)
- 自言自语to talk to oneself (lit. self speaks, self says)
- 不知不觉without realizing it, before one knows it (lit. not knowing, not sensing)
- 半信半疑half-believing, doubtful (lit. half believe, half doubt)
- 一模一样exactly the same (lit. one mould, one shape)
- 独一无二unique, one of a kind (lit. only one, no second)
- 与众不同different from others, out of the ordinary (lit. unlike the crowd)
- 各种各样all kinds of, various (lit. every kind, every type)
- 五颜六色colourful, multicoloured (lit. five colours, six hues)
- 丰富多彩rich and colourful, varied (lit. abundant and many-coloured)
- 人山人海huge crowds, packed with people (lit. mountains and seas of people)
- 四面八方from all directions, everywhere (lit. four sides, eight directions)
- 七上八下anxious, on tenterhooks (lit. seven up, eight down)
- 七嘴八舌everyone talking at once (lit. seven mouths, eight tongues)
- 一清二楚perfectly clear (lit. one clear, two distinct)
- 一干二净completely, without a trace (lit. one dry, two clean)
- 十全十美perfect, flawless (lit. ten complete, ten beautiful)
- 一帆风顺plain sailing, to go smoothly (lit. one sail, favorable wind)
- 一路顺风have a good trip! (lit. favourable wind all the way)
- 万事如意may all go well for you (lit. ten thousand things as wished)
- 心想事成may your wishes come true (lit. what the heart thinks, things achieve)
- 马到成功instant success, good luck! (lit. success as soon as the horse arrives)
- 全力以赴to go all out (lit. to set out with all one's strength)
- 想方设法to try every possible way (lit. think up ways, devise methods)
- 千方百计by every possible means (lit. a thousand ways and a hundred plans)
- 废寝忘食to work day and night, be totally absorbed (lit. skip sleep, forget food)
- 熟能生巧practice makes perfect (lit. familiarity breeds skill)
- 实事求是to be realistic and practical (lit. seek truth from facts)
- 理所当然only natural, as it should be (lit. as reason says it should be)
- 莫名其妙baffling, inexplicable, for no apparent reason (lit. no one can name its mystery)
- 不可思议unbelievable, inconceivable (lit. cannot be thought or discussed)
- 大吃一惊to be greatly surprised, be shocked (lit. to receive a big fright)
- 恍然大悟to suddenly realize (lit. suddenly, a great awakening)
- 迫不及待too impatient to wait (lit. so urgent one cannot wait)
- 兴高采烈in high spirits, elated (lit. high mood, bright spirits)
- 津津有味with relish, with great interest (lit. mouth-watering, full of flavour)
- 爱不释手to love sth too much to put it down (lit. love it and not let go)
- 无精打采listless, in low spirits (lit. without vigour, without energy)
- 手忙脚乱in a frantic rush, flustered (lit. hands busy, feet in chaos)
- 小心翼翼very carefully, cautiously (lit. careful and reverent)
- 大惊小怪to make a fuss about nothing (lit. big alarm at a small oddity)
- 一言为定it's a deal! (lit. one word makes it settled)
- 自相矛盾to contradict oneself (lit. one's own spear against one's own shield)
- 一见钟情love at first sight (lit. one look, feelings gather)
- 入乡随俗when in Rome, do as the Romans do (lit. entering a village, follow its customs)
- 画蛇添足to overdo it, to add sth superfluous (lit. draw a snake and add feet)
- 对牛弹琴to waste words on the wrong audience (lit. playing the lute to a cow)
- 守株待兔to wait idly for luck (lit. guarding a tree stump, waiting for rabbits)
- 亡羊补牢better late than never (lit. mending the pen after losing sheep)
- 井底之蛙narrow-minded person (lit. a frog at the bottom of a well)
- 拔苗助长to spoil things by impatience (lit. pull up seedlings to help them grow)
- 塞翁失马a blessing in disguise (lit. the old frontiersman loses his horse)
- 九牛一毛a drop in the ocean (lit. one hair from nine oxen)