Skip to content
Site Tools
Increase font size Decrease font size Default font size default color blue color green color
Home Chinese Idiom
Chinese Idiom
抱薪救火(bào xīn jiù huǒ)
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

alt

 

In the last years of the Warring States period (zhàn guó 战国, 475-221BC), the State of Qin (qín guó 秦国) attacked the State of Wei (wèi guó 魏国) on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself.

Read more...
 
杯弓蛇影 (bēi gōng shé yǐng)
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

In the Jin Dynasty (jìn cháo 晋朝,265-420), a man called Yue Guang (yuè guǎng 乐广) once invited a friend to have a drink at his home. When the friend lifted his cup, he saw a small snake in the wine, yet he forced himself to drink. Back home, the friend recalled the incident, and felt so disgusted that he fell ill. Hearing about this, Yue Guang invited his friend again. He asked him to sit in the same place and drink. Then his friend saw that the image of the snake in the cup was actually the reflection of a bow hung on the wall. Realizing this, the friend recovered quickly.
alt

Read more...
 
闭门造车 (bì mén zào chē )
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

alt

 

In ancient times, there was a man who wanted to make a fine cart. But, instead of learning how to do it form experts, he shut himself up at home and worked at it. Despite the time and effort he spent on it, the cart was useless. This chinese idiom means to make a cart behind closed doors or to work behind closed doors; divorce oneself from the masses and from reality; act blindly. It is also used metahhorically to mean being too subjective and disregrading the rest of the world.

Read more...
 
病入膏肓 (bìng rù gāo huāng)
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

altIn the Spring and Autumn Period (chūn qiū 春秋时期,770-476 BC), King Jing of the State of Jin (Jìn guó 晋国) fell ill. One night he dreamed that the disease turned into two small figures talking beside him. One said, ‘I’m afraid the doctor will hurt us.’ The other said, ‘Do not worry. We can hide above huang and below gao. Then the doctor will be able to do nothing to us.’ The next day, having examined the king, the doctor said, ‘Your disease is incurable, I am afraid, Your Majesty. It’ above huang and below gao, where no medicine can reach.’
The idiom indicates a hopeless condition.

春秋时期,晋景公有一次得了重病,听说秦国有一个医术很高明的医生,便专程派人去请来。医生还没到。晋景公恍惚中做了个梦。梦见了两个小孩,正悄悄地在他身旁说话。一个说:“那个高明的医生马上就要来了,我看我们这回难逃了,我们躲到什么地方去呢?” 另一个小孩说道:“这没什么可怕的,我们躲到肓的上面,膏的下面,无论他怎样用药,都奈何我们不得。” 不一会儿,秦国的名医到了,立刻被请进了晋景公的卧室替晋景公治病。诊断后,那医生对晋景公说:“这病已没办法治了。疾病在肓之上,膏之下,用灸法攻治不行,扎针又达不到,吃汤药,其效力也达不到。这病是实在没法子治啦。”

Read more...
 
不寒而栗(bù hán ér lì)
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

alt

 

During the Han dynasty (hàn cháo 汉朝, 206BC—220AD), there was a man whose name was Yi Zong (yìzòng 义纵). Because of the special Kindness of the mother of the emperor, Yi Zong was made a magistrate in one county.

Read more...
 
不合时宜 (bù hé shí yí)
Learn Chinese - Chinese Idiom

alt

 

In the State of Lu, there was a couple of husband and wife, the former being an expert shoemaker and the latter a skilled hand in wearing taffeta. One day after consultations they decided to go to the state of Yue to earn a livelihood. The neighbors advised them not to go when they learned about their plan. "Don't go there," said one neighbor, "If you go, you can never earn a livelihood."

Read more...
 
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>

Page 2 of 29

China Yellow Pages