Idioms and Sayings in Mandarin Chinese

A list of 30 common phrases and idioms in Mandarin Chinese with English translations and examples.

26 words in this list

二话不说 (èr huà bù shuō) → without hesitation

🗣️ 他听到消息就二话不说地走了。 (He left without hesitation when he heard the news.)

黄种人 (huáng zhǒng rén) → Asian

🗣️ 我是一个黄种人。 (I am an Asian.)

马马虎虎 (mǎ mǎ hū hū) → so-so

🗣️ 他的表现马马虎虎。 (His performance is so-so.)

放马后炮 (fàng mǎ hòu pào) → hindsight

🗣️ 事后他总是放马后炮。 (He always has hindsight after the fact.)

见缝插针 (jiàn fèng chā zhēn) → make the most of every opportunity

🗣️ 他总是能够见缝插针地完成任务。 (He always makes the most of every opportunity to complete tasks.)

望梅止渴 (wàng méi zhǐ kě) → console oneself with false hopes

🗣️ 他只是望梅止渴地想象着自己的成功。 (He is just consoling himself with false hopes of success.)

不可思议 (bù kě sī yì) → unbelievable

🗣️ 这个消息太不可思议了。 (This news is too unbelievable.)

好事多磨 (hǎo shì duō mó) → good things come to those who wait

🗣️ 这件事情好事多磨，但最终还是得到了解决。 (This matter took a long time, but it was finally resolved.)

偷鸡不成蚀把米 (tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ) → lose the whole game by trying to gain a small advantage

🗣️ 他想要赚一点小钱，结果偷鸡不成反而蚀把米。 (He tried to make a little money, but ended up losing everything by trying to gain a small advantage.)

左右逢源 (zuǒ yòu féng yuán) → find a way out of any difficulty

🗣️ 他总能左右逢源地解决问题。 (He can always find a way out of any difficulty to solve problems.)

大同小异 (dà tóng xiǎo yì) → much the same

🗣️ 这两个计划大同小异。 (These two plans are much the same.)

高山流水 (gāo shān liú shuǐ) → harmony

🗣️ 这两个人高山流水般的和谐相处。 (These two people get along in perfect harmony.)

南辕北辙 (nán yuán běi zhé) → go in the opposite direction

🗣️ 你这么做就是南辕北辙。 (What you're doing is going in the opposite direction.)

两全其美 (liǎng quán qí měi) → kill two birds with one stone

🗣️ 这个方案可以让我们两全其美。 (This plan can kill two birds with one stone for us.)

心不在焉 (xīn bù zài yān) → absent-minded

🗣️ 他今天一直心不在焉。 (He has been absent-minded all day today.)

有目共睹 (yǒu mù gòng dǔ) → obvious to all

🗣️ 这个事实有目共睹。 (This fact is obvious to all.)

一马当先 (yī mǎ dāng xiān) → take the lead

🗣️ 他总是一马当先。 (He always takes the lead.)

开门见山 (kāi mén jiàn shān) → get straight to the point

🗣️ 他开门见山地告诉了我他的想法。 (He got straight to the point and told me his thoughts.)

弄巧成拙 (nòng qiǎo chéng zhuō) → too smart for your own good

🗣️ 他想要弄巧成拙，结果反而把事情搞砸了。 (He tried to be too smart for his own good and ended up messing things up.)

无可奉告 (wú kě fèng gào) → no comment

🗣️ 当被问及此事时，他只是说了一句“无可奉告”。 (When asked about the matter, he just said, 'No comment.')

走马观花 (zǒu mǎ guān huā) → superficial understanding

🗣️ 他只是走马观花地了解这个问题。 (He only has a superficial understanding of this issue.)

相见恨晚 (xiāng jiàn hèn wǎn) → meet too late to enjoy each other's company

🗣️ 我们俩相见恨晚。 (We met too late to enjoy each other's company.)

坐井观天 (zuò jǐng guān tiān) → have a narrow or limited outlook

🗣️ 他的想法很有限，就像坐井观天一样。 (His ideas are very limited, just like having a narrow or limited outlook.)

一丝不苟 (yī sī bù gǒu) → meticulous

🗣️ 他的工作一丝不苟。 (He is meticulous in his work.)

自由自在 (zì yóu zì zài) → free and easy

🗣️ 他总是自由自在地生活。 (He always lives free and easy.)

纸上谈兵 (zhǐ shàng tán bīng) → talk about military affairs on paper

🗣️ 他只是纸上谈兵，没有实际行动。 (He only talks about military affairs on paper, without any actual action.)

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