500 Common Chinese

Proverbs and Colloquial

Expressions
500 Common Chinese Proverbs and Colloquial Expressions is a dictionary of key Chinese
proverbs or suyu. Suyu are vivid and colorful expressions widely used in the Chinese
language. The smooth use of chengyu in Chinese writing and of suyu in spoken
Chinese not only makes communication more effective, it is also an indicator of
mastery of the language.
This dictionary will provide an ideal resource for all intermediate to advanced
learners of Chinese. Concise and practical, it draws upon a large corpus of authentic
language data to present 500 of the most commonly used Chinese suyu. The suyu
are listed and organized according to their frequency, enabling easy and convenient
access for the reader.
Each proverb listing:
• is given in both simplified and traditional characters
• offers an English translation, followed by English equivalents
• is followed by two examples, written in Chinese, Pinyin and English, plus
explanations and usage notes.
Examples are given in the form of dialogues reflecting typical situations, and helpful
cultural annotations are provided throughout. A Pinyin index, a stroke index and
a Chinese word index are presented at the back of the book and accompanying
audio is also available for free download at www.routledge.com/9780415501491.
Recorded by native speakers and covering the whole range of proverbs, expressions
and example sentences featured in the book, this invaluable resource will help
students to build up strong comprehension and communication skills.
This dictionary is suitable both for classroom use and independent study and will
be of keen interest to students and teachers of Chinese alike.
Liwei Jiao is Lecturer in Chinese at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. His
publications include 500 Common Chinese Idioms: An Annotated Frequency Dictionary
(co-authored with Cornelius C. Kubler and Weiguo Zhang, Routledge 2011) and The
Routledge Advanced Chinese Multimedia Course: Crossing Cultural Boundaries (co-authored
with Kunshan Carolyn Lee, Hsin-hsin Liang and Julian K. Wheatley, Routledge 2009).
Benjamin M. Stone is a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
He possesses extensive experience in translating and interpreting Mandarin Chinese
in a wide variety of professional contexts.
“The 500 proverbs and colloquial expressions collected in this book provide a
precious window on Chinese culture, as well as an invaluable aid to learning the
language. The book is an immensely useful reference toward understanding
the Chinese mind, for both the learner and the teacher.”
W.S.-Y. Wang, Professor Emeritus, University of California at Berkeley;
Academician of Academia Sinica; Editor of the Journal of Chinese Linguistics

“This is an extraordinary dictionary with a creative and effective glossary that

includes stylistic-register usages and historical resources. It is composed, for the
first time, by first rate experts in the field. This dictionary will serve not only for
Chinese learners and teachers, but also professionals who are interested in Chinese
proverbs.”
Professor Shengli Feng, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

“This book is a valuable resource I would recommend to any serious learners of

Mandarin Chinese at intermediate level or above. It is essentially two books in one:
with a Pinyin index, a stroke index, and a word index, this is an easy-to-use reference
dictionary, while with two typical authentic examples for each of the 500 suyu
items in the dictionary arranged according to their frequency of use, including
their Pinyin glosses, literal translations, functional translations as well as usage
guides and cultural notes, the book provides an excellent reader suitable for
independent study.”
Dr Richard Xiao, Director of Lancaster University Confucius Institute

“With copious examples and annotations, this collection of colourful expressions

is bound to be an enriching addition to any learner’s library.”
Professor Zheng-sheng Zhang, Editor of the Journal of the Chinese Language
Teachers Association ( JCLTA)
500 Common Chinese
Proverbs and Colloquial
Expressions
An annotated frequency
dictionary

Liwei Jiao and Benjamin M. Stone

First published 2014
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2014 Liwei Jiao and Benjamin M. Stone
The right of Liwei Jiao and Benjamin M. Stone to be identified as authors
of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with sections 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without
intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Jiao, Liwei.
500 common Chinese proverbs and colloquial expressions : an annotated
frequency dictionary / Liwei Jiao, Benjamin M. Stone.
pages cm
Includes index.
1.  Proverbs, Chinese.  2.  Chinese language--Terms and phrases.  3.  Chinese
language--Dictionaries–English.  I.  Stone, Benjamin M., author.  II.  Title. 
III.  Title: Five hundred common Chinese proverbs and colloquial expressions.
PN6519.C5J54 2014
398.9′951--dc23
2013015161

ISBN: 978-0-415-50148-4 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-0-415-50149-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-88458-5 (ebk)

Typeset in GraphSwift Light

by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong
To my students in Section 8, Class of 1998 at International College
of Chinese Language and Culture, Renmin University of China.
—Liwei Jiao

To my family.
—Benjamin Stone
This page intentionally left blank
Contents

Introduction viii
Characteristics of Chinese suyu viii
Why suyu are important to learners of Chinese ix
Special characteristics of this dictionary x
How the entries of this dictionary were determined xi
Background of the compilation of this dictionary and acknowledgments xii
List of abbreviations and grammatical terms in character-by-character
translation xiv
List of entries xv
Structure of entries xxi
500 common Chinese proverbs and colloquial expressions 1
Appendix one: Pinyin index of 500 common Chinese proverbs and
colloquial expressions 387
Appendix two: stroke index of 500 common Chinese proverbs and
colloquial expressions 395
Appendix three: Chinese word index of 500 common Chinese
proverbs and colloquial expressions 401
Introduction

500 Common Chinese Proverbs and Colloquial Expressions: An Annotated Frequency Dictionary
is a dictionary of common Chinese proverbs and colloquial expressions known as
suyu. Suyu are an important constituent part of the Chinese language, which Chinese
language learners must not neglect. This dictionary, which lists and organizes suyu
according to their frequency – as determined by a sociolinguistic survey of more
than 900 Chinese university students – is designed primarily for Chinese learners
at the intermediate level or above whose first language is English, as well as teachers
of Chinese as a second/foreign language. Besides being used as a reference work,
this dictionary is also suitable for classroom use and independent study.

Characteristics of Chinese suyu

The definition of suyu in Chinese is relatively broad and does not completely
coincide with the definition of the English word ‘proverb.’ What this book catalogues
are Chinese proverbs and colloquial expressions, to be referred to hereafter as suyu.
This book’s definition of suyu is as follows: they are phrases or sentences that are
widely employed by the general population in colloquial discourse, whose actual
meanings are more than the sum of their parts, are mainly employed in expressing
ridicule or criticism, and whose structure is relatively fixed. Some examples of
suyu would be 吃豆腐, whose literal meaning ‘to eat tofu’ comes to mean ‘to take
advantage of a woman;’ 皇上不急太监急 which, while literally meaning ‘the
emperor is rested and at ease while the eunuch is excessively concerned,’ is used
to describe a situation in which the person involved is calm and collected, but
observers are very anxious. Specifically speaking, suyu should have the following
characteristics:

1) Suyu are evocative and ingenious. In most circumstances, they are the best,
most articulate form of expression for a given situation. For example, if one
wishes to articulate how someone has overstepped their bounds, both 得寸
进尺 (given-inch-advance-foot) and 得陇望蜀 (get-a tip of Southwestern China-
hope-the whole Southwestern China) are acceptable, although the latter is
possibly too literal. However, neither expression has a humorous connotation.
In contrast, the suyu 蹬鼻子上脸 (climb-nose-mount-face) is both humorous in
meaning and widely used in informal conversations. Similarly, 天上掉馅饼
(sky-upon-fall-stuffed-pancake) is the most apt translation of ‘to have something
fall into one’s lap,’ while 躲得过初一，躲不过十五 vividly invokes the idea that
‘you cannot avoid something forever,’ by making the analogy that you can
avoid 初一, the first day of a lunar month with a new moon, but you cannot
avoid its counterpart, 十五, the fifteenth day of a lunar month.
 Introduction ix

2) Suyu are used by the general population. However, this characteristic does not
preclude the use of suyu by political leaders or public figures in some situations.
It is general knowledge that Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping liked using suyu,
with some of their most famous suyu including, among others: 纸老虎 (paper
tigers), 墙头草 (fence-sitters), 东方不亮西方亮 (while something is not workable
in one place, it might be workable somewhere else), 摸着石头过河 (to cross
the river by touching stones), and 不管白猫黑猫，能捉老鼠就是好猫 (it does
not matter whether a cat is black or white so long as it catches mice).
3) Suyu are mainly colloquial. However, this does not preclude one from using
suyu on formal occasions or in writing in order to elicit a special reaction from
the audience. Also, based on our observations, the rapid proliferation of the
internet has led internet users to begin using more suyu in their pursuit of
fresh, pithy expressions, therein indirectly influencing the vernacular of the
media.
4) The actual meanings of suyu come not from a literal, character-by-character
translation, but rather from the proverb’s analogical or synecdochic meaning.
For example, consider the sentence 他不是省油的灯. The portion of the proverb,
不是省油的灯 does not actually mean ‘a non kerosene-saving lamp,’ but rather,
‘a real piece of work.’
5) Suyu mainly express derogatory or critical sentiments. Take, for example,
占着茅坑不拉屎 (to be a dog in the manger), or 临时抱佛脚 (fair weather atheists
turn to god in a pinch). About half of the entries in this dictionary carry either
a strongly or slightly derogatory connotation, and the most common word in
the 500 entries is 不, which appears 119 times in total. However, there are also
many neutral suyu, such as 一个萝卜一个坑 (each has his own task and there
is nobody to spare).
6) The structures of suyu are relatively fixed. For example, while one can say
一个萝卜一个坑, meaning, literally, ‘one radish, one hole,’ the proverb does
not maintain its implied meaning of ‘each has his own task and there is nobody
to spare’ if the structure is changed. We cannot say ‘two radishes, two holes.’
Neither can we say ‘one sweet potato, one hole.’ However, the structures of a
number of suyu, mainly those embodied in short phrases, can be slightly
adjusted. In some instances, it is fine to insert a few components. For example,
吃豆腐, meaning, literally, ‘to eat tofu,’ actually means ‘to come on to,’ or ‘to
take advantage of.’ However, one can say 吃她的豆腐, or 吃小姑娘的豆腐, to
yield the phrases, ‘take advantage of her,’ or ‘come on to a young woman.’
7) The constituent parts of suyu are mostly objects or activities which are closely
associated with the daily life of the general population. The most common
words in the entries included in this dictionary include 人 (people), 吃 (to eat),
打 (to hit, to beat and many other meanings), 水 (water), 马 (horse), 眼 (eye),
狗 (dog), 虎 (tiger), 鸡 (chicken), 风 (wind), 山 (mountain), 脚 (foot), and 刀 (knife).

Why suyu are important to learners of Chinese

Suyu are vivid and colorful expressions that are widely and liberally used by Chinese
people. Those people who use suyu often and well in everyday life project a cultural
sophistication, expressive ability, sense of humor, and bonhomie, which facilitates
x Introduction

their acceptance by others and makes them the center of attention. Using suyu in
certain special situations can work wonders. For decades, countless politicians and
economists argued over a still-socialist China’s adoption of a capitalist path and
were unable to resolve certain resulting theoretical questions. However, with one
suyu, 不管黑猫白猫，能捉老鼠就是好猫 (it does not matter whether a cat is black
or white so long as it catches mice), Deng Xiaoping promptly settled the dispute.
Examples like this cause people to admire the importance of suyu. They are a
shortcut to establishing a rapport with Chinese people.
It is generally difficult for non-immersion learners of Chinese to come into
contact with genuine suyu. Even if these learners should happen to encounter a
Chinese person, the language environment outside of China, and considerations
of practicality, discourage the Chinese from using suyu in communicating with
Chinese language learners. Moreover, due to the duality of suyu, it is not easy for
learners of Chinese to quickly guess their implied meaning. They sometimes even
develop mistaken – and potentially embarrassing – understandings of suyu. Recall,
for example, the suyu 吃豆腐. The component words, 吃 (eat) and 豆腐 (tofu) are
both quite simple, however, when put together, their meaning changes significantly,
as shown earlier.

Special characteristics of this dictionary

We hope this dictionary will come to be an indispensable aid to many Chinese
language learners and teachers. As such, we have included a number of distinguishing
features, which are as follows:

1) This dictionary has identified, and lists the 500 most common Chinese suyu
according to their frequency of use. In this manner, learners of Chinese can
be sure about which suyu are important and should be learned first. Knowledge
of these 500 suyu will be sufficient for use in daily life or work situations, when
conducting business, or even when writing.
2) This dictionary contains accurate English translations and annotations. For
example, the suyu 会哭的孩子有奶吃, when translated literally, means ‘if a baby
is good at pretending to cry, it will be rewarded with its mother’s milk.’
However, given the context of its usage and the functional meaning of the
phrase (the squeaky wheel gets the grease), this dictionary has more logically
and correctly translated 奶 (milk) as 母乳 (breast milk). Additionally, English
translations of Chinese example dialogues were structured, where possible, to
adhere closely to the syntactical organization of the Chinese, in order to make
it easy for students to learn the characters for words and phrases they are
unfamiliar with.
3) This dictionary is concise, practical, and convenient for educational purposes.
The entry for each suyu includes: the suyu itself (in simplified and traditional
Chinese characters), Pinyin romanization, a character-by-character translation
in English, implied meaning in English, functional translation in English (for
most entries), two suitable examples (in Chinese, Pinyin, and English), usage,
variants (if any), and notes. Most examples take the form of dialogues reflecting
commonly encountered situations.
 Introduction xi

4) Because it is very difficult for non-native learners of Chinese to grasp the degree
of sarcasm or abrasiveness associated with a given suyu, this dictionary separates
the tone of suyu into four categories in the annotations: humorous, neutral,
slightly derogatory, and derogatory. As such, when employing suyu, users of
this dictionary will not make egregious and potentially embarrassing errors
in usage. For example, when recommending that some leader retire, one would
not use a strongly derogatory suyu such as 占着茅坑不拉屎 (to be like a dog in
the manger). The chart depicted below is included for all entries except the
21 which have complimentary connotations.

humorous neutral slightly derogatory derogatory

5) This dictionary contains necessary cultural annotations. For each entry, we

have made a judgment as to whether or not there is a serious gap in relevant
cultural understanding between native English and Chinese speakers. In cases
where we deemed it necessary, cultural gaps are addressed and further
explained. For example, while the practice of foot binding may be one that
native English speakers are familiar with, the deeper social and cultural
connotations of this custom provide the meaning of the suyu 露马脚 and, as
such, the tradition is explained in that entry’s cultural note.
6) This dictionary also includes a large number of relevant Chinese idioms (chengyu)
to contrast or complement the suyu and make the language even more vivid.
For example, the Chinese idiom 视而不见 (to turn a blind eye to) appears in
the example sentence for 睁着眼睛说瞎话 (to tell bald-faced lies).

As should be clear from the analysis above, 500 Common Chinese Proverbs and Colloquial
Expressions should satisfy the educational needs of Chinese language learners at
the intermediate level or higher, enabling them to gain a grasp of the most common
suyu in the Chinese language one by one. Alternatively, we hope this dictionary
will provide significant assistance to Chinese language instructors who, when
preparing for class or explaining suyu to their students, may select those suyu which
are most likely to be encountered, and refer to the usage notes and example
sentences in this dictionary.

How the entries of this dictionary were determined

As there was no existing corpus of suyu organized by frequency prior to the
inception of this volume, the writing of this dictionary necessitated the com­
pilation of a frequency ordered corpus of suyu using sociolinguistic methods. In
order to compile this list, 902 Chinese university students from different regions
of China were surveyed to gauge their familiarity with hundreds of different
Chinese suyu. For each suyu, participants were asked to choose among the following
options:

A) I have never heard this suyu before.

B) I occasionally hear others (not counting my family, relatives, friends, classmates,
colleagues, or instructors) use this suyu colloquially.
xii Introduction

C) I have heard this suyu used colloquially by someone close to me (including my

family, relatives, friends, classmates, colleagues or instructors).
D) I believe I can use this suyu appropriately.
E) I have used this suyu either in written or spoken form.

At the end of the survey, each participant was asked to list the ten suyu that he or
she used most often, even if they were not featured on the survey list.
While, on the face of it, it may seem that we have surveyed only a small number
of individual university students, our survey methodology is workable because
what we were really surveying were the groups to which these students belong.
As each survey participant is a member of a larger social or cultural group – be it
a family, an affinity group, or a cultural movement – each participant’s responses
indirectly reflect the influence and general linguistic tendencies of the groups to
which they belong as well as the groups to which their acquaintances belong. This
trickle-down diversity makes up for what would otherwise be an excessively
homogeneous survey group.
This survey was conducted primarily in June of 2012, whereas compilation and
selection of possible entries started as early as 2007. One of the authors, Liwei Jiao,
was present when most of the surveys were being conducted. The authors wish to
sincerely thank all of the following Chinese faculty and their students for their
participation in this survey:

Professor Bo Zhang and his students at Nankai University,

Professor Lei Liang, Professor Qibin Ran, Professor Jia Guo and Ms. Minyuan Wang
and their students and classmates at Nankai University,
Professor Xiujuan Shi and her students at Tianjin Normal University,
Dr. Shitie Yang, Dr. Yujian Xiang, and Ms. Yanli Liu and their students at Huaibei
Normal University,
Professor Lijian Liu and his students at Zhejiang Normal University,
Ms. Yuhui Shi and her students at Xuzhou Normal University,
Dr. Qiaoling Cao and her students at China Criminal Police University,
Mr. Xiaoning Han and his students at Qingdao University,
Professor Yingzhi Na and his students at Qingdao Technical College,
Professor Lintao Zhao and his students at Hebei University,
Dr. Xiaohua Xu and her students at Capital University of Economics and Business.

Background of the compilation of this dictionary and

acknowledgments
This dictionary is the sister volume to 500 Common Chinese Idioms, and both books
were jointly conceived in 2007. The research for this volume proceeded gradually
from 2007 until the completion of 500 Common Chinese Idioms in 2010. In the fall
of 2010, Benjamin Stone joined this project, and we have worked together towards
the completion of this book since then.
The authors wish to express here their appreciation to the following people for
their assistance in the compilation of this dictionary: Professor Shuiguang Deng
of Zhejiang University, Professor Zepeng Wang of Nankai University, Professor
 Introduction xiii

Hsin-hsin Liang of University of Virginia, Ms. Xuefei Hao of Washington University

in St. Louis, Mr. William Xuefeng Wang, Mr. Jinsong Fan, and Mr. Lizhong Jiao.
Special thanks go to Professor William Labov of University of Pennsylvania for his
advice on how to conduct the survey of entries. The authors also would like to
thank their editors at Routledge, Ms. Andrea Hartill, Ms. Samantha Vale Noya,
Ms. Isabelle Cheng, Ms. Sarah May and Ms. Jill Campbell for their support of this
project. Finally, the authors would be remiss not to also thank our families for
their crucial support, without which this dictionary would surely never have seen
the light of day.

Liwei Jiao
Benjamin Stone
List of abbreviations and
grammatical terms in
character-by-character
translation

’s: possessive
ed: past tense
ing: present progressive tense
MW: measure word
List of entries

1 好马不吃回头草 40 三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮
2 小菜一碟 41 脚踩两只船
3 太阳从西边出来 42 此地无银三百两
4 说曹操，曹操到 43 吃不到葡萄就说葡萄酸
5 乌鸦嘴 44 心急吃不了热豆腐
6 二百五 45 家常便饭
7 吃一堑，长一智 46 癞蛤蟆想吃天鹅肉
8 睁着眼睛说瞎话 47 天无绝人之路
9 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 48 走后门
10 物以稀为贵 49 瞎猫碰上死耗子
11 王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸 50 好汉不吃眼前亏
12 站着说话不腰疼 51 解铃还须系铃人
13 天下没有不散的筵席 52 肥水不流外人田
14 天上掉馅饼 53 心有余而力不足
15 己所不欲，勿施于人 54 不分青红皂白
16 睁眼瞎 55 睁一只眼，闭一只眼
17 跳进黄河洗不清 56 破罐子破摔
18 拍马屁 57 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆
19 情人眼里出西施 58 萝卜白菜，各有所爱
20 打酱油 59 狗嘴里吐不出象牙
21 不怕一万，就怕万一 60 三天打鱼，两天晒网
22 走着瞧 61 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳
23 不管三七二十一 62 英雄难过美人关
24 吃着碗里的，看着锅里的 63 刀子嘴，豆腐心
25 钻牛角尖 64 一失足成千古恨
26 人不可貌相，海水不可斗量 65 哪壶不开提哪壶
27 林子大了，什么鸟都有 66 炒鱿鱼
28 鸡毛蒜皮 67 人往高处走，水往低处流
29 鲜花插在牛粪上 68 说得比唱得好听
30 醉翁之意不在酒 69 强扭的瓜不甜
31 猴年马月 70 老掉牙
32 眼不见为净 71 搬起石头砸自己的脚
33 姜是老的辣 72 卖关子
34 留得青山在，不怕没柴烧 73 一分钱一分货
35 拿得起，放得下 74 九牛二虎之力
36 以其人之道还治其人之身 75 敬酒不吃吃罚酒
37 走桃花运 76 躲得过初一，躲不过十五
38 成事不足，败事有余 77 吃香的，喝辣的
39 皇上不急太监急 78 小儿科
xvi  List of entries

79 一个巴掌拍不响 126 家丑不可外扬

80 牛头不对马嘴 127 背黑锅
81 以小人之心，度君子之腹 128 兔子不吃窝边草
82 车到山前必有路 129 铁饭碗
83 鸡蛋里挑骨头 130 冰冻三尺，非一日之寒
84 吃不了兜着走 131 远亲不如近邻
85 打肿脸充胖子 132 下马威
86 三十六计走为上 133 天下乌鸦一般黑
87 当耳旁风 134 不到黄河心不死
88 恨铁不成钢 135 狗急了跳墙
89 你走你的阳关道，我过我的独木桥 136 狗眼看人低
90 过了这个村，就没这个店 137 只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯
91 抱佛脚 138 偷鸡摸狗
92 有钱能使鬼推磨 139 死马当活马医
93 有其父必有其子 140 新官上任三把火
94 不见棺材不落泪 141 对号入座
95 三长两短 142 十万八千里
96 纸包不住火 143 露马脚
97 好戏在后头 144 公说公有理，婆说婆有理
98 吹牛皮 145 上刀山，下火海
99 欲速则不达 146 打退堂鼓
100 家家有本难念的经 147 磨刀不误砍柴工
101 墙头草 148 风马牛不相及
102 替罪羊 149 一山不容二虎
103 近水楼台先得月 150 眼里揉不得沙子
104 小巫见大巫 151 三下五除二
105 过河拆桥 152 泼冷水
106 一不做，二不休 153 杀鸡给猴看
107 以牙还牙，以眼还眼 154 生米做成熟饭
108 跑了和尚跑不了庙 155 初生牛犊不怕虎
109 绿帽子 156 铁公鸡
110 识时务者为俊杰 157 无事不登三宝殿
111 井水不犯河水 158 马后炮
112 一棵树上吊死 159 掉链子
113 放鸽子 160 纸老虎
114 一步一个脚印 161 狐狸精
115 上梁不正下梁歪 162 丑话说在前头
116 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 163 半路杀出个程咬金
117 赔了夫人又折兵 164 麻雀虽小，五脏俱全
118 有心栽花花不长，无心插柳柳成荫 165 虎毒不食子
119 八字还没一撇 166 小不忍则乱大谋
120 有眼不识泰山 167 打狗还得看主人
121 出气筒 168 万事俱备，只欠东风
122 八九不离十 169 不管黑猫白猫，会捉老鼠就是好猫
123 无风不起浪 170 真金不怕火炼
124 得便宜卖乖 171 狗改不了吃屎
125 不是省油的灯 172 杀手锏
 List of entries  xvii

173 饥不择食 220 常在河边走，哪有不湿鞋

174 对事不对人 221 三脚猫
175 皮笑肉不笑 222 吃闭门羹
176 双刃剑 223 三十年河东，三十年河西
177 热脸贴冷屁股 224 土包子
178 好了伤疤忘了疼 225 树大招风
179 醋坛子 226 酒逢知己千杯少
180 君子之交淡如水 227 当一天和尚撞一天钟
181 三个和尚没水吃 228 是骡子是马拉出来遛遛
182 赶鸭子上架 229 一个鼻孔出气
183 小白脸 230 身在曹营心在汉
184 放长线，钓大鱼 231 瘦死的骆驼比马大
185 依葫芦画瓢 232 树欲静而风不止
186 隔墙有耳 233 丑媳妇早晚也得见公婆
187 巧妇难为无米之炊 234 胜者王侯败者贼
188 不是吃素的 235 下三烂
189 嫁鸡随鸡，嫁狗随狗 236 上了贼船
190 打开天窗说亮话 237 病急乱投医
191 人算不如天算 238 打如意算盘
192 小动作 239 龙生龙，凤生凤
193 远水解不了近渴 240 不看僧面看佛面
194 占着茅坑不拉屎 241 雷声大、雨点小
195 碰一鼻子灰 242 脸红脖子粗
196 死猪不怕开水烫 243 一棍子打死
197 换汤不换药 244 拿鸡蛋碰石头
198 救命稻草 245 没有不透风的墙
199 明枪易躲，暗箭难防 246 人怕出名猪怕壮
200 谋事在人，成事在天 247 山中无老虎，猴子称大王
201 三个女人一台戏 248 杀鸡焉用宰牛刀
202 有鼻子有眼 249 大树底下好乘凉
203 枪打出头鸟 250 跑龙套
204 碰钉子 251 七大姑，八大姨
205 蹬鼻子上脸 252 一是一，二是二
206 吃豆腐 253 多个朋友多条路
207 眉毛胡子一把抓 254 下台阶
208 偷鸡不成反蚀把米 255 打小算盘
209 众人拾柴火焰高 256 坐山观虎斗
210 快刀斩乱麻 257 羊毛出在羊身上
211 吃软饭 258 一口吃成个胖子
212 一着不慎，满盘皆输 259 屋漏偏逢连阴雨
213 听风就是雨 260 老油条
214 鸿门宴 261 捅马蜂窝
215 吃哑巴亏 262 小意思
216 眼中钉、肉中刺 263 倒打一耙
217 舍不得孩子套不住狼 264 陈芝麻、烂谷子
218 挂羊头、卖狗肉 265 一条龙
219 煮熟的鸭子飞了 266 四两拨千斤
xviii  List of entries

267 前怕狼，后怕虎 314 打水漂

268 吃水不忘挖井人 315 开小差
269 有仇不报非君子 316 两面派
270 不倒翁 317 一盘散沙
271 干打雷，不下雨 318 和稀泥
272 鸡飞狗跳 319 敲竹杠
273 事后诸葛亮 320 扯后腿
274 落水狗 321 穿小鞋
275 板上钉钉 322 给他一点颜色看看
276 一碗水端平 323 天高皇帝远
277 烫手的山芋 324 拣软柿子捏
278 笑掉大牙 325 打马虎眼
279 一回生，二回熟 326 千里马
280 鱼与熊掌不可得兼 327 打擦边球
281 咸鱼翻身 328 摸着石头过河
282 一根绳上的蚂蚱 329 半路出家
283 趟浑水 330 老狐狸
284 狗腿子 331 一窝蜂
285 用在刀刃上 332 开夜车
286 鸡飞蛋打 333 手心手背都是肉
287 胳膊扭不过大腿 334 缩头乌龟
288 饱汉不知饿汉饥 335 走过场
289 笑面虎 336 做文章
290 二 337 吃大锅饭
291 给力 338 戴高帽
292 母老虎 339 秋后算账
293 五十步笑百步 340 僧多粥少
294 门外汉 341 坐冷板凳
295 前人栽树，后人乘凉 342 不当家不知柴米贵
296 烂泥扶不上墙 343 红眼病
297 关公面前耍大刀 344 葫芦里卖的是什么药
298 高不成，低不就 345 三句话不离本行
299 胳膊肘往外扭 346 糖衣炮弹
300 长痛不如短痛 347 树倒猢狲散
301 酒香不怕巷子深 348 硬骨头
302 一条路走到黑 349 二虎相争，必有一伤
303 不是鱼死，就是网破 350 拆东墙，补西墙
304 冰山一角 351 大鱼吃小鱼
305 身体是革命的本钱 352 狐狸尾巴露出来了
306 说风凉话 353 开绿灯
307 紧箍咒 354 歪瓜裂枣
308 唱双簧 355 小辫子
309 开空白支票 356 一头雾水
310 保护伞 357 隔行如隔山
311 一个萝卜一个坑 358 一亩三分地
312 狗咬狗 359 成也萧何，败也萧何
313 唱高调 360 大水冲了龙王庙
 List of entries  xix

361 乱弹琴 408 出来混的，总要还的

362 挤牙膏 409 画虎不成反类犬
363 墙倒众人推 410 大意失荆州
364 莫须有 411 卸磨杀驴
365 拿鸡毛当令箭 412 躺着都中枪
366 捅破窗户纸 413 脚正不怕鞋歪
367 三字经 414 有奶就是娘
368 苍蝇不叮无缝的蛋 415 肉烂在锅里
369 大跌眼镜 416 说你胖你就喘
370 说一千，道一万 417 擦屁股
371 绊脚石 418 皇帝女儿不愁嫁
372 过五关、斩六将 419 一朝天子一朝臣
373 求爷爷、告奶奶 420 活人让尿憋死
374 羡慕嫉妒恨 421 走马灯
375 打掉门牙往肚里咽 422 花无百日红
376 唱对台戏 423 东风压倒西风
377 分一杯羹 424 岁月是把杀猪刀
378 变色龙 425 丁是丁，卯是卯
379 独木不成林 426 多年的媳妇熬成婆
380 既生瑜，何生亮？ 427 强将手下无弱兵
381 撂挑子 428 头痛医头，脚痛医脚
382 敲门砖 429 拉不出屎来怨茅房
383 试金石 430 东方不亮西方亮
384 火烧眉毛 431 老牛拉破车
385 空手套白狼 432 放卫星
386 一瓶子不满，半瓶子晃荡 433 鸡同鸭讲
387 脱了裤子放屁 434 一锅端
388 借东风 435 老皇历
389 白开水 436 家花没有野花香
390 鲤鱼跳龙门 437 又想当婊子又想立牌坊
391 强龙压不住地头蛇 438 遮羞布
392 这山望着那山高 439 耍花枪
393 光脚的不怕穿鞋的 440 又要马儿跑，又要马儿不吃草
394 不成功，便成仁 441 牛不喝水强按头
395 滚刀肉 442 摆乌龙
396 久病成良医 443 各打五十大板
397 枕边风 444 一个将军一个令
398 一锤子买卖 445 抱大腿
399 横挑鼻子竖挑眼 446 砸了锅
400 唱空城计 447 会哭的孩子有奶吃
401 一刀切 448 二一添作五
402 旧瓶装新酒 449 风一阵，雨一阵
403 两面三刀 450 剃头挑子一头热
404 一把钥匙开一把锁 451 远来的和尚会念经
405 打一巴掌，给个甜枣 452 揪辫子
406 先君子后小人 453 小姐的身子丫鬟的命
407 尺有所短，寸有所长 454 只见树木，不见森林
xx  List of entries

455 屁股决定脑袋 478 矬子里拔将军

456 兔子尾巴长不了 479 给个棒槌就当针
457 骑马找马 480 捧臭脚
458 敲锣边儿 481 咬人的狗不露齿
459 扣帽子 482 炒冷饭
460 拔出萝卜带出泥 483 一只羊是赶，一群羊也是放
461 满嘴跑火车 484 虱子多了不咬，账多了不愁
462 温水煮青蛙 485 攒鸡毛，凑掸子
463 万金油 486 骑脖子拉屎
464 树挪死，人挪活 487 指着和尚骂秃子
465 按下葫芦起了瓢 488 蚂蚱也是肉
466 到什么山唱什么歌 489 背着抱着一般沉
467 拔根汗毛比腰粗 490 一言堂
468 阎王好见，小鬼难搪 491 乱拳打死老师傅
469 不见兔子不撒鹰 492 端起碗来吃肉，放下筷子骂娘
470 当面锣，对面鼓 493 出头的椽子先烂
471 眼大肚子小 494 一马勺坏一锅
472 浅水养不了大鱼 495 终日打雁，让雁啄了眼
473 吃别人嚼过的馍不香 496 老鸹嫌猪黑
474 起大早，赶晚集 497 别人牵驴你拔橛
475 打不着狐狸惹身骚 498 仔卖爷田不心疼
476 多面手 499 萝卜快了不洗泥
477 鸟枪换炮 500 接地气
Structure of entries

sequential number entry in traditional entry in Pinyin

of the entry, based Chinese characters romanization
on frequency

entry in simplified
Chinese characters
143. 露马脚 (露馬腳)  lòu mf jifo
character-by- Translated character by character, 露马脚 means ‘expose-horse-foot,’ whereas the
character translation implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘to accidentally reveal information
of the entry about one’s wrongdoing.’ Its functional translation is ‘to let the cat out of the bag.’
implied meaning of Example 1:
the entry
A: 这个坏蛋太狡猾了，让人抓不到他的一点把柄。
functional
translation of the B: 别着急，即使他再狡猾，总有一天也会露出马脚的。
entry
A: Zhègè huàidàn tài jifohuá le, ràng rén zhuabúdào ta de yì difn bfbhng.
B: Bié zháojí, jíshh ta zài jifohuá, zingyiuyìtian yg huì lòu che mfjifo de.
A: This scoundrel’s too cunning. He makes it hard to get a handle on him.
B: Don’t worry. No matter how cunning he is, there will be a day when he’ll let
the cat out of the bag.
example in
simplified Chinese, Example 2:
Pinyin and English
A: 你怎么知道他在撒谎？
B: 他前面说的谎话还能自圆其说，可是后来说那天路很黑，没有月亮，
entry highlighted in 所以他迷路了。这句话露了马脚，因为那天晚上的月亮又大又圆。
bold within example A: Nh zgnme zhcdao ta zài sahufng?
B: Ta qiánmiàn shud de hufnghuà hái néng zìyuán-qíshud, kgshì hòulái shud nà
tian lù hgn hbi, méi yiu yuèliang, suiyh ta mílù le. Zhè jù huà lòule mfjifo,
ycnwèi nà tian wfnshang de yuèliang yòu dà yòu yuán.
A: How did you know he was lying?
B: He could explain away the first lie he told but, after that, he said that since
the road was dark and there was no moonlight, he got lost. With that sentence,
grammatical he let the cat out of the bag, because there was a full moon that night.
function(s) of
the entry Usage: Functions as predicate.
variant(s) of the Variant: 露出马脚
entry
Note: Slightly derogatory in meaning. Folk legend holds that the wife of Zhu
tone of the entry Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, had large feet and the
phrase in use surname Ma. At a time when female children in wealthy families would have their
cultural annotation feet bound, this fact revealed that she had come from a poor family. This is how
of the entry the proverb 露马脚 was born.
provided where
necessary

tone of the entry indicated by position of shading in

chart (from left to right): humorous, neutral, slightly
derogatory, derogatory
This page intentionally left blank
500 common Chinese
proverbs and colloquial
expressions
This page intentionally left blank
 Entries 1 – 2: 好马不吃回头草 and 小菜一碟 3

好马不吃回头草 (好馬不吃回頭草) 
1. 
hfo mf bù chc huí tóu cfo

Translated character by character, 好马不吃回头草 means ‘good-horse-not-eat-turn-

around-grass,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘a good man
doesn’t backtrack.’
Example 1:

A: 我已经决定要离开现在的公司了，可是公司又提出给我加薪。你看
我应该走还是留？
B: 好马不吃回头草。你还是走吧。
A: Wi yhjcng juédìng yào líkai xiànzài de gdngsc le, kgshì gdngsc yòu tíche ggi
wi jiaxcn. Nh kàn wi ycnggai ziu háishì liú?
B: Hfo mf bù chc huítóu cfo. Nh háishì ziu ba.
A: I already decided that I was going to leave the company I’m at now, but they’re
discussing giving me a raise. What do you think, should I leave or should
I stay?
B: A good man doesn’t backtrack. You should still leave.
Example 2:

A: 听说他们想复婚呢。
B: 好马不吃回头草，那已经是过去的一页了。
A: Tcngshud tamen xifng fùhen ne.
B: Hfo mf bù chc huítóu cfo, nà yhjcng shì guòqù de yí yè le.
A: I’ve heard they want to remarry.
B: A good man doesn’t backtrack. They’ve already turned over a new leaf.
Usage: Used singly.
Note: Neutral or humorous in meaning.

小菜一碟 (小菜一碟)  xifo cài yì dié

2. 

Translated character by character, 小菜一碟 means ‘small-dish-one-plate,’ whereas

the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘something that can be done very
easily.’ Its functional equivalent is ‘a piece of cake.’
Example 1:

A: 这个国家的篮球队对于美国队来说简直是小菜一碟。美国队的替补
阵容都能把他们打得稀里哗啦的。
4  Entry 3: 太阳从西边出来

A: Zhègè guójia de lánqiú duì duìyú Mgiguó duì láishud jifnzhí shì xifo
cài yì dié. Mgiguó duì de tìbj zhènróng ddu néng bf tamen df de xclhhuala
de.
A: This country’s basketball team really is a piece of cake for the American team.
Even the American substitutes could clean their clocks.
Example 2:

A: 我外甥女今年要毕业了，你能不能把她安排进交通局工作？
B: 不就是交通局嘛，小菜一碟。
A: Wi wàishbngnr jcnnián yào bìyè le, nh néngbùnéng bf ta anpái jìn jiaotdngjú
gdngzuò?
B: Bú jiùshì jiaotdngjú ma, xifo cài yì dié.
A: My sister’s daughter is graduating this year. Would you be able to arrange a
job for her at the Traffic Department?
B: We’re talking about the Traffic Department, right? It’ll be a piece of cake.
Usage: Functions as predicative.
Note: Neutral or humorous in meaning.

太阳从西边出来 (太陽從西邊出來) 
3. 
tàiyáng cóng xc bian chelai

Translated character by character, 太阳从西边出来 means ‘sun-from-west-side-come-

out,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘something is very
unlikely to happen.’ Its functional translation is ‘hell freezes over.’
Example 1:

A: 他工作三年了，今天第一次加班。
B: 太阳从西边出来了吧？要不肯定是他的电脑、手机、手表上的时间
同时晚了。
A: Ta gdngzuò san nián le, jcntian dì-yc cì jiaban.
B: Tàiyáng cóng xcbian cheláile ba? Yàobù kgndìng shì ta de diànnfo, shiujc,
shiubifo shàng de shíjian tóngshí wfn le.
A: He’s been working for three years now. Today’s the first time he’s worked late.
B: Has hell frozen over? Otherwise his computer, phone, and watch are all running
slow at the same time.
 Entry 4: 说曹操，曹操到 5

Example 2:

A: 你们的关系恢复了吗？
B: 我已经跟他一刀两断，如果想恢复关系，除非太阳从西边出来。
A: Nhmen de guanxi hucfù le ma?
B: Wi yhjcng gbn ta yìdao-lifngduàn, rúgui xifng hucfù guanxi, chúfbi tàiyáng
cóng xcbian chelái.
A: Have you reconciled with him?
B: I already broke things off with him. If he wants to reconcile our relationship,
it won’t happen unless hell freezes over.
Usage: Functions as predicate or used singly.
Note: Slightly derogatory and humorous in meaning.

说曹操，曹操到 (說曹操，曹操到) 
4. 
shud Cáo Cao, Cáo Cao dào

Translated character by character, 说曹操，曹操到 means ‘speak-Cao Cao, Cao

Cao-arrive,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘someone
appears right after you have said their name.’ Its functional translation is ‘Speak
of the devil (and he shall appear).’
Example 1:

A: 今天晚上的饭局谁做东呢？
B: 老刘啊！他刚抱上孙子。
（老刘进来。 ）
A: 这不，说曹操，曹操就到。
A: Jcntian wfnshang de fànjú shéi zuòddng ne?
B: Lfo Liú a! Ta gang bàoshàng senzi.
(Lfo Liú jìnlái.)
A: Zhè bú, shud Cáo Cao, Cáo Cao jiù dào.
A: Who is hosting tonight’s dinner party?
B: Old Liu! He’s just become a grandfather.
(Old Liu enters)
A: Speak of the devil.
Example 2:

A: 我得给王局长打个电话。
（王局长从远处出现。 ）
B: 不用打了，说曹操，曹操到。
6  Entry 5: 乌鸦嘴

A: Wi dgi ggi Wáng júzhfng df gè diànhuà.

(Wáng júzhfng cóng yufnchù chexiàn. )
B: Búyòng df le, shud Cáo Cao, Cáo Cao dào.
A: I should give Director Wang a call.
(Director Wang appears from a distance)
B: There’s no need. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
Usage: Used singly.
Variant: 说曹操，曹操就到
Note: Neutral or humorous in meaning.

乌鸦嘴 (烏鴉嘴)  weya zuh

5. 

Translated character by character, 乌鸦嘴 means ‘crow-mouth,’ whereas the implied

meaning of this proverb would be ‘a person who is believed to bring bad luck.’ Its
functional translation is ‘jinx.’
Example 1:

A: 他又预测巴西队会夺冠。
B: 他是个有名的乌鸦嘴，看好哪个队哪个队倒霉。
A: Ta yòu yùcè Baxc duì huì duóguàn.
B: Ta shì gè yiumíng de weyazuh, kàn hfo nf ge duì nf ge duì dfoméi.
A: He once again predicted that Brazil would win the championship.
B: He’s a well-known jinx. Whichever team he favors gets unlucky.
Example 2:

A: 有我保佑，你一定成功。
B: 闭上你那只乌鸦嘴！
A: Yiu wi bfoyòu, nh yídìng chénggdng.
B: Bì shàng nh nà zhc weyazuh!
A: With my blessing, you will definitely succeed.
B: Shut your jinx mouth!
Usage: Functions as object or predicative.
Note: Slightly derogatory in meaning.
 Entries 6 – 7: 二百五 and 吃一堑，长一智 7

二百五 (二百五)  èr bfi wj
6. 

Translated character by character, 二百五 means ‘two-hundred-fifty,’ whereas the

implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘an idiot.’ Its functional translation is
‘halfwit,’ or ‘pea-brain.’
Example 1:

A: 你能告诉我怎么用电子表格求和吗？
B: 二百五，连电子表格都不会，以后怎么做秘书？
A: Nh néng gàosù wi zgnme yòng diànzhbifogé qiúhé ma?
B: Èrbfiwj, lián diànzhbifogé ddu búhuì, yhhòu zgnme zuò mìshe?
A: Can you show me how to do a summation on Excel?
B: You pea-brain! If you can’t even use Excel, how can you become a secretary?
Example 2:

A: 别人跟他说了要再研究研究，可是他非得逼着人家当面作决定，人
家只能拒绝了。
B: 他真是个二百五，听不出来别人话里有话。
A: Biérén gbn ta shudle yào yánjiu yánjiu, kgshì ta fbidgi bczhe rénjia dangmiàn
zuò juédìng, rénjia zhhnéng jùjué le.
B: Ta zhbn shì gè èrbfiwj, tcng bù chelai biérén huàlhyiuhuà.
A: They told him they needed to think more about it, but he forced them to make
a decision on the spot. They had no choice but to reject him.
B: He really is a halfwit. He can’t read between the lines.
Usage: Functions as noun.
Note: Derogatory in meaning.

吃一堑，长一智 (吃一塹，長一智)  chc yí qiàn, zhfng yí zhì

7. 

Translated character by character, 吃一堑，长一智 means ‘fall-once-pit-increase-bit-

wisdom,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘to derive wisdom
from one’s mistakes.’ Its functional translation is ‘a fall in the pit, a gain in your wit.’
Example 1:

A: 你没事吧？
B: 我没事，就是汽车废了。下次我再也不喝酒了。
A: 吃一堑，长一智。
B: 是，就算花钱买个教训吧。
8  Entry 8: 睁着眼睛说瞎话

A: Nh méishì ba?
B: Wi méishì, jiùshì qìchb fèi le. Xiàcì wi zài yg bù hbjij le.
A: Chc yí qiàn, zhfng yí zhì.
B: Shì, jiù suàn huaqián mfi gè jiàoxùn ba.
A: Are you OK?
B: I’m alright, just my car’s wrecked. Next time I’m not drinking.
A: A fall in the pit, a gain in your wit.
B: Yeah, it’s like paying to learn a lesson.
Example 2:

A: 中国的企业在与外国的企业打官司时，因为对国际惯例不熟悉而败
诉。不过，吃一堑，长一智，以后再打类似的官司时就有经验了。
A: Zhdngguó de qhyè zài yj wàiguó de qhyè df guansc shí, ycnwèi duì guójì guànlì
bù shúxi ér bàisù. Búguò, chc yí qiàn, zhfng yí zhì, yhhòu zài df lèishì de
guansc shí jiù yiu jcngyàn le.
A: When Chinese corporations participate in lawsuits with foreign corporations,
they lose because they aren’t familiar with international practices. However,
a fall in the pit is a gain in your wit. When faced with similar lawsuits in the
future, they will have experience.
Usage: Functions as predicate or used singly.
Note: Neutral in meaning.

睁着眼睛说瞎话 (睜著眼睛說瞎話) 
8. 
zhbng zhe yfnjing shud xia huà

Translated character by character, 睁着眼睛说瞎话 means ‘open-ed-eyes-tell-lies,’

whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘to say what one knows to
be untrue.’ Its functional translation is ‘to flout reality,’ ‘to tell bald-faced lies,’ or
‘to lie through one’s teeth.’
Example 1:

A: 他太不诚实了，常常睁着眼睛说瞎话，连他父母都骗。
A: Ta tài bù chéngshí le, chángcháng zhbngzhe yfnjing shud xia huà, lián ta
fùmj ddu piàn.
A: He’s so dishonest. He often tells bald-faced lies, even to his parents.
Example 2:

A: 那家电视台睁着眼睛说瞎话，赤裸裸地攻击别的国家，而对自己国
家的问题却视而不见。
 Entry 9: 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 9

A: Nà jia diànshìtái zhbngzhe yfnjing shud xia huà, chìluilui de gdngjc biéde
guójia, ér duì zìjh guójia de wèntí què shì’érbújiàn.
A: That TV station is flouting reality. It plainly slanders other countries, but turns
a blind eye towards its own country’s problems.
Usage: Functions as predicate.
Note: Slightly derogatory in meaning.

近朱者赤，近墨者黑 (近朱者赤，近墨者黑) 
9. 
jìn zhe zhg chì, jìn mò zhg hbi

Translated character by character, 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 means ‘close-red-person-red,

close-black-person-black,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be
‘one is marked by the company one keeps.’
Example 1:

A: 最近你交往的人里面有一些不三不四的人，你得小心。
B: 爸，我知道。我跟他们只是认识而已，算不上朋友。
A: 那也不行，近朱者赤，近墨者黑，时间久了也会染上恶习。
A: Zuìjìn nh jiaowfng de rén lhmiàn yiu yìxib bùsan-búsì de rén, nh dgi xifoxcn.
B: Bà, wi zhcdào. Wi gbn tamen zhhshì rènshí éryh, suànbúshàng péngyiu.
A: Nà yg bú xíng, jìn zhe zhg chì, jìn mò zhg hbi, shíjian jijle yg huì rfnshàng èxí.
A: You’ve been interacting with a few shady characters recently. You should be careful.
B: Dad, I know. They’re just acquaintances, I wouldn’t call them friends.
A: That’s also an issue. One is marked by the company one keeps. After a while,
their vices will rub off on you.
Example 2:

A: 这位政治家年轻时曾是白宫的实习生，与总统接触较多。现在这位
政治家的做事风格与那位总统一模一样，所谓近朱者赤，近墨者黑。
A: Zhè wèi zhèngzhìjia niánqcng shí céng shì Báigdng de shíxíshbng, yj zingting
jibchù jiào dud. Xiànzài zhè wèi zhèngzhìjia de zuòshì fbnggé yj nà wèi
zingting yìmú-yíyàng, suiwèi jìn zhe zhg chì, jìn mò zhg hbi.
A: This politician was a White House intern in his youth. He had a good amount
of contact with the president. Now, he does things in exactly the same manner
as that president. It’s as they say: one is marked by the company one keeps.
Usage: Used singly.
Note: Neutral in meaning.
10  Entries 10 – 11: 物以稀为贵 and 王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸

物以稀为贵 (物以稀為貴)  wù yh xc wéi guì

10. 

Translated character by character, 物以稀为贵 means ‘goods-by-rare-be-expensive,’

whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘scarcity makes something
valuable.’ Its functional translation would be ‘that which is rare is dear.’
Example 1:

A: 收藏市场的普遍原则是物以稀为贵。
A: Shducáng shìchfng de pjbiàn yuánzé shì wù yh xc wéi guì.
A: The rule in the collectors’ market is that which is rare is dear.
Example 2:

A: 据说真正的龙井茶树不多，物以稀为贵，因此清明节前的龙井茶被
炒成了天价。
A: Jùshud zhbnzhèng de Lóngjhng chá shù bù dud, wù yh xc wéi guì, ycnch
qcngmíngjié qián de Lóngjhng chá bèi chfo chéng le tianjià.
A: I’ve heard there aren’t many true Longjing tea trees. That which is rare is dear,
so the price of Longjing tea picked before Tomb Sweeping Day was speculated
to high heaven.
Usage: Functions as predicate or used singly.
Note: Neutral in meaning.

王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸 (王婆賣瓜，自賣自誇) 
11. 
wáng pó mài gua, zì mài zì kua

Translated character by character, 王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸 means ‘nanny-Wang-sell-melon,

self-sell-self-brag,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘to praise
one’s own work.’ Its functional translation is ‘every potter praises his own pot.’
Example 1:

A: 他又在吹嘘他儿子怎么怎么棒呢。
B: 老王卖瓜，自卖自夸。他那个儿子，学习成绩在班上倒数第一，他
还真好意思夸奖。
A: Ta yòu zài chucxe ta érzh zgnme zgnme bàng ne.
B: Lfo Wáng mài gua, zì mài zì kua. Ta nàgè érzh, xuéxí chéngjì zài ban shàng
dàoshj dì-yc, ta hái zhbn hfoyìsi kuajifng.
A: He’s boasting about how his son’s so great again.
B: Every potter praises his own pot. That son of his has the worst grades in his
class and yet he somehow still praises him.
 Entry 12: 站着说话不腰疼 11

Example 2:

A: 他的评论有“王婆卖瓜”的嫌疑，对自己的产品表扬多，对其他家
的产品批评多。
A: Ta de pínglùn yiu “Wáng pó mài gua” de xiányí, duì zìjh de chfnphn bifoyáng
dud, duì qíta jia de chfnphn pcpíng dud.
A: His comment smacked of a potter praising his own pot. He praised his own
products a lot and criticized other people’s products a lot.
Usage: Used singly.
Variant: 老王卖瓜，自卖自夸
Note: Slightly derogatory in meaning.

站着说话不腰疼 (站著說話不腰疼) 
12. 
zhàn zhe shudhuà bù yao téng

Translated character by character, 站着说话不腰疼 means ‘stand-ing-speak-not-waist-ache,’

whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘easier said than done.’ Its
functional translation would be ‘to be an armchair quarterback’ or ‘talk is cheap.’
Example 1:

A: 这事儿还不容易，要是我早就办完了。
B: 你是站着说话不腰疼，真的让你干，未必比我快呢。
A: Zhè shìr hái bù róngyi, yàoshi wi zfo jiù bàn wán le.
B: Nh shì zhànzhe shudhuà bù yao téng, zhbnde ràng nh gàn, wèibì bh wi kuài ne.
A: This should be easy. If it were me, it would have been finished a long time ago.
B: You’re an armchair quarterback. If you really were to do it, you wouldn’t
necessarily be faster than me.
Example 2:

A: 政府应该再追加三百亿人民币在这个项目上。
B: 站着说话不腰疼，三百亿哪儿那么容易来啊？
A: Zhèngfj ycnggai zài zhucjia sanbfi yì rénmínbì zài zhègè xiàngmù shang.
B: Zhànzhe shudhuà bù yao téng, sanbfi yì nfr nàme róngyi lái a?
A: The government should supplement this program with another 30 billion RMB.
B: Talk is cheap. Since when has it been easy to find 30 billion?
Usage: Functions as predicate.
Note: Slightly derogatory and humorous in meaning.
12  Entries 13 – 14: 天下没有不散的筵席 and 天上掉馅饼

天下没有不散的筵席 (天下沒有不散的筵席) 
13. 
tianxià méiyiu bú sàn de yánxí

Translated character by character, 天下没有不散的筵席 means ‘heaven-under-not-

have-not-dispersed-banquet,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would
be ‘nothing good lasts forever.’ Its functional translation is ‘all good things must
come to an end.’
Example 1:

A: 留步吧，天下没有不散的筵席，多保重！
A: Liúbù ba, tianxià méiyiu bú sàn de yánxí, dud bfozhòng!
A: Don’t bother to see me out. All good things must come to an end. Take care
of yourself !
Example 2:

A: 时间过得真快，转眼一个月过去了，真舍不得离开你们。
B: 天下没有不散的筵席，以后保持联系。
A: Shíjian guò de zhbn kuài, zhufnyfn yígè yuè guòqù le, zhbn shgbudé líkai nhmen.
B: Tianxià méiyiu bú sàn de yánxí, yhhòu bfochí liánxì.
A: Time really flew. A month went by in the blink of an eye. I really hate to part
with you guys.
B: All good things must come to an end. Keep in touch.
Usage: Used singly.
Note: Neutral in meaning.

天上掉馅饼 (天上掉餡餅)  tianshang diào xiànbhng

14. 

Translated character by character, 天上掉馅饼 means ‘sky-upon-fall-stuffed-pancake,’

whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘to receive a windfall with­
out working.’ Its functional translation is ‘to have something fall into your lap.’
Example 1:

A: 你怎么不努力工作呢？
B: 我运气好，下午就去买彩票，说不定中两百万呢。
A: 你就等着天上掉馅儿饼吧，有饿死你的一天。
A: Nh zgnme bù njlì gdngzuò ne?
B: Wi yùnqì hfo, xiàwj jiù qù mfi cfipiào, shudbúdìng zhòng lifng bfi wàn ne.
A: Nh jiù dgngzhe tianshang diào xiànrbhng ba, yiu è sh nh de yì tian.
 Entry 15: 己所不欲，勿施于人 13

A: Why aren’t you working hard?

B: I have good luck. I’m going to buy lotto tickets this afternoon, who says I won’t
win two million dollars?
A: You just wait for money to fall into your lap. One day you’ll starve.
Example 2:

A: 有人幻想国家富裕了，人民的生活水平自然会提高，不工作也能过
上好日子，于是他们天天盼望天上掉馅儿饼。
A: Yiu rén huànxifng guójia fùyù le, rénmín de shbnghuó shuhpíng zìrán huì
tígao, bù gdngzuò yg néng guò shang hfo rìzi, yúshì tamen tiantian pànwàng
tianshang diào xiànrbhng.
A: Some people fantasize that when the country becomes prosperous, the citizens’
quality of life will naturally rise, and even if they don’t work they can still live
well. So, they’re always waiting for something to just fall into their laps.
Usage: Functions as object.
Note: Slightly derogatory and humorous in meaning.

己所不欲，勿施于人 (己所不欲，勿施於人) 
15. 
jh sui bú yù, wù shc yú rén

Translated character by character, 已所不欲，勿施于人 means ‘oneself-what-not-

desire, not-impose-on-others,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would
be ‘don’t treat others differently than you would like to be treated.’ Its functional
translation is ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’
Example 1:

A: 他这样要求别人也太过分了。
B: 是啊，连他自己都做不到，己所不欲，勿施于人嘛。
A: Ta zhèyàng yaoqiú biérén yg tài guòfèn le.
B: Shì a, lián ta zìjh ddu zuò bú dào, jh sui bú yù, wù shc yú rén ma.
A: He’s going too far by asking that of others.
B: Yeah, even he wouldn’t do that. Do unto others as you would have them do
unto you.
Example 2:

A: 你这样做恐怕不合适吧？
B: 怎么不合适？
A: 你再想想，如果别人这样对待你，你会高兴吗？己所不欲，勿施于
人。
14  Entry 16: 睁眼瞎

A: Nh zhèyàng zuò kingpà bù héshì ba?

B: Zgnme bù héshì?
A: Nh zài xifngxifng, rúgui biérén zhèyàng duìdài nh, nh huì gaoxìng ma? Jh sui
bú yù, wù shc yú rén.
A: I’m afraid it would be inappropriate for you to do that.
B: How is it inappropriate?
A: Think about it. If other people treated you like that, would you be happy? Do
unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Usage: Used singly.
Note: Neutral in meaning.

睁眼瞎 (睜眼瞎)  zhbng yfn xia

16. 

Translated character by character, 睁眼瞎 means ‘open-eyes-blind,’ whereas the

implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘a bad judge of character.’
Example 1:

A: 我真是个睁眼瞎，怎么没看出他是个披着人皮的狼！
A: Wi zhbn shì gè zhbngyfnxia, zgnme méi kànche ta shì gè pczhe rén pí de
láng!
A: I’m such a bad judge of character. How could I not see that he was a wolf in
sheep’s clothing?
Example 2:

A: 他是个睁眼瞎。他老婆在外面跟别人搞，他好像一点儿都不知道。
B: 谁知道呢？没准儿他是睁一只眼、闭一只眼。
A: Ta shì gè zhbngyfnxia. Ta lfopo zài wàimiàn gbn biérén gfo ta hfoxiàng yìdifnr
ddu bù zhcdào.
B: Shéi zhcdào ne? Méizhjnr ta shì zhbng yì zhc yfn, bì yì zhc yfn.
A: He’s a bad judge of character. His wife is having an affair and he seems not
to have a clue.
B: Who knows? Who’s to say he’s not just turning a blind eye?
Usage: Functions as predicative.
Note: Slightly derogatory in meaning.
 Entry 17: 跳进黄河洗不清 15

跳进黄河洗不清 (跳進黃河洗不清) 
17. 
tiào jìn Huáng Hé xh bù qcng

Translated character by character, 跳进黄河洗不清 means ‘jump-in-Yellow River-

wash-unable-clean.’ Its functional translation is ‘to be unable to clear one’s name.’
Example 1:

A: 那位有前途的政治家与一个名声很不好的女人泡夜店的照片被曝光
了。
B: 完了，这下他跳进黄河也洗不清了，以后肯定会被政治对手攻击
的。
A: Nà wèi yiu qiántú de zhèngzhìjia yj yígè míngshbng hgn bù hfo de nrrén
pào yèdiàn de zhàopiàn bèi bàoguang le.
B: Wán le, zhèxià ta tiào jìn Huáng Hé yg xh bù qcng le, yhhòu kgndìng huì bèi
zhèngzhì duìshiu gdngjc de.
A: That picture of the politician with the bright future and a girl with a bad
reputation at a nightclub has surfaced.
B: That’s it, this time there’s no way he can clear his name. He will definitely be
attacked by his political adversaries for this in the future.
Example 2:

A: 昨晚公司失窃了，丢了很多现金。监控录像只发现老李一个人进去
过。
B: 以老李的人品不会偷东西啊。不过，他跳到黄河里都洗不清了。
A: Zuó wfn gdngsc shcqiè le, diele hgndud xiànjcn. Jiankòng lùxiàng zhh faxiàn
Lfo Lh yígè rén jìnqù guò.
B: Yh Lfo Lh de rénphn búhuì tdu ddngxi a. Búguò, ta tiào dào Huáng Hé lh ddu
xh bù qcng le.
A: The company was robbed last night. A lot of cash was taken. The surveillance
tapes show that only Lao Li had gone in.
B: It’s not in Lao Li’s nature to steal, but now there’s no way for him to clear his
name.
Usage: Functions as predicate or predicative.
Variants: 跳到黄河(也)洗不清
Note: Neutral or humorous in meaning. The Yellow River has a lot of silt in it and
is very murky. The more one washes, the dirtier one gets.
16  Entries 18 – 19: 拍马屁 and 情人眼里出西施

拍马屁 (拍馬屁)  pai mf pì
18. 

Translated character by character, 拍屁股 means ‘hit-butt,’ whereas the implied mean­
ing of this proverb would be ‘to fawn over.’ Its functional translation is ‘to suck up to.’
Example 1:

A: 她既有工作能力，又善于拍上司的马屁，所以提升很快。
A: Ta jì yiu gdngzuò nénglì, yòu shànyú pai shàngsc de mf pì, suiyh tíshbng hgn kuài.
A: She’s a good worker and she’s good at sucking up to her superiors, so she was
promoted quickly.
Example 2:

A: 老板，您的领带真漂亮，跟您的西装最配了。
B: 你少拍马屁，这条领带我都戴了八回了，你怎么第一次说好？
A: Lfobfn, nín de lhngdài zhbn piàoliang, gbn nín de xczhuang zuì pèi le.
B: Nh shfo paimfpì, zhè tiáo lhngdài wi ddu dàile ba huí le, nh zgnme dì-yc cì shud hfo?
A: Boss, your tie is really nice. It goes great with your suit.
B: Stop sucking up to me. I’ve already worn this tie eight times. Why is this the
first time you’ve commented on it?
Usage: Functions as predicate.
Note: Derogatory in meaning.

情人眼里出西施 (情人眼裏出西施) 
19. 
qíngrén yfn lh che Xcshc

Translated character by character, 情人眼里出西施 means ‘lover-eyes-in-come out

of-Xishi,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘one’s lover always
appears beautiful to oneself.’ However, it should be noted that this expression is
exclusively used to refer to girls or women. Its functional translation is ‘love is
blind,’ or ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’
Example 1:

A: 他老婆也太丑了。
B: 情人眼里出西施, 他认为漂亮就行。
A: Ta lfopo yg tài chiu le.
B: Qíngrén yfn lh che Xcshc, ta rènwéi piàoliang jiù xíng.
A: His wife is hideous.
B: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; as long as he thinks she’s pretty, it’s OK.
 Entry 20: 打酱油 17

Example 2:

A: 听说他们两个人在谈恋爱呢。你觉得他们合适吗？男的高富帅，女
的可是相貌平平啊！
B: 情人眼里出西施，那个男的应该更重视女朋友的内在美吧。
A: Tcngshud tamen lifng gè rén zài tán liàn’ài ne. Nh juéde tamen héshì ma?
Nánde gaofùshuài, nrde kg shì xiàngmào píngpíng a!
B: Qíngrén yfn lh che Xcshc, nàgè nánde ycnggai gèng zhòngshì nrpéngyiu de
nèizàimgi ba.
A: I heard they are dating. Do you think they are a good match? The boy is tall,
rich and handsome, but the girl is too plain looking!
B: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That boy obviously cares more about the
inner beauty of his girlfriend.
Usage: Used singly.
Note: Neutral or humorous in meaning. Xishi (c. 506 BC) was one of the renowned
Four Beauties of ancient China.

打酱油 (打醬油)  df jiàngyóu
20. 

Translated character by character, 打酱油 means ‘get-soy-sauce,’ whereas the implied

meaning of this proverb would be ‘it’s none of my business.’ Its functional
translation would be ‘I couldn’t care less,’ or ‘that’s above my pay grade.’
Example 1:

A: 请问您对中东局势有什么看法？
B: 抱歉，我要去打酱油。
A: Qhngwèn nín duì Zhdngddng júshì yiu shénme kànff?
B: Bàoqiàn, wi yào qù df jiàngyóu.
A: Excuse me, what’s your view on the situation in the Middle East?
B: I’m sorry, that’s above my pay grade.
Example 2:

A: 您是来欢迎总统的吗？
B: 不是，我是来打酱油的。
A: Nín shì lái huanyíng zingting de ma?
B: Búshì, wi shì lái df jiàngyóu de.
A: Are you here to welcome the president?
B: No, I couldn’t care less.
18  Entry 21: 不怕一万，就怕万一

Usage: Functions as predicate.

Note: Humorous or neutral in meaning. This suyu is Chinese Internet slang dating
from 2008. When responding to a TV reporter’s commentary on some issue (an
elementary school student refusing to look at pornographic and violent content
on the internet), someone said, “What does this have to do with me? I’m here to
‘打酱油’ (get some soy sauce),” meaning that he was indifferent to current events
and government. ‘他不是打酱油的’ is a very popular usage, meaning that the person
in question is not a bystander, but someone wielding great influence on a certain
topic or issue.

不怕一万，就怕万一 (不怕一萬，就怕萬一) 
21. 
bú pà yí wàn, jiù pà wànyc

Translated character by character, 不怕一万，就怕万一 means ‘not-fear-one-ten

thousand, just-fear-one-ten thousandth,’ whereas the implied meaning of this
proverb would be ‘to be prepared for all eventualities.’ Its functional translation
is ‘one can never be too careful.’
Example 1:

A: 孩子，晚上太晚了千万别出门。
B: 妈，没事儿的，我们学校安全得很。
A: 那也不行，不怕一万，就怕万一。尤其是周末晚上，有些人喝醉了
酒，很危险。
A: Háizi, wfnshang tài wfn le qianwàn bié chemén.
B: Ma, méishìr de, wimen xuéxiào anquán de hgn.
A: Nà yg bùxíng, bú pà yí wàn, jiù pà wànyc. Yóuqí shì zhdumò wfnshàng, yiuxib
rén hbzuì le jij, hgn wbixifn.
A: Child, when it’s too late at night, don’t, under any circumstances, go out.
B: Mom, it’s not an issue. Our school is incredibly safe.
A: That’s not good enough. You can never be too careful. Especially on weekend
nights, some people get drunk; it’s very dangerous.
Example 2:

A: 老板，明天的谈判我们万无一失了。
B: 不怕一万，就怕万一。你们还是要准备一套应急方案。
A: Lfobfn, míngtian de tánpàn wimen wànwú-yìshc le.
B: Bú pà yí wàn, jiù pà wànyc. Nhmen háishì yào zhjnbèi yí tào yìngjí fang’àn.
A: Boss, we’re guaranteed success in tomorrow’s negotiation.
B: One can never be too careful. You guys still need to prepare an emergency
plan.
 Entry 22: 走着瞧 19

Usage: Used singly.

Variant: 不怕一万，只怕万一
Note: Neutral in meaning.

走着瞧 (走著瞧)  ziu zhe qiáo

22. 

Translated character by character, 走着瞧 means ‘walk-ing-look.’ Its functional

translation is ‘wait and see.’
Example 1:

A: 这次你输定了。
B: 不要高兴太早，走着瞧吧。
A: Zhècì nh she dìng le.
B: Búyào gaoxìng tài zfo, ziuzheqiáo ba.
A: This time you’re definitely going to lose.
B: Don’t celebrate too soon. Just wait and see.
Example 2:

A: 你再赔偿我名誉损失费20万。
B: 我已经给你精神损失费20万了，现在又要名誉损失费。你不要把我
逼急了，逼急了我什么样的事都能干出来，不信咱们走着瞧。
A: Nh zài péicháng wi míngyù sjnshcfèi 20 wàn.
B: Wi yhjcng ggi nh jcngshen sjnshcfèi 20 wàn le, xiànzài yòu yào míngyù sjnshcfèi.
Nh búyào bf wi bc jí le, bc jí le wi shénmeyàng de shì ddu néng gàn chelái,
bú xìn zánmen ziuzheqiáo.
A: Pay me another 200,000 RMB for libel damages.
B: I already gave you 200,000 RMB for emotional distress; now you also want libel
damages? Don’t push me too hard. When I’m pushed, I’m capable of anything.
If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.
Usage: Functions as predicate.
Note: Slightly derogatory or neutral in meaning.
20  Entries 23 – 24: 不管三七二十一 and 吃着碗里的，看着锅里的

不管三七二十一 (不管三七二十一) 
23. 
bùgufn san qc èrshíyc

Translated character by character, 不管三七二十一 means ‘not-care-three-(times)-

seven-twenty-one,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘to act
recklessly.’ Its functional translation is ‘to throw caution to the wind.’
Example 1:

A: 这款电子产品你根本不懂有什么用处，怎么一下子买了两个？
B: 那不是圣诞节大减价嘛，不管三七二十一，先买回家再说，以后再
慢慢看怎么用。
A: Zhè kufn diànzh chfnphn nh gbnbgn bù ding yiu shénme yòngchu, zgnme
yíxiàzi mfile lifng gè?
B: Nà búshì Shèngdànjié dàjifnjià ma, bùgufn san qc èrshíyc, xian mfi huí jia
zàishud, yhhòu zài mànmanr kàn zgnme yòng.
A: You actually don’t know what this gadget does; why did you impulsively buy
two?
B: Wasn’t it a big Christmas sale? I threw caution to the wind and bought two;
I’ll figure out how to use them later.
Example 2:

A: 你今天说话可伤了不少人。
B: 只要我站在正义的立场上，我才不管三七二十一。
A: Nh jcntian shudhuà kg shanle bùshfo rén.
B: Zhhyào wi zhàn zài zhèngyì de lìchfng shang, wi cái bùgufn san qc èrshíyc
ne.
A: You hurt a lot of people with what you said today.
B: As long as I am on the side of justice, I throw caution to the wind.
Usage: Functions as predicate or used singly.
Note: Slightly derogatory in meaning.

吃着碗里的，看着锅里的 (吃著碗裏的，
24. 
看著鍋裏的)  chc zhe wfn lh de, kàn zhe gud lh de
Translated character by character, 吃着碗里的，看着锅里的 means ‘eat-ing-bowl-
inside, watch-ing-pot-inside,’ whereas the implied meaning of this proverb would
be ‘to eat what’s in one’s bowl while eyeing the pot.’ Its functional translation is
‘to be unsatisfied with what one has.’
 Entry 25: 钻牛角尖 21

Example 1:

A: 好像他在勾引他小姨子。
B: 这家伙太花心了，吃着碗里的，看着锅里的。
A: Hfoxiàng ta zài gduyhn ta xifoyízi.
B: Zhè jiahuo tài huaxcn le, chczhe wfn lh de, kànzhe gud lh de.
A: It seems he’s after his wife’s sister.
B: This guy is so unfaithful. He’s eating what’s in his bowl while eyeing the pot.
Example 2:

A: 他们公司已经得到政府的很大的订单了，现在又要起诉竞争对手，
说对方不公平竞争。
B: 他们的胃口也太大了，吃着碗里的，看着锅里的。
A: Tamen gdngsc yhjcng dédào zhèngfj de hgn dà de dìngdan le, xiànzài yòu yào
qhsù jìngzhbng duìshiu, shud duìfang bù gdngpíng jìngzhbng.
B: Tamen de wèikiu yg tài dà le, chczhe wfn lh de, kànzhe gud lh de.
A: Their company already got a very big order from the government and now
he’s also going to sue his competitors, saying they didn’t play fair.
B: They’re too greedy, eating what’s in their bowls while eyeing the pot.
Usage: Used singly.
Variants: 吃着碗里的，想着锅里的；吃着碗里的，望着锅里的
Note: Slightly derogatory and humorous in meaning.

钻牛角尖 (鑽牛角尖)  zuan niú jifo jian

25. 

Translated character by character, 钻牛角尖 means ‘squeeze-bull-horn-tip,’ whereas the

implied meaning of this proverb would be ‘to go down a dead end,’ or ‘to split hairs.’
Example 1:

A: 欧洲人学语言有优势，一般人都会两三种语言。
B: 不对，很多英国人只会英语。
A: 你这个人怎么钻牛角尖啊？我是总的来说。
A: nuzhdu rén xué yjyán yiu ydushì, yìban rén ddu huì lifng-san zhing yjyán.
B: Búduì, hgndud Ycngguó rén zhh huì Ycngyj.
A: Nh zhègè rén zgnme zuan niú jifo jian a? Wi shì zingdeláishud.
A: Europeans have an advantage in learning languages. An average European can
speak two or three languages.
B: No, a lot of English people can only speak English.
A: Why are you splitting hairs? I was speaking in generalities.
22  Entry 26: 人不可貌相，海水不可斗量

Example 2:

A: 他怎么样？
B: 勤奋有余，灵活不足，看问题太钻牛角尖。
A: Ta zgnmeyàng?
B: Qínfèn yiuyú, línghuó bùzú, kàn wèntí tài zuan niú jifo jian.
A: How is he?
B: He’s excessively diligent, but not flexible enough. He’s too closed-minded in
dealing with problems.
Usage: Functions as predicate.
Note: Slightly derogatory in meaning.

人不可貌相，海水不可斗量 (人不可貌相，
26. 
海水不可斗量)  rén bù kg mào xiàng, hfi shuh bù kg diu liáng
Translated character by character, 人不可貌相，海水不可斗量 means ‘person-not-
by-appearance-judged, ocean-water-not-by-volume unit-measure,’ whereas the implied
meaning of this proverb would be ‘you cannot judge something by appearance
only.’ Its functional translation is ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover.’
Example 1:

A: 他平常看起来很不起眼，可是在昨天的大场面上表现得恰到好处，
一看就是见过世面的。看来真是人不可貌相，海水不可斗量。
A: Ta píngcháng kàn qhlái hgn bùqhyfn, kgshì zài zuótian de dàchfngmiàn shàng
bifoxiàn de qiàdàohfochù, yí kàn jiùshì jiànguò shìmiàn de. Kànlái zhbnshì
rén bùkg mào xiàng, hfishuh bùkg diu liáng.
A: He usually looks very undistinguished, but he conducted himself perfectly at
yesterday’s occasion. He seemed, at a glance, cultured. It looks like you really
can’t judge a book by its cover.
Example 2:

A: 你看他这身打扮，能有什么本事？
B: 别这么说，人不可貌相，海水不可斗量。史蒂夫·乔布斯还只穿黑
色高领衫和牛仔裤呢，谁敢小看他？
A: Nh kàn ta zhè shbn dfbàn, néng yiu shénme bgnshì?
B: Bié zhème shud, rén bùkg mào xiàng, hfishuh bùkg diu liáng. Shhdìfe Qiáobùsc
hái zhh chuan hbisè gaolhngshan hé niúzfikù ne, shuí gfn xifokàn ta?