| Entry | Pinyin | Meaning | English Equivalent | Story? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 爱不释手 | ài bù shì shǒu |
To love something so much that you cannot part with it |
To be unable to put something down |
Yes |
| 爱毛反裘 | ài máo fǎn qiú |
To invert the importance of something; to not understand something's true value; to not understand something's fundamental point or premise |
None |
Yes |
| 爱屋及乌 | ài wū jí wū |
To love someone so much that even things related to that person are loved as well |
None |
Yes |
| 安步当车 | ān bù dàng chē |
Indicates that one is content with living modestly |
None |
Yes |
| 暗箭伤人 | àn jiàn shāng rén |
To use underhanded methods to secretly attack or harm someone |
None |
Yes |
| 安居乐业 | ān jū lè yè |
To live peacefully and work happily |
None |
Yes |
| 安然无恙 | ān rán wú yàng |
Used to indicate someone or something is safe and without illness |
None |
Yes |
| 安如泰山 | ān rú tài shān |
Indicates items are extremely sturdy and unable to break, often in the context of buildings or structures. It also can be used to describe someone who is calm and collected under pressure |
None |
Yes |
| 按图索骥 | àn tú suǒ jì |
To follow clues to search for something; to be unable to change one's ways or adapt |
None |
Yes |
| 拔苗助长 | bá miáo zhù zhǎng |
When someone is impatient for something and tries to hurry things along, only to have the results turn out to be the opposite of what they wanted |
Haste makes waste |
Yes |
| 百发百中 | bǎi fā bǎi zhòng |
Used when one knows a task well and performs it with precision. Also used to indicate one is a skilled marksman |
None |
Yes |
| 半斤八两 | bàn jìn bā liǎng |
To be equally matched with the other party; to be almost the same |
Six of one, half a dozen of the other |
Yes |
| 班门弄斧 | bān mén nòng fǔ |
When someone incompetent or unskilled overestimates their abilities and "shows off" to someone who actually is skilled |
Teach a fish how to swim |
Yes |
| 半面之交 | bàn miàn zhī jiāo |
To barely know another person; to have met only once before |
None |
Yes |
| 半途而废 | bàn tú ér fèi |
To stop or give up halfway |
None |
Yes |
| 饱经沧桑 | bǎo jīng cāng sāng |
Describes people who have experienced the world changing many times |
None |
No |
| 杯弓蛇影 | bēi gōng shé yǐng |
To scare oneself by being overly suspicious or paranoid; to be jumpy |
None |
Yes |
| 背水一战 | bèi shuǐ yī zhàn |
Describes a make-or-break situation where retreat is not possible |
Fight to the death |
Yes |
| 本末倒置 | běn mò dào zhì |
Indicates that one has inverted the importance or order of two things |
Put the cart before the horse |
Yes |
| 笨鸟先飞 | bèn niǎo xiān fēi |
Refers to when people with limited ability begin a task early so as not to fall behind |
None |
No |
| 闭门思过 | bì mén sī guò |
To close the door and think on one's past mistakes |
None |
Yes |
| 敝帚自珍 | bì zhǒu zì zhēn |
To highly treasure something despite the fact that it doesn't really have any inherent value; sentimental attachment |
None |
Yes |
| 病入膏肓 | bìng rù gāo huāng |
A situation that is so serious it cannot be resolved |
None |
Yes |
| 博大精深 | bó dà jīng shēn |
Used to indicate that one's studies, published works, or thinking is extensive |
None |
No |
| 不耻下问 | bù chǐ xià wèn |
Often used to describe that someone is modest and good student |
None |
Yes |