| Entry | Pinyin | Meaning | English Equivalent | Story? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 络绎不绝 | luò yì bù jué |
Continuous; incessant |
None |
No |
| 马马虎虎 | mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ |
To do something shoddily, carelessly, or with minimal effort; to do something unwillingly; to do something with difficulty |
None |
Yes |
| 买椟还珠 | mǎi dú huán zhū |
Used to indicate one has poor judgement |
None |
Yes |
| 满城风雨 | mǎn chéng fēng yǔ |
To have everyone talk about you, an exposed secret, or something eventful that has happened. Originally used to describe fall scenery |
To be the talk of the town |
No |
| 盲人摸象 | máng rén mō xiàng |
To draw broad conclusions based off one's partial understanding of a topic |
None |
Yes |
| 毛遂自荐 | máo suì zì jiàn |
To recommend oneself for an important position; to actively take upon an important responsibility |
None |
Yes |
| 美中不足 | měi zhōng bù zú |
Refers to something that overall is flawless but has one small issue |
The fly in the ointment |
No |
| 门可罗雀 | mén kě luó què |
Indicates a home or store with very few visitors |
None |
Yes |
| 梦里蝴蝶 | mèng lǐ hú dié |
Refers to something false or unreal |
None |
Yes |
| 孟母三迁 | mèng mǔ sān qiān |
To create a good environment for one's children to learn and study |
None |
Yes |
| 蒙在鼓里 | méng zài gǔ lǐ |
To have others conceal the truth about things happening in one's life; to not be in the know |
To be in the dark; to be kept in the dark |
No |
| 名副其实 | míng fù qí shì |
The name/reputation matches reality |
Live up to its reputation |
No |
| 名落孙山 | míng luò sūn shān |
To fail a test or not be selected for a position |
None |
Yes |
| 莫名其妙 | mò míng qí miào |
Describes something that is very strange, unexplainable, and/or leaves people confused |
None |
No |
| 南柯一梦 | nán kē yī mèng |
An grandiose illusion or dream; also refers to how something can suddenly turn to ruin |
To turn to dust |
Yes |
| 难能可贵 | nán néng kě guì |
Refers to something that is precious and worthy of praise because it was difficult to realize |
None |
No |
| 南辕北辙 | nán yuán běi zhé |
Used to indicate that actions and goals are opposite or contradictory |
None |
Yes |
| 牛郎织女 | niú láng zhī nǚ |
Refers to a husband and wife who have been physically apart for a long time |
None |
Yes |
| 女娲补天 | nǚ wā bǔ tiān |
Describes strength and spirit that can transform the world |
None |
Yes |
| 藕断丝连 | oǔ duàn sī lián |
To still have feelings after the relationship is over; for the relationship to be formally over, but for those involved to remain connected |
None |
No |
| 抛砖引玉 | pāo zhuān yǐn yù |
To voice one's shallow or poorly-formed ideas to encourage others to voice their more valuable and better-formed ideas |
None |
Yes |
| 迫不及待 | pò bù jí dài |
Describes someone very impatient or in a hurry |
None |
No |
| 破釜沉舟 | pò fǔ chén zhōu |
To be willing to sacrifice everything to obtain one's goals; to refuse to retreat in a life-or-death battle |
Burn one's bridges |
Yes |
| 破镜重圆 | pò jìng chóng yuán |
To rekindle a relationship after separation (of a married couple) |
None |
Yes |
| 旗鼓相当 | qí gǔ xiāng dāng |
Indicates opponents are evenly matched |
None |
Yes |