| Entry | Pinyin | Meaning | Era |
|---|---|---|---|
| 小题大做 | xiǎo tí dà zuò |
To exaggerate the size of a problem |
Warring States Period |
| 当务之急 | dāng wù zhī jí |
Something that should be done urgently; the most important task amongst all other tasks that must be done |
Warring States Period |
| 惊弓之鸟 | jīng gōng zhī niǎo |
Someone who has been been frightened in the past and therefore is easily startled now |
Warring States Period |
| 掩耳盗铃 | yǎn ěr dào líng |
To deceive oneself and others; to aim to conceal something that cannot be concealed |
Warring States Period |
| 朝秦暮楚 | zhāo Qín mù Chǔ |
When someone is being fickle, behaving capriciously, or constantly changing their mind |
Warring States Period |
| 本末倒置 | běn mò dào zhì |
Indicates that one has inverted the importance or order of two things |
Warring States Period |
| 梦里蝴蝶 | mèng lǐ hú dié |
Refers to something false or unreal |
Warring States Period |
| 毛遂自荐 | máo suì zì jiàn |
To recommend oneself for an important position; to actively take upon an important responsibility |
Warring States Period |
| 滥竽充数 | làn yú chōng shù |
To pass off inferior goods as superior ones; to pretend to have a talent and work alongside those who actually do have that talent |
Warring States Period |
| 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 |
Warring States Period |
| 画蛇添足 | huà shé tiān zú |
To ruin the effect by adding something superfluous; to overdo something |
Warring States Period |
| 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 |
Warring States Period |
| 纸上谈兵 | zhǐ shàng tán bīng |
This chengyu refers to empty theoretical discussion of an issue that won't actually serve to resolve that issue. It also refers to idle discussion that can't become reality |
Warring States Period |
| 缘木求鱼 | yuán mù qiú yú |
To be unable to realize one's goals due to improper strategy |
Warring States Period |
| 老马识途 | lǎo mǎ shī tú |
Refers to a person who knows how to do something or resolve an issue due to their extensive experience |
Warring States Period |
| 负荆请罪 | fù jīng qǐng zuì |
To formally offer a sincere apology |
Warring States Period |
| 邯郸学步 | hán dān xué bù |
To describe situations where someone, in blindly trying to mimic others, not only fails to succeed, but also forgets the skills and strengths that they originally had |
Warring States Period |
| 顽石点头 | wàn shí diǎn tóu |
To be very persuasive |
Warring States Period |
| 高枕无忧 | gāo zhěn wú yōu |
Calm and unperturbed |
Warring States Period |
| 半斤八两 | bàn jìn bā liǎng |
To be equally matched with the other party; to be almost the same |
Qin Dynasty |
| 指鹿为马 | zhǐ lù wéi mǎ |
To deliberately distort the truth |
Qin Dynasty |
| 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 |
Qin Dynasty |
| 四面楚歌 | sì miàn chǔ gē |
Refers to when one is cut off from help when being attacked on all sides or in a difficult situation |
Chu-Han Contention |
| 好好先生 | hǎo hǎo xiān shēng |
Refers to a people pleaser who just parrots what others say and who ignores right and wrong. Originally referred to 司马徽 (Sī Mǎ Huī)'s tendency to only say good things about other people — see story |
Western Han Dynasty |
| 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 |
Western Han Dynasty |