| Entry | Pinyin | Meaning | Era |
|---|---|---|---|
| 实事求是 | shí shì qiú shì |
To properly address and handle a situation; to derive the truth from what is happening around you |
Western Han Dynasty |
| 捕风捉影 | bǔ fēng zhūo yǐng |
To act or speak based on unfounded evidence or rumors |
Western Han Dynasty |
| 背水一战 | bèi shuǐ yī zhàn |
Describes a make-or-break situation where retreat is not possible |
Chu-Han Contention |
| 闭门思过 | bì mén sī guò |
To close the door and think on one's past mistakes |
Western Han Dynasty |
| 骄兵必败 | jiāo bīng bì bài |
Refers to the defeat that must inevitably come when underestimating one's enemy |
Western Han Dynasty |
| 一饭千金 | yī fàn qiān jīn |
A generous reward given in return for receiving one's assistance or favor |
Han Dynasty |
| 三人成虎 | sān rén chéng hǔ |
Indicates a situation where a rumor, repeated by enough people, can make people believe that it's true |
Han Dynasty |
| 三顾茅庐 | sān gù máo lú |
To earnestly and repeatedly extend an offer |
Han Dynasty |
| 九牛一毛 | jiǔ niú yī máo |
Refers to something extremely insignificant, small, or trivial; something not worth mentioning |
Han Dynasty |
| 乱七八糟 | luàn qī bā zāo |
Refers to something extremely disorderly or chaotic |
Han Dynasty |
| 凿壁偷光 | záo bì tōu guāng |
To study very diligently despite facing hardship |
Han Dynasty |
| 千钧一发 | qiān jūn yī fà |
Refers to a something that is extremely critical or dangerous |
Han Dynasty |
| 半途而废 | bàn tú ér fèi |
To stop or give up halfway |
Han Dynasty |
| 夜郎自大 | yè láng zì dà |
To have too high an opinion of oneself; to be highly arrogant |
Han Dynasty |
| 大器晚成 | dà qì wǎn chéng |
Indicates that people of great talent make take longer to develop their skills and may accomplish great things relatively later in life |
Han Dynasty |
| 如鱼得水 | rú yú dé shuǐ |
For someone to be in an environment or with a person that best suits them |
Han Dynasty |
| 弹冠相庆 | tán guān xiāng qìng |
When you congratulate a friend on their promotion or new position, and they congratulate you back (because they'll probably use their connections to get you a job or a promotion as well) |
Han Dynasty |
| 投笔从戎 | tóu bǐ cóng róng |
Refers to an educated person who abandons their life as a scholar to join the military |
Han Dynasty |
| 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 |
Han Dynasty |
| 旗鼓相当 | qí gǔ xiāng dāng |
Indicates opponents are evenly matched |
Han Dynasty |
| 望梅止渴 | wàng méi zhǐ kě |
Refers to situations where one's hopes cannot be realized, so one must resort to using imagination to comfort oneself |
Han Dynasty |
| 沧海桑田 | cāng hǎi sāng tián |
Refers to large-scale transformations or changes (of places, people, etc) |
Han Dynasty |
| 覆水难收 | fù shuǐ nán shōu |
Describes situations where the outcome can't be reversed or changed. Often used in reference to divorce. |
Han Dynasty |
| 门可罗雀 | mén kě luó què |
Indicates a home or store with very few visitors |
Han Dynasty |
| 饮鸩止渴 | yǐn zhèn zhǐ kě |
To use destructive methods to get oneself out of a current difficulty without caring about that method's consequences |
Han Dynasty |