Wisdom
半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
To give up halfway; to leave something unfinished.
Read idiomChinese Idioms
Explore classic Chinese idioms (成语) with visual stories, character breakdowns, and example sentences.
General
不可思议
bù kě sī yì
Inconceivable; unimaginable; incredible. Used to describe something amazing, mysterious, or hard to understand.
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对牛弹琴
duì niú tán qín
To speak to someone who cannot understand or appreciate what you are saying; wasting your breath on the wrong audience.
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刮目相看
guā mù xiāng kàn
To look at someone with new eyes; to hold someone in high esteem after they have shown improvement or success.
Read idiomFables
画蛇添足
huà shé tiān zú
To ruin something by adding unnecessary details; overdoing something that was already complete.
Read idiomEmotions
豁然开朗
huò rán kāi lǎng
Suddenly see the light; a wide opening view; sudden enlightenment or understanding.
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津津有味
jīn jīn yǒu wèi
To eat with appetite; to read or listen with great interest; with zest/gusto.
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锦上添花
jǐn shàng tiān huā
To make something good even better; icing on the cake.
Read idiomPerspective
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with a narrow worldview who thinks they know everything; being ignorant of the bigger picture.
Read idiomLogic
理所当然
lǐ suǒ dāng rán
As a matter of course; naturally; take for granted. To assume something is correct or expected without question.
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莫名其妙
mò míng qí miào
Baffling; unaccountable; inexplicably; odd/bizarre. To be unable to explain why something is the way it is.
Read idiomMotivation
全力以赴
quán lì yǐ fù
To do one's best; to go all out; to spare no effort.
Read idiomTravel
入乡随俗
rù xiāng suí sú
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Follow the local customs when visiting a new place.
Read idiomFables
守株待兔
shǒu zhū dài tù
To wait passively for a lucky break instead of taking action; relying on past luck rather than putting in effort.
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心血来潮
xīn xuè lái cháo
To be seized by a whim; a sudden impulse; on the spur of the moment.
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雪中送炭
xuě zhōng sòng tàn
To provide help in a time of need; a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Read idiomSelf-deception
掩耳盗铃
yǎn ěr dào líng
To deceive oneself; fooling yourself into thinking others won't notice something obvious.
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一举两得
yì jǔ liǎng dé
To achieve two goals with a single action; to kill two birds with one stone.
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自相矛盾
zì xiāng máo dùn
Self-contradictory; inconsistency in one's words or actions.
Read idiomDaily Life
自由自在
zì yóu zì zài
Free and easy; carefree; leisurely and unrestrained.
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