jiǎ xì zhēn zuò

to turn a make-believe into reality

直译: what started as pretend became real

jiǎ shǒu tā rén

to get one's own task done by somebody else

zuò niú zuò mǎ

to work one's butt off; to work extremely hard; to lower one's dignity to do everything and anything for someone

直译: to be a cow and be a horse

jiàn bù rú fēi

💡 Нисэх мэт хурдан, хөнгөн алхах.

quán xīn quán lì

with all of one's attention and effort

gōng shì gōng bàn

to do official business according to official rules; to handle matters without bias and favouritism

yǎng jiā huó kǒu

to support one's family financially; to provide for one's family

zài xià yī chéng

to win again after winning

bīng tiān xuě dì

landscape covered in snow and ice; covered in snow and ice; extremely cold

直译: icy skies and snow(-covered) ground

bīng xuě cōng míng

extremely intelligent

直译: as intelligent as ice and snow

出处: From a poem by Du Fu

lěng lěng qīng qīng

💡 Хүн амьтангүй, уйтгартай, эзгүй байх.

出处: AABB-type reduplication of 冷清 (lěngqīng).

chū qí bù yì

💡 Хүнийг бэлтгэлгүй байхад нь гэнэт довтлох.

chū kǒu chéng zāng

to swear excessively

出处: Pun on 出口成章 (chūkǒuchéngzhāng), by replacing 章 (zhāng, “chapter”) with 髒／脏 (zāng, “foul”).

fēn gōng hé zuò

💡 Ажлаа хувааж аваад хамтран хийх.

gāng zhèng bù ē

to be upright and not flatter; to be righteous and not curry favor with others

gāng zhí bù ē

to be upright and not flatter; to be righteous and not curry favor with others

bié yǒu yòng xīn

to have an ulterior motive

guā mù xiāng kàn

to be astonished by someone's progress; to treat someone with renewed respect

qián shì jīn shēng

the preceding and current lives; past and present

dòng shǒu dòng jiǎo

to come to blows; to take liberties (with women)

直译: to move one's hands and feet

zhù rén wéi lè

💡 Хүнд туслахыг баяр болгодог.

huà yǔ chūn fēng

benefits of education; positive influence of a teacher

直译: rain and spring wind

shí wàn huǒ jí

extremely urgent

shí shì jiǔ kōng

desolate after a war or disaster; deserted as people have died or fled

直译: nine out of ten houses are empty

出处: First attested in c. 317, in Baopuzi Outer Chapter XIV (《抱朴子·外篇·用刑》)

qiān wàn mǎi lín

good neighbours are hard to find

直译: to buy a neighbour for ten million

qiān qí bǎi guài

💡 Янз бүрийн сонин хачин.

qiān shān wàn shuǐ

many rivers and mountains; distant, dangerous and difficult path

直译: one thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers

qiān yán wàn yǔ

thousands and thousands of words; to have much to say

qiān nán wàn nán

very difficult

bàn jīn bā liǎng

six of one, half a dozen of the other; not much to choose between the two

直译: half catty, eight taels

出处: From the historical Chinese system of measuring weight, wherein one catty (斤 (jīn)) was equal to 16 taels (兩／两 (liǎng)).

bàn xīn bù jiù

no longer new; showing signs of wear; worn

nán běi dōng xī

alternative form of 東西南北 /东西南北 (dōngxīnánběi)

lì lì kě shǔ

every one of them can be seen distinctly; can be counted one by one

lì lì zài mù

vivid in one's mind

biàn míng yì xìng

synonym of 改名換姓 /改名换姓 (gǎimínghuànxìng)

kǒu bù zé yán

to talk indiscreetly; to talk recklessly

kǒu kou shēng shēng

keep on (saying); repeatedly (say); (say) over and over again

kǒu kuài xīn zhí

synonym of 心直口快 (xīnzhíkǒukuài, “outspoken and straightforward”)

kǒu shì xīn fēi

to say one thing but mean another; what one thinks is different from what one says; two-faced; duplicity

直译: mouth (says) yes, heart (says) no