qí huò kě jū

to rely on some special skill, advantage, accomplishment, etc. to profiteer

直译: rare goods can be hoarded [to be sold when prices go up]

出处: Earliest attested in Records of the Grand Historian

fèn bù gù shēn

💡 Өөрийн амь биеийг үл хайхран урагш зүтгэх.

出处: First attested in c. 93 BCE, in Sima Qian's letter to Ren An

fèn fā tú qiáng

to go all out to achieve success

nǎi yóu xiǎo shēng

handsome but effeminate young man; pretty boy

直译: buttery young man

hào chī lǎn zuò

to be fond of eating and averse to work; to be piggish

hào dà xǐ gōng

to crave greatness and success; to rejoice in grandiose deeds

hǎo jǐng bù cháng

good things do not last forever

hǎo jǐng bù cháng

good things do not last forever

hǎo zì wéi zhī

to do one's best; to endeavour to do something; [You] better behave yourself, otherwise [you] will be in trouble! / You better watch out for yourself! You have been warned!

出处: Initially from Huainanzi – see quote below.

rú mèng chū xǐng

💡 Зүүднээс сэрсэн мэт гэнэт ухаарах.

rú mèng fāng xǐng

as if awakening from a dream; to suddenly realize; to suddenly see the light; to wake up to reality

rú niú fù zhòng

heavily burdened

直译: like an ox carrying heavy loads on the back

rú yuē ér zhì

to arrive as promised or planned

rú shì zhòng fù

💡 Хүнд ачаанаас салсан мэт хөнгөрөх.

出处: From Commentary of Guliang, in the 29th year of Duke Zhao of Lu's reign (513 B.C.E.)

qī lí zǐ sàn

to have one's family dispersed

出处: From Mencius (《孟子·梁惠王上》)

shǐ liào bù jí

to be unexpected; to be unanticipated

xìng shèn míng shéi

what is one's full name?

zǐ sūn mǎn táng

to have many descendants

xué fù wǔ chē

to be learned; to be extremely knowledgeable

直译: with rich knowledge that can be put into five carts

出处: From Zhuangzi's comment about Hui Shi

xué wú zhǐ jìng

knowledge is infinite; there is no limit to knowledge

xué ér bù yàn

to have an insatiable desire to learn

出处: From the Analects, Book 7 (《論語·述而》)

ān bù wàng wēi

to be mindful of possible danger in time of peace

ān jiā luò hù

💡 Шинэ газар гэр орноо байгуулж суурьших.

wán hǎo wú quē

perfect; excellent and intact; without any deficiency; leave nothing to be desired

wán měi wú quē

💡 Ямар ч дутагдал, өө сэвгүй төгс.

dìng yú yī zūn

to regard the supreme authority as the only standard

出处: From Shiji

dìng fēn zhǐ zhēng

to determine a matter and end dispute

kè sǐ tā xiāng

to die in a foreign land

kè suí zhǔ biàn

to follow the host's wishes as a guest

jiā dào zhōng luò

the family fortunes has declined; the family fortunes are at a low ebb

mì bù kě fēn

inextricably linked; inseparable

chá chá ér míng

to think one is discerning and shrewd for focusing on minutiae, but neglecting the bigger picture

chá yán guān sè

to read a person (to interpret or infer a meaning or significance based on facial expression, tone of voice etc)

出处: From the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》)

duì hào rù zuò

to take one's seat according to the number (on the ticket); to take the assigned seat; to match people with descriptions; to associate oneself with something that appears similar; to take something personally; to respond to criticism without having being named

duì niú tán qín

to talk about something that one's listener can not understand or turns a deaf ear to; to talk to a brick wall; to preach to deaf ears

直译: playing the guqin to a cow

出处: First attested in c. 3rd century CE in the story of the Warring States-era musician Gongming Yi (公明儀) playing the zither to a cow, recorded in Mouzi Lihuolun. Mouzi used this example to illustrate the correct way to explain Buddhism to people with Confucian backgrounds.

duì dá rú liú

to answer fluently; to answer without hesitation

直译: to answer like (water) flow

jiāng xìn jiāng yí

to take with a pinch of salt; to be doubtful; to be not quite convinced

出处: First attested in the mid-8ᵗʰ century, in Dirge on an Ancient Battlefield by Li Hua: : Note that the coordinate structure 將…將… can be traced back to the first anthology of Chinese poetry, The Classic of Poetry.

jiāng xīn bǐ jǐ

to put oneself in someone's shoes

jiāng xīn bǐ xīn

to put oneself in someone's shoes