qū xiàn jiù guó

to achieve an objective through indirect means

qǔ zhōng rén sàn

a bustling scene becomes deserted and cheerless

直译: the song ends and people part

céng jǐ hé shí

💡 Хэр удсан юм бэ дээ — саяхан л байсан шүү дээ гэсэн харуусал.

tì tiān xíng dào

to enforce justice for the heavens

出处: From the Yuan dynasty's zaju play 梁山泊李逵負荊 (Li Kui from Mount Liang's Marsh Offers an Apology) by 康進之 (Kang Jinzhi)

yǒu tóu wú wěi

to have a beginning but not an end; to fail to carry things through; to leave something unfinished; to have begun but not well-ended; to not have spoken or done something to the point

直译: there is a head, but no tail

yǒu tóu yǒu wěi

to have a beginning and an end; to carry things through; to see something to completion

直译: there is a head, there is a tail

yǒu qíng yǒu yì

having affection and faith; affectionate and just/righteous

yǒu mù gòng shǎng

to have a universal appeal

yǒu fú tóng xiǎng yǒu huò tóng dāng

synonym of 有福同享，有難同當 /有福同享，有难同当 (yǒu fú tóng xiǎng, yǒu nàn tóng dāng)

yǒu zhí wú quán

to hold the post but not the power; to be a figurehead

wàng zǐ chéng lóng

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wàng wén shēng yì

to interpret a text with superficial explanations; folk etymology

zhāo bù bǎo xī

to be in a critical and desperate situation; to be on the verge of death (or collapse, defeat, etc.)

zhāo bù lǜ xī

synonym of 朝不保夕 (zhāobùbǎoxī, “to be in a critical and desperate situation; to be on the verge of death (or collapse, defeat, etc.)”)

zhāo jiǔ wǎn wǔ

to start at 9 am and finish at 5 pm, as a daily routine; 9 to 5

zhāo lìng xī gǎi

to change frequently and erratically

直译: to change orders issued in the morning at the night (on the same day)

zhāo fā xī zhì

to set out in the morning and arrive in the evening

zhāo xī nán bǎo

one's days are numbered; one is on the verge of death (or defeat etc.)

zhāo gēng xī gǎi

to be capricious or indecisive

直译: to change in the morning and alter in the evening

wèi cháng bù kě

to not be forbidden or impossible

wèi lái kě qī

the future is worth looking forward to; have a promising future

wèi zú qīng zhòng

synonym of 無足輕重 /无足轻重 (wúzúqīngzhòng, “of little importance or consequence; insignificant; of little account”)

běn mò dào zhì

putting the cart before the horse

直译: to invert root and branch

quán yí zhī jì

expedient measure; stopgap; makeshift stratagem

táo lǐ mǎn mén

to have taught a great number of pupils (usually over a long period of time)

lí huā dài yǔ

a weeping beauty

直译: pear blossom bathed in the rain

出处: From a famous poem Song of Everlasting Regret

mó hú bù qīng

💡 Бүрхэг, тодорхойгүй, сайн харагдахгүй байх.

huān xīn gǔ wǔ

elated and excited; overjoyed; to dance with joy; to rejoice

ōu fēng měi yǔ

influences of western culture and civilization; western invasion of China

直译: European wind and American rain

出处: Coined by Sun Yat-sen in 1924.

gē wǔ shēng píng

prosperous and peaceful

zhǐ yú zhì shàn

to achieve the highest excellence

出处: From the Great Learning (《大學》) in the Book of Rites

zhèng běn qīng yuán

to radically reform; to thoroughly overhaul; to clarify matters and get to the bottom of things

cǐ yī shí bǐ yī shí

that was then, this is now

cǐ xiāo bǐ zhǎng

something declines while something else rises

bù bù wéi yíng

to advance gradually and dig in at every step; to consolidate at every step; to act cautiously

bù bù gāo shēng

to advance step by step (especially in a career)

bù diào yī zhì

to march in step; to keep in step; to act in unison

sǐ dào lín tóu

to be facing certain death

sǐ qì chén chén

lifeless; spiritless; lacking vitality or vigour