bǎi yī bǎi shùn

docile and obedient; complete obedience

bǎi zhàn bǎi shèng

to win every battle; to be ever-victorious

直译: to fight a hundred battles and win a hundred victories

出处: From The Art of War: : Alternatively, from Guanzi

bǎi huā qí fàng

💡 Олон янзын урлаг, санаа зэрэгцэн хөгжиж цэцэглэх.

bǎi lǐ tiāo yī

one in a hundred; cream of the crop

bǎi lóng zhī zhì

extremely wise or intelligent

直译: having the wisdom of a hundred Gongsun Longs

mù bù xié shì

to look straight ahead without casting any sidelong glances

mù guāng duǎn qiǎn

short-sighted; myopic; lacking foresight

mù wú yú zǐ

to be arrogant; to be self-conceited

xiāng yī wéi mìng

to depend on each other for survival; to rely on one another for life

xiāng jìng rú bīn

💡 Хос хүн бие биеэ зочин шиг хүндэлж харилцах.

直译: to highly respect each other as if treating an honoured guest

zhēn píng shí jù

true and credible evidence

zhī rén shàn rèn

to know one's subordinates well enough to assign them jobs commensurate with their abilities

zhī jǐ zhī bǐ

to know yourself and know the enemy

zhī bǐ zhī jǐ

to know the enemy and know yourself

zhī nán ér tuì

💡 Бэрхшээлтэй тулгараад ухарч буцах.

shí chén dà hǎi

a stone sinks in the ocean; to receive no response; to never hear back from someone or about something

shén lái zhī bǐ

stroke of genius; inspired writing; masterstroke

直译: a stroke of God

lí qún suǒ jū

to isolate oneself from the crowd and live life alone; to keep to oneself

出处: From the Book of Rites, Book 3（《禮記·檀弓上》）

qiū gāo mǎ féi

the autumn sky is clear and the horses are strong and well-fed (indicating the nomads in the north are ready to attack so there is the need to prepare for defences.)

出处: 《明史．卷二○四．曾銑傳》：「秋高馬肥，弓矢勁利，彼聚而攻，我散而守。」

yí fēng yì sú

to change prevailing habits and customs; to transform social traditions

出处: First attested in 237 BCE, in Li Si's Jianzhuke Shu.

kōng qián wèi yǒu

unprecedented; without parallel

kōng kǒu wú píng

a mere verbal statement is no guarantee

xiào lǐ cáng dāo

to act in a friendly manner with hypocritical intentions; to be a wolf in sheep's clothing

直译: a dagger hidden in smiles

出处: First used for describing Li Yifu

sù miàn cháo tiān

to present oneself to the emperor without any makeup; to wear no makeup; to show one's natural features; to present oneself just as one is

直译: plain face facing the sky/emperor

出处: Originally used in reference to Lady of the State of Guo (虢國夫人), the sister (or cousin) of Yang Guifei (the renowned beautiful consort of the Emperor Xuanzong of Tang). Per the Unofficial Biography of Yang Guifei (《楊太真外傳》) by Le Shi

zhǐ zuì jīn mí

to indulge in a life of luxury and dissipation

直译: intoxicated by paper and mesmerised by gold

出处: From the story of the Tang-dynasty person Meng Fu (孟斧) recorded in Qing Yi Lu (《清異錄》).

xì dà bù juān

to abandon nothing, big or small; to take in everything

出处: Coined by Han Yu in his An Explication of “Progress in Learning” in the early 9ᵗʰ c.

wéi mín suǒ zhǐ

is where the people reside; A phrase used to satirize censorship of speech.

měi bù shèng shōu

indescribably beautiful; too many beautiful things to be fully appreciated all at once

xiū huā bì yuè

extremely beautiful; drop dead gorgeous

出处: Refers to two of the Four Beauties of Chinese legends, Yang Guifei (whose appearance made flowers hide away in shame) and Diao Chan (whose appearance had the same effect on the moon).

qún lóng wú shǒu

to lack a leader

出处: From I Ching, Hexagram 1 (《易经·乾卦》): : This term has been reinterpreted by taking 首 (shǒu) as "leader".

lǎo mǎ shí tú

an experienced worker knows what to do; an old hand knows the ropes

直译: an old horse knows the way

出处: From a story in Han Feizi, Chapter 22 (《韓非子·說林上》)

ér lì zhī nián

thirty years old

出处: From the Analects, Book 2 (《論語·爲政》)

bèi shuǐ yī zhàn

to be forced to stand and fight; to make a desperate last stand

直译: fight with one's back to the river

出处: From the Records of the Grand Historian 背水陣／背水阵 (bèishuǐzhèn) (originally 背水陳, literally "arrange the battle array with soldiers' back to the river", 陳／陈 (chén) is an ancient variant of 陣／阵 (zhèn)).

zì yú zì lè

💡 Өөрөө өөрийгөө зугаацуулах, ганцаараа хөгжилдөх.

出处: 娛樂／娱乐 (yúlè, “to entertain”) augmented with 自 (zì, “self”).