59 хэллэг · HSK түвшнээр шүүнэ
上山捉蟹——难
HSK 7–9shàng shān zhuō xiè nán
to attempt something that is impossible
八仙过海
HSK 7–9bā xiān guò hǎi
winning hand composed of the eight flower tiles
刘备借荆州——有借无还
HSK 7–9liú bèi jiè jīng zhōu yǒu jiè wú huán
something borrowed will not be returned
直译: Liu Bei borrowing Jingzhou - borrowing without returning
出处: From the plot of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where Liu Bei asked Sun Quan to lend Jingzhou to him, but Liu refused to return Sun's land when asked to.
到火神庙求雨——找错了门
HSK 7–9dào huǒ shén miào qiú yǔ zhǎo cuò le mén
to seek help at the wrong place
直译: to go to the Fire God's temple to pray for rain - at the wrong place
北港香炉——人人插
HSK 7–9běi gǎng xiāng lú rén rén chā
a sexually promiscuous woman; a town bicycle
直译: the incense burner at Chaotian Temple of Beigang - everyone puts (incenses) into it
司马昭之心，路人皆知
HSK 7–9sī mǎ zhāo zhī xīn lù rén jiē zhī
one's evil ambitions are apparent to everyone
直译: Sima Zhao's heart ― every passer-by knows
出处: From Cao Mao (fifth emperor of Cao Wei)'s statement of ousting Sima Zhao the night before getting assassinated by a servant of Sima on June 2, 260 CE. This text was later quoted by the historian Pei Songzhi in his annotated version of the Records of the Three Kingdoms
周瑜打黄盖——一个愿打，一个愿捱
HSK 7–9zhōu yú dǎ huáng gài yī ge yuàn dǎ yī ge yuàn ái
one is willing to give a beating, and one is willing to take a beating; both parties agree of free will, mutual consent; to willingly submit to something
直译: Zhou Yu beats Huang Gai ― one is willing to give a beating, and one is willing to take a beating
出处: A xiehouyu from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Zhou Yu wanted Huang Gai, his subordinate, to pretend to defect to Cao Cao's side so that Huang Gai could gain Cao Cao's trust. This allowed Huang Gai to set fire to Cao Cao's fleet during the Battle of Red Cliffs, forcing Cao Cao to retreat. Zhou Yu had Huang Gai flogged in front of Cao Cao's spies so that they would not be suspicious.
哑巴吃黄莲——有苦说不出
HSK 7–9yǎ ba chī huáng lián yǒu kǔ shuō bù chū
to be unable to express one's discomfort; to be forced to suffer in silence
直译: a mute person tasting ineffably bitter herbs
坟头上耍大刀——吓鬼
HSK 7–9fén tóu shàng shuǎ dà dāo xià guǐ
to be unable to scare people
直译: play with a large broadsword on a grave mound – scare ghosts
外甥打灯笼——照旧
HSK 7–9wài shēng dǎ dēng lóng zhào jiù
to remain the same; to be as before
直译: nephew carries a lantern ― to be as before
出处: 照舊／照旧 (zhàojiù, “to be as before”) is a pun on the homophone 照舅 (zhào jiù, “to shine on one's maternal uncle”).
姜太公封神——漏了自己
HSK 7–9jiāng tài gōng fēng shén lòu liǎo zì jǐ
to omit oneself
直译: Grand Duke Jiang deifies – leaving himself out
姜太公钓鱼——愿者上钩
HSK 7–9jiāng tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
like the fish rising to Grand Duke Jiang's hookless and baitless line; a willing victim letting himself be caught of his own will
直译: Grand Duke Jiang goes fishing ― a willing person takes the bait.
出处: Grand Duke Jiang often went angling at the Weishui River, but he would fish in a bizarre way. He hung a straight hook, with no bait, three feet above the water. Over and over again, he said to himself, "Fish, if you are desperate to live, come and gulp down the hook by yourself."
孔夫子搬家——净是书
HSK 7–9kǒng fū zǐ bān jiā jìng shì shū
to have always lost and never won a single time
直译: Confucius moves to a new home - everything is just books
出处: 淨是書 /净是书 (jìng shì shū) is a pun on 盡是輸 /尽是输 (jìn shì shū, “to have always lost”).
孙悟空大闹天宫——慌了神
HSK 7–9sūn wù kōng dà nào tiān gōng huāng le shén
to be disoriented and confused after experiencing shock
直译: the Monkey King wreaks havoc in the heavenly palace—causing the gods to be flustered (to be disoriented and confused)
武则天守寡——失去理智
HSK 7–9wǔ zé tiān shǒu guǎ shī qù lǐ zhì
to have lost one's mind
直译: When Wu Zetian became a widow - she had lost Li Zhi (her mind)
出处: Wu Zetian's husband was Emperor Gaozong of Tang, whose real name was 李治 (Lǐ Zhì) and is now homophonous to 理智 (lǐzhì) in Mandarin.
泥菩萨过江，自身难保
HSK 7–9ní pú sà guò jiāng zì shēn nán bǎo
to be in trouble oneself and thus unable to help others
直译: a clay bodhisattva statue crosses the river ― unable to even protect oneself
狗咬吕洞宾
HSK 7–9gǒu yǎo lǚ dòng bīn
short for 狗咬呂洞賓——不識好人心／狗咬吕洞宾——不识好人心 (gǒu yǎo Lǚ Dòngbīn, bùshí hǎorén xīn, “to bite the hand that feeds you”)
出处: See 狗咬呂洞賓——不識好人心／狗咬吕洞宾——不识好人心 (gǒu yǎo Lǚ Dòngbīn, bùshí hǎorén xīn).
狗咬吕洞宾——不识好人心
HSK 7–9gǒu yǎo lǚ dòng bīn bù shí hǎo rén xīn
to bite the hand that feeds you
直译: a dog bites Lü Dongbin ― to fail to see the heart of a good person
猪八戒吃人参果——全不知滋味
HSK 7–9zhū bā jiè chī rén shēn guǒ quán bù zhī zī wèi
to be unable to appreciate something or know its value
直译: Zhu Bajie eating a ginseng fruit - doesn't know its taste at all
猪八戒穿红袍——不伦不类
HSK 7–9zhū bā jiè chuān hóng páo bù lún bù lèi
out of place
直译: Zhu Bajie wearing a red robe - fitting in no category
猪头三牲
HSK 7–9zhū tóu sān shēng
Referring to animals (bull, sheep and pig) used in sacrifice, or sacrificial offering in general.
出处: This idiom arose from 豬頭／猪头 (zhūtóu, “pig head”). In Wu it is reinterpreted as a xiehouyu: 豬頭三──牲, i.e. "A 豬頭三 is an animal/a beast/an idiot".
猫哭老鼠——假慈悲
HSK 7–9māo kū lǎo shǔ jiǎ cí bēi
to cry crocodile tears
直译: Cat cries over mouse ― fake sympathy
猫哭耗子——假慈悲
HSK 7–9māo kū hào zi jiǎ cí bēi
to cry crocodile tears
神仙放屁——不同凡响
HSK 7–9shén xiān fàng pì bù tóng fán xiǎng
outstanding; out of the ordinary
直译: when an immortal farts ― a sound from an extraordinary being
秋后的蚂蚱
HSK 7–9qiū hòu dì mà zha
someone or something (especially being unpleasant) that is active now, but is ultimately doomed to fail
出处: From 秋後的螞蚱——蹦躂不了幾天／秋后的蚂蚱——蹦跶不了几天 (qiūhòu dì màzha, bèngda bùliǎo jǐtiān).
秋后的蚂蚱——蹦跶不了几天
HSK 7–9qiū hòu dì mà zha bèng da bù liǎo jǐ tiān
someone or something (especially being unpleasant) that is active now, but is ultimately doomed to fail
直译: grasshopper after autumn ― can only hop for a few more days
出处: Adult grasshoppers and locusts die in winter.
老鼠拉龟
HSK 7–9lǎo shǔ lā guī
to have no clue about how to handle a problem
直译: a rat tries to pull a turtle
出处: The idiom is a Cantonese xiehouyu and the second part may be 無從下手 /无从下手 (wúcóng xiàshǒu), 無處下手 /无处下手 (wúchù xiàshǒu) (in Mandarin) or 冇埞埋手 (mou⁵ deng⁶ maai⁴ sau²) (in Cantonese).
螃蟹过河——七手八脚
HSK 7–9páng xiè guò hé qī shǒu bā jiǎo
chaotic; many people lending a hand
诸葛亮借东风——神机妙算
HSK 7–9zhū gě liàng jiè dōng fēng shén jī miào suàn
a brilliant plan
直译: Zhuge Liang borrows the easterly wind—a brilliant plan
踏破铁鞋无觅处
HSK 7–9tà pò tiě xié wú mì chù
One will search high and low only to find it when one least expects to.
直译: One can wear out iron shoes searching for something with no success.
出处: Comes from the phrase: 踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費工夫.
踏破铁鞋无觅处，得来全不费工夫
HSK 7–9tà pò tiě xié wú mì chù dé lái quán bù fèi gōng fu
One will search high and low only to find it when one least expects to.
直译: One can wear out iron shoes searching for something with no success, only to acquire it by accident through no effort of one's own
迅雷不及掩耳盗铃
HSK 7–9xùn léi bù jí yǎn ěr dào líng
synonym of 迅雷不及掩耳 (xùnléi bùjí yǎn ěr)
出处: Blend of 迅雷不及掩耳 (xùnléi bùjí yǎn ěr) + 掩耳盜鈴 /掩耳盗铃 (yǎn'ěrdàolíng).
阎罗王贴告示——鬼话连篇
HSK 7–9yán luó wáng tiē gào shì guǐ huà lián piān
to talk a lot of nonsense; to tell a series of untruths
直译: Yama posts notices – pieces in devil's language
霸王敬酒——不干也得干
HSK 7–9bà wáng jìng jiǔ bù gān yě dé gān
to have no choice in a matter
直译: The hegemon toasts you - drink up even if you don't wish to
jiāng tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
姜太公釣魚——願者上鉤
Монгол орчуулга удахгүй нэмэгдэнэ.
直译: Grand Duke Jiang goes fishing ― a willing person takes the bait.
出处: Grand Duke Jiang often went angling at the Weishui River, but he would fish in a bizarre way. He hung a straight hook, with no bait, three feet above the water. Over and over again, he said to himself, "Fish, if you are desperate to live, come and gulp down the hook by yourself."
Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, en.wiktionary.org) via kaikki.org