Chinese Idiom: 暗送秋波 (An Song Qiu Bo) English Translation: Secretly Sending Autumn Waves pīn yīn: àn sòng qiū bō Idiom Meaning: Originally, this idiom referred to secretly conveying romantic feelings through subtle glances; it has since evolved to imply flattery or covertly forming relationships, often with a negative connotation. “Autumn waves” describes the clear and […]
Chinese Idiom: 路人皆知 (Lu Ren Jie Zhi) English Translation: Known by All Passersby pīn yīn: lù rén jiē zhī Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to something that is widely known or obvious to everyone, often used to describe someone’s intentions or ambitions that are apparent to all. Historical Source: From “Records of the Three Kingdoms”
Chinese Idiom: 集思广益 (Ji Si Guang Yi) English Translation: Gathering Thoughts for Greater Benefit pīn yīn: jí sī guǎng yì Idiom Meaning: This idiom means that one should leverage the collective wisdom of a group to arrive at more accurate opinions and to accomplish tasks more effectively. Historical Source: From Collected Works of Zhuge Liang
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Chinese Idiom: 得意忘形 (De Yi Wang Xing) English Translation: Delight causes forgetfulness of form pīn yīn: dé yì wàng xíng Idiom Meaning: Refers to losing one’s composure due to overwhelming joy or excitement. Historical Source: From “Book of Jin” (《晋书 · 阮籍传》). Idiom Story: During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a literary figure and
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Chinese Idiom: 掩目捕雀 (Yan Mu Bu Que) English Translation: Covering one’s eyes to catch a sparrow pīn yīn: yǎn mù bǔ què Idiom Meaning: Refers to the futility of self-deception; also signifies a subjective approach to problems without proper investigation or research. Historical Source: Idiom Story: During the late Eastern Han period, the external relatives
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Chinese Idiom: 清尘浊水 (Qing Chen Zhuo Shui) English Translation: Clear dust and murky water pīn yīn: qīng chén zhuó shuǐ Idiom Meaning: This idiom metaphorically expresses the idea of separation and the difficulty of reuniting, suggesting that certain individuals or entities may never meet due to their differing circumstances. Historical Source: From Cao Zhi’s 七哀诗
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Chinese Idiom: 顾曲周郎 (Gu Qu Zhou Lang) English Translation: The attentive listener, Zhou Lang pīn yīn: gù qǔ zhōu láng Idiom Meaning: This idiom praises individuals who are knowledgeable or passionate about music and performing arts. “顾曲” (gù qǔ) refers to carefully listening to music, while “周郎” (zhōu láng) is a reference to Zhou Yu,
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Chinese Idiom: 相煎太急 (Xiang Jian Tai Ji) English Translation: Too eager to harm one another pīn yīn: xiāng jiān tài jí Idiom Meaning: This idiom refers to internal discord or the phenomenon of infighting within a group, especially among close relations, leading to self-destruction. Historical Source: The idiom is derived from the poem “Seven Steps”
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Chinese Idiom: 味如鸡肋 (Wei Ru Ji Lei) English Translation: Tastes like chicken ribs pīn yīn: wèi rú jī lèi Idiom Meaning: This idiom metaphorically describes a lack of interest in something or a situation that yields very little benefit, implying that the effort involved is not worth the reward. The term “chicken ribs” refers to
Chinese Idiom: 刮目相看 (Gua Mu Xiang Kan) English Translation: Look at someone with newly opened eyes pīn yīn: guā mù xiāng kàn Idiom Meaning: One should not view others with outdated perspectives; instead, recognize and appreciate their progress. Historical Source: Records of the Three Kingdoms (《三国志 · 吴书 · 吕蒙传》) and cited in Jiang Biao
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