{"id":12570,"date":"2016-09-27T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=12570"},"modified":"2016-09-22T20:02:46","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T00:02:46","slug":"5-awesome-chinese-idioms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/5-awesome-chinese-idioms\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Awesome Chinese Idioms"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just like English, Chinese is a language with countless idioms<\/strong> (\u6210\u8bed \u2013 ch\u00e9ng y\u01d4). While it can be tricky to actually get to a level where you can use idioms in your everyday life in China, it’s still interesting and useful to learn them.\u00a0Studying Chinese idioms not only helps you improve your language skills, but it also provides insights into a rich culture that is thousands of years old. And if you do find yourself in a situation where you can drop an idiom you know, you’re sure to impress. One great thing about Chinese idioms is that almost all of them are just four characters, so they’re not terribly difficult to remember. Here are 5 awesome Chinese idioms to get you started:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0\u4eba\u5c71\u4eba\u6d77 (<\/strong>r\u00e9n sh\u0101n r\u00e9n h\u01cei)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201ca sea of people\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Qingdao<\/a>

Qingdao in summertime – “people mountain people sea.”<\/p><\/div>\n

This idiom literally translates as \u201cpeople mountain people sea,\u201d which is a fine piece of Chinglish on its own. Used as an idiom, however, it\u2019s basically the Chinese equivalent of \u201ca sea of people.\u201d In the most populated country in the world, it should come as no surprise that this idiom is frequently used. It has even made its way to Urban Dictionary<\/a>! Anytime you go to a Chinese train station, or visit a famous landmark during a holiday, you\u2019ll be able to put this idiom to use.<\/p>\n

Meaning:<\/em> It basically means \u201ca huge crowd of people.\u201d<\/p>\n

Use: <\/em>Try this idiom out anytime you see large crowds of people.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0\u87b3\u81c2\u5f53\u8f66 (<\/strong>t\u00e1ng b\u00ec d\u0101ng ch\u0113) <\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201ca mantis trying to stop a carriage\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As this story goes, there was a very strong mantis<\/strong> (\u87b3 \u2013 t\u00e1ng) who could destroy all other mantises in fights. Of course, this mantis got a little cocky as a result of this. One day, a coach was driving by on his horse carriage\u00a0<\/strong>(\u9a6c\u8f66 \u2013 m\u01ce ch\u0113). The over-confident mantis decided to raise his arms in an attempt to stop the rolling carriage.\u00a0The driver ignored the stupid mantis, and kept driving straight.\u00a0<\/strong>Of course, the mantis was run over and killed as a result of his foolishness.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/em>: Overstating one\u2019s abilities and trying to do what is beyond one\u2019s power.<\/p>\n

Usage<\/em>: Used to describe an over-confident, self-important person.<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0\u5bb6\u55bb\u6237\u6653 (ji\u0101 y\u00f9 h\u00f9 xi\u01ceo)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cwell known; understood by everyone\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"The<\/a>

The Golden Arches – very well-known even in China.<\/p><\/div>\n

The history of this idiom comes from a story about a woman named Liang. One day, there was a fire inside of her house while she was out. When she returned home, she noticed the house up in flames, and realized that her nephew and her own child were trapped in the house. She bravely ran into the burning house, attempting to save her brother\u2019s child first. However, the smoke blocked her vision, and when she got outside it became clear that she had rescued her own child first. Afraid of being criticized for being selfish, she rushed back into the fire to save her nephew. Sadly, the fire was too strong, and Liang burned to death. Of course, everyone in the village knew about this tragedy.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/em>: This idiom is used today to describe something that is known by everyone.<\/p>\n

Usage<\/em>: It’s a pretty versatile idiom. For example, when you punch it into the popular Chinese search engine Baidu.com, one of the pictures you get is of Ronald McDonald, or the \u201cwell-known McDonald\u2019s uncle<\/strong>\u201d (\u5bb6\u55bb\u6237\u6653\u7684\u9ea6\u5f53\u52b3\u53d4\u53d4 – ji\u0101 y\u00f9 h\u00f9 xi\u01ceo de m\u00e0i d\u0101ng l\u00e1o sh\u016b shu).<\/p>\n

HERE\u2019S<\/a> a YouKu video showing the story of this idiom.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0\u5f97\u8fc7\u4e14\u8fc7 (d\u00e9 gu\u00f2 qi\u011b gu\u00f2)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cmuddling along\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Atop of the famous Wutai Mountain<\/strong> (\u4e94\u53f0\u5c71 \u2013 w\u01d4 t\u00e1i sh\u0101n), there lived a bird named Hanhao<\/strong> (\u5bd2\u53f7 \u2013 h\u00e1n h\u00e0o). In the summertime, the bird would be covered in beautiful, colorful feathers. He would proudly sing out everyday, \u201cThe Phoenix is not as good as me!”\u00a0In the autumn, the bird would continue to sing loud and proud, while others would go about building their nests. Finally, in the dead of winter, even though the bird was really cold, he would not build his nest. With his feathers shed, Hanhao was left shivering through the night. When the sun would rise, he would go right back to singing and dancing\u2026<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/em>: Muddling along; being satisfied just to get through<\/p>\n

Usage<\/em>: This can be used to describe a person who dawdles the hours away with no plans for the future.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0\u56eb\u56f5\u541e\u67a3 (h\u00fa l\u00fan t\u016bn z\u01ceo)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cSwallow the dates whole\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Once upon a time, there was a man who loved eating pears and dates. However, one day a doctor told him, \u201cEating pears is good for your teeth, but overeating will harm your spleen. Dates are good for your spleen, but overeating will harm your teeth.\u201d The man decided that as long as he only chewed the pears, and only swallowed the dates, he would be just fine. Of course, it wasn\u2019t long before he experienced a horrible stomachache.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/em>:\u00a0This idiom is used to describe a person who accepts information without prior analysis, reflection, and understanding.<\/p>\n

Usage<\/em>: You know your crazy uncle who is always ranting about conspiracy theories and politics, but never has a source for anything? Yeah, this idiom describes him pretty well.<\/p>\n