Hello readers!<\/p>\n
Today I’d like to share a couple of my favorite idioms in Chinese.<\/p>\n
\u5148\u65a9\u540e\u594f xian1zhan3hou4zou4 – act first and report afterwards.\u00a0 This refers to when somebody has done something without asking for permission first.\u00a0 It’s something like “shoot first, ask questions later.”<\/p>\n
\u7834\u91dc\u6c89\u821f po4fu2chen2zhou1 – Break the Pots and Sink the Boats.\u00a0 This refers to a story where a general told his troops upon reaching land that they had to break their pots and sink their boats.\u00a0 This way, the soldiers would be fighting to eat.\u00a0 This phrase is used to refer to an act where somebody removes all factors\/obstacles that would allow them to stay where they are.<\/p>\n
\u5c71\u5916\u6709\u5c71 shan1wai4you3shan1 – There are mountains beyond the mountains.\u00a0 This can be used to mean “there’s always something better,” or “nothing can be perfect.”\u00a0 I prefer the latter meaning, as I don’t interpret the phrase to necessarily mean “the grass is always greener on the other side.”\u00a0 I usually interpret it as “well although there are things beyond what you’re doing, that fact is irrelevant.”<\/p>\n
\u5bf9\u725b\u5f39\u7434 dui4niu2tan2qin2 – Playing a Zither to a Cow.\u00a0 This is one of the first proverbs I learned, and is almost entirely equivalent to “[to cast] pearls before swine.\u00a0 Stay tuned for more proverbs!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hello readers! Today I’d like to share a couple of my favorite idioms in Chinese. \u5148\u65a9\u540e\u594f xian1zhan3hou4zou4 – act first and report afterwards.\u00a0 This refers to when somebody has done something without asking for permission first.\u00a0 It’s something like “shoot first, ask questions later.” \u7834\u91dc\u6c89\u821f po4fu2chen2zhou1 – Break the Pots and Sink the Boats.\u00a0 This…<\/p>\n