之乎者也
zhī hū zhě yě
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1 lit. 之[zhī], 乎[hū], 者[zhě] and 也[yě] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom); fig. archaic expressions
亡命之徒
wáng mìng zhī tú
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1 runaway (idiom); desperate criminal
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2 fugitive
亡国灭种
wáng guó miè zhǒng
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1 country destroyed, its people annihilated (idiom); total destruction
亡羊补牢
wáng yáng bǔ láo
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1 lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom)
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2 fig. to act belatedly
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3 better late than never
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4 to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
人为财死，鸟为食亡
rén wèi cái sǐ , niǎo wèi shí wáng
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1 lit. human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food (idiom)
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2 fig. man will do anything in his means to become rich
人琴俱亡
rén qín jù wàng
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1 person and lute have both vanished (idiom)
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2 death of a close friend
仁者见仁，智者见智
rén zhě jiàn rén , zhì zhě jiàn zhì
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1 The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom.
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2 Different views are admissible. (idiom)
来者不善，善者不来
lái zhě bù shàn , shàn zhě bù lái
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1 He who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come (idiom).
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2 Be careful not to trust foreigners.
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3 Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
来者不拒
lái zhě bù jù
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1 to refuse nobody (idiom)
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2 all comers welcome
前不见古人，后不见来者
qián bù jiàn gǔ rén , hòu bù jiàn lái zhě
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1 unique
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2 unprecedented (idiom)
胜者王侯败者寇
shèng zhě wáng hóu bài zhě kòu
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1 the winners become princes and marquises; the losers are vilified as bandits (idiom)
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2 history is written by the victors
名存实亡
míng cún shí wáng
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1 the name remains, but the reality is gone (idiom)
唇亡齿寒
chún wáng chǐ hán
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1 lit. without the lips, the teeth feel the cold (idiom); fig. intimately interdependent
国家兴亡，匹夫有责
guó jiā xīng wáng , pǐ fū yǒu zé
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1 The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility for the prosperity of society.
国破家亡
guó pò jiā wáng
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1 the country ruined and the people starving (idiom)
天下兴亡，匹夫有责
tiān xià xīng wáng , pǐ fū yǒu zé
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1 The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility for the prosperity of society.
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
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1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
始作俑者
shǐ zuò yǒng zhě
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1 lit. the first person to bury funerary dolls (idiom)
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2 fig. the originator of an evil practice
姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
Jiāng tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
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1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want it, take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
家破人亡
jiā pò rén wáng
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1 family bankrupt and the people dead (idiom); ruined and orphaned
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2 destitute and homeless