三人行,必有我师
sān rén xíng , bì yǒu wǒ shī
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1 lit. if three walk together, one can be my teacher (idiom, from the Analects of Confucius)
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2 you have sth to learn from everyone
不要在一棵树上吊死
bù yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ
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1 don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)
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2 there's more than one way to skin a cat
二虎相斗,必有一伤
èr hǔ xiāng dòu , bì yǒu yī shāng
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1 lit. when two tigers fight, one is sure to be wounded (idiom)
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2 fig. if it comes to a fight, someone will get hurt
人无远虑,必有近忧
rén wú yuǎn lu:4 , bì yǒu jìn yōu
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1 He who gives no thought to far-flung problems soon finds suffering nearby (idiom, from Analects).
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2 Smug concentration on the here and now will lead to future sorrow.
修心养性
xiū xīn yǎng xìng
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1 to cultivate the heart and nurture the character (idiom); to improve oneself by meditation
两虎相争,必有一伤
liǎng hǔ xiāng zhēng , bì yǒu yī shāng
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1 if two tigers fight, one will get injured (idiom)
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2 if you start a war, someone is bound to get hurt
两虎相斗,必有一伤
liǎng hǔ xiāng dòu , bì yǒu yī shāng
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1 when two tigers fight, one will get injured (idiom)
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2 if it comes to a fight, someone will get hurt.
刀不磨要生锈,人不学要落后
dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù , rén bù xué yào luò hòu
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1 a blade will get rusty if it is not sharpened; a man will fall behind if he doesn't study (idiom)
分久必合,合久必分
fēn jiǔ bì hé , hé jiǔ bì fēn
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1 lit. that which is long divided must unify, and that which is long unified must divide (idiom, from 三國演義|三国演义[Sān guó Yǎn yì])
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2 fig. things are constantly changing
分秒必争
fēn miǎo bì zhēng
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1 seize every minute and second (idiom); not a minute to lose
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2 every moment counts
切中要害
qiè zhòng yào hài
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1 to hit the target and do real damage (idiom)
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2 fig. to hit where it hurts
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3 fig. to hit home
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4 an argument that hits the nail on the head
势在必得
shì zài bì dé
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1 to be determined to win (idiom)
势在必行
shì zài bì xíng
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1 circumstances require action (idiom); absolutely necessary
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2 imperative
又要马儿跑,又要马儿不吃草
yòu yào mǎ r5 pǎo , yòu yào mǎ r5 bù chī cǎo
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1 lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom)
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2 fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too
只要功夫深,铁杵磨成针
zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn
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1 If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
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2 cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
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3 to study diligently
哀兵必胜
āi bīng bì shèng
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1 an army burning with righteous indignation is bound to win (idiom)
多行不义必自毙
duō xíng bù yì bì zì bì
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1 persisting in evil brings about self-destruction (idiom)
天要落雨,娘要嫁人
tiān yào luò yǔ , niáng yào jià rén
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1 the rain will fall, the womenfolk will marry (idiom)
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2 fig. the natural order of things
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3 something you can't go against
好记性不如烂笔头
hǎo jì xìng bù rú làn bǐ tóu
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1 the palest ink is better than the best memory (idiom)
工欲善其事,必先利其器
gōng yù shàn qí shì , bì xiān lì qí qì
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1 To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prerequisite to the successful execution of a job