不到黄河心不死
bù dào Huáng Hé xīn bù sǐ
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1 lit. not to stop until one reaches the Yellow River (idiom)
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2 fig. to persevere until one reaches one's goal
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3 to keep going while some hope is left
不是鱼死就是网破
bù shì yú sǐ jiù shì wǎng pò
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1 lit. either the fish dies or the net gets torn (idiom)
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2 fig. it's a life-and-death struggle
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3 it's either him or me
不知死活
bù zhī sǐ huó
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1 to act recklessly (idiom)
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
九死一生
jiǔ sǐ yī shēng
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1 nine deaths and still alive (idiom); a narrow escape
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2 new lease of life
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
你死我活
nǐ sǐ wǒ huó
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1 lit. you die, I live (idiom); irreconcilable adversaries
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2 two parties cannot coexist
兔死狐悲
tù sǐ hú bēi
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1 lit. if the rabbit dies, the fox grieves (idiom); fig. to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distress
兔死狗烹
tù sǐ gǒu pēng
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1 lit. to boil the hound once it caught the rabbit (idiom)
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2 fig. to get rid of sb once he has served his purpose
出生入死
chū shēng rù sǐ
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1 from the cradle to the grave (idiom); to go through fire and water
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2 brave
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3 willing to risk life and limb
厚死薄生
hòu sǐ bó shēng
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1 lit. to praise the dead and revile the living
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2 fig. to live in the past (idiom)
哀莫大于心死
āi mò dà yú xīn sǐ
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1 nothing sadder than a withered heart (idiom attributed to Confucius by Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuāng zǐ])
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2 no greater sorrow than a heart that never rejoices
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3 the worst sorrow is not as bad as an uncaring heart
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4 nothing is more wretched than apathy
垂死挣扎
chuí sǐ zhēng zhá
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1 deathbed struggle
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2 final struggle (idiom)
好死不如赖活着
hǎo sǐ bù rú lài huó zhe
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1 better a bad life than a good death (idiom)
宁死不屈
nìng sǐ bù qū
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1 rather die than submit (idiom)
欲仙欲死
yù xiān yù sǐ
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1 to wish one were dead (idiom)
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2 (fig.) to be in seventh heaven
战死沙场
zhàn sǐ shā chǎng
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1 to die in battle (idiom)
打蛇不死，后患无穷
dǎ shé bù sǐ , hòu huàn wú qióng
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1 if you beat the snake without killing it, endless evils will ensue (idiom)
舍生忘死
shě shēng wàng sǐ
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1 bravery with no thought of personal safety (idiom); risking life and limb
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2 undaunted by perils
撑死胆大的，饿死胆小的
chēng sǐ dǎn dà de , è sǐ dǎn xiǎo de
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1 fullness for the bold, famine for the timid (idiom)