2 fig. (of officials etc) honest and incorruptible
一碗水端平
yī wǎn shuǐ duān píng
1 lit. to hold a bowl of water level (idiom)
2 fig. to be impartial
一点水一个泡
yī diǎn shuǐ yī gè pào
1 honest and trustworthy (idiom)
三下两下
sān xià liǎng xià
1 quickly and effortlessly (idiom)
三个和尚没水喝
sān gè hé shang méi shuǐ hē
1 lit. three monks have no water to drink (idiom)
2 fig. everybody's business is nobody's business
3 (If there is one monk, he will fetch water for himself. If there are two, they will fetch water together. But if there are three or more, none will take it upon himself to fetch water.)
上下其手
shàng xià qí shǒu
1 to raise and lower one's hand (idiom); to signal as conspiratorial hint
2 fig. conspiring to defraud
上有天堂,下有苏杭
shàng yǒu tiān táng , xià yǒu Sū Háng
1 lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭[Sū Háng] below (idiom)
2 fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven
上有政策,下有对策
shàng yǒu zhèng cè , xià yǒu duì cè
1 The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)
上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
3 sandwich generation
上梁不正下梁歪
shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi
1 lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices
上气不接下气
shàng qì bù jiē xià qì
1 out of breath (idiom)
2 to gasp for air
上行下效
shàng xíng xià xiào
1 subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
不愧下学
bù kuì xià xué
1 not ashamed to learn from subordinates (idiom)
不显山不露水
bù xiǎn shān bù lù shuǐ
1 lit. to not show the mountain and to not reveal the water (idiom); fig. to hide the key facts
世风日下
shì fēng rì xià
1 public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)
干打雷,不下雨
gān dǎ léi , bù xià yǔ
1 all thunder but no rain (idiom)
2 a lot of noise but no action
人不可貌相,海水不可斗量
rén bù kě mào xiàng , hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng
1 you can't judge a person by appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a pint pot (idiom)
人往高处走,水往低处流
rén wǎng gāo chù zǒu , shuǐ wǎng dī chù liú
1 man seeks his way up just as water seeks its way down (idiom)
2 one should constantly strive to make progress
似水年华
sì shuǐ nián huá
1 fleeting years (idiom)
低首下心
dī shǒu xià xīn
1 to be fawningly submissive (idiom)
Sample Sentences
厨房的下水管漏水了。
chúfáng de xiàshuǐguǎn lòushuǐ le 。
The pipe in the kitchen under the sink is leaking water.