一五一十
yī wǔ yī shí
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1 lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail
一传十,十传百
yī chuán shí , shí chuán bǎi
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1 news pass quickly from mouth to mouth (idiom)
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2 an infectious disease spreads quickly (old meaning)
一年被蛇咬十年怕井绳
yī nián bèi shé yǎo shí nián pà jǐng shéng
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1 bitten by a snake in one year, fears the well rope for ten years (idiom); once bitten twice shy
一意孤行
yī yì gū xíng
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1 obstinately clinging to one's course (idiom)
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2 willful
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3 one's own way
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4 dogmatic
一暴十寒
yī pù shí hán
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1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
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2 sporadic effort
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3 short attention span
一曝十寒
yī pù shí hán
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1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
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2 sporadic effort
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3 lack of sticking power
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4 short attention span
一朝被蛇咬,十年怕井绳
yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo , shí nián pà jǐng shéng
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1 once bitten by a snake, ten years in fear of a well rope
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2 once bitten, twice shy (idiom)
一目十行
yī mù shí háng
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1 ten lines at a glance (idiom)
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2 to read very rapidly
一言一行
yī yán yī xíng
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1 every word and action (idiom)
三七二十一
sān qī èr shí yī
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1 three sevens are twenty-one (idiom)
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2 the facts of the matter
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3 the actual situation
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
三十而立
sān shí ér lì
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1 thirty years old and therefore independent (idiom, from Confucius)
三句话不离本行
sān jù huà bù lí běn háng
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1 to talk shop all the time (idiom)
三思而后行
sān sī ér hòu xíng
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1 think again and again before acting (idiom); consider carefully in advance
三思而行
sān sī ér xíng
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1 think three times then go (idiom); don't act before you've thought it through carefully
三百六十行
sān bǎi liù shí háng
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1 all walks of life (idiom)
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2 every trade
上行下效
shàng xíng xià xiào
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1 subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
事怕行家
shì pà háng jiā
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1 an expert always produces the best work (idiom)
五十步笑百步
wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù
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1 the one who has retreated 50 steps laughs at the one who has retreated 100 steps (idiom)
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2 the pot calls the kettle black
令行禁止
lìng xíng jìn zhǐ
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1 lit. if he orders you go, he forbids you stop (idiom); fig. to demand exact compliance with instructions
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2 to ensure strictly obedience