不听老人言，吃亏在眼前
bù tīng lǎo rén yán , chī kuī zài yǎn qián
-
1 (idiom) ignore your elders at your peril
兔子不吃窝边草
tù zi bù chī wō biān cǎo
-
1 A rabbit doesn't eat the grass by its own burrow (idiom); One shouldn't do anything to harm one's neighbors.
又要马儿跑，又要马儿不吃草
yòu yào mǎ r5 pǎo , yòu yào mǎ r5 bù chī cǎo
-
1 lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom)
-
2 fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too
吃一堑，长一智
chī yī qiàn , zhǎng yī zhì
-
1 Fall into the moat and you'll be wiser next time (idiom); One only learns from one's mistakes.
吃不了兜着走
chī bu liǎo dōu zhe zǒu
-
1 lit. if you can't eat it all, you'll have to take it home (idiom)
-
2 fig. you'll have to take the consequences
吃人家的嘴软，拿人家的手短
chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn
-
1 lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't reach (idiom)
-
2 fig. one is partial to those from whom presents have been accepted
吃人血馒头
chī rén xuè mán tou
-
1 to take advantage of others' misfortune (idiom)
吃力不讨好
chī lì bù tǎo hǎo
-
1 arduous and thankless task (idiom); strenuous and unrewarding
吃喝玩乐
chī hē wán lè
-
1 to eat, drink and be merry (idiom)
-
2 to abandon oneself to a life of pleasure
吃大锅饭
chī dà guō fàn
-
1 lit. to eat from the common pot (idiom)
-
2 fig. to be rewarded the same, regardless of performance
吃水不忘掘井人
chī shuǐ bù wàng jué jǐng rén
-
1 Drinking the water of a well, one should never forget who dug it. (idiom)
吃熊心豹子胆
chī xióng xīn bào zi dǎn
-
1 to eat bear heart and leopard gall (idiom)
-
2 to pluck up some courage
吃粮不管事
chī liáng bù guǎn shì
-
1 to eat without working (idiom)
-
2 to take one's pay and not care about the rest
吃苦耐劳
chī kǔ nài láo
-
1 hardworking and enduring hardships (idiom)
吃着碗里，看着锅里
chī zhe wǎn lǐ , kàn zhe guō lǐ
-
1 lit. eyeing what's in the pot as one eats from one's bowl (idiom)
-
2 not content with what one already has
-
3 (of men, typically) to have the wandering eye
吃软不吃硬
chī ruǎn bù chī yìng
-
1 lit. eats soft food, but refuses hard food (idiom)
-
2 amenable to coaxing but not coercion
吃闭门羹
chī bì mén gēng
-
1 to be refused entrance (idiom)
-
2 to find the door closed
吃饭皇帝大
chī fàn huáng dì dà
-
1 eating comes first, then comes everything else (idiom) (Tw)
吃香喝辣
chī xiāng hē là
-
1 lit. to eat delicious food and drink hard liquor (idiom)
-
2 fig. to live well
哑巴吃黄莲
yǎ ba chī huáng lián
-
1 no choice but to suffer in silence (idiom)
-
2 also written 啞巴吃黃連|哑巴吃黄连
-
3 (often precedes 有苦說不出|有苦说不出[yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū])