一失足成千古恨
yī shī zú chéng qiān gǔ hèn
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1 a single slip may cause everlasting sorrow (idiom)
一成不变
yī chéng bù biàn
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1 nothing much changes (idiom); always the same
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2 stuck in a rut
一条路走到黑
yī tiáo lù zǒu dào hēi
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1 lit. to follow one road until dark (idiom)
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2 fig. to stick to one's ways
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3 to cling to one's course
一清如水
yī qīng rú shuǐ
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1 lit. as clear as water (idiom)
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2 fig. (of officials etc) honest and incorruptible
一碗水端平
yī wǎn shuǐ duān píng
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1 lit. to hold a bowl of water level (idiom)
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2 fig. to be impartial
一语成谶
yī yǔ chéng chèn
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1 (idiom) to have one's words turn out to be (tragically) prophetic
一雨成秋
yī yǔ chéng qiū
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1 a sudden shower towards the end of summer brings an abrupt arrival of autumn (idiom)
一点水一个泡
yī diǎn shuǐ yī gè pào
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1 honest and trustworthy (idiom)
三五成群
sān wǔ chéng qún
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1 in groups of three or four (idiom)
三人成虎
sān rén chéng hǔ
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1 three men talking makes a tiger (idiom); repeated rumor becomes a fact
三个和尚没水喝
sān gè hé shang méi shuǐ hē
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1 lit. three monks have no water to drink (idiom)
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2 fig. everybody's business is nobody's business
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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.)
三个臭皮匠,合成一个诸葛亮
sān gè chòu pí jiang , hé chéng yī gè Zhū gě Liàng
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1 lit. three ignorant cobblers add up to a genius (idiom); fig. collective wisdom
不以规矩,不能成方圆
bù yǐ guī ju , bù néng chéng fāng yuán
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1 without rules, nothing can be done (idiom, from Mencius); one must follow some rules
不到火候不揭锅
bù dào huǒ hòu bù jiē guō
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1 don't act until the time is ripe (idiom)
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
不问就听不到假话
bù wèn jiù tīng bù dào jiǎ huà
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1 Don't ask and you won't be told any lies. (idiom)
不成功便成仁
bù chéng gōng biàn chéng rén
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1 to succeed or die trying (idiom)
不成体统
bù chéng tǐ tǒng
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1 not according with decorum (idiom); scandalous
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2 bad form
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3 unacceptable behavior
不打不成器
bù dǎ bù chéng qì
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1 spare the rod and spoil the child (idiom)
不打不成才
bù dǎ bù chéng cái
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1 spare the rod and spoil the child (idiom)