不求有功,但求无过
bù qiú yǒu gōng , dàn qiú wú guò
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1 lit. not aiming to achieve the best possible result, but rather trying to avoid making mistakes (idiom)
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2 fig. to take a risk-averse approach
不求甚解
bù qiú shèn jiě
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1 lit. not requiring a detailed understanding (idiom); only looking for an overview
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2 not bothered with the details
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3 superficial
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4 content with shallow understanding
充饥止渴
chōng jī zhǐ kě
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1 to allay one's hunger and slake one's thirst (idiom)
刻舟求剑
kè zhōu qiú jiàn
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1 lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped overboard (idiom); fig. an action made pointless by changed circumstances
千军易得,一将难求
qiān jūn yì dé , yī jiàng nán qiú
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1 Easy to raise an army of one thousand, but hard to find a good general. (idiom)
可遇不可求
kě yù bù kě qiú
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1 can be discovered but not sought (idiom)
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2 one can only come across such things serendipitously
吹毛求疵
chuī máo qiú cī
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1 lit. to blow apart the hairs upon a fur to discover any defect (idiom); fig. to be fastidious
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2 nitpick
梦寐以求
mèng mèi yǐ qiú
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1 to yearn for sth even in one's dreams (idiom)
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2 to long for sth day and night
如饥似渴
rú jī sì kě
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1 to hunger for sth (idiom); eagerly
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2 to long for sth
孜孜以求
zī zī yǐ qiú
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1 diligent and tireless (idiom)
守株待兔,缘木求鱼
shǒu zhū dài tù , yuán mù qiú yú
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1 to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits, and climb a tree to catch fish (idiom); without any practical course of action
实事求是
shí shì qiú shì
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1 to seek truth from facts (idiom)
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2 to be practical and realistic
急于求成
jí yú qiú chéng
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1 anxious for quick results (idiom); to demand instant success
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2 impatient for result
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3 impetuous
舍身求法
shě shēn qiú fǎ
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1 to abandon one's body in the search for Buddha's truth (idiom)
望梅止渴
wàng méi zhǐ kě
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1 lit. to quench one's thirst by thinking of plums (idiom)
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2 fig. to console oneself with illusions
死中求生
sǐ zhōng qiú shēng
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1 to seek life in death (idiom); to fight for one's life
求之不得
qiú zhī bù dé
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1 lit. seek but fail to get (idiom); fig. exactly what one’s been looking for
求人不如求己
qiú rén bù rú qiú jǐ
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1 if you want sth done well, do it yourself (idiom)
求全责备
qiú quán zé bèi
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1 to demand perfection (idiom)
求同存异
qiú tóng cún yì
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1 to seek common ground, putting differences aside (idiom)