一是一,二是二
yī shì yī , èr shì èr
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1 lit. one is one, two is two (idiom)
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2 fig. things are (or ought to be) perfectly clear-cut
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3 unequivocal
一身是胆
yī shēn shì dǎn
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1 devoid of fear (idiom)
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2 intrepid
不是一家人不进一家门
bù shì yī jiā rén bù jìn yī jiā mén
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1 people who don't belong together, don't get to live together (idiom)
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2 marriages are predestined
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3 people marry because they share common traits
不是冤家不聚头
bù shì yuān jiā bù jù tóu
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1 destiny will make enemies meet (idiom)
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2 (often said about lovers who have a disagreement)
不是鱼死就是网破
bù shì yú sǐ jiù shì wǎng pò
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1 lit. either the fish dies or the net gets torn (idiom)
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2 fig. it's a life-and-death struggle
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3 it's either him or me
五百年前是一家
wǔ bǎi nián qián shì yī jiā
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1 five hundred years ago we were the same family (idiom) (said of persons with the same surname)
人是铁饭是钢
rén shì tiě fàn shì gāng
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1 one can't function properly on an empty stomach (idiom)
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2 an empty sack cannot stand upright
似是而非
sì shì ér fēi
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1 apparently right but actually wrong; specious (idiom)
俯拾皆是
fǔ shí jiē shì
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1 lit. so numerous that one could just bend down and pick them up (idiom)
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2 fig. extremely common
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3 easily available
口是心非
kǒu shì xīn fēi
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1 duplicity
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2 hypocrisy (idiom)
各行其是
gè xíng qí shì
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1 each one does what he thinks is right (idiom)
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2 each goes his own way
唯利是图
wéi lì shì tú
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1 to seek nothing but profit (idiom); personal profit before everything
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2 self-seeking
女子无才便是德
nu:3 zǐ wú cái biàn shì dé
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1 a woman's virtue is to have no talent (idiom)
如是我闻
rú shì wǒ wén
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1 so I have heard (idiom)
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2 the beginning clause of Buddha's quotations as recorded by his disciple, Ananda (Buddhism)
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
手心手背都是肉
shǒu xīn shǒu bèi dōu shì ròu
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1 lit. both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh (idiom)
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2 fig. to both be of equal importance
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3 to value both equally
挑拨是非
tiǎo bō shì fēi
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1 to incite a quarrel (idiom); to sow discord between people
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2 to tell tales
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3 to make mischief
搬弄是非
bān nòng shì fēi
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1 to incite a quarrel (idiom); to sow discord between people
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2 to tell tales
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3 to make mischief
捡到篮里就是菜
jiǎn dào lán lǐ jiù shì cài
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1 all is grist that comes to the mill (idiom)
明辨是非
míng biàn shì fēi
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1 to distinguish right and wrong (idiom)