一瓶子不响，半瓶子晃荡
yī píng zi bù xiǎng , bàn píng zi huàng dang
-
1 lit. a full bottle makes no sound; a half-filled bottle sloshes (idiom)
-
2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥
yī lì lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu
-
1 lit. a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom)
-
2 fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤
yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō tāng
-
1 lit. a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)
-
2 fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
-
1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
-
2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
-
3 sandwich generation
不入虎穴，焉得虎子
bù rù hǔ xué , yān dé hǔ zǐ
-
1 How do you catch the tiger cub without entering the tiger's lair? (idiom); Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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
不见兔子不撒鹰
bù jiàn tù zi bù sā yīng
-
1 you don't release the hawk until you've seen the hare (idiom)
-
2 one doesn't act without some incentive
乱臣贼子
luàn chén zéi zǐ
-
1 rebels and traitors (idiom)
-
2 general term for scoundrel
仁人君子
rén rén jūn zǐ
-
1 people of good will (idiom); charitable person
以子之矛，攻子之盾
yǐ zǐ zhī máo , gōng zǐ zhī dùn
-
1 lit. use sb's spear to attack his shield (idiom, derived from Han Feizi 韓非子|韩非子); turning a weapon against its owner
-
2 fig. to attack an opponent using his own devices
-
3 hoist with his own petard
以小人之心，度君子之腹
yǐ xiǎo rén zhī xīn , duó jūn zǐ zhī fù
-
1 to gauge the heart of a gentleman with one's own mean measure (idiom)
佳人才子
jiā rén cái zǐ
-
1 beautiful lady, gifted scholar (idiom)
-
2 pair of ideal lovers
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.
刀子嘴，豆腐心
dāo zi zuǐ , dòu fu xīn
-
1 to have a sharp tongue but a soft heart (idiom)
包子有肉不在褶上
bāo zi yǒu ròu bù zài zhě shàng
-
1 a book is not judged by its cover (idiom)
又想当婊子又想立牌坊
yòu xiǎng dāng biǎo zi yòu xiǎng lì pái fāng
-
1 lit. to lead the life of a whore but still want a monument put up to one's chastity (idiom)
-
2 fig. to have bad intentions but still want a good reputation
-
3 to want to have one's cake and eat it too
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
君子之交
jūn zǐ zhī jiāo
-
1 friendship between gentlemen, insipid as water (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuāng zǐ])
君子之交淡如水
jūn zǐ zhī jiāo dàn rú shuǐ
-
1 a gentleman's friendship, insipid as water (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuāng zǐ])
君子报仇，十年不晚
jūn zi bào chóu , shí nián bù wǎn
-
1 lit. for a nobleman to take revenge, ten years is not too long (idiom)
-
2 fig. revenge is a dish best served cold