Learn the most common idioms in Chinese

Wáng yáng bǔ láo, wèi wéi wán yǐ.

亡羊补牢，未为晚矣

(p)

It’s better to finish something late than to never do it at all.

Xiǎo Zhāng de gǒu bǎ tā de chē hòumian pòhuài le hǎo jǐ cì. Jīntiān tā zhōngyu zài chē wěi tèzhì le yígè xiǎo gé jiān, suànshì wáng yáng bǔ láo le.

小张的狗把他的车后面破坏了好几次。今天他终于在车尾特制了一个小隔间，算是亡羊补牢了。

Xiao Zhang's dog has damaged the back of his car several times. Finally, today he has just installed a special compartment there; it's better late than never.

Yǒuzhì zhě shì jìng chéng.

有志者事竟成

(p)

When you have a strong will to reach a goal in life, you get that in future.

Zhōngguó de jiāzhǎngmen jīngcháng yòng “yǒuzhì zhě shì jìng chéng” lái gǔlì háizi.

中国的家长们经常用“有志者事竟成”来鼓励孩子。

Chinese parents often use this line to encourage their kids: "Where there is a will, there is a way".

Rùxiāng suísú

入乡随俗

(p)

It is advisable to follow the conventions of the area in which you are residing or visiting.

Zài guó wài zìjià yóu shì yídìng yào rùxiāng suísú de, shíjì shang shì rù xiāng suí “guī”.

在国外自驾游是一定要入乡随俗的，实际上是入乡随“规”。

When travelling abroad by car, you have to do as the Romans do and drive according to their traffic regulations.

Shuō cáocāo, cáocāo dào.

说曹操，曹操到

(p)

The person we were just talking about showed up!

Wǒmen shíbùshí huì yù dào shuō cáocāo, cáocāo dào de qíngkuàng.

我们时不时会遇到说曹操，曹操到的情况。

From time to time, we meet the case of speak of the devil.

Qiānlǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zúxià.

千里之行，始于足下

(p)

You need to make your first step, if you hope to achieve a big thing.

Wǒ shuō yào jiànshēn háojǐ gè xīngqī le, jīntiān zhōngyú kāishǐ le. Qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zúxià.

我说要健身好几个星期了，今天终于开始了。千里之行，始于足下。

I've been talking about hitting the gym for weeks. Today I've finally started. Anyhow, the trip begins with a single step.

dàhǎi lāozhēn

大海捞针

(p)

something impossible to do

" Xiǎng cóng jǐ qiān zhāng zhàopiàn lǐ zhǎo chūlái nǐ yào de nà yìgè, jiù xiàng shì dàhǎi lāozhēn.

想从几千张照片里找出来你要的那一个，就像是大海捞针。

To look for the picture you want from thousands of pictures, it can be impossible.

shà fèi kǔ xīn

煞费苦心

(p)

make all effort possible with much attention

Bǎobao bù xǐhuān chī yú. Māmā shà fèi kǔ xīn de zuò le yígè kǎo yú, dànshì bǎobao háishì méi duōdà xìngqù.

宝宝不喜欢吃鱼。妈妈煞费苦心地做了一个烤鱼，但是宝宝还是没多大兴趣。

Bǎobao doesn't like fish. Mom tried to bake some fish, but Bǎobao is still not quite interested in it.

décùn jìnchǐ

得寸进尺

(n)

When you give someone a small amount of power or freedom to do something, he or she may try to get a lot more.

Lánlan ràng xiǎomāo shuì zài zìjǐ de wòshì dìtǎn shang, kěshì tā dé cùn jìn chǐ, méi liǎng tiān jiù shuì dào le Lánlán de chuáng shang.

岚岚让小猫睡在自己的卧室地毯上，可是它得寸进尺，没两天就睡到了岚岚的床上。

Lánlan let the little cat sleep in her room, but if you give her inch and she’ll take a mile. In a few days, she ended up sleeping on Lánlan's bed.

Yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zi

有其父必有其子

(p)

when a son is similar to his father

Lǎo bùshí hé xiǎo bùshí kàn shàngqu hěn xiàng, kéyǐ shuō tāmen shì yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zi de jīngdiǎn.

老布什和小布什看上去很像，可以说他们是有其父必有其子的经典。

George W. Bush Junior looks quite like his father. They could be considered a classical case of like father, like son.

xuè nóng yú shuǐ

血浓于水

(n)

relationships with family (or blood relatives) is stronger than other relationships

Xuè nóng yú shuǐ zài hànyǔ zhòng yě kéyǐ yòng yú xíngróng zài zhōngguó rén zhī jiān de xiānghù fúzhù.

血浓于水在汉语中也可以用于形容在中国人之间的相互扶助。

The phrase, "Blood is thicker than water," in Chinese, can also be used to describe helping each other among Chinese people who are not relatives.

Yuè shì gùxiāng míng

月是故乡明

(p)

you feel the best when at home

Yuè shì gùxiāng míng zhè jù shī zài jīntiān duōbàn yòng lái miáoshù duōnián zhù guó wài de zhōngguó rén de sīxiāng zhī qíng.

月是故乡明这句诗在今天多半用来描述多年住在国外的中国人的思乡之情。

"The moon shines brighter at homeland" is used today mostly to describe nostalgia from home of someone who lived many years abroad.

Sān ge chòu píjiàng, dǐng ge zhūgéliàng.

三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮

(p)

It’s easier to do something as a team than by yourself.

Xiáo lǐ shì guǎnggào shèjì shī. Tā chángchang wèn zìjǐ de xiānsheng hé érzi xǐ bù xǐhuān yígè túpiàn, huò:“Zhè jù huà zěnmo yàng?” Tā xiàng érzi jiěshì shuō:“Zhè jiào sān gè chòu píjiàng, dǐng gè zhūgéliàng, nǎpà shì gè xiǎo chòu píjiàng.” Dànshì érzi kāishǐ tí tiáojiàn le, bǐrú duō wán yìhuǐ'er yóuxì shénmo de.

小李是广告设计师。她常常问自己的先生和儿子喜不喜欢一个图片，或：“这句话怎么样？” 她向儿子解释说：“这叫三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮，哪怕是个小臭皮匠。” 但是儿子开始提条件了，比如多玩一会儿游戏什么的。

Xiao Li is a poster designer. She often asks her husband and son if they like a certain image. As she explains to her son while talking about the image, ""Two heads are better than one."" Her son enters the conversation, but then says he'd like to play video games for a while longer.

shí quán shí měi

十全十美

(p)

something perfect in every way

Mǎi chē de shíhòu, xiǎozhāng zhīdao méiyǒu shí quán shí měi de xuǎnzé.

买车的时候，小张知道没有十全十美的选择。

When buying a car, Xiao Zhang knows there is not no perfect option.

shǔ yī shǔ èr

数一数二

(p)

the top one or two

Tā shì wǒmen gōngsī shǔ yī shǔ èr de chéngxùyuán.

他是我们公司数一数二的程序员。

He's the no.1 and 2 programmers in our firm.

Gōngfu búfù yǒuxīnrén

功夫不负有心人

(p)

you have to work for what you want

Míngming xǐhuān dǎ lánqiú. Suīrán tā wǔ niánjí cái kāishǐ liànxí, dàn jīng guò jǐ nián jiānchí búxiè de kèwài xùnliàn, tā zài gāozhòng shí chéng le xiào lánqiú duì de zhǔlì duìyuán. Zhè jiùshì gōngfū bú fù yǒuxīnrén.

明明喜欢打篮球。虽然他五年级才开始练习，但经过几年坚持不懈的课外训练，他在高中时成了校篮球队的主力队员。这就是功夫不负有心人。

Míngming likes basketball. Even though he started in the 5th grade, after a few years of persistent training after school, he became a key player in his high school's basketball team. No pain, no gain.