lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius) / fig. you must choose one or the other / you can't always get everything you want / you can't have your cake and eat it
万事开头难
wàn shì kāi tóu nán
every beginning is difficult (idiom) / getting started is always the hardest part
宝刀不老
bǎo dāo bù lǎo
lit. a good sword always remains sharp (idiom) / fig. (of one's skills etc) to be as good as ever / the old man still has it
手不释卷
shǒu bù shì juàn
lit. always with a book in hand (idiom) / fig. (of a student or scholar) diligent and hardworking
强中自有强中手
qiáng zhōng zì yǒu qiáng zhōng shǒu
however strong you are, there is always someone stronger (idiom) / there is always sth more to learn / never be satisfied to rest on your laurels / there is no room for complacency
lit. belly full of complaints (idiom) / discontent / always moaning and complaining
学无止境
xué wú zhǐ jìng
no end to learning (idiom) / There's always something new to study. / You live and learn.
来鸿去燕
lái hóng qù yàn
lit. the goose comes, the swallow goes (idiom) / fig. always on the move
呼之即来
hū zhī jí lái
to come when called (idiom) / ready and compliant / always at sb's beck and call
呼来喝去
hū lái hè qù
to call to come and shout to go (idiom) / to yell orders / always bossing people around
积不相能
jī bù xiāng néng
always at loggerheads (idiom) / never able to agree with sb / unable to get on with sb
这山望着那山高
zhè shān wàng zhe nà shān gāo
lit. the next mountain looks taller (idiom) / fig. not satisfied with one's current position / the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
you can't always do as you like / one has to compromise in this world (idiom)
往往有之
wǎng wǎng yǒu zhī
to have always had (idiom)
欲加之罪，何患无词
yù jiā zhī zuì , hé huàn wú cí
If you want to condemn sb, don't worry about the pretext (idiom, from Zuozhuan 左傳|左传) / one can always trump up a charge against sb / Give a dog a bad name, then hang him. / also written 慾加之罪,何
欲加之罪，何患无辞
yù jiā zhī zuì , hé huàn wú cí
If you want to condemn sb, don't worry about the pretext (idiom, from Zuozhuan 左傳|左传) / one can always trump up a charge against sb / Give a dog a bad name, then hang him.
However excellent, everyone has his defects. / There is always a fly in the ointment. / cf idiom 美中不足[mei3 zhong1 bu4 zu2], everything is fine except for one small defect
熏风徐来
xūn fēng xú lái
a warm southerly breeze is always gentle (idiom)
蹈常袭故
dǎo cháng xí gù
follow the same old path (idiom) / stuck in a rut / always the same routine
lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius) / fig. you must choose one or the other / you can't always get everything you want / you can't have your cake and eat it
lit. you plant a garden and the flowers do not bloom, you poke a stick in the mud and it grows into a tree / fig. things do not always turn out as one would expect / well-laid plans may fail, and success may come where you least expect it
呼之即来，挥之即去
hū zhī jí lái , huī zhī jí qù
to come when called (idiom) / ready and compliant / always at sb's beck and call
成事不足，败事有余
chéng shì bù zú , bài shì yǒu yú
unable to accomplish anything but liable to spoil everything (idiom) / unable to do anything right / never make, but always mar
成则为王，败则为寇
chéng zé wéi wáng , bài zé wéi kòu
lit. called a king if successful, called a bandit if defeated (idiom) / fig. losers are always in the wrong
人之将死，其言也善
rén zhī jiāng sǐ , qí yán yě shàn
words of a man on his deathbed always come from the heart (proverb)
艺多不压身
yì duō bù yā shēn
it's always good to have more skills (idiom)
山外有山，天外有天
shān wài yǒu shān , tiān wài yǒu tiān
(idiom) however good sth is, there is always sth better / in the wider world there are people more talented than oneself
家花没有野花香
jiā huā méi yǒu yě huā xiāng
lit. the flowers in one's garden cannot match the fragrance of wild flowers (idiom) / fig. other women seem more attractive than one's own partner / the grass is always greener on the other side
lǎo