corrective influence / to reform (a criminal) / redemption (of a sinner) / to influence (a malefactor to a better life) / to guide sb back to the right path by repeated word and example
lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom) / fig. to act belatedly / better late than never / to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
多多益善
duō duō yì shàn
the more the better
莫如
mò rú
it would be better
北漂
Běi piāo
to migrate to Beijing in search of better job opportunities / migrant worker living and working in Beijing without a residence permit
In order to capture, one must let loose. / to loosen the reins only to grasp them better
时来运转
shí lái yùn zhuǎn
the time comes, fortune turns (idiom) / to have a lucky break / things change for the better
喧宾夺主
xuān bīn duó zhǔ
lit. the voice of the guest overwhelms that of the host (idiom) / fig. a minor player upstages the main attraction / minor details obscure the main point / the sauce is better than the fish
先礼后兵
xiān lǐ hòu bīng
peaceful measures before using force (idiom) / diplomacy before violence / jaw-jaw is better than war-war
比上不足比下有余
bǐ shàng bù zú bǐ xià yǒu yú
to fall short of the best but be better than the worst / can pass muster
不知者不罪
bù zhī zhě bù zuì
One who does not know is not guilty / If one does not know any better, one cannot be held responsible
宁缺毋滥
nìng quē wú làn
better to have nothing (than substandard choice) (idiom) / would prefer to go without than accept shoddy option
视如土芥
shì rú tǔ jiè
to regard as useless / to view as no better than weeds
霍然而愈
huò rán ér yù
to recover speedily (idiom) / to get better quickly
聊胜于无
liáo shèng yú wú
better than nothing (idiom)
骑马找马
qí mǎ zhǎo mǎ
(idiom) (coll.) to continue in an unsatisfactory job (or romantic relationship etc) while actively looking for a better one
引玉之砖
yǐn yù zhī zhuān
lit. a brick thrown to prompt others to produce a jade (idiom) / fig. a modest suggestion intended to prompt others to come forward with better ideas
耳闻不如目见
ěr wén bù rú mù jiàn
seeing sth for oneself is better than hearing about it from others
好汉不吃眼前亏
hǎo hàn bù chī yǎn qián kuī
a wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him (idiom)
知子莫若父
zhī zǐ mò ruò fù
nobody understands one's son better than his father (idiom)
多一事不如少一事
duō yī shì bù rú shǎo yī shì
it is better to avoid unnecessary trouble (idiom) / the less complications the better
更胜
gèng shèng
to be even better than / to be superior to
发奋图强
fā fèn tú qiáng
to make an effort to become strong (idiom) / determined to do better / to pull one's socks up
破茧成蝶
pò jiǎn chéng dié
lit. to break through a cocoon and turn into a butterfly (idiom) / fig. to emerge strong after a period of struggle / to get to a better place after going through difficult period
加深理解
jiā shēn lǐ jiě
to get a better grasp of sth
不治而愈
bù zhì ér yù
to recover spontaneously (from an illness) / to get better without medical treatment
lit. the Zhangs are better off than the Lis (idiom) / to gossip about the neighbors
承乏
chéng fá
to accept a position on a provisional basis, in the absence of better qualified candidates (humble expr.)
折冲樽俎
zhé chōng zūn zǔ
lit. to stop the enemy at the banquet table / fig. to get the better of an enemy during diplomatic functions
有福同享，有祸同当
yǒu fú tóng xiǎng , yǒu huò tóng dāng
To enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together (idiom) / for better or for worse
有福同享，有难同当
yǒu fú tóng xiǎng , yǒu nàn tóng dāng
To enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together (idiom) / for better or for worse
治隆唐宋
zhì lóng táng sòng
"Ruled better that Tang and Song" / Qing Emperor Kangxi's memorial tribute to the first Ming emperor Hongwu 洪武
焚砚
fén yàn
to destroy one's ink-slab / to write no more because others write so much better (idiom)
笑贫不笑娼
xiào pín bù xiào chāng
the notion in society that it's better to get ahead in the world by abandoning one's scruples than to suffer poverty / lit. despising poverty but not prostitution (idiom)
越快越好
yuè kuài yuè hǎo
the faster the better
赶前不赶后
gǎn qián bù gǎn hòu
it's better to hurry at the start than to rush later (idiom)
路上比终点更有意义
lù shang bǐ zhōng diǎn gèng yǒu yì yì
The road means more than the destination. / It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.
shèng