| 理想 | lǐ xiǎng | an ideal / a dream / ideal / perfect |   |
| 志向 | zhì xiàng | ambition / goal / ideal / aspiration | |
| 天造地设 | tiān zào dì shè | lit. made by Heaven and arranged by Earth(idiom) / ideal / perfect / (of a match) made in heaven / to be made for one another | |
| 再好不过 | zài hǎo bù guò | couldn't be better / ideal / wonderful | |
| 怀抱 | huái bào | to hug / to cherish / within the bosom (of the family) / to embrace (also fig. an ideal, aspiration etc) | |
| 大同 | Dà tóng | (Confucianism) Great Harmony (concept of an ideal society) | |
| 不理想 | bù lǐ xiǎng | not ideal | |
| 妙处 | miào chù | ideal place / suitable location / merit / advantage | |
| 上善若水 | shàng shàn ruò shuǐ | the ideal is to be like water (which benefits all living things and does not struggle against them) (quotation from the "Book of Dao" 道德經|道德经[Dao4 de2 jing1]) | |
| 才子佳人 | cái zǐ jiā rén | gifted scholar, beautiful lady (idiom) / pair of ideal lovers | |
| 远志 | yuǎn zhì | far-reaching ambition / lofty ideal / milkwort (Polygala myrtifolia), with roots used in Chinese medicine | |
| 理想国 | lǐ xiǎng guó | ideal state / utopia | |
| 乘龙快婿 | chéng lóng kuài xù | ideal son-in-law | |
| 珠联璧合 | zhū lián bì hé | string of pearl and jade (idiom) / ideal combination / perfect pair | |
| 佳人才子 | jiā rén cái zǐ | beautiful lady, gifted scholar (idiom) / pair of ideal lovers | |
| 郎才女貌 | láng cái nu:3 mào | talented man and beautiful woman / ideal couple | |
| 淡泊明志 | dàn bó míng zhì | living a simple life as one's ideal (idiom) | |
| 如意郎君 | rú yì láng jūn | ideal husband / "Mr. Right" | |
| 男才女貌 | nán cái nu:3 mào | talented man and beautiful woman / ideal couple | |
| 远大理想 | yuǎn dà lǐ xiǎng | lofty ideal | |
| 费雪理想指数 | | Fisher's ideal index | |
| 体育运动和奥林匹克理想国际年 | | International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal | |
| 钱多事少离家近 | qián duō shì shǎo lí jiā jìn | lots of money, less work, and close to home / ideal job | |
| 蚊子馆 | wén zi guǎn | (jocular) public building that has been lying idle (and is thus ideal for housing mosquitos) (Tw) | |
