to grasp (often fig.) / to control / to seize (initiative, opportunity, destiny) / to master / to know well / to understand sth well and know how to use it / fluency
lord / master / young gentleman / male prostitute / catamite / mahjong player disqualified by unintentionally taking in the wrong number of dominoes / (old form of address for one's husband) husband
Di Renjie (607-700), Tang dynasty politician, prime minister under Wu Zetian, subsequently hero of legends / master sleuth Judge Dee, aka Chinese Sherlock Holmes, in novel Three murder cases solved by Judge Dee 狄公案[Di2 gong1 an4] translated by Dutch sinologist R.H. van Gulik 高羅珮|高罗佩[Gao1 Luo2 pei4]
八股文
bā gǔ wén
eight-part essay one had to master to pass the imperial exams in Ming and Qing dynasties
莫里哀
Mò lǐ āi
Molière (1622-1673), French playwright and actor, master of comedy
great calligraphy master / the Sage of Calligraphy, traditional reference to Wang Xizhi 王羲之[Wang2 Xi1 zhi1] (303-361)
青出于蓝而胜于蓝
qīng chū yú lán ér shèng yú lán
lit. the color blue is made out of indigo but is more vivid than indigo (idiom) / fig. the student surpasses the master
博而不精
bó ér bù jīng
extensive but not refined (idiom) / to know something about everything / jack-of-all-trades, master of none
尊师贵道
zūn shī guì dào
to revere the master and his teaching
文武双全
wén wǔ shuāng quán
well versed in letters and military technology (idiom) / fine scholar and soldier / master of pen and sword
业精于勤
yè jīng yú qín
mastery of study lies in diligence (idiom). You can only master a subject by assiduous study. / Excellence in work is only possible with diligence. / Practice makes perfect.
行行出状元
háng háng chū zhuàng yuán
lit. in every trade, a master appears (idiom) / fig. You can produce outstanding achievements in any task, provided you put it enough love and diligence
一字之师
yī zì zhī shī
one who can correct a misread or misspelt character and thus be your master
程门立雪
Chéng mén lì xuě
lit. the snow piles up at Cheng Yi's door (idiom) / fig. deep reverence for one's master
黄飞鸿
Huáng Fēi hóng
Wong Fei-hung (1847-1925), martial arts master
梅兰芳
Méi Lán fāng
Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), famous master of Beijing opera, specialist in female roles
三侠五义
Sān xiá wǔ yì
Sanxia wuyi (lit. Three knight-errants and five righteous one), novel edited from stories of late Qing dynasty pinghua 評話|评话 / master storyteller Shi Yukun 石玉昆
Three Murder Cases Solved by Judge Dee, 1949 novel by R.H. van Gulik, featuring Tang Dynasty politician Di Renjie 狄仁傑|狄仁杰[Di2 Ren2 jie2] as master sleuth
Dee Gong An (or Judge Dee's) Cases, 18th century fantasy featuring Tang dynasty politician Di Renjie 狄仁傑|狄仁杰[Di2 Ren2 jie2] as master sleuth, translated by R.H. van Gulik as Three Murder Cases Solved by Judge Dee
理学硕士学位
lǐ xué shuò shì xué wèi
Master of Science (MSc degree)
石玉昆
Shí Yù kūn
Shi Yukun (c. 1810-1871), Qing pinghua 評話|评话[ping2 hua4] master storyteller
总运单
zǒng yùn dān
master air waybill (MAWB) (transport)
叶问
Yè Wèn
Yip Man (1893-1972), martial arts practitioner, master of Bruce Lee
青出于蓝，而胜于蓝
qīng chū yú lán , ér shèng yú lán
lit. the color blue is made out of indigo but is more vivid than indigo (idiom) / fig. the student becomes superior to the master
zhǔ