only have ... / there is only ... / (used in combination with 才[cai2]) it is only if one ... (that one can ...) (Example: 只有通過治療才能痊愈|只有通过治疗才能痊愈[zhi3 you3 tong1 guo4 zhi4 liao2 cai2 neng2 quan2 yu4] "the only way to cure it is with therapy") / it is only ... (who ...) (Example: 只有男性才有此需要[zhi3 you3 nan2 xing4 cai2 you3 ci3 xu1 yao4] "only men would have such a requirement") / (used to indicate that one has no alternative) one can only (do a certain thing) (Example: 只有屈服[zhi3 you3 qu1 fu2] "the only thing you can do is give in")
to think (i.e. to take it to be true that ...) (Usually there is an implication that the notion is mistaken &ndash / except when expressing one's own current opinion.)
没办法
méi bàn fǎ
there is nothing to be done / one can't do anything about it
up here, down there (idiom) / to rise and fall in succession / no sooner one subsides, the next arises / repeating continuously / occurring again and again (of applause, fires, waves, protests, conflicts, uprisings etc)
特别行政区
tè bié xíng zhèng qū
special administrative region (SAR), of which there are two in the PRC: Hong Kong 香港 / and Macau 澳門|澳门 / refers to many different areas during late Qing, foreign occupation, warlord period and Nationalist government / refers to special zones in North Korea and Indonesia
to act as though there were nobody else present / unselfconscious / fig. without regard for others
大有人在
dà yǒu rén zài
there are plenty of such people
一蹴而就
yī cù ér jiù
to get there in one step (idiom) / easily done / success at a stroke / to get results overnight
不着边际
bù zhuó biān jì
not to the point / wide of the mark / neither here nor there / irrelevant
空载
kōng zài
(of a ship, train etc) not carrying any load (i.e. no passengers or freight etc) / (electricity) no-load (used to describe the condition of a transformer when there is no load connected to its secondary coil)
爱莫能助
ài mò néng zhù
unable to help however much one would like to (idiom) / Although we sympathize, there is no way to help you. / My hands are tied.
心有余而力不足
xīn yǒu yú ér lì bù zú
the will is there, but not the strength (idiom) / the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
empty cave, nothing there (idiom) / devoid of substance / nothing new to show
置之死地而后生
zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu shēng
(idiom based on Sunzi's "The Art of War" 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1zi3 Bing1fa3]) to deploy one's troops in such a way that there is no possibility of retreat, so that they will fight for their lives and win the battle / to fight desperately when confronted with mortal danger / to find a way to emerge from a dire situation
兵不厌诈
bīng bù yàn zhà
there can never be too much deception in war / in war nothing is too deceitful / all's fair in war
不破不立
bù pò bù lì
without destruction there can be no construction
一分为二
yī fēn wéi èr
one divides into two / to be two-sided / there are two sides to everything / to see both sb's good points and shortcomings (idiom)
一蹴而得
yī cù ér dé
to get there in one step (idiom) / easily done / success at a stroke / to get results overnight
来日方长
lái rì fāng cháng
the future is long (idiom) / there will be ample time for that later / We'll cross that bridge when we get there
侯门似海
hóu mén sì hǎi
lit. the gate of a noble house is like the sea / there is a wide gap between the nobility and the common people (idiom)
劫数难逃
jié shù nán táo
Destiny is inexorable, there is no fleeing it (idiom). Your doom is at hand.
完事大吉
wán shì dà jí
everything is finished (idiom) / And there you are!
强将手下无弱兵
qiáng jiàng shǒu xià wú ruò bīng
there are no poor soldiers under a good general (idiom)
有目共见
yǒu mù gòng jiàn
anyone with eyes can see it (idiom) / obvious to all / sth speaks for itself / is there for all to see
无风不起浪
wú fēng bù qǐ làng
lit. without wind there cannot be waves (idiom) / there must be a reason / no smoke without fire
生财有道
shēng cái yǒu dào
lit. there are principles behind making money (idiom) / fig. to have a knack for good business / knowing how to accumulate wealth / good at feathering one's own nest
一物降一物
yī wù xiáng yī wù
lit. one object bests another object / every item has a weakness (idiom) / there is a rock to every scissor, a scissor to every paper, and a paper to every rock
永无宁日
yǒng wú níng rì
(in such circumstances) there will be no peace / one can never breathe easy
等额选举
děng é xuǎn jǔ
non-competitive election (i.e. with as many candidates as there are seats) / single-candidate election
赶得及
gǎn dé jí
there is still time (to do sth) / to be able to do sth in time / to be able to make it
lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八[ba1] (idiom) / fig. things have not even begun to take shape / no sign of success yet
八字还没一撇儿
bā zì hái méi yī piě r
lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八[ba1] (idiom) / fig. things have not even begun to take shape / no sign of success yet
心有余，力不足
xīn yǒu yú , lì bù zú
The will is there, but not the strength (idiom, from Confucian Analects). / I really want to do it, but don't have the resources. / The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
有宝何必人前夸
yǒu bǎo hé bì rén qián kuā
There is no need to boast about one's treasures. (idiom)
束矢难折
shù shǐ nán zhé
lit. bundled arrows are difficult to break / there is strength in unity (idiom)
每一个人都有美中不足的地方
měi yī gè rén dōu yǒu měi zhōng bù zú de dì fang
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
求学无坦途
qiú xué wú tǎn tú
The path of learning can never be smooth. / There is no royal road to learning. (idiom)
生命不息，战斗不止
shēng mìng bù xī , zhàn dòu bù zhǐ
while there is life, the fight continues (idiom) / to fight to the last
An, a place in the area of present-day Jinan, Shandong where in 589 BC there was a battle between the states of Qi 齊國|齐国[Qi2guo2] and Jin 晉國|晋国[Jin4guo2]
麻雀虽小，五脏俱全
má què suī xiǎo , wǔ zàng jù quán
the sparrow may be small but all its vital organs are there (idiom) / small but complete in every detail
点到即止
diǎn dào jí zhǐ
to touch on sth and leave it there / to take care not to overdo sth
不归路
bù guī lù
road to ruin / course of action from which there is no turning back
lit. there is nothing the determined person can't accomplish (idiom) / fig. persistence will overcome
曾经沧海难为水，除却巫山不是云
céng jīng cāng hǎi nán wéi shuǐ , chú què Wū Shān bù shì yún
there are no rivers to one who has crossed the ocean, and no clouds to one who has passed Mount Wu (idiom) / one who has seen the world doesn't stop at small things
总有
zǒng yǒu
inevitably there will be
色字头上一把刀
sè zì tóu shàng yī bǎ dāo
lit. there is a knife above the character for lust / fig. lascivious activities can lead to bitter consequences
过而能改，善莫大焉
guò ér néng gǎi , shàn mò dà yān
If one can change after making a mistake, there is nothing better (idiom)
冤冤相报何时了
yuān yuān xiāng bào hé shí liǎo
if revenge breeds revenge, will there ever be an end to it? (Buddhist saying)
君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚
jūn zi tǎn dàng dàng , xiǎo rén cháng qī qī
good people are at peace with themselves, (but) there is no rest for the wicked
yǒu