that one / that thing / that (as opposed to this) / (used before a verb or adjective for emphasis) / (used to humorously or indirectly refer to sth embarrassing, funny etc, or when one can't think of the right word) / (used in speech as a filler, similar to "umm", "you know" etc) / (euph.) menstruation / sex / also pr. [nei4 ge5]
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.)
究竟
jiū jìng
to go to the bottom of a matter / after all / when all is said and done / (in an interrogative sentence) finally / outcome / result
he or him / (used for either sex when the sex is unknown or unimportant) / (used before sb's name for emphasis) / (used as a meaningless mock object) / other / another
进退
jìn tuì
to advance or retreat / knowing when to come and when to leave / a sense of propriety
to include (as a free gift, when buying sth) / to come with
改口
gǎi kǒu
to change one's tune / to modify one's previous remark / to change the way one addresses sb (as when one marries and starts to call one's husband's parents 爸爸[ba4 ba5] and 媽媽|妈妈[ma1 ma5])
宋楚瑜
Sòng Chǔ yú
James Soong (1942-), Taiwanese politician expelled from Guomindang in 2000 when he founded People First Party 親民黨|亲民党
五代
Wǔ dài
Five Dynasties, period of history between the fall of the Tang dynasty (907) and the founding of the Song dynasty (960), when five would-be dynasties were established in quick succession in North China
七夕
Qī xī
double seven festival, evening of seventh of lunar seventh month / girls' festival / Chinese Valentine's day, when Cowherd and Weaving maid 牛郎織女|牛郎织女 / are allowed their annual meeting
出其不意
chū qí bù yì
to do sth when least expected (idiom) / to catch sb off guard
曾几何时
céng jǐ hé shí
just a while before / not so long ago / everyone can remember when..
lit. where water flows, a canal is formed (idiom) / fig. when conditions are right, success will follow naturally
合拢
hé lǒng
to close (flower, eyes, suitcase etc) / to bring together / (insect or bird when not flying) to fold (its wings)
有劳
yǒu láo
(polite) thank you for your trouble (used when asking a favor or after having received one)
半壁江山
bàn bì jiāng shān
half of the country (esp. when half the country has fallen into enemy hands) / vast swathe of territory
敲开
qiāo kāi
to get sth open by tapping or striking it / (figuratively, when followed by sth like ∼的大門|∼的大门[xx5 de5 da4 men2]) to open the door to ~ / to gain access to ~
见面礼
jiàn miàn lǐ
gift given to sb when meeting them for the first time
摇钱树
yáo qián shù
a legendary tree that sheds coins when shaken / a source of easy money (idiom)
落井下石
luò jǐng xià shí
to throw stones at sb who has fallen down a well (idiom) / to hit a person when he's down
献丑
xiàn chǒu
(used self-deprecatingly, e.g. when asked to sing a song) to put one's artistic incompetence on display
youngest / most junior / tiny / one (unambiguous spoken form when spelling out numbers, esp. on telephone or in military) / one or ace on dice or dominoes / variant of 吆[yao1], to shout
伸懒腰
shēn lǎn yāo
to stretch oneself (on waking or when tired etc)
痛定思痛
tòng dìng sī tòng
to think of the pain when the pain is gone (idiom) / to ponder about a painful experience
华灯初上
huá dēng chū shàng
early evening when lanterns are first lit
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)
鸿门宴
Hóng mén Yàn
Hongmen feast / (fig.) banquet set up with the aim of murdering a guest / refers to a famous episode in 206 BC when future Han emperor Liu Bang 劉邦|刘邦[Liu2 Bang1] escaped attempted murder by his rival Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiang4 Yu3]
含羞草
hán xiū cǎo
mimosa / sensitive plant (that closes its leaves when touched)
饥不择食
jī bù zé shí
when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (idiom) / beggars can't be choosers / When matters are urgent, don't spend time choosing alternatives.
笑里藏刀
xiào lǐ cáng dāo
lit. a dagger hidden in smiles (idiom) / friendly manners belying hypocritical intentions / when the fox preaches, look to the geese
临时抱佛脚
lín shí bào fó jiǎo
lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet when danger arises (idiom) / fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble / doing things at the last minute / making a hasty last-minute effort
男女授受不亲
nán nu:3 shòu shòu bù qīn
men and women should not touch hands when they give or receive things (citation, from Mencius)
忌口
jì kǒu
abstain from certain food (as when ill) / avoid certain foods / be on a diet
万元户
wàn yuán hù
household with savings or annual income of 10,000 yuan or more (considered a large amount in the 1970s, when the term became established)
打落水狗
dǎ luò shuǐ gǒu
lit. to beat a drowning dog (idiom) / fig. to pulverize an (already defeated) enemy / to hit sb when he's down
虎符
hǔ fú
tiger tally (a two-piece object made in the shape of a tiger, used in ancient China as proof of authority. One half of a tally could be issued to a military officer and this would be matched with the other half when verification was required.)
七夕节
Qī xī jié
Qixi Festival or Double Seven Festival on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month / girls' festival / Chinese Valentine's day, when Cowherd and Weaving maid 牛郎織女|牛郎织女[niu2 lang3 zhi1 nu:3] are allowed their annual meeting
坐山观虎斗
zuò shān guān hǔ dòu
sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight / watch in safety whilst others fight then reap the rewards when both sides are exhausted (idiom)
露白
lòu bái
to reveal one's valuables inadvertently / to betray one's silver (money) when traveling
瓜熟蒂落
guā shú dì luò
when the melon is ripe, it falls (idiom) / problems sort themselves out in the fullness of time
话不投机半句多
huà bù tóu jī bàn jù duō
when views are irreconcilable, it's a waste of breath to continue discussion (idiom)
中元节
Zhōng yuán jié
Ghost Festival on 15th day of 7th lunar month when offerings are made to the deceased
抱佛脚
bào fó jiǎo
lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet (without ever having burned incense) (idiom) / fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble / panic measures in place of timely preparation
树倒猢狲散
shù dǎo hú sūn sàn
When the tree topples the monkeys scatter. (idiom) / fig. an opportunist abandons an unfavorable cause / Rats leave a sinking ship.
吆五喝六
yāo wǔ hè liù
lit. to shout out hoping for fives and sixes when gambling with dice / a hubbub of gambling
女大不中留
nu:3 dà bù zhōng liú
when a girl is of age, she must be married off (idiom)
思春期
sī chūn qī
age when girls start to develop feelings for the opposite sex / puberty
卸磨杀驴
xiè mò shā lu:2
lit. to kill the donkey when the grinding is done (idiom) / to get rid of sb once he has ceased to be useful
youngest / most junior / tiny / one (unambiguous spoken form when spelling out numbers, esp. on telephone or in military) / one or ace on dice or dominoes / variant of 吆[yao1], to shout
When you enter a village, follow the local customs (idiom) / do as the natives do / When in Rome, do as the Romans do
度日如年
dù rì rú nián
a day drags past like a year (idiom) / time hangs heavy / time crawls when one is wretched
物极必反
wù jí bì fǎn
when things reach an extreme, they can only move in the opposite direction (idiom)
歃血为盟
shà xuè wéi méng
to smear the lips with blood when taking an oath (idiom) / to swear a sacred oath
置之死地而后生
zhì zhī sǐ dì ér hòu shēng
place sb on a field of death and he will fight to live (idiom based on Sunzi's "The Art of War" 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sun1 zi3 Bing1 fa3]) / to fight desperately when confronting mortal danger / fig. to find a way out of an impasse
饮水思源
yǐn shuǐ sī yuán
lit. when you drink water, think of its source (idiom) / gratitude for blessings and their well-spring / Don't forget where your happiness come from. / Be grateful for all your blessings!
能者多劳
néng zhě duō láo
it's the most capable people who do the most work (idiom) (intended as consolation for the overworked, or flattery when making a request etc)
避其锐气击其惰归
bì qí ruì qì jī qí duò guī
to avoid the enemy when he is fresh and strike him when he is tired and withdraws
病急乱投医
bìng jí luàn tóu yī
lit. to turn to any doctor one can find when critically ill (idiom) / fig. to try anyone or anything in a crisis
伊於胡底
yī yú hú dǐ
when will it stop
不知进退
bù zhī jìn tuì
not knowing when to come or leave (idiom) / with no sense of propriety
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
传呼电话
chuán hū diàn huà
neighborhood telephone, with sb in charge of notifying others when they receive a call
及锋而试
jí fēng ér shì
lit. to reach the tip and try (idiom) / to have a go when at one's peak
呼之即来
hū zhī jí lái
to come when called (idiom) / ready and compliant / always at sb's beck and call
得饶人处且饶人
dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén
where it is possible to let people off, one should spare them (idiom) / anyone can make mistakes, forgive them when possible
dāng