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COMMON CHINESE IDIOMS (CHENGYU) PART 1

It’s raining cats and dogs, that’s right you guessed it, today’s fun topic is idioms. And we’re looking at some very interesting Chinese idioms you can enhance your Chinese language skills with and even sound like a native speaker. Learn Chinese idioms you will actually want to use in real life too.


Firstly what is idiom translated in Mandarin Chinese? That’s correct, it’s Chéngyǔ (成语)


So let’s take a look at the first part of our common Chinese Chéngyǔ.


ài bù shì shǒu

爱不释手

To love something so much you can’t bear to part with it.


Example:

Tā duì zìjǐ de xīn chē ài bù shì shǒu.

他对自己的新车爱不释手。

He loves his new car so much he can’t bear to part with it.



bá shān shè shuǐ

跋山涉水

To travel over mountains and rivers / to make an arduous journey


e.g.

Tā bá shān shè shuǐ qù Měiguó.

他跋山涉水去美国。

He moved mountains and rivers to get to America



bái shǒu qǐ jiā

白手起家

To make a fortune starting from scratch


e.g. Mǎ yún bái shǒu qǐ jiā

马云白手起家

Jack Ma made his fortune from scratch.



píng yì jìn rén

平易近人

An amiable and approachable person


e.g. Wǒ de xīn tóngshì dōu hěn píngyì jìnrén

我的新同事都很平易近人

My new colleagues are approachable people.



bàn tú ér fèi

半途而废

To give up halfway or leave something unfinished


e.g.

Jiāyóu! Bùyào bàntú'érfèi!

加油!不要半途而废!

Come on! Don’t give up!



yì wú suǒ yǒu

一无所有

To have nothing at all


e.g.

Tā  zhēn de yīwúsuǒyǒu le.

他 真的一无所有了。

He really had nothing left.



jiǔ niú yì máo

九牛一毛

Something so small it is like 9 cows and 1 strand of cow hair


e.g.

Duì tā lái shuō, zhè diǎnr sǔnshī shì jiǔniú yìmáo.

对 他来说, 这点儿损失是九牛一毛。

For him, the loss is a drop in the ocean.



yí jiàn zhōng qíng

一见钟情

Love at first sight


e.g.

Wǒ duì tā yíjiàn zhōnɡqínɡ.

我对她一见钟情  。

I fell in love with her at first sight.



zì yóu zì zài

自由自在

Free and easy (usually relating to people or place)


e.g.

Wǒ xiǎnɡ yào zìyóu zìzài de shēnɡhuó.

我想要自由自在的生活 。

I want to live a free life.



mò míng qí miào

莫名其妙

To be baffled, or unable articulate the profoundness of something


e.g.

Tā yǒudiǎnr mòmínɡ qímiào.

他有点儿莫名其妙  。

He was a little confused.



jīn jīn yǒu wèi

津津有味

To eat something deliciously, or do something with passionate engagement


e.g.

Tā chī de jīnjīn yǒuwèi.

她吃 得津 津 有 味 。

She ate with relish.



xīn xuè lái cháo

心血来潮

Spur of the moment, or on a whim. To do something impulsively or without thinking, usually a negative term.

e.g.


Wǒ tūrán xīnxuè láicháo xiǎnɡ mǎi yíshù huā.

我突然心血来潮想买一束花 。

I have a sudden impulse to buy a bunch of flowers.



shùn qí zì rán

顺其自然

To let nature take its course / to let it be


e.g.

Wǒ xǐhuɑn shùnqí zìrán.

我喜欢  顺  其自然 。

I like to let things be.



wáng yáng bǔ láo

亡羊补牢

Literally to mend the pen after sheep are lost, meaning better late than never


e.g.

Nǐ xiànzài wánɡyánɡ bǔláo, hái bú suàn tài wǎn.

你现在亡羊补牢, 还不算太晚 。

It is not too late for you to make up for it now.



luàn qī bā zāo

乱七八糟

in complete disorder, a mess


e.g.

Tā de fánɡjiān bèi xiǎotōu ɡǎo de luànqī bāzāo.

他的房间被小偷搞得乱七八糟 。

His room was messed up by thieves.



wǒ xíng wǒ sù

我行我素

to stick to your own way of doing things

e.g.

Tā shì yíɡè wǒxínɡ wǒsù de rén.

她是一个我行我素的人。

She is a person who goes her own way.



xǔ xǔ rú shēng

栩栩如生

as vivid as life


e.g.

Huàr shànɡ de niǎor xǔxǔ rúshēnɡ.

画儿上的鸟儿栩栩如生。

The birds in the picture are lifelike.



hú shuō bā dào

胡说八道

to talk nonsense


e.g.

Nǐ búyào húshuō bādào.

你不要胡说八道 。

Don't talk nonsense.



jǔ mù wú qīn

举目无亲

to be a stranger in a strange land


e.g.

Dì yī cì lái Zhōngguó wǒ jǔmù wúqīn

第一次来中国我举目无亲

The first time I came to China I was a stranger in a strange land



huàn rán yì  xīn

焕然一新

to take on a completely new appearance


e.g.

Māmɑ bǎ wūzi zhuānɡshì de huànrán yìxīn,

妈妈把屋子装    饰 得焕  然 一新 。

Mother decorated the house with a new look.



Did you enjoy learning these Chinese idioms?

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