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Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun learning Chinese? Well, we certainly hope so. That’s right, you guessed it again, today we’re continuing to look at interesting common Chinese idioms and ones that you can use in conversations and make a great impression when you’re actually using your Chinese language skills.

Good things do come to those who wait, but you won’t have to wait any longer, here is the second part of our common Chinese Chéngyǔ.

Shí quán shí měi

十全十美

Perfect

e.g.

Méiyǒu rén shì shí quán shí měi de .

没有人是十全十美的。

No one is perfect.

…

Pò bù jí dài

迫不及待

Impatiently waiting, you cannot wait for something…

e.g.

Wǒ pò bù jí dài de xiǎnɡ jiàn dào nǐ.

我迫不及待地想见到你。

I can't wait to see you.

…

Zhū sī mǎ jì

蛛丝马迹

Literally spider's web and horse's footprints.  Hidden traces, hints or clues.

e.g.

Fànrén yídìnɡ huì liú xià yì xiē zhū sī mǎ jì.

犯人一定会留下一些蛛丝马迹。

The prisoner must have left some trace.

…

Bó dà jīnɡ shēn

博大精深

Extensive and profound

e.g.

Wǒmen de wénhuà bó dà jīnɡ shēn.

我们的文化博大精深。

Our culture is extensive and profound.

…

Dú  yī  wú èr

独一无二

Unique, unmatched, in a class of your own, one of a kind

e.g.

Nǐ shì dú yì wú èr de

你是独一无二的。

You are unique.

…

Lì suǒ néng jí

力所能及

As one's capacity allows, within one’s ability

e.g.

Wǒ bānɡ māmɑ zuò xiē lì suǒ nénɡ jí de jiā wù.

我帮妈妈做些力所能及的家务。

I help my mother do the housework as much as I can.

…

Shǒu zhū dài tù

守株待兔

Literally means to wait every day under the tree, in the hope that a hare would kill itself by crashing into a tree trunk. Basically to mean to wait idly for opportunities, wait for chance rather than take the initiative.

e.g.

Nǐ xiǎnɡ zhǎo dào hǎo ɡōnɡzuò ， jiù bù nénɡ shǒu zhū dài tù.

你想找到好工作，就不能守株待兔。

if you want to have a good job, you cannot wait idly for opportunities.

…

Yǔ zhòng bù tóng

与众不同

Out of the ordinary; different from the rest

e.g.

Tā shì yǔ zhònɡ bù tónɡ de.

她是与众不同的。

She is differed from the others.

…

Hú jiǎ hǔ wēi

狐假虎威

The fox exploits the tiger's might. To use powerful connections to intimidate people

e.g.

Tā hú jiǎ hǔ wēi qīfu rén.

他狐假虎威欺负人。

He bullied people by flaunting his powerful connections.

…

Xīn shén bù níng

心神不宁

To feel ill at east, restless, distracted, far away

e.g.

Nǐ kàn qǐ lái xīn shén bù nínɡ ， zěnme le ？

你看起来心神不宁，怎么了？

You look like you're miles away， what's wrong？

…

Wǔ tǐ tóu dì

五体投地

To throw oneself down at someone’s feet in admiration

e.g.

Nǐ rànɡ wǒ pèi fú dé wǔ tǐ tóu dì.

你让我佩服得五体投地。

I admire you very much.

…

Jué wú jǐn yǒu

绝无仅有

Unique of its kind

e.g.

Chánɡchénɡ shì shìjiè shànɡ jué wú jǐn yǒu de.

长城是世界上绝无仅有的。

The Great Wall is unique in the country.

…

Tàn wéi guān zhǐ

叹为观止

The peak of perfection. Something that will knock your socks off! Is absolutely breathtaking!

e.g.

Zhèlǐ de fēnɡjǐnɡ rànɡ rén tàn wéi ɡuān zhǐ.

这里的风景让人叹为观止。

The scenery here is breathtaking.

…

Dōnɡ bēn xī zǒu

东奔西走

to bustle about, to rush this way and that

e.g. …

Wèi le shēnɡjì ， tā dōnɡ bēn xī zǒu.

为了生计 ， 他东奔西走。

He ran here and there to make a living.

…

Sǐ lǐ táo shēng

死里逃生

to find a way out of certain death or an impossible situation.

e.g.

Tā cónɡ nà chǎnɡ zāinàn zhōnɡ sǐlǐ táoshēnɡ.

他从那场灾难中死里逃生。

He escaped from the disaster.

…

ěr tīng wéi xū，yǎn jiàn wéi shí

耳听为虚，眼见为实

To not believe in what you hear but believe in what can see

e.g.

Ěrtīnɡ wéixū, yǎnjiàn wéishí, wǒ xiǎnɡ qīnyǎn kànkɑn.

耳听为虚，眼见为实，我想亲眼看看。

I want to see it with my own eyes.