乘风破浪 chéng fēng pò làng
To forge ahead boldly in spite of difficulties, like a ship riding the wind and cutting through the waves.
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九死一生 jiǔ sǐ yī shēng
To be in extreme danger with only a slim chance of survival, or to come through such danger alive.
事不过三 shì bù guò sān
Things should stop at three.
人为财死，鸟为食亡 rén wèi cái sǐ, niǎo wèi shí wáng
People will risk anything for money, even their lives, the way birds get killed going after food.
人定胜天 rén dìng shèng tiān
Human effort and determination can overcome nature and fate.
人无远虑，必有近忧 rén wú yuǎn lǜ, bì yǒu jìn yōu
If you do not think ahead, trouble will soon be at your door.
从一而终 cóng yī ér zhōng
To stay with one partner for life.
从善如登，从恶如崩 cóng shàn rú dēng, cóng è rú bēng
Doing good is as hard as climbing a mountain, while sliding into bad ways is as fast as a landslide.
以和为贵 yǐ hé wéi guì
To value harmony above all: keeping the peace matters more than winning the argument.
伤风败俗 shāng fēng bài sú
Damaging to a community's morals and shocking to its sense of decency.
你好 nǐ hǎo
Hello — the standard greeting, used at any time of day with one person.
依样画葫芦 yī yàng huà hú lu
To copy a model exactly, without thinking or adding anything of your own.
修成正果 xiū chéng zhèng guǒ
In Buddhism, to reach enlightenment through long practice; more broadly, to see long effort rewarded at last.
假仁假义 jiǎ rén jiǎ yì
Pretending to be kind and principled while really acting out of self-interest; hypocritical.
做饭 zuò fàn
To cook, to make a meal at home.
儿孙自有儿孙福 ér sūn zì yǒu ér sūn fú
Children and grandchildren have their own share of luck and will make their own way, so parents need not worry about everything for them.
先天不足 xiān tiān bù zú
Weak from birth: a constitution that was frail from the very start.
先来后到 xiān lái hòu dào
The order in which people arrive: whoever comes first is served or chosen first.
光明正大 guāng míng zhèng dà
Open and honest, with nothing to hide.
兔死狐悲 tù sǐ hú bēi
To feel sorrow, and fear for yourself, when someone of your own kind meets misfortune.
全心全意 quán xīn quán yì
Wholeheartedly; with complete devotion and no distraction.
养虎遗患 yǎng hǔ yí huàn
To spare or shelter a dangerous person and so store up disaster for yourself later.
再见 zài jiàn
Goodbye, see you again — the standard thing to say when parting.
军令如山 jūn lìng rú shān
A military order is as immovable as a mountain: it must be carried out without question.
冤家宜解不宜结 yuān jiā yí jiě bù yí jié
A feud should be ended, not deepened: it is wiser to make peace with an enemy than to go on fighting.
出其不意 chū qí bù yì
To act when the other side least expects it; to take someone by surprise.
刻骨铭心 kè gǔ míng xīn
Felt so deeply that it can never be forgotten.
力不从心 lì bù cóng xīn
To want to do something but lack the strength, ability or means for it.
势在必得 shì zài bì dé
Set on getting or winning something at all costs, and sure of success.
势如破竹 shì rú pò zhú
To advance with unstoppable momentum, winning again and again as easily as a knife runs down a length of bamboo.
十面埋伏 shí miàn mái fú
Troops lying in ambush on every side, so that the enemy has no way out.
千军万马 qiān jūn wàn mǎ
A vast army; by extension, any huge and powerful mass of people or force.
千变万化 qiān biàn wàn huà
Changing constantly and in countless ways.
千娇百媚 qiān jiāo bǎi mèi
Describes a woman who is lovely and captivating in every look and movement.
千恩万谢 qiān ēn wàn xiè
To thank someone again and again, with deep feeling.
千方百计 qiān fāng bǎi jì
By every possible means; trying everything you can think of.
千真万确 qiān zhēn wàn què
Absolutely true; beyond any doubt.
千言万语 qiān yán wàn yǔ
A great many words; all that one's heart wants to say.
千辛万苦 qiān xīn wàn kǔ
Countless hardships and difficulties.
千里之行，始于足下 qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià
Even the longest journey starts with the step you take from where you stand: every great undertaking begins with one small action.
升官发财 shēng guān fā cái
To win promotion to higher office and grow rich.
半信半疑 bàn xìn bàn yí
Not sure whether to believe something: part of you accepts it and part of you doubts it.
卑躬屈膝 bēi gōng qū xī
To bow and scrape; to behave in a servile, fawning way towards someone powerful.
博古通今 bó gǔ tōng jīn
Having deep knowledge of both the past and the present: widely read in old books and well informed about today.
口说无凭 kǒu shuō wú píng
Spoken words alone prove nothing.
吉人天相 jí rén tiān xiàng
Heaven looks after good people.
同床异梦 tóng chuáng yì mèng
Said of people who live or work side by side but secretly want different things.
同甘共苦 tóng gān gòng kǔ
To share both good times and hardships with someone.
名不虚传 míng bù xū chuán
To truly deserve one's reputation.
名正言顺 míng zhèng yán shùn
Fully legitimate and justified, with a proper title or reason behind it.
后生可畏 hòu shēng kě wèi
The younger generation deserves respect because it may well surpass its elders.
否极泰来 pǐ jí tài lái
When bad luck reaches its worst point, things start to turn good.
唇亡齿寒 chún wáng chǐ hán
Two parties depend on each other so closely that if one falls the other is left exposed, like teeth without lips.
因果报应 yīn guǒ bào yìng
Karmic retribution: the belief, rooted in Buddhism, that good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds punished sooner or later.
国计民生 guó jì mín shēng
How the country's finances are run and how ordinary people make a living: the matters on which a nation's prosperity and its people's daily lives depend.
坐享其成 zuò xiǎng qí chéng
To do nothing yourself and simply enjoy the results of other people's work.
坐山观虎斗 zuò shān guān hǔ dòu
To stay out of a fight between two rivals and wait, hoping to profit once both are worn out.
堂堂正正 táng táng zhèng zhèng
Open, honest and dignified, with nothing to hide.
士农工商 shì nóng gōng shāng
The four classes of traditional Chinese society in their old order of rank: scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants.
多多益善 duō duō yì shàn
More is always welcome: 'the more, the better'.
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