How to Write & Use Chinese Idioms
Four-character wisdom from centuries of culture
Essential Idioms Writing Guide
塞翁失马
Sài wēng shī mǎ
The old man at the frontier lost his horse
Story
An old man on the border lost his horse. He said it might be a blessing. The horse returned with a better one. He said that might be a curse. His son later broke his leg riding that horse, but was spared from the war because of it.
Moral
Bad luck can turn into good fortune.
愚公移山
Yú gōng yí shān
Yu Gong wanted to move the two big mountains in front of his house
Story
Yugong's house was blocked by mountains. He decided to dig them away with his family. A wise man mocked him, but Yugong said, "My descendants will keep digging, but the mountains won't grow." Moved by his resolve, the gods moved the mountains.
Moral
Persistence and determination conquer all obstacles.
卧薪尝胆
Wò xīn cháng dǎn
Sleeping on brushwood and often tasting gall
Story
After defeat, King Goujian of Yue slept on brushwood and tasted gall every day to remind himself of his humiliation. After years of hardship, he led his state to victory.
Moral
Endure hardship and use shame as motivation to achieve a great goal.
画蛇添足
Huà shé tiān zú
After drawing a snake, adding feet to it
Story
In a snake-drawing contest, the first to finish would win wine. One man finished first, but added feet to his snake while waiting. Another man finished and claimed the wine, saying, "Snakes have no feet. I finished first."
Moral
Adding unnecessary things ruins a good thing.
守株待兔
Shǒu zhū dài tù
Waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit to crash into it
Story
A farmer once got a hare that crashed into a tree stump. He then gave up farming and waited by the stump every day for another hare. He got nothing.
Moral
It's foolish to hope for unearned gains or stick rigidly to old ways.
揠苗助长
Yà miáo zhù zhǎng
Pulling up seedlings to help them grow
Story
An impatient farmer thought his seedlings grew too slowly, so he pulled each one up a bit. He proudly told his family he had "helped" them grow. The seedlings all died.
Moral
Hurrying things against their nature leads to failure.
班门弄斧
Bān mén nòng fǔ
Wielding an axe before Lu Ban's (the master carpenter) door
Story
Lu Ban was the greatest carpenter in ancient China. Showing off your woodworking skills in front of his house would make you a laughingstock.
Moral
Don't show off your slight skill in front of a master.
胸有成竹
Xiōng yǒu chéng zhú
Before painting bamboo, having a complete image of bamboo in one's mind
Story
Painter Wen Tong excelled at bamboo because he had a clear, complete image of it in his mind before painting. This allowed him to paint with confidence.
Moral
To have a well-thought-out plan before acting leads to success.
井底之蛙
Jǐng dǐ zhī wā
A frog at the bottom of a well
Story
A frog living in a well thought the sky was only as big as the well's opening. It was stunned when a sea turtle described the vast ocean.
Moral
A person with a limited perspective cannot comprehend the wider world.
滥竽充数
Làn yú chōng shù
An incompetent person pretending to be skilled in a musical ensemble
Story
King Xuan of Qi enjoyed a 300-person "Yu" orchestra. Nanguo, who couldn't play, blended in and pretended. When the new king preferred solos, Nanguo fled.
Moral
Those without real skills who hide among the competent will eventually be exposed.
More coming soon...