中国 成语

Hi,Franch,

“无源之水，无本之木 ”means someting grows without a solid foundation.

this idiom comes from :《左传·昭公九年》,a history book written by 左丘明 who lived in the time of 春秋。

Man2Toe, in fact I've reversed the two components of my question, 真丢面.

无源之水,无本之木 - What does either of these 成语 express? When could one utter these?

Thanks

蜂擁而上

蜂擁而來

沒有三點水

John, what i mean interesting is the translations for the chinese phrases in english is more like a explaination, it general explain the meaning of the phrases and lost the style of the phrases original use. u see mostly the chinese phrases are 4 letters, it is unique style. hope i explain it clearly!

There's 30,000 idioms here apparently:

http://www.chinese-tools.com/chinese/chengyu/dictionary

"蜂拥而来"应该是"蜂涌而来"， 对吗?

You translated "to pour", it has to be more vehement though. Please correct me, I'm only fiddling with a topic which I am yet to explore.

风靡一时 - fēng mǐ yī shí : "be the rage", does that phrase means "fashionable"? (I'm ESL speaker)

属羊的人多愁善感 ;) What does "moonstruck spoony" means?

很高兴认识你!

Bluehorizon, 你的成语目录是铺天盖地的

This is maybe why you're bluehorizon ;)

Xinjiang is a good place. I intend this autumn visit to Xinjiang.

oops, sorry, didn't notice you were chinese, Thanks, copying them as I type. Soon I'll be having entire conversations in 成语 and sounding like a right smartass ;)

Bluehorizon, Nice list, where did you get it?

繁荣昌盛thriving and prosperous

爱不释手fondle admiringly

爱财如命skin a flea for its hide

爱屋及乌love me,love my dog He that loves the tree loves the branch

安居乐业live and work in peace and contentment

白手起家build up from nothing

百里挑一one in hundred

百折不挠be indomitable

半途而废give up halfway leave sth. Unfinished

包罗万象all-embracing all-inclusive

饱经风霜weather-beaten

卑躬屈膝bow and scrape cringe

悲欢离合vicissitudes of life

背道而驰run counter to run in the opposite direction

本末倒置put the cart before the horse

笨鸟先飞the slow need to start early

必由之路the only way

闭关自守close the country to international intercourse

变本加厉be further intensified

变化无常chop and change fantasticality

变化无常chop and change fantasticality

别开生面having sth. New

别有用心have ulterior motives

彬彬有礼refined and courteous urbane

兵不厌诈in war nothing is too deceitful

博古通今erudite and informed

不败之地incincible position

不耻下问feel not ashamed to learn from one's subordinates

不可救药be past praying for beyond redemption

不劳而获reap where one has not sown

不屈不挠fortitude indefatigability perseverance persevere tenacity

不速之客crasher uninvited guest

不同凡响outstanding

不言而喻speak for itself tell its own story tell its own tale went without saying

不遗余力spare no effort spare no pains

不以为然not approve object to

不义之财filthy lucre filthy pelf the mammon of unrighteousness

不亦乐乎extremely

不远千里go to the trouble of travelling a long distance

不约而同happen to coincide

不择手段by any kind of means by hook or crook play hard by fair means or foul

不知所措be at a loss be all adrift lose one's head out of one's wits

才疏学浅have little talent and learning

惨绝人寰extremely cruel

沧海桑田time brings a great change to the worlds

沧海一粟/九牛一毛a drop in the bucket

草木皆兵a state of extreme nervousness

层出不穷emerge in endlessly

层峦迭嶂peaks over peaks

察言观色carefully watch what sb. is doing and saying

姹紫嫣红very beautiful flowers

畅行无阻checkless

车水马龙heavy traffic

沉默寡言taciturnity

称心如意well-content

趁热打铁strike while iron is hot Hold a wolf the iron is hot

成群结队gang horde

诚惶诚恐with reverence and awe

诚心诚意sincere desire

承上启下a connecting link between the preceding and the following

吃苦耐劳tough

吃里扒外live on sb. while helping others secretly

痴心妄想 胡思乱想wishful thinking

持之以恒preserve

叱咤风云ride the whirlwind

愁眉苦脸pull a long face snoot

愁眉苦脸的，愁眉苦脸地woebegone morosely

臭名远扬，臭名昭著flagrancy， notorious

出乎意料unexpected

出口成章have an outstanding eloquence

出类拔萃，鹤立鸡群fill the bill supereminence

出谋划策give counsel suggest

出奇制胜defeat sb. by a surprise action

出生入死go through fire and water

触类旁通comprehend by analogy

垂头丧气，无精打采 down in the mouth lose one's spirits with the tail between the legs

垂头丧气的blue about the gills crestfallen downhearted

绰绰有余more than sufficient

此起彼伏as one falls,another rises

从容不迫go easy take one's time

从容不迫的leisured unhurried

从容不迫地by easy stages

粗枝大叶careless slapdash sloppy

粗枝大叶的broad-brush

措手不及unaware unprepared

错综复杂 扑朔迷离 anfractuosity

错综复杂的anfractuous daedal reticula sinuous

打草惊蛇act rashly and about: the enemy

大材小用waste one's talent on a petty job

大公无私selfless

大海捞针look for a needle in a bottle of hay

大惑不解be extremely puzzled

大惊小怪a storm in a teacup foofaraw fuss like a hen with one chicken

大惊小怪的spoffish

大快人心affording general satisfaction

大名鼎鼎famous well known

大器晚成great minds mature slowly

大千世界the boundless universe

大失所望greatly disappointed

大同小异largely identical but with minor differences

大显身手 大显神通strut one's stuff

大言不惭 夸夸其谈fanfaronade rodomontade

大义凛然inspiring awe by upholding justice

大义灭亲place righteousness above family loyalty

大智若愚Still waters run deep. An empty vessel makes the most sound Still water runs deep

呆若木鸡dumbstruck transfixed

待人接物the ways one gets along with others

殚思极虑rack one's brains

胆小如鼠cannot say boh to a goose

胆战心惊的funky

淡泊明志not seek fame and wealth

道貌岸然be sanctimonious

得过且过drift along muddle along

得天独厚的advantaged

得心应手handy with facility

得意忘形 得意洋洋 bloat get dizzy with success

得意洋洋elated elation exaltation jauntiness

得意扬扬ride high

得意洋洋的cock-a-hoop high-blown perky

得意扬扬的triumphant

德才兼备have both ability and moral integrity

德高望重sainted saintlike

登峰造极reach the limit reach the peak of perfection

地大物博vast territory and abundant resources

颠倒黑白 颠倒是非 混淆是非call white black swear black is white

颠三倒四confused disorderly

雕虫小技insignificant skill

调兵遣将move forces

调虎离山lure the enemy away from his base

掉以轻心treat sth. Lightly

喋喋不休blat cackle chackle harp harp on jaw-jaw rattle twitter wag

顶天立地of indomitable spirit

东施效颦blind imitation with ludicrous effection

东山再起bob up like a cork

独具匠心show originality

独树一帜develop a school of one's own

独一无二in a class by oneself

独一无二的unique unmatched unparalleled

度日如年one day seems like a year

断章取义garble quote out of context

对牛弹琴whistle jigs to a milestone Cast pearls before swine

对症下药suit the remedy to the case

多才多艺versatility

多才多艺的accomplished all-round allround miscellaneous versatile

多愁善感sensitivity sentimentality

多愁善感的moonstruck spoony

多此一举bring owls to Athens hold a candle to the sun

多多益善the more the better

咄咄逼人aggressive

脱胎换骨thoroughly remould oneself

阿谀奉承 趋炎附势greasiness

恩将仇报 以怨报德 忘恩负义 bite the hand that feeds one

尔虞我诈each trying to cheat the other

发人深省的thought-provoking

发人深省set people thinking

发扬光大carry forward

翻山越岭tramp over hill and dale

翻天覆地world-shaking

泛滥成灾overrun

飞黄腾达 青云直上come into one's kingdom rise in the world strike oil

飞黄腾达的successful

飞禽走兽birds and beasts

废寝忘食forget food and sleep

分道扬镳part company,each going his own way

分化瓦解disintegrate divide and demoralize

分门别类classify

纷至沓来come in a continuous stream

纷至沓来的thick as hail

奋不顾身dash ahead regardless of one's safety

愤愤不平be indignant

愤世嫉俗的cynical

丰富多彩rich and colorful

丰功伟绩great achievement

丰衣足食have ample food and clothing

风花雪月sentimental writings of the exploiting classes

风马牛不相及be totally unrelated

风靡一时be the rage

风平浪静calm

风起云涌like a rising wind and scudding clouds

风雨同舟stand together regardless of situation

风雨无阻in all weathers

锋芒毕露make a showy display of one's abilities

蜂涌而来pour

逢场作戏join in the fun on occasion

逢凶化吉trun ill luck into good

奉公守法law-abiding

敷衍了事make short shrift of palter scuffle

釜底抽薪take a drastic measure to deal with a situation

赴汤蹈火 出生入死go through fire and water

富丽堂皇magnificence

覆水难收spilt water cannot be gathered up again It is no use crying over spilt milk

笨鸟先飞A slow sparrow should make an early start.

不眠之夜white night

不遗余力spare no effort; go all out; do one"s best

不打不成交"No discord, no concord.

拆东墙补西墙rob Peter to pay Paul

大开眼界open one"s eyes; broaden one"s horizon; be an eye-opener

国泰民安The country flourishes and people live in peace

功夫不负有心人Everything comes to him who waits.

好了伤疤忘了疼once on shore, one prays no more

和气生财Harmony brings wealth

活到老，学到老One is never too old to learn.

既往不咎let bygones be bygones

金无足赤,人无完人Gold can"t be pure and man can"t be perfect.

金玉满堂Treasures fill the home

脚踏实地be down-to-earth

脚踩两只船sit on the fence

老生常谈，陈词滥调cut and dried, cliché

礼尚往来Courtesy calls for reciprocity.

留得青山在，不怕没柴烧"Where there is life, there is hope."

马到成功achieve immediate victory; win instant success

名利双收gain in both fame and wealth

茅塞顿开be suddenly enlightened

弄巧成拙be too smart by half; Cunning outwits itself.

拿手好戏masterpiece

赔了夫人又折兵throw good money after bad

抢得先机take the preemptive opportunities

强强联手win-win co-operation

瑞雪兆丰年A timely snow promises a good harvest.

人之初,性本善Man"s nature at birth is good.

人逢喜事精神爽Joy puts heart into a man.

人海战术huge-crowd strategy

世上无难事，只要肯攀登"Where there is a will, there is a way. "

世外桃源a fictitious land of peace away from the turmoil of the world;

死而后已until my heart stops beating

岁岁平安Peace all year round

塞翁失马，焉知非福Misfortune may be an actual blessing.

升级换代updating and upgrading (of products)

四十不惑Life begins at forty.

水涨船高When the river rises, the boat floats high.

时不我待Time and tide wait for no man.

杀鸡用牛刀break a butterfly on the wheel

说曹操,曹操到Talk of the devil and he comes.

实话实说speak the plain truth; call a spade a spade; tell it as it is

实践是检验真理的唯一标准Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth.

糖衣炮弹sugar-coated bullets

天有不测风云Anything unexpected may happen. a bolt from the blue

团结就是力量Unity is strength.

歪风邪气unhealthy practices and evil phenomena

物以类聚，人以群分Birds of a feather flock together.

望子成龙hold high hopes for one"s child

屋漏又逢连阴雨Misfortunes never come singly. When it rains it pours.

文韬武略military expertise; military strategy

唯利是图draw water to one"s mill

无源之水,无本之木water without a source, and a tree wiithout roots

无中生有make/create something out of nothing

徇私枉法bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends

新官上任三把火a new broom sweeps clean

蓄势而发accumulate strength for a take-off

心想事成May all your wish come true

先入为主First impressions are firmly entrenched.

先下手为强catch the ball before the bound

像热锅上的蚂蚁like an ant on a hot pan

现身说法warn people by taking oneself as an example

息事宁人pour oil on troubled waters

喜忧参半mingled hope and fear

循序渐进step by step

鱼米之乡a land of milk and honey

有情人终成眷属"Jack shall have Jill, all shall be well."

有钱能使鬼推磨Money makes the mare go. Money talks.

有识之士people of vision

有勇无谋use brawn rather than brain

与时俱进advance with times

以人为本people oriented; people foremost

因材施教teach students according to their aptitude

欲速则不达Haste does not bring success.

优胜劣汰survival of the fittest

英雄所见略同Great minds think alike.

冤家宜解不宜结Better make friends than make enemies.

一言既出，驷马难追A real man never goes back on his words.

招财进宝Money and treasures will be plentiful

债台高筑become debt-ridden

致命要害Achilles" heel

众矢之的target of public criticism

纸上谈兵be an armchair strategist

纸包不住火Truth will come to light sooner or later.

对不起，不是脱口而出，就是信口开河

Ha! hahaha

忙里偷闲, I must interrupt all my studies (don't laugh) to praise the chéngyǔ with all my heart. I hope this won't be a case of 对牛弹琴, because I love to 脱口而出. I'm just 闹着玩儿, is all. (That last one wasn't a chéngyǔ, I should 闭嘴 now)

John,

That was certainly a good list and yes the top ones are so common I didn't even think to add them to my list. 乱七八糟 was the first 成语 I learnt and was the only way I knew how to say mess for over 6 months, lol.

Popcorn,

You should make clear who you are talking to. If it is me I refer you to the part where I said since everybody has hanzibar I will not bother with translations. If it is John, well he has already spoken.

popcorn,

What do you think is wrong? I take it you are Chinese? Maybe you're not familiar with some of the more colloquial translations...

i do not think the translation that u did for the phrases are right, but was interesting!!haha

Cool! Anything that helps my chinese is a worthy of me lifting the plug and looking down the drain.

Sorry to plug my own site here, but I once did a list on my blog of my Top 10 Chengyu : My Chengyu Top Ten (Sinosplice)