一不做，二不休
yī bù zuò , èr bù xiū
-
1 don't do it, or don't rest (idiom); either give up, or go through to the end
-
2 Since we started, we must carry it through whatever happens.
-
3 in for a penny, in for a pound
一干二净
yī gān èr jìng
-
1 thoroughly (idiom)
-
2 completely
-
3 one and all
-
4 very clean
一五一十
yī wǔ yī shí
-
1 lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail
一倡三叹
yī chàng sān tàn
-
1 (of literature, music) deeply moving (idiom)
一传十，十传百
yī chuán shí , shí chuán bǎi
-
1 news pass quickly from mouth to mouth (idiom)
-
2 an infectious disease spreads quickly (old meaning)
一元复始
yī yuán fù shǐ
-
1 a new year begins (idiom)
一分为二
yī fēn wéi èr
-
1 one divides into two
-
2 to be two-sided
-
3 there are two sides to everything
-
4 to see both sb's good points and shortcomings (idiom)
一哭二闹三上吊
yī kū èr nào sān shàng diào
-
1 to make a terrible scene (idiom)
-
2 to throw a tantrum
一问三不知
yī wèn sān bù zhī
-
1 lit. to reply "don't know" whatever the question (idiom)
-
2 fig. absolutely no idea of what's going on
-
3 complete ignorance
一回生二回熟
yī huí shēng èr huí shú
-
1 unfamiliar at first, but well accustomed soon enough (idiom)
一山不容二虎
yī shān bù róng èr hǔ
-
1 lit. the mountain can't have two tigers (idiom)
-
2 fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
-
3 (of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive
一年被蛇咬十年怕井绳
yī nián bèi shé yǎo shí nián pà jǐng shéng
-
1 bitten by a snake in one year, fears the well rope for ten years (idiom); once bitten twice shy
一心二用
yī xīn èr yòng
-
1 to do two things at once (idiom)
-
2 to multitask
-
3 to divide one's attention
一日三秋
yī rì sān qiū
-
1 a single day apart seems like three seasons (idiom)
一日不见，如隔三秋
yī rì bù jiàn , rú gé sān qiū
-
1 one day apart seems like three years (idiom)
一是一，二是二
yī shì yī , èr shì èr
-
1 lit. one is one, two is two (idiom)
-
2 fig. things are (or ought to be) perfectly clear-cut
-
3 unequivocal
一暴十寒
yī pù shí hán
-
1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
-
2 sporadic effort
-
3 short attention span
一曝十寒
yī pù shí hán
-
1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
-
2 sporadic effort
-
3 lack of sticking power
-
4 short attention span
一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳
yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo , shí nián pà jǐng shéng
-
1 once bitten by a snake, ten years in fear of a well rope
-
2 once bitten, twice shy (idiom)
一板三眼
yī bǎn sān yǎn
-
1 lit. one strong beat and three weak beats in a measure of music (four beats in the bar) (idiom); fig. scrupulous attention to detail