一五一十
yī wǔ yī shí
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1 lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail
一日为师,终身为父
yī rì wéi shī , zhōng shēn wéi fù
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1 lit. teacher for one day, father for ever (idiom)
一身是胆
yī shēn shì dǎn
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1 devoid of fear (idiom)
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2 intrepid
三五成群
sān wǔ chéng qún
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1 in groups of three or four (idiom)
三令五申
sān lìng wǔ shēn
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1 to order again and again (idiom)
三番五次
sān fān wǔ cì
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1 over and over again (idiom)
三纲五常
sān gāng wǔ cháng
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1 three principles and five virtues (idiom)
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2 the three rules (ruler guides subject, father guides son and husband guides wife) and five constant virtues of Confucianism (benevolence 仁, righteousness 義|义, propriety 禮|礼, wisdom 智 and fidelity 信)
不见棺材不落泪
bù jiàn guān cai bù luò lèi
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1 lit. not to shed a tear until one sees the coffin (idiom)
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2 fig. refuse to be convinced until one is faced with grim reality
五十步笑百步
wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù
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1 the one who has retreated 50 steps laughs at the one who has retreated 100 steps (idiom)
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2 the pot calls the kettle black
五味俱全
wǔ wèi jù quán
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1 a complete gamut of all five flavors (idiom); every flavor under the sun
五味杂陈
wǔ wèi zá chén
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1 with complex feelings (idiom)
五彩缤纷
wǔ cǎi bīn fēn
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1 all the colors in profusion (idiom); a garish display
五百年前是一家
wǔ bǎi nián qián shì yī jiā
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1 five hundred years ago we were the same family (idiom) (said of persons with the same surname)
五色缤纷
wǔ sè bīn fēn
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1 all the colors in profusion (idiom); a garish display
五体投地
wǔ tǐ tóu dì
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1 to prostrate oneself in admiration (idiom); to adulate sb
五鬼闹判
wǔ guǐ nào pàn
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1 Five ghosts mock the judge, or Five ghosts resist judgment (title of folk opera, idiom); important personage mobbed by a crowd of ne'er-do-wells
人在江湖,身不由己
rén zài jiāng hú , shēn bù yóu jǐ
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1 you can't always do as you like
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2 one has to compromise in this world (idiom)
以其人之道,还治其人之身
yǐ qí rén zhī dào , huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn
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1 to use an opponent's own methods to obtain retribution (idiom, from Song dynasty neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi 朱熹); to get revenge by playing sb back at his own game
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2 to give sb a taste of his own medicine
以身作则
yǐ shēn zuò zé
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1 to set an example (idiom); to serve as a model
以身报国
yǐ shēn bào guó
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1 to give one's body for the nation (idiom); to spend one's whole life in the service of the country