三天不打,上房揭瓦
sān tiān bù dǎ , shàng fáng jiē wǎ
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1 three days without a beating, and a child will scale the roof to rip the tiles (idiom)
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2 spare the rod, spoil the child
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
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1 the frog at the bottom of the well (idiom)
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2 fig. a person of limited outlook and experience
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)
刨根问底
páo gēn wèn dǐ
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1 to dig up roots and inquire at the base (idiom); to get to the bottom of sth
各人自扫门前雪,莫管他家瓦上霜
gè rén zì sǎo mén qián xuě , mò guǎn tā jiā wǎ shàng shuāng
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1 sweep the snow from your own door step, don't worry about the frost on your neighbor's roof (idiom)
大树底下好乘凉
dà shù dǐ xià hǎo chéng liáng
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1 lit. under a big tree the shade is plentiful (idiom)
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2 fig. to benefit by proximity to an influential person
大江南北
Dà jiāng nán běi
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1 north and south sides of the Yangtze River (idiom)
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2 (fig.) all over China
好酒沉瓮底
hǎo jiǔ chén wèng dǐ
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1 lit. the best wine is at the bottom of the jug (idiom)
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2 fig. the best is saved for last
宁为玉碎,不为瓦全
nìng wéi yù suì , bù wéi wǎ quán
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1 Better broken jade than intact tile.
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2 Death is preferable to dishonor. (idiom)
寻根问底
xún gēn wèn dǐ
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1 lit. to examine roots and inquire at the base (idiom); to get to the bottom of sth
打破砂锅问到底
dǎ pò shā guō wèn dào dǐ
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1 to go to the bottom of things (idiom)
指点江山
zhǐ diǎn jiāng shān
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1 to talk idly about important matters (idiom)
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2 to set the world to rights
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3 to pass judgment on everything
文江学海
wén jiāng xué hǎi
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1 river of literacy, sea of learning (idiom); ars longa, vita brevis
春江水暖鸭先知
chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī
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1 lit. the duck is the first to know if the spring water is warm (idiom)
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2 fig. an expert in the field knows which way the wind blows
江山易改,本性难移
jiāng shān yì gǎi , běn xìng nán yí
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1 it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one's character (idiom)
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2 you can't change who you are
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3 Can the leopard change his spots?
江河日下
jiāng hé rì xià
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1 rivers pour away by the day (idiom); going from bad to worse
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2 deteriorating day by day
江郎才尽
Jiāng láng cái jìn
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1 Jiang Yan has exhausted his talent (idiom)
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2 fig. to have used up one's creative powers
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3 to have writer's block
洛阳纸贵
Luò yáng zhǐ guì
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1 lit. paper has become expensive in Luoyang (because everyone is making a copy of a popular story) (idiom)
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2 fig. (of a product) to sell like hotcakes
添砖加瓦
tiān zhuān jiā wǎ
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1 lit. contribute bricks and tiles for a building (idiom)
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2 fig. to do one's bit to help
无颜见江东父老
wú yán jiàn Jiāng dōng fù lǎo
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1 (idiom) to be unable to return to one's hometown due to the shame of failure (originally referred to Xiang Yu 項羽|项羽[Xiàng Yǔ], who chose not to retreat to Jiangdong after his humiliating defeat)