1 complete change from the normal state (idiom); quite uncharacteristic
2 entirely outside the norm
3 out of character
一言既出,驷马难追
yī yán jì chū , sì mǎ nán zhuī
1 lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept
一鼻孔出气
yī bí kǒng chū qì
1 lit. to breathe through the same nostril (idiom); fig. two people say exactly the same thing (usually derog.)
2 to sing from the same hymn sheet
三纲五常
sān gāng wǔ cháng
1 three principles and five virtues (idiom)
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)
人之常情
rén zhī cháng qíng
1 human nature (idiom)
2 a behavior that is only natural
仓皇出逃
cāng huáng chū táo
1 to run off in a great panic (idiom)
倾巢而出
qīng cháo ér chū
1 the whole nest came out (idiom); to turn out in full strength
兵家常事
bīng jiā cháng shì
1 commonplace in military operations (idiom)
出乎意外
chū hū yì wài
1 beyond expectation (idiom); unexpected
出乎意料
chū hū yì liào
1 beyond expectation (idiom); unexpected
出乎预料
chū hū yù liào
1 beyond expectation (idiom); unexpected
出人意外
chū rén yì wài
1 turned out other than expected (idiom); unexpected
出人意料
chū rén yì liào
1 unexpected (idiom)
2 surprising
出人头地
chū rén tóu dì
1 to stand out among one's peers (idiom)
2 to excel
出其不意
chū qí bù yì
1 to do sth when least expected (idiom); to catch sb off guard
出其不意,攻其不备
chū qí bù yì , gōng qí bù bèi
1 to catch an enemy off guard with a surprise attack (idiom, from Sunzi's "The Art of War" 孫子兵法|孙子兵法[Sūn zǐ Bīng fǎ])
出口成章
chū kǒu chéng zhāng
1 (idiom) (of one's speech) eloquent
2 articulate
出水芙蓉
chū shuǐ fú róng
1 as a lotus flower breaking the surface (idiom); surpassingly beautiful (of young lady's face or old gentleman's calligraphy)
出淤泥而不染
chū yū ní ér bù rǎn
1 lit. to grow out of the mud unsullied (idiom)
2 fig. to be principled and incorruptible
出尔反尔
chū ěr fǎn ěr
1 old: to reap the consequences of one's words (idiom, from Mencius); modern: to go back on one's word