一瓶子不响,半瓶子晃荡
yī píng zi bù xiǎng , bàn píng zi huàng dang
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1 lit. a full bottle makes no sound; a half-filled bottle sloshes (idiom)
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2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
一知半解
yī zhī bàn jiě
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1 lit. to know one and understand half (idiom); a smattering of knowledge
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2 dilettante
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3 amateur
一鳞半爪
yī lín bàn zhuǎ
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1 lit. one scale and half a claw (idiom); only odd bits and pieces
三个女人一台戏
sān ge nu:3 rén yī tái xì
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1 three women are enough for a drama (idiom)
上不了台面
shàng bù liǎo tái miàn
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1 better kept under the table (idiom)
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2 not to be disclosed
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3 too inferior to show in public
上不得台盘
shàng bù dé tái pán
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1 too uncouth to appear in public (idiom)
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2 unfit for a public role
事半功倍
shì bàn gōng bèi
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1 half the work, twice the effect (idiom); the right approach saves effort and leads to better results
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2 a stitch in time saves nine
任凭风浪起,稳坐钓鱼台
rèn píng fēng làng qǐ , wěn zuò diào yú tái
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1 lit. sitting at ease in a fishing boat despite wind and storm (idiom); to stay calm during tense situation
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2 a cool head in a crisis
债台高筑
zhài tái gāo zhù
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1 lit. build a high desk of debt (idiom); heavily in debt
半推半就
bàn tuī bàn jiù
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1 half willing and half unwilling (idiom); to yield after making a show of resistance
半瓶水响叮当
bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng
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1 lit. if you tap a half-empty bottle it makes a sound (idiom)
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2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
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3 one who has a little knowledge likes to show off, but one who is truly knowledgeable is modest
半真半假
bàn zhēn bàn jiǎ
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1 (idiom) half true and half false
半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
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1 to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished
半通不通
bàn tōng bù tōng
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1 to not fully understand (idiom)
唱对台戏
chàng duì tái xì
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1 to put on a rival show (idiom); to set oneself up against sb
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2 to get into confrontation
少女露笑脸,婚事半成全
shào nu:3 lù xiào liǎn , hūn shì bàn chéng quán
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1 When the girl smiles, the matchmaker's job is half done. (idiom)
深更半夜
shēn gēng bàn yè
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1 in the dead of night (idiom)
稳坐钓鱼台
wěn zuò diào yú tái
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1 lit. sitting at ease in a fishing boat despite storms (idiom); to stay calm during tense situation
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2 a cool head in a crisis
台上一分钟,台下十年功
tái shàng yī fēn zhōng , tái xià shí nián gōng
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1 ten years of practice for one minute on the stage (idiom)
行百里者半九十
xíng bǎi lǐ zhě bàn jiǔ shí
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1 lit. ninety li is merely a half of a hundred li journey (idiom)
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2 fig. the closer one is to completing a task, the tougher it gets
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3 a task is not done until it's done