一个天南,一个地北
yī ge tiān nán , yī ge dì běi
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1 to live miles apart (idiom)
一山不容二虎
yī shān bù róng èr hǔ
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1 lit. the mountain can't have two tigers (idiom)
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2 fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
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3 (of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive
一败涂地
yī bài tú dì
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1 failed and wiped over the floor (idiom); to fail utterly
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2 a crushing defeat
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3 beaten and in a hopeless position
上天入地
shàng tiān rù dì
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1 lit. to go up to heaven or down to Hades (idiom)
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2 fig. to go to great lengths
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3 to search heaven and earth
上天无路,入地无门
shàng tiān wú lù , rù dì wú mén
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1 lit. there is no road to the sky, nor door into the earth (idiom)
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2 fig. to be at the end of one's rope
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3 to be trapped in a hopeless situation
不识泰山
bù shí Tài Shān
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1 can't recognize Mt Taishan (idiom); fig. not to recognize a famous person
不遑多让
bù huáng duō ràng
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1 lit. to have no time for civilities (idiom)
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2 fig. not to be outdone
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3 not to yield to one's opponents
不显山不露水
bù xiǎn shān bù lù shuǐ
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1 lit. to not show the mountain and to not reveal the water (idiom); fig. to hide the key facts
五体投地
wǔ tǐ tóu dì
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1 to prostrate oneself in admiration (idiom); to adulate sb
人杰地灵
rén jié dì líng
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1 illustrious hero, spirit of the place (idiom); a place derives reflected glory from an illustrious son
人多势众
rén duō shì zhòng
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1 many men, a great force (idiom); many hands provide great strength
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2 There is safety in numbers.
人间地狱
rén jiān dì yù
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1 hell on earth (idiom); suffering the torments of Buddhist hell while still alive
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2 fig. having an uncomfortable time
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
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1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
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2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
以少胜多
yǐ shǎo shèng duō
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1 using the few to defeat the many (idiom); to win from a position of weakness
僧多粥少
sēng duō zhōu shǎo
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1 lit. many monks and not much gruel (idiom)
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2 fig. not enough to go around
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3 demand exceeds supply
兵败如山倒
bīng bài rú shān dǎo
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1 troops in defeat like a landslide (idiom); a beaten army in total collapse
凶多吉少
xiōng duō jí shǎo
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1 everything bodes ill, no positive signs (idiom); inauspicious
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2 everything points to disaster
出人头地
chū rén tóu dì
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1 to stand out among one's peers (idiom)
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2 to excel
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
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1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
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2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
博学多才
bó xué duō cái
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1 erudite and multi-talented (idiom); versatile and able