一心二用
yī xīn èr yòng
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1 to do two things at once (idiom)
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2 to multitask
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3 to divide one's attention
一炮打响
yī pào dǎ xiǎng
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1 to win instant success (idiom)
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2 to start off successfully
一网打尽
yī wǎng dǎ jìn
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1 lit. to catch everything in the one net (idiom)
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2 fig. to scoop up the whole lot
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3 to capture them all in one go
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
不打不成器
bù dǎ bù chéng qì
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1 spare the rod and spoil the child (idiom)
不打不成才
bù dǎ bù chéng cái
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1 spare the rod and spoil the child (idiom)
不打不成相识
bù dǎ bù chéng xiāng shí
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1 don't fight, won't make friends (idiom); an exchange of blows may lead to friendship
不打不相识
bù dǎ bù xiāng shí
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1 lit. don't fight, won't make friends (idiom); an exchange of blows may lead to friendship
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2 no discord, no concord
干打雷,不下雨
gān dǎ léi , bù xià yǔ
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1 all thunder but no rain (idiom)
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2 a lot of noise but no action
倒打一耙
dào dǎ yī pá
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1 lit. to strike with a muckrake (idiom), cf Pigsy 豬八戒|猪八戒 in Journey to the West 西遊記|西游记; fig. to counterattack
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2 to make bogus accusations (against one's victim)
冤家路窄
yuān jiā lù zhǎi
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1 lit. enemies on a narrow road (idiom); fig. an inevitable clash between opposing factions
别有用心
bié yǒu yòng xīn
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1 to have an ulterior motive (idiom)
别无他用
bié wú tā yòng
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1 to have no other use or purpose (idiom)
前门打虎,后门打狼
qián mén dǎ hǔ , hòu mén dǎ láng
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1 to beat a tiger from the front door, only to have a wolf come in at the back (idiom); fig. facing one problem after another
刚愎自用
gāng bì zì yòng
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1 obstinate and self-opinionated (idiom)
割鸡焉用牛刀
gē jī yān yòng niú dāo
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1 lit. why use a pole-ax to slaughter a chicken? (idiom)
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2 fig. to waste effort on a trifling matter
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3 also written 殺雞焉用牛刀|杀鸡焉用牛刀[shā jī yān yòng niú dāo]
包打天下
bāo dǎ tiān xià
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1 to run everything (idiom); to monopolize the whole business
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2 not allow anyone else to have a look in
和尚打伞,无法无天
hé shang dǎ sǎn , wú fǎ wú tiān
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1 lit. like a monk holding an umbrella — no hair, no sky (idiom) (punning on 髮|发[fà] vs 法[fǎ])
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2 fig. defying the law and the principles of heaven
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3 lawless
乔装打扮
qiáo zhuāng dǎ bàn
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1 to dress up in disguise (idiom); to pretend for the purpose of deceit