上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
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1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
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2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
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3 sandwich generation
不拘小节
bù jū xiǎo jié
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1 to not bother about trifles (idiom)
乘人不备
chéng rén bù bèi
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1 to take advantage of sb in an unguarded moment (idiom)
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2 to take sb by surprise
乘虚而入
chéng xū ér rù
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1 to enter by exploiting a weak spot (idiom); to take advantage of a lapse
乘风破浪
chéng fēng pò làng
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1 to brave the wind and the billows (idiom); to have high ambitions
以小人之心,度君子之腹
yǐ xiǎo rén zhī xīn , duó jūn zǐ zhī fù
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1 to gauge the heart of a gentleman with one's own mean measure (idiom)
以小挤大
yǐ xiǎo jǐ dà
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1 minor projects eclipse major ones (idiom)
前人栽树,后人乘凉
qián rén zāi shù , hòu rén chéng liáng
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1 to enjoy the benefits of the hard work of one's predecessors. (idiom)
升斗小民
shēng dǒu xiǎo mín
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1 poor people (idiom)
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2 those who live from hand to mouth
因利乘便
yīn lì chéng biàn
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1 (idiom) to rely on the most favorable method
因小失大
yīn xiǎo shī dà
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1 to save a little only to lose a lot (idiom)
大事化小,小事化了
dà shì huà xiǎo , xiǎo shì huà liǎo
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1 to turn big problems into small ones, and small problems into no problems at all (idiom)
大材小用
dà cái xiǎo yòng
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1 using a talented person in an insignificant position (idiom)
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2 a sledgehammer to crack a nut
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
大处着眼,小处着手
dà chù zhuó yǎn , xiǎo chù zhuó shǒu
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1 think of the big picture, start with the little things (idiom)
大街小巷
dà jiē xiǎo xiàng
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1 great streets and small alleys (idiom); everywhere in the city
大惊小怪
dà jīng xiǎo guài
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1 to make a fuss about nothing (idiom)
小不忍则乱大谋
xiǎo bù rěn zé luàn dà móu
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1 (idiom) great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience
小人得志
xiǎo rén dé zhì
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1 lit. a vile character flourishes (idiom)
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2 fig. an inferior person gets into a position of power, becoming conceited and arrogant
小作怡情,大作伤身
xiǎo zuò yí qíng , dà zuò shāng shēn
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1 a little bit of it does one good, but carried to excess it's harmful (idiom)