一言九鼎
yī yán jiǔ dǐng
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1 one word worth nine sacred tripods (idiom); words of enormous weight
三旬九食
sān xún jiǔ shí
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1 lit. to have only nine meals in thirty days (idiom)
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2 fig. (of a family) on the brink of starvation
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3 in dire straits
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)
九天揽月
jiǔ tiān lǎn yuè
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1 to reach for the stars (idiom)
九死一生
jiǔ sǐ yī shēng
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1 nine deaths and still alive (idiom); a narrow escape
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2 new lease of life
九牛一毛
jiǔ niú yī máo
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1 lit. one hair from nine oxen (idiom)
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2 fig. a drop in the ocean
九牛二虎之力
jiǔ niú èr hǔ zhī lì
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1 tremendous strength (idiom)
九霄云外
jiǔ xiāo yún wài
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1 beyond the topmost clouds (idiom)
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2 unimaginably far away
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)
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