先下手为强
xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng
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1 strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.
先斩后奏
xiān zhǎn hòu zòu
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1 first decapitate then present your trophy (idiom); act first, report later
先发制人
xiān fā zhì rén
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1 to gain the initiative by striking first (idiom); to preempt
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2 to anticipate
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3 preemptive
先睹为快
xiān dǔ wéi kuài
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1 joy of first experience (idiom)
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2 the pleasure of reading sth for the first time
先礼后兵
xiān lǐ hòu bīng
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1 peaceful measures before using force (idiom); diplomacy before violence
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2 jaw-jaw is better than war-war
兵马未动,粮草先行
bīng mǎ wèi dòng , liáng cǎo xiān xíng
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1 before the troops move, fodder and provisions go first (idiom); logistics comes before military maneuvers
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2 an army marches on its stomach
哑巴吃黄莲
yǎ ba chī huáng lián
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1 no choice but to suffer in silence (idiom)
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2 also written 啞巴吃黃連|哑巴吃黄连
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3 (often precedes 有苦說不出|有苦说不出[yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū])
哑巴吃黄连
yǎ ba chī huáng lián
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1 no choice but to suffer in silence (idiom)
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2 also written 啞巴吃黃蓮|哑巴吃黄莲
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3 (often precedes 有苦說不出|有苦说不出[yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū])
哑巴吃黄连,有苦说不出
yǎ ba chī huáng lián , yǒu kǔ shuō bu chū
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1 to be forced to suffer in silence (idiom)
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2 unable to speak of one's bitter suffering
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3 sometimes written 啞子吃黃連,有苦說不出|哑子吃黄连,有苦说不出
工欲善其事,必先利其器
gōng yù shàn qí shì , bì xiān lì qí qì
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1 To do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools (idiom). Good tools are prerequisite to the successful execution of a job
巴三览四
bā sān lǎn sì
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1 to talk about this and that (idiom); to ramble incoherently
巴前算后
bā qián suàn hòu
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1 thinking and pondering (idiom); to turn sth over in one's mind
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2 to consider repeatedly
巴山夜雨
Bā shān yè yǔ
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1 rain on Mt Ba (idiom); lonely in a strange land
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2 Evening Rain, 1980 movie about the Cultural Revolution
巴山蜀水
Bā shān Shǔ shuǐ
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1 mountains and rivers of Sichuan (idiom)
巴山越岭
bā shān yuè lǐng
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1 to climb hills and pass over mountains (idiom); to cross mountain after mountain
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2 good at climbing mountains
巴头探脑
bā tóu tàn nǎo
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1 to poke one's head in and pry (idiom); to spy
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2 nosy
巴高望上
bā gāo wàng shàng
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1 to wish for higher status (idiom); to curry favor in the hope of promotion
捷足先登
jié zú xiān dēng
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1 the quick-footed climb up first (idiom)
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2 the early bird catches the worm
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3 first come, first served
敢为人先
gǎn wéi rén xiān
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1 to dare to be first
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2 to pioneer (idiom)
春江水暖鸭先知
chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī
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1 lit. the duck is the first to know if the spring water is warm (idiom)
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2 fig. an expert in the field knows which way the wind blows