修心养性
xiū xīn yǎng xìng
-
1 to cultivate the heart and nurture the character (idiom); to improve oneself by meditation
取长补短
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn
-
1 lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius)
-
2 to use this in place of that
-
3 what you lose on the swings, you win on the roundabouts
吃人家的嘴软,拿人家的手短
chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn
-
1 lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't reach (idiom)
-
2 fig. one is partial to those from whom presents have been accepted
好记性不如烂笔头
hǎo jì xìng bù rú làn bǐ tóu
-
1 the palest ink is better than the best memory (idiom)
张家长,李家短
Zhāng jiā cháng , Lǐ jiā duǎn
-
1 lit. the Zhangs are better off than the Lis (idiom); to gossip about the neighbors
截长补短
jié cháng bǔ duǎn
-
1 take from the long to supplement the short (idiom)
-
2 to offset each other's deficiencies
-
3 to complement each other
扬长避短
yáng cháng bì duǎn
-
1 to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom)
-
2 to play to one's strengths
昼短夜长
zhòu duǎn yè cháng
-
1 the winter days are short and the nights long (idiom)
本性难移
běn xìng nán yí
-
1 It is hard to change one's essential nature (idiom). You can't change who you are.
-
2 Can the leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)
东家长西家短
dōng jiā cháng xī jiā duǎn
残年短景
cán nián duǎn jǐng
-
1 at the end of the year (idiom)
江山易改,本性难移
jiāng shān yì gǎi , běn xìng nán yí
-
1 it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one's character (idiom)
-
2 you can't change who you are
-
3 Can the leopard change his spots?
熏陶成性
xūn táo chéng xìng
-
1 (idiom) nurture makes second nature
-
2 good habits come by long assimilation
争长论短
zhēng cháng lùn duǎn
-
1 lit. to argue who is right and wrong (idiom); to quibble
-
2 a storm in a teacup
短中抽长
duǎn zhōng chōu cháng
-
1 to make the best of a bad job
-
2 to make the best use of limited resources (idiom)
短兵相接
duǎn bīng xiāng jiē
-
1 lit. short-weaponed soldiery fight one another (idiom); fierce hand-to-hand infantry combat
-
2 to fight at close quarters
短小精悍
duǎn xiǎo jīng hàn
-
1 (of a person) short but plucky (idiom)
-
2 (of an article) concise and forceful
说长道短
shuō cháng dào duǎn
-
1 lit. to discuss sb's merits and demerits (idiom); to gossip
论长道短
lùn cháng dào duǎn
-
1 lit. to discuss sb's merits and demerits (idiom); to gossip
长吁短叹
cháng xū duǎn tàn
-
1 long moan and short gasp (idiom); continually moaning and groaning in pain