之乎者也
zhī hū zhě yě
-
1 lit. 之[zhī], 乎[hū], 者[zhě] and 也[yě] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom); fig. archaic expressions
人心不足蛇吞象
rén xīn bù zú shé tūn xiàng
-
1 a man who is never content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant (idiom)
仁者见仁，智者见智
rén zhě jiàn rén , zhì zhě jiàn zhì
-
1 The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom.
-
2 Different views are admissible. (idiom)
来者不善，善者不来
lái zhě bù shàn , shàn zhě bù lái
-
1 He who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come (idiom).
-
2 Be careful not to trust foreigners.
-
3 Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
来者不拒
lái zhě bù jù
-
1 to refuse nobody (idiom)
-
2 all comers welcome
前不见古人，后不见来者
qián bù jiàn gǔ rén , hòu bù jiàn lái zhě
-
1 unique
-
2 unprecedented (idiom)
胜者王侯败者寇
shèng zhě wáng hóu bài zhě kòu
-
1 the winners become princes and marquises; the losers are vilified as bandits (idiom)
-
2 history is written by the victors
合眼摸象
hé yǎn mō xiàng
-
1 to touch an elephant with closed eyes (idiom); to proceed blindly
太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
-
1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
始作俑者
shǐ zuò yǒng zhě
-
1 lit. the first person to bury funerary dolls (idiom)
-
2 fig. the originator of an evil practice
姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩
Jiāng tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
-
1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want it, take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
旁观者清
páng guān zhě qīng
-
1 The person on the spot is baffled, the onlooker sees clear (idiom). The spectator sees more of the game.
智者千虑，必有一失
zhì zhě qiān lu:4 , bì yǒu yī shī
-
1 lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom); fig. nobody is infallible
有志者事竟成
yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng
-
1 a really determined person will find a solution (idiom); where there's a will, there's a way
狗嘴里吐不出象牙
gǒu zuǐ li tǔ bù chū xiàng yá
-
1 no ivory comes from the mouth of a dog (idiom)
-
2 no good words are to be expected from a scoundrel
当局者迷，旁观者清
dāng jú zhě mí , páng guān zhě qīng
-
1 The person on the spot is baffled, the onlooker sees clear (idiom). The onlooker sees more of the game.
皎皎者易污
jiǎo jiǎo zhě yì wū
-
1 Virtue is easily sullied. (idiom)
盲人摸象
máng rén mō xiàng
-
1 blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經|大般涅盘经[dà bān Niè pán jīng]); fig. unable to see the big picture
-
2 to mistake the part for the whole
-
3 unable to see the wood for the trees
众盲摸象
zhòng máng mō xiàng
-
1 multitude of blind people touch an elephant (idiom, from Nirvana sutra 大般涅槃經|大般涅盘经[dà bān Niè pán jīng]); fig. unable to see the big picture
-
2 to mistake the part for the whole
-
3 unable to see the wood for the trees