不到火候不揭锅
bù dào huǒ hòu bù jiē guō
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1 don't act until the time is ripe (idiom)
刀子嘴,豆腐心
dāo zi zuǐ , dòu fu xīn
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1 to have a sharp tongue but a soft heart (idiom)
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
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1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
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2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
厝火积薪
cuò huǒ jī xīn
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1 lit. to put a fire under a pile of firewood (idiom)
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2 fig. hidden danger
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3 imminent danger
又要马儿跑,又要马儿不吃草
yòu yào mǎ r5 pǎo , yòu yào mǎ r5 bù chī cǎo
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1 lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom)
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2 fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too
吃人家的嘴软,拿人家的手短
chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn
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1 lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't reach (idiom)
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2 fig. one is partial to those from whom presents have been accepted
嘴快心直
zuǐ kuài xīn zhí
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1 outspoken and frank (idiom)
嘴甜心苦
zuǐ tián xīn kǔ
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1 sweet mouth, bitter heart (idiom); insincere flattery
城门失火,殃及池鱼
chéng mén shī huǒ , yāng jí chí yú
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1 a fire in the city gates is also a calamity for the fish in the moat (idiom); the bystander will also suffer
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2 fig. you can't escape responsibility for your actions
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3 ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee
如火如荼
rú huǒ rú tú
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1 like wildfire (idiom)
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2 unstoppable
弄嘴弄舌
nòng zuǐ nòng shé
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1 to cause a dispute through boastful gossip (idiom)
急如星火
jí rú xīng huǒ
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1 lit. as hurried as a shooting star (idiom); requiring immediate action
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2 extremely urgent
惹火烧身
rě huǒ shāo shēn
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1 stir up the fire and you get burnt (idiom); to get one's fingers burnt
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2 fig. to suffer on account of one's own meddling
战火纷飞
zhàn huǒ fēn fēi
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1 fire of war everywhere (idiom); enveloped in the flames of war
打得火热
dǎ de huǒ rè
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1 to carry on intimately with (idiom); ardent relationship (esp. between lovers)
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2 billing and cooing
抱薪救火
bào xīn jiù huǒ
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1 lit. to carry firewood to put out a fire (idiom); fig. to make a problem worse by inappropriate action
拙嘴笨舌
zhuō zuǐ bèn shé
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1 lit. clumsy mouth and broken tongue (idiom); awkward speaker
救场如救火
jiù chǎng rú jiù huǒ
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1 the show must go on (idiom)
新官上任三把火
xīn guān shàng rèn sān bǎ huǒ
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1 (of a newly appointed official) to make bold changes on assuming office (idiom)
星星之火
xīng xing zhī huǒ
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1 a single spark (idiom); an insignificant cause can have a massive effect