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
人模狗样
rén mó gǒu yàng
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1 (idiom) to pose
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2 to put on airs
人为财死,鸟为食亡
rén wèi cái sǐ , niǎo wèi shí wáng
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1 lit. human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food (idiom)
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2 fig. man will do anything in his means to become rich
偷鸡摸狗
tōu jī mō gǒu
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1 to imitate the dog and steal chicken (idiom)
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2 to pilfer
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3 to dally with women
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4 to have affairs
兔死狗烹
tù sǐ gǒu pēng
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1 lit. to boil the hound once it caught the rabbit (idiom)
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2 fig. to get rid of sb once he has served his purpose
咬人狗儿不露齿
yǎo rén gǒu r5 bù lù chǐ
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1 lit. the dog that bites does not show its fangs (idiom)
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2 fig. You can't tell the really dangerous enemy from his external appearance.
因噎废食
yīn yē fèi shí
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1 lit. not eating for fear of choking (idiom); fig. to cut off one's nose to spite one's face
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2 to avoid sth essential because of a slight risk
嫁鸡随鸡,嫁狗随狗
jià jī suí jī , jià gǒu suí gǒu
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1 if you marry a chicken follow the chicken, if you marry a dog follow the dog (idiom)
宵衣旰食
xiāo yī gàn shí
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1 to dress before light and not eat before dark (idiom)
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2 diligently attending to official matters
寝食难安
qǐn shí nán ān
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1 lit. cannot rest or eat in peace (idiom)
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2 fig. extremely worried and troubled
废寝忘食
fèi qǐn wàng shí
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1 to neglect sleep and forget about food (idiom)
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2 to skip one's sleep and meals
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3 to be completely wrapped up in one's work
引狗入寨
yǐn gǒu rù zhài
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1 to lead the dog into the village (idiom)
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2 to introduce a potential source of trouble
弱肉强食
ruò ròu qiáng shí
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1 lit. the weak are prey to the strong (idiom); fig. predatory behavior
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2 the law of the jungle
打狗还得看主人
dǎ gǒu hái děi kàn zhǔ rén
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1 lit. when one beats a dog, one must answer to its master (idiom)
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2 fig. before punishing sb, one should consider how that would affect others associated with him
打落水狗
dǎ luò shuǐ gǒu
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1 lit. to beat a drowning dog (idiom)
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2 fig. to pulverize an (already defeated) enemy
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3 to hit sb when he's down
指鸡骂狗
zhǐ jī mà gǒu
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1 lit. to point at the chicken while scolding the dog (idiom)
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2 fig. to make indirect criticisms
掉书袋
diào shū dài
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1 lit. to wave around one's bookbag (idiom)
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2 fig. to show off one's erudition
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3 a person who does so
挂羊头卖狗肉
guà yáng tóu mài gǒu ròu
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1 lit. to hang a sheep's head while selling dog meat (idiom)
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2 fig. to cheat
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3 dishonest advertising
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4 wicked deeds carried out under banner of virtue
民以食为天
mín yǐ shí wéi tiān
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1 Food is the God of the people. (idiom); People view food as the primary need.
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2 Food first, ethical niceties second
灭此朝食
miè cǐ zhāo shí
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1 lit. not to have breakfast until the enemy is destroyed
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2 anxious to do battle (idiom)