人烟稀少
rén yān xī shǎo
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1 no sign of human habitation (idiom); desolate
以少胜多
yǐ shǎo shèng duō
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1 using the few to defeat the many (idiom); to win from a position of weakness
僧多粥少
sēng duō zhōu shǎo
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1 lit. many monks and not much gruel (idiom)
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2 fig. not enough to go around
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3 demand exceeds supply
凶多吉少
xiōng duō jí shǎo
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1 everything bodes ill, no positive signs (idiom); inauspicious
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2 everything points to disaster
取长补短
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius)
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2 to use this in place of that
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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
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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
多一事不如少一事
duō yī shì bù rú shǎo yī shì
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1 it is better to avoid unnecessary trouble (idiom)
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2 the less complications the better
寡二少双
guǎ èr shǎo shuāng
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1 peerless
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2 second to none (idiom)
少女露笑脸,婚事半成全
shào nu:3 lù xiào liǎn , hūn shì bàn chéng quán
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1 When the girl smiles, the matchmaker's job is half done. (idiom)
少成多
shǎo chéng duō
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1 Many little things add up to sth great (idiom); many a mickle makes a muckle
少见多怪
shǎo jiàn duō guài
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1 lit. rarely seen, very strange (idiom); to express amazement due to lack of experience
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2 naive expression of excitement due to ignorance
张家长,李家短
Zhāng jiā cháng , Lǐ jiā duǎn
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1 lit. the Zhangs are better off than the Lis (idiom); to gossip about the neighbors
截长补短
jié cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 take from the long to supplement the short (idiom)
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2 to offset each other's deficiencies
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3 to complement each other
扬长避短
yáng cháng bì duǎn
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1 to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom)
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2 to play to one's strengths
昼短夜长
zhòu duǎn yè cháng
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1 the winter days are short and the nights long (idiom)
东家长西家短
dōng jiā cháng xī jiā duǎn
残年短景
cán nián duǎn jǐng
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1 at the end of the year (idiom)
洋场恶少
yáng chǎng è shào
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1 city infested with foreign adventurers (esp. of Shanghai in pre-Liberation China) (idiom)
争长论短
zhēng cháng lùn duǎn
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1 lit. to argue who is right and wrong (idiom); to quibble
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2 a storm in a teacup
疏谋少略
shū móu shǎo lu:è
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1 unable to plan
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2 inept at strategy (idiom)