一物降一物
yī wù xiáng yī wù
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1 lit. one object bests another object
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2 every item has a weakness (idiom)
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3 there is a rock to every scissor, a scissor to every paper, and a paper to every rock
三下两下
sān xià liǎng xià
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1 quickly and effortlessly (idiom)
上下其手
shàng xià qí shǒu
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1 to raise and lower one's hand (idiom); to signal as conspiratorial hint
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2 fig. conspiring to defraud
上有天堂,下有苏杭
shàng yǒu tiān táng , xià yǒu Sū Háng
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1 lit. there is heaven above, and there is 蘇杭|苏杭[Sū Háng] below (idiom)
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2 fig. the beauty and affluence of Suzhou and Hangzhou is comparable with heaven
上有政策,下有对策
shàng yǒu zhèng cè , xià yǒu duì cè
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1 The higher ups have policies while the lower downs have their own ways of getting around them. (idiom)
上有老下有小
shàng yǒu lǎo xià yǒu xiǎo
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1 lit. above are the elderly, below are the young (idiom)
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2 fig. to have to take care of both one's aging parents and one's children
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3 sandwich generation
上梁不正下梁歪
shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi
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1 lit. If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked (idiom); fig. subordinates imitate their superiors' vices
上气不接下气
shàng qì bù jiē xià qì
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1 out of breath (idiom)
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2 to gasp for air
上行下效
shàng xíng xià xiào
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1 subordinates follow the example of their superiors (idiom)
不愧下学
bù kuì xià xué
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1 not ashamed to learn from subordinates (idiom)
世风日下
shì fēng rì xià
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1 public morals are degenerating with each passing day (idiom)
干打雷,不下雨
gān dǎ léi , bù xià yǔ
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1 all thunder but no rain (idiom)
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2 a lot of noise but no action
仁民爱物
rén mín ài wù
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1 love to all creatures (idiom, from Mencius); universal benevolence
低首下心
dī shǒu xià xīn
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1 to be fawningly submissive (idiom)
价廉物美
jià lián wù měi
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1 inexpensive and of good quality (idiom)
先下手为强
xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng
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1 strike first and gain the upper hand (idiom, martial arts term); Making the first move is an advantage.
兵临城下
bīng lín chéng xià
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1 soldiers at the city walls (idiom); fig. at a critical juncture
包打天下
bāo dǎ tiān xià
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1 to run everything (idiom); to monopolize the whole business
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2 not allow anyone else to have a look in
博物洽闻
bó wù qià wén
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1 to have a wide knowledge of many subjects (idiom)
厚德载物
hòu dé zài wù
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1 with great virtue one can take charge of the world (idiom)