一山不容二虎
yī shān bù róng èr hǔ
-
1 lit. the mountain can't have two tigers (idiom)
-
2 fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
-
3 (of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive
不识泰山
bù shí Tài Shān
-
1 can't recognize Mt Taishan (idiom); fig. not to recognize a famous person
不显山不露水
bù xiǎn shān bù lù shuǐ
-
1 lit. to not show the mountain and to not reveal the water (idiom); fig. to hide the key facts
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
-
1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
-
2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
兵败如山倒
bīng bài rú shān dǎo
-
1 troops in defeat like a landslide (idiom); a beaten army in total collapse
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
-
1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
-
2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
名落孙山
míng luò Sūn Shān
-
1 lit. to fall behind Sun Shan 孫山|孙山[Sūn Shān] (who came last in the imperial examination) (idiom)
-
2 fig. to fail an exam
-
3 to fall behind (in a competition)
吴头楚尾
Wú tóu Chǔ wěi
-
1 lit. head in Wu and tail in Chu (idiom); fig. close together
-
2 head-to-tail
-
3 one thing starts where the other leaves off
地动山摇
dì dòng shān yáo
-
1 the earth quaked, the mountains shook (idiom); a tremendous battle
坐吃山空
zu�� chī shān kōng
-
1 lit. just sitting and eating, one can deplete even a mountain of wealth (idiom)
-
2 fig. to spend one's money without generating any income
坐山观虎斗
zuò shān guān hǔ dòu
-
1 sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight
-
2 watch in safety whilst others fight then reap the rewards when both sides are exhausted (idiom)
执法如山
zhí fǎ rú shān
-
1 to maintain the law as firm as a mountain (idiom); to enforce the law strictly
堆积如山
duī jī rú shān
-
1 to pile up like a mountain (idiom)
-
2 a mountain of (paperwork etc)
-
3 a large number of sth
寿比南山
shòu bǐ Nán Shān
-
1 Live as long as the Zhongnan Mountains! (idiom)
-
2 Long may you live!
宁做鸡头，不做凤尾
nìng zuò jī tóu , bù zuò fèng wěi
-
1 lit. would rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail (idiom)
-
2 fig. to prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond
小山包包
xiǎo shān bāo bao
-
1 a landscape dotted with low hills and hillocks (idiom)
尾大不掉
wěi dà bù diào
-
1 large tail obstructs action (idiom); bottom heavy
-
2 fig. rendered ineffective by subordinates
山外有山，天外有天
shān wài yǒu shān , tiān wài yǒu tiān
-
1 (idiom) however good sth is, there is always sth better
-
2 in the wider world there are people more talented than oneself
山峦重叠
shān luán chóng dié
-
1 overlapping ranges of high mountains (idiom)
山明水秀
shān míng shuǐ xiù
-
1 lit. verdant hills and limpid water (idiom)
-
2 fig. enchanting scenery