一木难支
yī mù nán zhī
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1 lit. a single post cannot prop up a falling house (idiom)
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2 fig. one is helpless alone
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)
人生一世,草木一春
rén shēng yī shì , cǎo mù yī chūn
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1 Man has but one life, grass but one spring (idiom). fig. the brevity of human existence
以貌取人
yǐ mào qǔ rén
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1 to judge sb by appearances (idiom)
你走你的阳关道,我过我的独木桥
nǐ zǒu nǐ de Yáng guān Dào , wǒ guò wǒ de dú mù qiáo
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1 lit. you hit the high road, I'll cross the log bridge (idiom)
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2 fig. you go your way, I'll go mine
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3 you do it your way, I'll do it mine
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)
刚毅木讷
gāng yì mù nè
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1 resolute and taciturn (idiom)
十年树木,百年树人
shí nián shù mù , bǎi nián shù rén
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1 It takes ten years to nurture a tree, but a hundred years to train a man (idiom). A good education program takes a long time to develop.
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
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
各取所需
gè qǔ suǒ xū
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1 each takes what he needs (idiom)
呆若木鸡
dāi ruò mù jī
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1 lit. dumb as a wooden chicken (idiom); fig. dumbstruck
咎由自取
jiù yóu zì qǔ
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1 to have only oneself to blame (idiom)
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2 to bring trouble through one's own actions
单丝不成线,独木不成林
dān sī bù chéng xiàn , dú mù bù chéng lín
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1 one strand does not make a thread, one tree does not make a forest (idiom)
囊中取物
náng zhōng qǔ wù
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1 as easy as reaching for it from a bag (idiom)
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2 in the bag
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3 (as good as) in one's possession
土木形骸
tǔ mù xíng hái
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1 earth and wood framework (idiom); plain and undecorated body
土牛木马
tǔ niú mù mǎ
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1 clay ox, wooden horse (idiom); shape without substance
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2 worthless object
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
守株待兔,缘木求鱼
shǒu zhū dài tù , yuán mù qiú yú
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1 to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits, and climb a tree to catch fish (idiom); without any practical course of action