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
人为刀俎，我为鱼肉
rén wéi dāo zǔ , wǒ wéi yú ròu
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1 lit. to be the meat on sb's chopping block (idiom)
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2 fig. to be at sb's mercy
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
包子有肉不在褶上
bāo zi yǒu ròu bù zài zhě shàng
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1 a book is not judged by its cover (idiom)
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
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
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
心惊肉跳
xīn jīng ròu tiào
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1 lit. heart alarmed, body leaping (idiom); fear and trepidation in the face of disaster
情同骨肉
qíng tóng gǔ ròu
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1 as close as flesh and bones (idiom); deep friendship
情逾骨肉
qíng yú gǔ ròu
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1 feelings deeper than for one's own flesh and blood (idiom)
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2 deep friendship
手心手背都是肉
shǒu xīn shǒu bèi dōu shì ròu
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1 lit. both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh (idiom)
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2 fig. to both be of equal importance
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3 to value both equally
挖肉补疮
wā ròu bǔ chuāng
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1 to cut one's flesh to cover a sore (idiom); faced with a current crisis, to make it worse by a temporary expedient
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)
狂饮暴食
kuáng yǐn bào shí
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1 drunken gluttony (idiom); eating and drinking to excess
率兽食人
shuài shòu shí rén
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1 lit. to lead beasts to eat the people (idiom); fig. tyrannical government oppresses the people
生死肉骨
shēng sǐ ròu gǔ
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1 lit. the dead returning to life
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2 a miracle (idiom)