一五一十
yī wǔ yī shí
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1 lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail
一传十,十传百
yī chuán shí , shí chuán bǎi
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1 news pass quickly from mouth to mouth (idiom)
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2 an infectious disease spreads quickly (old meaning)
一年被蛇咬十年怕井绳
yī nián bèi shé yǎo shí nián pà jǐng shéng
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1 bitten by a snake in one year, fears the well rope for ten years (idiom); once bitten twice shy
一暴十寒
yī pù shí hán
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1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
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2 sporadic effort
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3 short attention span
一曝十寒
yī pù shí hán
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1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
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2 sporadic effort
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3 lack of sticking power
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4 short attention span
一朝被蛇咬,十年怕井绳
yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo , shí nián pà jǐng shéng
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1 once bitten by a snake, ten years in fear of a well rope
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2 once bitten, twice shy (idiom)
一目十行
yī mù shí háng
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1 ten lines at a glance (idiom)
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2 to read very rapidly
三七二十一
sān qī èr shí yī
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1 three sevens are twenty-one (idiom)
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2 the facts of the matter
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3 the actual situation
三十而立
sān shí ér lì
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1 thirty years old and therefore independent (idiom, from Confucius)
三姑六婆
sān gū liù pó
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1 women with disreputable or illegal professions (idiom)
三百六十行
sān bǎi liù shí háng
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1 all walks of life (idiom)
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2 every trade
三茶六饭
sān chá liù fàn
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1 lit. to offer three kinds of tea and six different dishes
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2 to be extremely considerate towards guests (idiom)
三头六臂
sān tóu liù bì
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1 lit. to have three heads and six arms (idiom)
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2 fig. to possess remarkable abilities
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3 a being of formidable powers
五十步笑百步
wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù
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1 the one who has retreated 50 steps laughs at the one who has retreated 100 steps (idiom)
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2 the pot calls the kettle black
以夷制夷
yǐ yí zhì yí
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1 to use foreigners to subdue foreigners (idiom); let the barbarians fight it out among themselves (traditional policy of successive dynasties)
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2 Use Western science and technology to counter imperialist encroachment. (late Qing modernizing slogan)
先发制人
xiān fā zhì rén
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1 to gain the initiative by striking first (idiom); to preempt
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2 to anticipate
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3 preemptive
六神无主
liù shén wú zhǔ
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1 out of one's wits (idiom)
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2 distracted
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3 stunned
六亲不认
liù qīn bù rèn
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1 not recognizing one's family (idiom); self-centered and not making any allowances for the needs of one's relatives
六亲无靠
liù qīn wú kào
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1 orphaned of all one's immediate relatives (idiom); no one to rely on
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2 left to one's own devices
十全十美
shí quán shí měi
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1 complete and beautiful
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2 to be perfect (idiom)