一瓶子不响，半瓶子晃荡
yī píng zi bù xiǎng , bàn píng zi huàng dang
-
1 lit. a full bottle makes no sound; a half-filled bottle sloshes (idiom)
-
2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
一知半解
yī zhī bàn jiě
-
1 lit. to know one and understand half (idiom); a smattering of knowledge
-
2 dilettante
-
3 amateur
一鳞半爪
yī lín bàn zhuǎ
-
1 lit. one scale and half a claw (idiom); only odd bits and pieces
事半功倍
shì bàn gōng bèi
-
1 half the work, twice the effect (idiom); the right approach saves effort and leads to better results
-
2 a stitch in time saves nine
削足适履
xuē zú shì lu:3
-
1 to cut the feet to fit the shoes (idiom); to force sth to fit (as to a Procrustean bed)
-
2 impractical or inelegant solution
半推半就
bàn tuī bàn jiù
-
1 half willing and half unwilling (idiom); to yield after making a show of resistance
半瓶水响叮当
bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng
-
1 lit. if you tap a half-empty bottle it makes a sound (idiom)
-
2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
-
3 one who has a little knowledge likes to show off, but one who is truly knowledgeable is modest
半真半假
bàn zhēn bàn jiǎ
-
1 (idiom) half true and half false
半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
-
1 to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished
半通不通
bàn tōng bù tōng
-
1 to not fully understand (idiom)
如履薄冰
rú lu:3 bó bīng
-
1 lit. as if walking on thin ice (idiom)
-
2 fig. to be extremely cautious
-
3 to be skating on thin ice
少女露笑脸，婚事半成全
shào nu:3 lù xiào liǎn , hūn shì bàn chéng quán
-
1 When the girl smiles, the matchmaker's job is half done. (idiom)
履舄交错
lu:3 xì jiāo cuò
-
1 lit. shoes and slippers muddled together (idiom); fig. many guests come and go
-
2 a lively party
履险如夷
lu:3 xiǎn rú yí
-
1 lit. to make one's way through a dangerous pass as if walking on level ground (idiom)
-
2 fig. to handle a crisis effortlessly
步履维艰
bù lu:3 wéi jiān
-
1 to have difficulty walking (idiom)
-
2 to walk with difficulty
深更半夜
shēn gēng bàn yè
-
1 in the dead of night (idiom)
瓜田不纳履，李下不整冠
guā tián bù nà lu:3 , lǐ xià bù zhěng guān
-
1 lit. don't tie your shoelaces in a melon patch, and don't adjust your hat under a plum tree (idiom)
-
2 fig. don't do anything that might arouse suspicion
-
3 innocent acts may be misconstrued
章甫荐履
zhāng fǔ jiàn lu:3
-
1 court crown beneath straw shoe (idiom); everything turned upside down
行百里者半九十
xíng bǎi lǐ zhě bàn jiǔ shí
-
1 lit. ninety li is merely a half of a hundred li journey (idiom)
-
2 fig. the closer one is to completing a task, the tougher it gets
-
3 a task is not done until it's done
话不投机半句多
huà bù tóu jī bàn jù duō
-
1 when views are irreconcilable, it's a waste of breath to continue discussion (idiom)