ChinesePod

1 lit. three monks have no water to drink (idiom)
2 fig. everybody's business is nobody's business
3 (If there is one monk, he will fetch water for himself. If there are two, they will fetch water together. But if there are three or more, none will take it upon himself to fetch water.)

做一天和尚撞一天钟

zuò yī tiān hé shang zhuàng yī tiān zhōng

1 lit. as a monk for today, toll today's bell (idiom)
2 fig. to do one's job mechanically
3 to hold a position passively

Sample Sentences

是福建菜，用料都是最顶级的山珍海味，包括鲍鱼、鱼翅，用小火慢慢熬制。传说是人间第一鲜美，连和尚都挡不住诱惑，要来品尝。

shì fújiàn cài ，yòngliào dōu shì zuì dǐngjí de shānzhēnhǎiwèi ，bāokuò bàoyú 、yúchì ，yòng xiǎohuǒ mànmàn áozhì 。chuánshuō shì rénjiān dì yī xiānměi ，lián héshang dōu dǎng bùzhù yòuhuò ，yàolái pǐncháng 。

It's a Fujian dish. The ingredients are the highest-grade delicacies, including abalone and shark fins. You use a low flame to cook it slowly. The legend says that it's the finest dish on earth. Even monks can't resist its temptations, and want to try it.

Go to Lesson

所以说啊，这所谓时尚啊，真是让人丈二和尚摸不着头脑。

suǒyǐshuō ā ，zhè suǒwèi shíshàng ā ，zhēn shì ràngrén zhàngèrhéshang mō buzháo tóunǎo 。

So that's why I say, what we call fashion really leaves one at a loss.

Go to Lesson

做和尚

zuò héshang

to be a monk

Go to Lesson

去了，挺好玩的，有很多寺庙和和尚。

qù le ，tǐng hǎowán de ，yǒu hěn duō sìmiào hé héshang 。

I did. It was quite fun. There were many temples and monks.

Go to Lesson

从前有座山，山上有座庙。庙里有一个老和尚和一个小和尚。老和尚对小和尚说："从前有座山，山上有座庙。..."

cóngqián yǒu zuò shān ，shān shàng yǒu zuò miào 。miào lǐ yǒu yī ge lǎo héshang hé yī ge xiǎo héshang 。lǎo héshang duì xiǎo héshang shuō ："cóngqián yǒu zuò shān ，shān shàng yǒu zuò miào 。..."

Long ago, there was a mountain. On the mountain, there was a temple. In the temple there was an old monk, and a young monk. The old monk said to the young monk, 'Long ago, there was a mountain. On the mountain there was a temple'...

Go to Lesson

沙和尚跪着恳求唐僧：“师父，求您别念了。”

Shā Héshang guì zhe kěnqiú Táng Sēng ：“shīfù ，qiú nín bié niàn le 。”

Friar Sand fell to his knees and implored Tang Seng, "Master, I beg you not to read the incantation."

Go to Lesson

唐僧和沙和尚见那村姑并无恶意，便慢慢朝圈外走去。

Táng sēng hé Shā Héshang jiàn nà cūngū bìng wú èyì ，biàn mànmān cháo quānwài zǒu qù 。

Tang Seng and Friar Sand thought the girl harmless and slowly began moving outside the circle.

Go to Lesson

沙和尚也过来求情。

Shā héshang yě guòlái qiúqíng 。

Friar Sand came forward, also asking for mercy.