之乎者也
zhī hū zhě yě
-
1 lit. 之[zhī], 乎[hū], 者[zhě] and 也[yě] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom); fig. archaic expressions
仁者见仁,智者见智
rén zhě jiàn rén , zhì zhě jiàn zhì
-
1 The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom.
-
2 Different views are admissible. (idiom)
来者不善,善者不来
lái zhě bù shàn , shàn zhě bù lái
-
1 He who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come (idiom).
-
2 Be careful not to trust foreigners.
-
3 Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
来者不拒
lái zhě bù jù
-
1 to refuse nobody (idiom)
-
2 all comers welcome
前不见古人,后不见来者
qián bù jiàn gǔ rén , hòu bù jiàn lái zhě
-
1 unique
-
2 unprecedented (idiom)
胜者王侯败者寇
shèng zhě wáng hóu bài zhě kòu
-
1 the winners become princes and marquises; the losers are vilified as bandits (idiom)
-
2 history is written by the victors
因循守旧
yīn xún shǒu jiù
-
1 (idiom) to continue in the same old rut
-
2 diehard conservative attitudes
墨守成规
mò shǒu chéng guī
-
1 hidebound by convention (idiom)
太公钓鱼,愿者上钩
tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
-
1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
始作俑者
shǐ zuò yǒng zhě
-
1 lit. the first person to bury funerary dolls (idiom)
-
2 fig. the originator of an evil practice
姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩
Jiāng tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
-
1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want it, take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
守口如瓶
shǒu kǒu rú píng
-
1 lit. to guard one's mouth like a closed bottle (idiom); tight-lipped
-
2 reticent
-
3 not breathing a word
守土有责
shǒu tǔ yǒu zé
-
1 duty to defend the country (idiom)
守望相助
shǒu wàng xiāng zhù
-
1 to keep watch and defend one another (idiom, from Mencius); to join forces to defend against external aggressors
-
2 mutual help and protection
守株待兔
shǒu zhū dài tù
-
1 lit. to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits (idiom)
-
2 to wait idly for opportunities
-
3 to trust to chance rather than show initiative
守株待兔,缘木求鱼
shǒu zhū dài tù , yuán mù qiú yú
-
1 to guard a tree-stump, waiting for rabbits, and climb a tree to catch fish (idiom); without any practical course of action
安分守己
ān fèn shǒu jǐ
-
1 to be content with one's lot (idiom)
-
2 to know one's place
抱残守缺
bào cán shǒu quē
-
1 to cherish the outmoded and preserve the outworn (idiom); conservative
-
2 stickler for tradition
旁观者清
páng guān zhě qīng
-
1 The person on the spot is baffled, the onlooker sees clear (idiom). The spectator sees more of the game.
智者千虑,必有一失
zhì zhě qiān lu:4 , bì yǒu yī shī
-
1 lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom); fig. nobody is infallible