不到黄河心不死
bù dào Huáng Hé xīn bù sǐ
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1 lit. not to stop until one reaches the Yellow River (idiom)
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2 fig. to persevere until one reaches one's goal
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3 to keep going while some hope is left
不是鱼死就是网破
bù shì yú sǐ jiù shì wǎng pò
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1 lit. either the fish dies or the net gets torn (idiom)
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2 fig. it's a life-and-death struggle
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3 it's either him or me
不知死活
bù zhī sǐ huó
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1 to act recklessly (idiom)
不要在一棵树上吊死
bù yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ
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1 don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)
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2 there's more than one way to skin a cat
九死一生
jiǔ sǐ yī shēng
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1 nine deaths and still alive (idiom); a narrow escape
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2 new lease of life
亡命之徒
wáng mìng zhī tú
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1 runaway (idiom); desperate criminal
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2 fugitive
亡国灭种
wáng guó miè zhǒng
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1 country destroyed, its people annihilated (idiom); total destruction
亡羊补牢
wáng yáng bǔ láo
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1 lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom)
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2 fig. to act belatedly
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3 better late than never
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4 to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
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
人琴俱亡
rén qín jù wàng
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1 person and lute have both vanished (idiom)
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2 death of a close friend
你死我活
nǐ sǐ wǒ huó
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1 lit. you die, I live (idiom); irreconcilable adversaries
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2 two parties cannot coexist
兔死狐悲
tù sǐ hú bēi
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1 lit. if the rabbit dies, the fox grieves (idiom); fig. to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distress
兔死狗烹
tù sǐ gǒu pēng
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1 lit. to boil the hound once it caught the rabbit (idiom)
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2 fig. to get rid of sb once he has served his purpose
出生入死
chū shēng rù sǐ
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1 from the cradle to the grave (idiom); to go through fire and water
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2 brave
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3 willing to risk life and limb
厚死薄生
hòu sǐ bó shēng
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1 lit. to praise the dead and revile the living
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2 fig. to live in the past (idiom)
名存实亡
míng cún shí wáng
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1 the name remains, but the reality is gone (idiom)
和气致祥
hé qì zhì xiáng
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1 (idiom) amiability leads to harmony
哀莫大于心死
āi mò dà yú xīn sǐ
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1 nothing sadder than a withered heart (idiom attributed to Confucius by Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuāng zǐ])
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2 no greater sorrow than a heart that never rejoices
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3 the worst sorrow is not as bad as an uncaring heart
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4 nothing is more wretched than apathy
唇亡齿寒
chún wáng chǐ hán
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1 lit. without the lips, the teeth feel the cold (idiom); fig. intimately interdependent
国家兴亡,匹夫有责
guó jiā xīng wáng , pǐ fū yǒu zé
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1 The rise and fall of the nation concerns everyone (idiom). Everyone bears responsibility for the prosperity of society.