一寸光阴一寸金
yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn
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1 lit. An interval of time is worth an ounce of gold. (idiom)
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2 fig. free time is to be treasured
一寸光阴一寸金,寸金难买寸光阴
yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn , cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn
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1 lit. An interval of time is worth an ounce of gold, money cannot buy you time. (idiom)
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2 fig. Time is precious and must be treasured.
冰冻三尺,非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ , fēi yī rì zhī hán
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1 three feet of ice does not form in a single day (idiom); Rome wasn't built in a day
取长补短
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius)
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2 to use this in place of that
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3 what you lose on the swings, you win on the roundabouts
吃人家的嘴软,拿人家的手短
chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn , ná rén jiā de shǒu duǎn
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1 lit. the mouth that has been fed by others is soft, the hand that has received doesn't reach (idiom)
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2 fig. one is partial to those from whom presents have been accepted
咫尺天涯
zhǐ chǐ tiān yá
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1 so close, yet worlds apart (idiom)
垂涎三尺
chuí xián sān chǐ
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1 to drool (over) (idiom)
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2 to yearn for
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3 to covet
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4 to crave
寸土寸金
cùn tǔ cùn jīn
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1 land is extremely expensive (in that area) (idiom)
寸步不让
cùn bù bù ràng
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1 (idiom) not to yield an inch
寸步不离
cùn bù bù lí
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1 to follow sb closely (idiom)
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2 to keep close to
寸步难行
cùn bù nán xíng
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1 unable to move a single step (idiom)
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2 to be in an (extremely) difficult situation
寸草不生
cùn cǎo bù shēng
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1 lit. not even a blade of grass grows (idiom)
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2 fig. barren
寸金难买寸光阴
cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn
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1 An ounce of gold can't buy you an interval of time (idiom); Money can't buy you time.
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2 Time is precious.
张家长,李家短
Zhāng jiā cháng , Lǐ jiā duǎn
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1 lit. the Zhangs are better off than the Lis (idiom); to gossip about the neighbors
得寸进尺
dé cùn jìn chǐ
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1 lit. win an inch, want a foot (idiom); fig. not satisfied with small gains
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2 give him an inch, and he'll want a mile
截长补短
jié cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 take from the long to supplement the short (idiom)
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2 to offset each other's deficiencies
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3 to complement each other
手无寸铁
shǒu wú cùn tiě
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1 lit. not an inch of steel (idiom); unarmed and defenseless
扬长避短
yáng cháng bì duǎn
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1 to foster strengths and avoid weaknesses (idiom)
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2 to play to one's strengths
方寸大乱
fāng cùn dà luàn
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1 (idiom) to become agitated
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2 to get worked up
方寸已乱
fāng cùn yǐ luàn
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1 (idiom) confused
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2 troubled
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3 bewildered