一五一十
yī wǔ yī shí
-
1 lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail
一传十,十传百
yī chuán shí , shí chuán bǎi
-
1 news pass quickly from mouth to mouth (idiom)
-
2 an infectious disease spreads quickly (old meaning)
一山不容二虎
yī shān bù róng èr hǔ
-
1 lit. the mountain can't have two tigers (idiom)
-
2 fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
-
3 (of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive
一年被蛇咬十年怕井绳
yī nián bèi shé yǎo shí nián pà jǐng shéng
-
1 bitten by a snake in one year, fears the well rope for ten years (idiom); once bitten twice shy
一暴十寒
yī pù shí hán
-
1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
-
2 sporadic effort
-
3 short attention span
一曝十寒
yī pù shí hán
-
1 one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
-
2 sporadic effort
-
3 lack of sticking power
-
4 short attention span
一朝被蛇咬,十年怕井绳
yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo , shí nián pà jǐng shéng
-
1 once bitten by a snake, ten years in fear of a well rope
-
2 once bitten, twice shy (idiom)
一本万利
yī běn wàn lì
-
1 small capital, huge profit (idiom); to put in a little and get a lot out
一目十行
yī mù shí háng
-
1 ten lines at a glance (idiom)
-
2 to read very rapidly
三七二十一
sān qī èr shí yī
-
1 three sevens are twenty-one (idiom)
-
2 the facts of the matter
-
3 the actual situation
三五成群
sān wǔ chéng qún
-
1 in groups of three or four (idiom)
三令五申
sān lìng wǔ shēn
-
1 to order again and again (idiom)
三十而立
sān shí ér lì
-
1 thirty years old and therefore independent (idiom, from Confucius)
三句话不离本行
sān jù huà bù lí běn háng
-
1 to talk shop all the time (idiom)
三姑六婆
sān gū liù pó
-
1 women with disreputable or illegal professions (idiom)
三番五次
sān fān wǔ cì
-
1 over and over again (idiom)
三百六十行
sān bǎi liù shí háng
-
1 all walks of life (idiom)
-
2 every trade
三纲五常
sān gāng wǔ cháng
-
1 three principles and five virtues (idiom)
-
2 the three rules (ruler guides subject, father guides son and husband guides wife) and five constant virtues of Confucianism (benevolence 仁, righteousness 義|义, propriety 禮|礼, wisdom 智 and fidelity 信)
三茶六饭
sān chá liù fàn
-
1 lit. to offer three kinds of tea and six different dishes
-
2 to be extremely considerate towards guests (idiom)
三头六臂
sān tóu liù bì
-
1 lit. to have three heads and six arms (idiom)
-
2 fig. to possess remarkable abilities
-
3 a being of formidable powers