ChinesePod

1 lit. to lead the life of a whore but still want a monument put up to one's chastity (idiom)
2 fig. to have bad intentions but still want a good reputation
3 to want to have one's cake and eat it too

小菜一碟

xiǎo cài yī dié

1 a small appetizer
2 a piece of cake; very easy (idiom)

招兵买马

zhāo bīng mǎi mǎ

1 to recruit soldiers and buy horses (idiom); to raise a large army
2 fig. to expand business
3 to recruit new staff

招摇过市

zhāo yáo guò shì

1 to parade oneself ostentatiously about town (idiom)

招财

zhāo cái

1 lit. inviting wealth
2 We wish you success and riches (cf idiom 招財進寶|招财进宝[zhāo cái jìn bǎo])

Sample Sentences

这是这家的招牌菜，你尝尝。

zhèshì zhè jiā de zhāopáicài ，nǐ cháng cháng 。

This is the restaurant’s signature dish. Give it a try.

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服务员，请问你们这儿的招牌菜是哪一道？

fúwùyuán ，qǐngwèn nǐmen zhèr de zhāopai cài shì nǎ yī dào ？

Waiter, may I ask which is your signature dish?

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我可不要做电灯泡。我们点龙虾吧，听说是这里的招牌菜。

wǒ kě bùyào zuò diàndēngpào 。wǒmen diǎn lóngxiā ba ，tīngshuō shì zhèlǐ de zhāopai cài 。

I don’t want to be a third wheel. Let’s order the lobster! I’ve heard that it’s the specialty dish here.

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是啊，我有一次和一个外国同事吃广东点心，他再三强调不能点凤爪。说看了就头皮发麻。结果搞得我们错过了一道招牌菜。哎，你吃过最古怪的东西是什么？

shì ā ，wǒ yǒu yī cì hé yī ge wàiguó tóngshì chī Guǎngdōng diǎnxīn ，tā zàisān qiángdiào bùnéng diǎn fèngzhuǎ 。shuō kàn le jiù tóupí fāmá 。jiéguǒ gǎo de wǒmen cuòguò le yīdào zhāopáicài 。āi ，nǐ chī guo zuì gǔguài de dōngxi shì shénme ？

Yeah. I ate Cantonese dim sum with a foreign colleague once. He made a big deal out of the fact that we couldn't order chicken feet. He said that he got the heebie-jeebies just looking at it. In the end, I missed the chance to order the dish the restaurant was famous for! Hey, what's the strangest thing you've eaten?

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