Later History of the Five Dynasties (between Tang and Song), nineteenth of the 24 dynastic histories 二十四史[Èr shí sì Shǐ], compiled under Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修|欧阳修[Ōu yáng Xiū] in 1053 during Northern Song Dynasty, 74 scrolls
1 lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail
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)
三番五次
sān fān wǔ cì
1 over and over again (idiom)
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)
世代相传
shì dài xiāng chuán
1 passed on from generation to generation (idiom); to hand down
五十步笑百步
wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù
1 the one who has retreated 50 steps laughs at the one who has retreated 100 steps (idiom)
2 the pot calls the kettle black
五味俱全
wǔ wèi jù quán
1 a complete gamut of all five flavors (idiom); every flavor under the sun
五味杂陈
wǔ wèi zá chén
1 with complex feelings (idiom)
五彩缤纷
wǔ cǎi bīn fēn
1 all the colors in profusion (idiom); a garish display
五百年前是一家
wǔ bǎi nián qián shì yī jiā
1 five hundred years ago we were the same family (idiom) (said of persons with the same surname)
五色缤纷
wǔ sè bīn fēn
1 all the colors in profusion (idiom); a garish display
五体投地
wǔ tǐ tóu dì
1 to prostrate oneself in admiration (idiom); to adulate sb
五鬼闹判
wǔ guǐ nào pàn
1 Five ghosts mock the judge, or Five ghosts resist judgment (title of folk opera, idiom); important personage mobbed by a crowd of ne'er-do-wells
代代相传
dài dài xiāng chuán
1 passed on from generation to generation (idiom); to hand down
以史为鉴
yǐ shǐ wéi jiàn
1 to learn from history (idiom)
以言代法
yǐ yán dài fǎ
1 to substitute one's words for the law (idiom); high-handedly putting one's orders above the law
以言代法,以权压法
yǐ yán dài fǎ , yǐ quán yā fǎ
1 to substitute one's words for the law and abuse power to crush it (idiom); completely lawless behavior
2 Might makes right.
伸手不见五指
shēn shǒu bù jiàn wǔ zhǐ
1 pitch-dark (idiom)
包办代替
bāo bàn dài tì
1 to do everything oneself (idiom); not to allow others in on the act