不到火候不揭锅
bù dào huǒ hòu bù jiē guō
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1 don't act until the time is ripe (idiom)
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
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1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
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2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
厝火积薪
cuò huǒ jī xīn
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1 lit. to put a fire under a pile of firewood (idiom)
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2 fig. hidden danger
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3 imminent danger
吴头楚尾
Wú tóu Chǔ wěi
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1 lit. head in Wu and tail in Chu (idiom); fig. close together
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2 head-to-tail
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3 one thing starts where the other leaves off
城门失火,殃及池鱼
chéng mén shī huǒ , yāng jí chí yú
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1 a fire in the city gates is also a calamity for the fish in the moat (idiom); the bystander will also suffer
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2 fig. you can't escape responsibility for your actions
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3 ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for thee
如火如荼
rú huǒ rú tú
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1 like wildfire (idiom)
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2 unstoppable
宁做鸡头,不做凤尾
nìng zuò jī tóu , bù zuò fèng wěi
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1 lit. would rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail (idiom)
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2 fig. to prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond
尾大不掉
wěi dà bù diào
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1 large tail obstructs action (idiom); bottom heavy
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2 fig. rendered ineffective by subordinates
彻头彻尾
chè tóu chè wěi
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1 lit. from head to tail (idiom); thoroughgoing
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2 through and through
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3 out and out
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4 from top to bottom
急如星火
jí rú xīng huǒ
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1 lit. as hurried as a shooting star (idiom); requiring immediate action
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2 extremely urgent
惹火烧身
rě huǒ shāo shēn
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1 stir up the fire and you get burnt (idiom); to get one's fingers burnt
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2 fig. to suffer on account of one's own meddling
战火纷飞
zhàn huǒ fēn fēi
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1 fire of war everywhere (idiom); enveloped in the flames of war
打得火热
dǎ de huǒ rè
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1 to carry on intimately with (idiom); ardent relationship (esp. between lovers)
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2 billing and cooing
抱薪救火
bào xīn jiù huǒ
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1 lit. to carry firewood to put out a fire (idiom); fig. to make a problem worse by inappropriate action
摇头摆尾
yáo tóu bǎi wěi
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1 to nod one's head and wag one's tail (idiom)
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2 to be well pleased with oneself
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3 to have a lighthearted air
救场如救火
jiù chǎng rú jiù huǒ
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1 the show must go on (idiom)
新官上任三把火
xīn guān shàng rèn sān bǎ huǒ
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1 (of a newly appointed official) to make bold changes on assuming office (idiom)
星星之火
xīng xing zhī huǒ
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1 a single spark (idiom); an insignificant cause can have a massive effect
星星之火,可以燎原
xīng xing zhī huǒ , kě yǐ liáo yuán
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1 a single spark can start a huge blaze (idiom); an insignificant cause can have a massive effect
有头有尾
yǒu tóu yǒu wěi
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1 where there's a start, there's a finish (idiom); to finish once one starts sth
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2 to carry things through
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3 I started, so I'll finish.