亡国灭种
wáng guó miè zhǒng
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1 country destroyed, its people annihilated (idiom); total destruction
假途灭虢
jiǎ tú miè Guó
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1 lit. a short-cut to crush Guo (idiom); fig. to connive with sb to damage a third party, then turn on the partner
夏虫不可以语冰
xià chóng bù kě yǐ yǔ bīng
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1 a summer insect cannot discuss ice (idiom)
大义灭亲
dà yì miè qīn
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1 to place righteousness before family (idiom); ready to punish one's own family if justice demands it
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
宁左勿右
nìng zuǒ wù yòu
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1 (of one's political views) to prefer left rather than right (idiom during the Cultural Revolution)
宁拆十座庙,不毁一桩婚
níng chāi shí zuò miào , bù huì yī zhuāng hūn
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1 rather destroy ten temples than a single marriage (idiom)
宁死不屈
nìng sǐ bù qū
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1 rather die than submit (idiom)
宁为玉碎,不为瓦全
nìng wéi yù suì , bù wéi wǎ quán
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1 Better broken jade than intact tile.
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2 Death is preferable to dishonor. (idiom)
宁缺毋滥
nìng quē wú làn
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1 better to have nothing (than substandard choice) (idiom); would prefer to go without than accept shoddy option
宁静致远
níng jìng zhì yuǎn
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1 tranquility yields transcendence (idiom); quiet life of profound study
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2 cf Still waters run deep.
宠妾灭妻
chǒng qiè miè qī
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1 favor the concubine and do away with the wife (idiom)
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2 spoil one's mistress and neglect one's wife
息事宁人
xī shì níng rén
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1 to keep the peace; to patch up a quarrel (idiom)
灭此朝食
miè cǐ zhāo shí
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1 lit. not to have breakfast until the enemy is destroyed
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2 anxious to do battle (idiom)
灰飞烟灭
huī fēi yān miè
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1 lit. scattered ashes and dispersed smoke (idiom)
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2 fig. to be annihilated
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3 to vanish in a puff of smoke
自取灭亡
zì qǔ miè wáng
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1 to court disaster (idiom)
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2 to dig one's own grave
自生自灭
zì shēng zì miè
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1 to emerge and perish on its own; to run its course (idiom)
兴灭继绝
xīng miè jì jué
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1 lit. to restore the state and revive old families (idiom)
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2 fig. to restore sth that has been destroyed or forgotten
鸡犬不宁
jī quǎn bù níng
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1 lit. not even the chickens and dogs are left undisturbed (idiom)
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2 fig. great commotion
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3 pandemonium