一体两面
yī tǐ liǎng miàn
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1 lit. one body two sides (idiom)
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2 fig. a situation with two sides to it
不成体统
bù chéng tǐ tǒng
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1 not according with decorum (idiom); scandalous
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2 bad form
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3 unacceptable behavior
不识大体
bù shí dà tǐ
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1 to fail to see the larger issue (idiom)
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2 to fail to grasp the big picture
五体投地
wǔ tǐ tóu dì
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1 to prostrate oneself in admiration (idiom); to adulate sb
亡羊补牢
wáng yáng bǔ láo
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1 lit. to mend the pen after sheep are lost (idiom)
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2 fig. to act belatedly
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3 better late than never
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4 to lock the stable door after the horse has bolted
取长补短
qǔ cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 lit. use others' strengths to make up for one's weak points (idiom from Mencius)
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2 to use this in place of that
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3 what you lose on the swings, you win on the roundabouts
四体不勤,五谷不分
sì tǐ bù qín , wǔ gǔ bù fēn
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1 never move your four limbs, can't distinguish the five crops (idiom); living as a parasite
将勤补绌
jiāng qín bǔ chù
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1 to compensate for lack of ability through hard work (idiom)
小洞不堵,大洞难补
xiǎo dòng bù dǔ , dà dòng nán bǔ
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1 If you don't plug the small hole, the big hole will be hard to repair (idiom); A stitch in time saves nine.
小洞不补大洞吃苦
xiǎo dòng bù bǔ dà dòng chī kǔ
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1 A small hole not plugged will make you suffer a big hole (idiom); a stitch in time saves nine
心宽体胖
xīn kuān tǐ pán
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1 big-hearted and serene (idiom); contented and easy-going
心广体胖
xīn guǎng tǐ pán
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1 big-hearted and serene (idiom); contended and easy-going
截长补短
jié cháng bǔ duǎn
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1 take from the long to supplement the short (idiom)
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2 to offset each other's deficiencies
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3 to complement each other
拆东墙补西墙
chāi dōng qiáng bǔ xī qiáng
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1 lit. pull down the east wall to repair the west wall (idiom); fig. temporary expedient
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2 Rob Peter to pay Paul
拆东补西
chāi dōng bǔ xī
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1 lit. pull down the east wall to repair the west (idiom); fig. temporary expedient
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2 Rob Peter to pay Paul
拾遗补缺
shí yí bǔ quē
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1 to remedy omissions and correct errors (idiom)
挖肉补疮
wā ròu bǔ chuāng
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1 to cut one's flesh to cover a sore (idiom); faced with a current crisis, to make it worse by a temporary expedient
相体裁衣
xiàng tǐ cái yī
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1 lit. tailor the clothes to fit the body (idiom); fig. act according to real circumstances
看菜吃饭,量体裁衣
kān cài chī fàn , liáng tǐ cái yī
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1 eat depending on the dish, cut cloth according to the body (idiom); to fit the appetite to the dishes and the dress to the figure
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2 to act according to actual circumstances
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3 to live within one's means