不要在一棵树上吊死
bù yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ
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1 don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)
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2 there's more than one way to skin a cat
刀不磨要生锈，人不学要落后
dāo bù mó yào shēng xiù , rén bù xué yào luò hòu
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1 a blade will get rusty if it is not sharpened; a man will fall behind if he doesn't study (idiom)
切中要害
qiè zhòng yào hài
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1 to hit the target and do real damage (idiom)
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2 fig. to hit where it hurts
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3 fig. to hit home
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4 an argument that hits the nail on the head
初露头角
chū lù tóu jiǎo
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1 lit. to first show one's horns (idiom); fig. a first show of emerging talent
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2 first sign of emerging talent
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3 budding genius
勾心斗角
gōu xīn dòu jiǎo
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1 to fight and scheme against each other (idiom)
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2 (in palace construction) elaborate and refined
又要马儿跑，又要马儿不吃草
yòu yào mǎ r5 pǎo , yòu yào mǎ r5 bù chī cǎo
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1 lit. you can't expect the horse to run fast but not let it graze (idiom)
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2 fig. you can't have your cake and eat it, too
只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针
zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn
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1 If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle.
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2 cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom); fig. to persevere in a difficult task
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3 to study diligently
天要落雨，娘要嫁人
tiān yào luò yǔ , niáng yào jià rén
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1 the rain will fall, the womenfolk will marry (idiom)
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2 fig. the natural order of things
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3 something you can't go against
崭露头角
zhǎn lù tóu jiǎo
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1 to reveal outstanding talent (idiom); to stand out as conspicuously brilliant
拐弯抹角
guǎi wān mò jiǎo
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1 lit. going round the curves and skirting the corners (idiom)
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2 fig. to speak in a roundabout way
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3 to equivocate
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4 to beat about the bush
正中要害
zhèng zhòng yào hài
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1 to hit the nail on the head (idiom)
死要面子活受罪
sǐ yào miàn zi huó shòu zuì
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1 to go through hell for the sake of keeping up appearances (idiom)
牛角挂书
niú jiǎo guà shū
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1 lit. to hang one's books on cow horns (idiom)
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2 fig. to be diligent in one's studies
简明扼要
jiǎn míng è yào
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1 brief and to the point (idiom)
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2 succinct
紧要关头
jǐn yào guān tóu
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1 urgent and important moment (idiom); critical juncture
总角之交
zǒng jiǎo zhī jiāo
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1 childhood friend (idiom)
总角之好
zǒng jiǎo zhī hǎo
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1 childhood friend (idiom)
若要人不知，除非己莫为
ruò yào rén bù zhī , chú fēi jǐ mò wéi
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1 If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it (idiom). fig. If you do something bad, people will inevitably hear about it.
钻牛角
zuān niú jiǎo
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1 lit. honing a bull's horn; fig. to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem
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2 to bash one's head against a brick wall
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3 a wild goose chase
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4 a blind alley
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5 to split hairs
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6 same as idiom 鑽牛角尖|钻牛角尖
钻牛角尖
zuān niú jiǎo jiān
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1 lit. to penetrate into a bull's horn (idiom); fig. to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem
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2 to bash one's head against a brick wall
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3 a wild goose chase
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4 a blind alley
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5 to split hairs