一心二用
yī xīn èr yòng
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1 to do two things at once (idiom)
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2 to multitask
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3 to divide one's attention
一本万利
yī běn wàn lì
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1 small capital, huge profit (idiom); to put in a little and get a lot out
三句话不离本行
sān jù huà bù lí běn háng
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1 to talk shop all the time (idiom)
别有用心
bié yǒu yòng xīn
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1 to have an ulterior motive (idiom)
别无他用
bié wú tā yòng
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1 to have no other use or purpose (idiom)
刚愎自用
gāng bì zì yòng
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1 obstinate and self-opinionated (idiom)
割鸡焉用牛刀
gē jī yān yòng niú dāo
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1 lit. why use a pole-ax to slaughter a chicken? (idiom)
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2 fig. to waste effort on a trifling matter
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3 also written 殺雞焉用牛刀|杀鸡焉用牛刀[shā jī yān yòng niú dāo]
勤俭为服务之本
qín jiǎn wéi fú wù zhī běn
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1 hardwork and thriftiness are the foundations of service (idiom)
报本反始
bào běn fǎn shǐ
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1 ensure that you pay debts of gratitude (idiom)
大材小用
dà cái xiǎo yòng
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1 using a talented person in an insignificant position (idiom)
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2 a sledgehammer to crack a nut
家家有本难念的经
jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīng
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1 Every family goes through its problems. (idiom)
宽打窄用
kuān dǎ zhǎi yòng
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1 to give oneself leeway (idiom)
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2 to allow room for error
感情用事
gǎn qíng yòng shì
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1 to act impetuously (idiom); on an impulse
慈悲为本
cí bēi wéi běn
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1 mercy as the guiding principle (idiom); the Buddhist teaching that nothing is valid except compassion
惯用语
guàn yòng yǔ
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1 commonly used phrase
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2 idiom
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3 colloquial usage
舍本逐末
shě běn zhú mò
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1 to neglect the root and pursue the tip (idiom)
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2 to neglect fundamentals and concentrate on details
本性难移
běn xìng nán yí
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1 It is hard to change one's essential nature (idiom). You can't change who you are.
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2 Can the leopard change his spots? (Jeremiah 13:23)
本末倒置
běn mò dào zhì
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1 lit. to invert root and branch (idiom); fig. confusing cause and effect
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2 to stress the incidental over the fundamental
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3 to put the cart before the horse
江山易改,本性难移
jiāng shān yì gǎi , běn xìng nán yí
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1 it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to alter one's character (idiom)
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2 you can't change who you are
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3 Can the leopard change his spots?
无所用心
wú suǒ yòng xīn
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1 not paying attention to anything (idiom); to idle time away