一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥
yī lì lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō zhōu
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1 lit. a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom)
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2 fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤
yī kē lǎo shǔ shǐ huài le yī guō tāng
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1 lit. a piece of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)
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2 fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch
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)
人是铁饭是钢
rén shì tiě fàn shì gāng
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1 one can't function properly on an empty stomach (idiom)
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2 an empty sack cannot stand upright
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
吃大锅饭
chī dà guō fàn
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1 lit. to eat from the common pot (idiom)
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2 fig. to be rewarded the same, regardless of performance
吃着碗里，看着锅里
chī zhe wǎn lǐ , kàn zhe guō lǐ
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1 lit. eyeing what's in the pot as one eats from one's bowl (idiom)
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2 not content with what one already has
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3 (of men, typically) to have the wandering eye
恨铁不成钢
hèn tiě bù chéng gāng
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1 lit. to hate iron for not becoming steel
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2 to feel resentful towards sb for failing to meet expectations and impatient to see improvement (idiom)
手无寸铁
shǒu wú cùn tiě
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1 lit. not an inch of steel (idiom); unarmed and defenseless
打破砂锅问到底
dǎ pò shā guō wèn dào dǐ
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1 to go to the bottom of things (idiom)
斩钉截铁
zhǎn dīng jié tiě
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1 lit. to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom)
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2 fig. resolute and decisive
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3 unhesitating
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4 categorical
砸锅卖铁
zá guō mài tiě
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1 to be willing to sacrifice everything one has (idiom)
磨穿铁砚
mó chuān tiě yàn
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1 to grind one's way through an ink stone
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2 to persevere in a difficult task (idiom)
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3 to study diligently (idiom)
踏破铁鞋
tà pò tiě xié
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1 lit. to wear out one's iron shoes (idiom)
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2 fig. to search high and low
连锅端
lián guō duān
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1 to take even the cooking pots (idiom)
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2 to clean out
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3 to wipe out
铜墙铁壁
tóng qiáng tiě bì
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1 copper wall, iron bastion (idiom); impenetrable defense
铮铮铁汉
zhēng zhēng tiě hàn
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1 a strong and determined man (idiom)
铁将军把门
tiě jiāng jūn bǎ mén
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1 lit. General Iron is guarding the door (idiom)
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2 fig. the door is padlocked — nobody inside
铁打的衙门，流水的官
tiě dǎ de yá men , liú shuǐ de guān
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1 lit. the yamen is strong as iron, the officials flow like water (idiom)
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2 fig. government officials come and go
铁树开花
tiě shù kāi huā
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1 lit. the iron tree blooms (idiom)
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2 a highly improbable or extremely rare occurrence