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
好汉不吃眼前亏
hǎo hàn bù chī yǎn qián kuī
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1 a wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him (idiom)
好汉不提当年勇
hǎo hàn bù tí dāng nián yǒng
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1 a real man doesn't boast about his past achievements (idiom)
好汉做事好汉当
hǎo hàn zuò shì hǎo hàn dāng
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1 daring to act and courageous enough to take responsibility for it (idiom)
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2 a true man has the courage to accept the consequences of his actions
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3 the buck stops here
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
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
气冲霄汉
qì chōng xiāo hàn
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1 (idiom) dauntless
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2 courageous
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3 spirited
汉贼不两立
Hàn zéi bù liǎng lì
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1 lit. Shu Han 蜀漢|蜀汉[Shǔ Hàn] and Cao Wei 曹魏[Cáo Wèi] cannot coexist (idiom)
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2 fig. two enemies cannot live under the same sky
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3 (former KMT slogan against CPC) "gentlemen and thieves cannot coexist"
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
身在曹营心在汉
shēn zài Cáo yíng xīn zài Hàn
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1 live in Cao camp but have the heart in Han camp (idiom)
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2 to be somewhere while longing to be somewhere else
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
铁面无私
tiě miàn wú sī
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1 strictly impartial and incorruptible (idiom)