一瓶子不响,半瓶子晃荡
yī píng zi bù xiǎng , bàn píng zi huàng dang
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1 lit. a full bottle makes no sound; a half-filled bottle sloshes (idiom)
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2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
一知半解
yī zhī bàn jiě
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1 lit. to know one and understand half (idiom); a smattering of knowledge
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2 dilettante
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3 amateur
一鳞半爪
yī lín bàn zhuǎ
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1 lit. one scale and half a claw (idiom); only odd bits and pieces
不分伯仲
bù fēn bó zhòng
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1 lit. unable to distinguish eldest brother from second brother (idiom); they are all equally excellent
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2 nothing to choose between them
事半功倍
shì bàn gōng bèi
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1 half the work, twice the effect (idiom); the right approach saves effort and leads to better results
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2 a stitch in time saves nine
千里马常有,而伯乐不常有
qiān lǐ mǎ cháng yǒu , ér Bó Lè bù cháng yǒu
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1 lit. there are many swift horses, but very few who can spot them (idiom)
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2 fig. many have talent, but few can recognize talent when they see it
半推半就
bàn tuī bàn jiù
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1 half willing and half unwilling (idiom); to yield after making a show of resistance
半瓶水响叮当
bàn píng shuǐ xiǎng dīng dāng
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1 lit. if you tap a half-empty bottle it makes a sound (idiom)
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2 fig. empty vessels make the most noise
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3 one who has a little knowledge likes to show off, but one who is truly knowledgeable is modest
半真半假
bàn zhēn bàn jiǎ
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1 (idiom) half true and half false
半途而废
bàn tú ér fèi
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1 to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished
半通不通
bàn tōng bù tōng
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1 to not fully understand (idiom)
吴下阿蒙
Wú xià ā Méng
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1 General Lü Meng 呂蒙|吕蒙 of the southern state of Wu (idiom); model of self-improvement by diligent study (from unlettered soldier to top strategist of Wu)
少女露笑脸,婚事半成全
shào nu:3 lù xiào liǎn , hūn shì bàn chéng quán
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1 When the girl smiles, the matchmaker's job is half done. (idiom)
拉大旗作虎皮
lā dà qí zuò hǔ pí
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1 lit. to wave a banner as if it were a tiger skin (idiom)
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2 fig. to borrow sb's prestige
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3 to take the name of a great cause as a shield
拉家带口
lā jiā dài kǒu
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1 to bear the burden of a household (idiom); encumbered by a family
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2 tied down by family obligations
东拉西扯
dōng lā xī chě
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1 to talk about this and that (idiom); to ramble incoherently
深更半夜
shēn gēng bàn yè
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1 in the dead of night (idiom)
生拉活扯
shēng lā huó chě
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1 to wildly exaggerate the meaning of sth (idiom)
老鼠拉龟,无从下手
lǎo shǔ lā guī , wú cóng xià shǒu
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1 like mice trying to pull a turtle, nowhere to get a hand grip (idiom)
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2 no clue where to start
行百里者半九十
xíng bǎi lǐ zhě bàn jiǔ shí
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1 lit. ninety li is merely a half of a hundred li journey (idiom)
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2 fig. the closer one is to completing a task, the tougher it gets
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3 a task is not done until it's done