2 fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
3 (of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive
一纸空文
yī zhǐ kōng wén
1 a worthless piece of paper (idiom)
不识泰山
bù shí Tài Shān
1 can't recognize Mt Taishan (idiom); fig. not to recognize a famous person
不显山不露水
bù xiǎn shān bù lù shuǐ
1 lit. to not show the mountain and to not reveal the water (idiom); fig. to hide the key facts
人去楼空
rén qù lóu kōng
1 the people are gone and the place is empty (idiom)
2 the sight of a deserted place brings old friends to mind
3 the place is deserted
4 the birds have flown
他山之石可以攻玉
tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù
1 lit. the other mountain's stone can polish jade (idiom); to improve oneself by accepting criticism from outside
2 to borrow talent from abroad to develop the nation effectively
两手空空
liǎng shǒu kōng kōng
1 empty-handed (idiom); fig. not receiving anything
兵败如山倒
bīng bài rú shān dǎo
1 troops in defeat like a landslide (idiom); a beaten army in total collapse
刀山火海
dāo shān huǒ hǎi
1 lit. mountains of daggers and seas of flames
2 fig. extreme danger (idiom)
劈空扳害
pī kōng bān hài
1 damaged by groundless slander (idiom)
加官进位
jiā guān jìn wèi
1 promotion in official post and salary raise (idiom)
加官进爵
jiā guān jìn jué
1 promotion to the nobility (idiom)
加官进禄
jiā guān jìn lù
1 promotion in official post and salary raise (idiom)
司空见惯
sī kōng jiàn guàn
1 a common occurrence (idiom)
名落孙山
míng luò Sūn Shān
1 lit. to fall behind Sun Shan 孫山|孙山[Sūn Shān] (who came last in the imperial examination) (idiom)
2 fig. to fail an exam
3 to fall behind (in a competition)
吴下阿蒙
Wú xià ā Méng
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)
唱空城计
chàng kōng chéng jì
1 lit. to sing “The Empty City Stratagem” (idiom)
2 fig. to put up a bluff to conceal one's weakness
3 (jocularly) (of a place etc) to be empty
4 (of one's stomach) to be rumbling
四大皆空
sì dà jiē kōng
1 lit. the four elements are vanity (idiom)
2 this world is an illusion
地动山摇
dì dòng shān yáo
1 the earth quaked, the mountains shook (idiom); a tremendous battle
坐吃山空
zuò chī shān kōng
1 lit. just sitting and eating, one can deplete even a mountain of wealth (idiom)
2 fig. to spend one's money without generating any income