三十而立
sān shí ér lì
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1 thirty years old and therefore independent (idiom, from Confucius)
今非昔比
jīn fēi xī bǐ
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1 things are very different now (idiom)
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2 times have changed
似是而非
sì shì ér fēi
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1 apparently right but actually wrong; specious (idiom)
似笑非笑
sì xiào fēi xiào
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1 like a smile yet not a smile (idiom)
冰冻三尺,非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ , fēi yī rì zhī hán
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1 three feet of ice does not form in a single day (idiom); Rome wasn't built in a day
势不两立
shì bù liǎng lì
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1 the two cannot exist together (idiom); irreconcilable differences
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2 incompatible standpoints
又想当婊子又想立牌坊
yòu xiǎng dāng biǎo zi yòu xiǎng lì pái fāng
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1 lit. to lead the life of a whore but still want a monument put up to one's chastity (idiom)
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2 fig. to have bad intentions but still want a good reputation
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3 to want to have one's cake and eat it too
口是心非
kǒu shì xīn fēi
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1 duplicity
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2 hypocrisy (idiom)
啼笑皆非
tí xiào jiē fēi
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1 lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom)
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2 between laughter and tears
坐立不安
zuò lì bù ān
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1 lit. agitated sitting or standing (idiom)
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2 restless
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3 fidgety
坐立难安
zuò lì nán ān
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1 unable to sit or stand still (out of nervousness etc) (idiom)
塞翁失马安知非福
sài wēng shī mǎ ān zhī fēi fú
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1 the old man lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best (idiom); fig. a blessing in disguise
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2 it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
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3 also written 塞翁失馬焉知非福|塞翁失马焉知非福
塞翁失马焉知非福
sài wēng shī mǎ yān zhī fēi fú
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1 the old man lost his mare, but it all turned out for the best (idiom); fig. a blessing in disguise
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2 it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
大破大立
dà pò dà lì
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1 to destroy the old and establish the new (idiom)
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2 radical transformation
安家立业
ān jiā lì yè
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1 stable household, established profession (idiom); settled and comfortably off
巍然屹立
wēi rán yì lì
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1 to stand tall and rock-solid (idiom)
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2 towering majestically
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3 (of a person) to stand up against sb
巧立名目
qiǎo lì míng mù
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1 to fabricate excuses (idiom)
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2 to concoct various items (e.g. to pad an expense account)
想入非非
xiǎng rù fēi fēi
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1 to indulge in fantasy (idiom); to let one's imagination run wild
应机立断
yìng jī lì duàn
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1 to act on an opportunity (idiom); to take prompt advantage of a situation