一人得道,鸡犬升天
yī rén dé dào , jī quǎn shēng tiān
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1 lit. when a man achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom)
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2 fig. to ride on sb else's success
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3 Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too
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4 Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it
一步一个脚印
yī bù yī gè jiǎo yìn
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1 one step, one footprint (idiom); steady progress
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2 reliable
七手八脚
qī shǒu bā jiǎo
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1 (idiom) with everyone lending a hand (eagerly but somewhat chaotically)
偷鸡不成蚀把米
tōu jī bù chéng shí bǎ mǐ
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1 lit. to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it (idiom)
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2 fig. to try to gain an advantage only to end up worse off
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3 to go for wool and come back shorn
偷鸡摸狗
tōu jī mō gǒu
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1 to imitate the dog and steal chicken (idiom)
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2 to pilfer
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3 to dally with women
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4 to have affairs
光脚的不怕穿鞋的
guāng jiǎo de bù pà chuān xié de
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1 lit. the barefooted people are not afraid of those who wear shoes (idiom)
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2 fig. the poor, who have nothing to lose, do not fear those in power
割鸡焉用牛刀
gē jī yān yòng niú dāo
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1 lit. why use a pole-ax to slaughter a chicken? (idiom)
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2 fig. to waste effort on a trifling matter
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3 also written 殺雞焉用牛刀|杀鸡焉用牛刀[shā jī yān yòng niú dāo]
呆若木鸡
dāi ruò mù jī
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1 lit. dumb as a wooden chicken (idiom); fig. dumbstruck
问客杀鸡
wèn kè shā jī
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1 lit. asking guests whether or not to butcher a chicken for them (idiom)
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2 fig. hypocritical show of affection (or hospitality)
四脚朝天
sì jiǎo cháo tiān
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1 four legs facing the sky (idiom); flat on one's back
大手大脚
dà shǒu dà jiǎo
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1 extravagant (idiom); to throw away money by the handful
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2 wasteful
嫁鸡随鸡
jià jī suí jī
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1 If you marry a chicken, follow the chicken (idiom); A woman should follow whatever her husband orders.
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2 We must learn to accept the people around us.
嫁鸡随鸡,嫁狗随狗
jià jī suí jī , jià gǒu suí gǒu
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1 if you marry a chicken follow the chicken, if you marry a dog follow the dog (idiom)
宁做鸡头,不做凤尾
nìng zuò jī tóu , bù zuò fèng wěi
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1 lit. would rather be a chicken's head than a phoenix's tail (idiom)
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2 fig. to prefer to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond
小肚鸡肠
xiǎo dù jī cháng
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1 lit. small belly, chicken's gut (idiom); narrow-minded
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2 petty
平时不烧香,临时抱佛脚
píng shí bù shāo xiāng , lín shí bào fó jiǎo
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1 lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet when danger arises (idiom); fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble
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2 doing things at the last minute
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3 to make a hasty last-minute effort (often refers to cramming for exams)
手无缚鸡之力
shǒu wú fù jī zhī lì
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1 lit. lacking the strength even to truss a chicken (idiom)
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2 fig. weak
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3 unaccustomed to physical work
抱佛脚
bào fó jiǎo
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1 lit. to clasp the Buddha's feet (without ever having burned incense) (idiom); fig. to profess devotion only when in trouble
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2 panic measures in place of timely preparation
拳打脚踢
quán dǎ jiǎo tī
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1 lit. to punch and kick (idiom); to beat up
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2 fig. determined to sort out a problem
拿着鸡毛当令箭
ná zhe jī máo dàng lìng jiàn
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1 to wave a chicken feather as a token of authority (idiom); to assume unwarranted authority on the basis of some pretext