“大材小用 (dàcáixiǎoyòng)” literally means “to use big materials to do small things.” It is used now to express that talented people are being misused. Key Learning Point (Preview): 大材小用 (dàcáixiǎoyòng) to waste one’s talent on a petty job
Idiom Story:
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“得寸进尺 (décùnjìnchǐ)” means that if you give someone an inch, they will take a mile. Nowadays, people usually use this expression to describe someone who is very greedy.
Key Learning Point (Preview):
得寸进尺(décùnjìnchǐ) If give someone an inch, he will take a mile.
Idiom Story:…
Key Learning Points (Preview): 回家 (huíjiā): v.
to go home
然后 (ránhòu): adv. then/after that
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Wèiguó yǒu gè jiào Yuè Yángzǐ de rén dào yuǎnfāng qù xúnshī qiúxué. 魏 国 有 个 叫 乐 羊子 的 人 到 远方 去 …
The
“纸上谈兵(zhǐshàngtánbīng) armchair strategy” refers to people who engage in idle talk, but are unable to act on their high minded theories. It is usually used to urge people to combine theories with practical knowledge and not be bookworms. Let’s read about the …
The Chinese idiom “猴年马月(hóunián mǎyuè)” literally means “monkey year, horse month” and is causing a lot of excitement on social media in China. Following the cycle of the 12 Chinese zodiacs, every 12 years is the year of the monkey. In accordance with this, each …
The idiom “哪壶不开提哪壶 (nǎ hú bù kāi tí nǎ hú)” literally means “to pick the kettle that is not boiling.” It’s used to indicate that someone is saying or doing something that shouldn’t be mentioned in front of others, or that someone is bringing up …
Key Learning Point (Preview): 隔墙有耳 (géqiángyǒu’ěr): walls have ears
Cóngqián, yǒu yíge hàoqíxīn hěn zhòng de rén. 从前， 有 一个 好奇心 很 重 的 人。 Once upon a time, there was a curious man.
Tā zǒngshì xǐhuan sìchù dǎting biérén de mìmi. 他 总是 喜欢 …
“对牛弹琴 (Duìniútánqín)” is used by Chinese people to describe someone who is explaining something complicated to a fool, or sometimes this idiom is used to describe a person who is trying to tell something to the wrong audience. In English, people sometimes joke around by …
毛遂自荐 (Máo Suí zìjiàn) to volunteer for a task; to recommend oneself for a difficult job
Idiom Story:
Máo Suí zài Zhàoguó dāile sān nián, què yìzhí bú bèi zhòngyòng. 毛 遂 在 赵国 待了 三 年，却 一直 不 被 重用。 …
Nánbĕicháo shí, bĕizhōu yŏu ge jiào Zhăngsūn Shèng de wŭguān, 南北朝时，北周有个叫长孙晟的武官， shànyú shèjiàn, zhìmóu guò rén, 善于射箭，智谋过人， yīncĭ bèi cháotíng pàiqiăn hùsòng gōngzhŭ dào xībĕi tūjuézú qù chénghūn. 因此被朝廷派遣护送公主到西北突厥族去成婚。 Tūjuézú guówáng hĕn qìzhòng tā, bă tā liú xià lái, suí zìjĭ yìqĭ qù dăliè, 突厥族国王很器重他，把他留下来，随自己一起去打猎， …
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Learn two Chinese idioms: zhao san mu si (朝三暮四) and sai weng shi ma (塞翁失马).
Zhāo sān mù sì 朝 三 暮 四 Three in the morning, four in the afternoon. Sài wēng shī mă 塞 翁 失 马 the old …
Chuánshuō yuángŭ shíhou, tiān hé dì shì hé zài yìqĭ de, jiù xiàng yí gè jīdàn shì de. 传说 远古 时候， 天 和 地 是 合 在 一起 的，就 像 一 个 鸡蛋 似 的。 Shìjiè de kāichuàng rén Pángŭ jiù shì zài zhège jīdàn …
Sānguó shídài, wèiguó yŏu gè jiào Lú Yù de rén, 三国 时代，魏国 有 个 叫 卢 毓 的 人，
Hĕn xiăo de shíhou jiù shīqù le fùmŭ hé liăng gè gēge. 很 小 的 时候 就 失去 了 父母 和 两 个 哥哥。
Lú Yù …
Dōnghàn mò nián, jūnfá bìng qĭ, gè bà yì fāng. 东汉 末 年，军阀 并 起，各 霸 一 方。
Sūn Cè nián jĭn shíqī suì, què niánshàoyŏuwéi, shìlì zhújiàn qiángdà. 孙 策 年 仅 十七 岁，却 年少有为， 势力 逐渐 强大。
Gōngyuán 199 nián, Sūn Cè yù …
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Learn two Chinese idioms: yan er dao ling (掩耳盗铃), and yu gong yi shan (愚公移山).
课文 Text :： Yăn ĕr dào líng A: 掩 耳 盗 铃 Plugging the ears while stealing the bell Yú gōng yí shān B: 愚 公 移 山 …
Jìncháo shí, yŏu yí gè rén jiào Jī Shào. Tā zhăng de yíbiăotángtáng, érqiĕ cáinéng chūzhòng, dānrèn Jìn Huìdì de shìcóngguān. Yí cì, yŏu rén qīnfàn jīngchéng. Jī Shào gēnsuí Huìdì qiánqù zhēngtăo pànluàn, búliào dă le bàizhàng, suíxíng de guānyuán、jiànglĭng yĭjí shìwèi sĭshāng wúshù, …
Key Learning Point (Preview): 刻舟求剑 (kèzhōuqiújiàn) To Mark the Boat to Look for the Sword
Idiom Story:
Yǒu yígè Chǔguó rén chūmén yuǎnxíng. 有 一个 楚国 人 出门 远行。 There was a man from Chu who went out on a long journey.
Tā zài chéngchuán …
If you learn mandarin Chinese now, idioms are an important part of it. The mandarin language has developed over a very long period of time in which the idioms are formed, so idioms show fully the extensive and profound Chinese language.
Actually all the Chinese …
