Chinese Idioms (Chengyu) — Browse by Theme & HSK Level
Chengyu, the four-character idioms — by theme or by HSK level. Each with literal meaning, English gloss, and origin where there is one.
Wisdom & learning
Chengyu about wisdom, learning, and intellectual growth — 学无止境, 温故知新, 学而不思则罔.
Hard work & perseverance
Chengyu for grit, persistence, and discipline — 锲而不舍, 滴水穿石, 自强不息.
Friendship & trust
Idioms about loyalty, friendship, and keeping one's word — 知音难觅, 患难之交, 一诺千金.
Animal idioms
Chengyu featuring animals — 画蛇添足, 守株待兔, 狐假虎威 — often from a classical fable.
From classical stories
Chengyu drawn from a specific historical episode or fable — 杯弓蛇影, 塞翁失马, 画饼充饥.
Nature & weather
Imagery-rich chengyu about seasons, weather, and landscape — 风和日丽, 春暖花开, 沧海桑田.
Love & relationships
Chengyu about love, devotion, and rapport — 一见钟情, 白头偕老, 心心相印.
Success & ambition
Chengyu for breakthrough and drive — 一鸣惊人, 出类拔萃, 鹏程万里.
Time & change
Chengyu about how time passes and the world shifts — 光阴似箭, 日月如梭, 时过境迁.
Strategy & tactics
From Sun Tzu and the Thirty-Six Strategies — 知己知彼, 围魏救赵, 草船借箭.
Family & parenting
Chengyu about family bonds and generational continuity — 含辛茹苦, 望子成龙, 天伦之乐.
Caution & foresight
Chengyu about thinking ahead — 三思而行, 未雨绸缪, 居安思危.
Speech & expression
Chengyu about eloquence and the spoken word — 言简意赅, 出口成章, 一言为定.
HSK 4 idioms
The first chengyu in the official HSK vocabulary — start here if you're studying for HSK 4.
HSK 5 idioms
Intermediate chengyu used in spoken Mandarin, media, and everyday writing.
HSK 6 idioms
Literary-register chengyu that turn up in formal writing, news, and academic texts.
HSK 7-9 idioms
Advanced chengyu from the HSK 3.0 band-three list — the long tail of classical idioms.
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