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IDIOMS · HSK 6

HSK 6 Chinese Idioms (Chengyu)

HSK 6 chengyu — the literary-register four-character idioms that show up in formal writing, news, and academic texts. Each with origin, literal meaning, and usage.

àilovenotshìreleaseshǒuhand

To love something so much that one is unwilling to let it go; to be very fond of.

pullmiáoseedlingzhùhelpzhǎnggrow

Pulling seedlings to help them grow — ruining things by trying to rush.

báiwhitetóuheadxiétogetherlǎoold

Grow old together — until your heads are both white with age.

bǎihundredzhébendnotnáoyield

Unbent by a hundred setbacks — undaunted by repeated failure.

bànhalfjīncattyeightliǎngtael

Six of one, half a dozen of the other; much the same.

bānBanméngatenòngwieldaxe

Showing off with an axe at Lu Ban's gate — flaunting your skill in front of the true master.

bànhalfwayérandfèiabandon

To give up halfway; to leave something unfinished.

bǎofulljīngexperiencecāngbluesāngmulberry

To have experienced the vicissitudes of life; to have gone through many changes.

bēicupgōngbowshésnakeyǐngshadow

A bow reflected in a cup, mistaken for a snake — imagining a threat that isn't there.

bēicupshuǐwaterchēcartloadxīnfirewood

A drop in the bucket; an utterly inadequate remedy.

bīngsoldiernotyàntire ofzhàdeception

In war, deception is never wrong — all is fair in tactics.

broadbigjīngrefinedshēnprofound

Broad and profound; vast and deep.

broadxuélearningduōmanycáitalents

Broadly learned and multi-talented.

notchǐashamedxiàbelowwènask

Not too proud to ask people of lower rank for help.

notcanthinkimagine

Inconceivable; unimaginable; incredible.

notxiāngeach othershàngabovexiàbelow

About the same; equally matched; neck and neck.

notxièdisdainonelook

To not think something worth looking at; to disdain.

notyánspeakérandunderstand

It goes without saying; self-evident; obvious.

notleaveremainingstrength

To spare no effort; to do one's utmost.

notchooseshǒuhandduànmethod

To use any means to achieve one's goal; unscrupulous.

notenoughwéito bestrange

Not at all surprising; nothing to be surprised about.

cāngbluehǎiseasāngmulberrytiánfield

Where blue seas were, now mulberry fields — vast change over time.

cǎostrawchuánboatjièborrowjiànarrows

Borrowing arrows with straw boats — using the enemy's resources against them through cunning.

cénglayerchūemergenotqióngexhaust

To emerge in an endless stream; to keep appearing one after another.

chènsuitxīnheartaswish

Perfectly satisfactory; everything one could wish.

chūexitkǒumouthchéngbecomezhāngessay

Words leave the mouth as finished essays — eloquent on the spot.

chūexitlèicategoryrise abovecuìpeak

Stand out from the crowd — exceptional among peers.

chuānriverliúflownotstop

To flow in an endless stream; a constant flow.

hitcǎograssjīngstartleshésnake

To alert the enemy by a rash act; to beat the grass and startle the snake.

greatvesselwǎnlatechéngcomplete

Great vessels are slow to complete — major talents take time to ripen.

dāngshouldaffairzhīofurgent

The most pressing matter of the moment; the top priority.

gainnotchángcompensateshīloss

The gain does not make up for the loss; more trouble than it's worth.

gaincùninchjìnadvancechǐfoot

Give him an inch and he'll take a mile; never satisfied.

obtainguòpassqiětemporarilyguòpass

To muddle along; to drift along; taking each day as it comes.

receivetiānheavenuniquehòugenerous

Uniquely blessed by nature; endowed with exceptional advantages.

diūlosesānthreedropfour

Forgetful; scatterbrained; always forgetting things.

dōngeastzhānglook西westwànglook

To look around; to glance this way and that.

ěrearmoisteneyerǎndye

To be influenced by what one frequently hears and sees; to be influenced unconsciously.

fángpreventhuàntroublewèinot yetránhappen

Prevent trouble before it happens — head problems off in advance.

fèiabandonqǐnsleepwàngforgetshífood

To forget to eat and sleep; to be completely engrossed in one's work.

fēiflyingqínbirdszǒuwalkingshòubeasts

Birds and beasts; all kinds of animals.

fènexertnotconsidershēnbody

To dash on bravely; to disregard one's safety; to act heroically.

fēngwindsoilrénpeopleqíngfeeling

local conditions and customs

perfunctoryyǎnelaborateliǎofinishshìmatter

To do something carelessly or perfunctorily; to skimp on the job.

gǎichangetóuheadhuànexchangemiànface

To undergo a complete transformation; to change one's appearance or behavior completely.

gānliverdǎngallxiāngmutuallyzhàoshine

Liver and gall shining at each other — bound by total trust and honesty.

eachshūexpressselfjiànopinion

Everyone airs their own views; each expresses their opinion.

gēnrootshēndeepstemfirm

Deep-rooted; firmly established; ingrained.

gōngsupplynotyìngmeetqiúdemand

Supply falls short of demand; demand exceeds supply.

gōngachievementchéngcompletemíngnamejiùestablished

Achievement made, name established — success and recognition both arrived.

ancientcolorancientxiāngfragrance

Of antique style and flavor; quaint and antique.

guānglightyīnshadowlikejiànarrow

Time passes like an arrow — fast and irreversible.

guīreturngēnrootdàotobottom

In the final analysis; ultimately; in the last analysis.

hǎiseabottomlāoscoopzhēnneedle

To look for a needle in a haystack; to search for something that is nearly impossible to find.

hǎiseakuòwidetiānskykōngempty

As wide as the sea and sky; boundless; fig. to talk at random; to let one's imagination run wild.

hánHandānDanxuélearnwalk

Learning to walk in Handan — imitating clumsily and forgetting what you already knew.

hánholdxīnbittereatsuffering

Hold the bitter and swallow the suffering — endure hardship (especially for one's children).

hòubehindlookzhīofyōuworry

Fears of trouble in the rear; worries about what might happen in the future.

tigertóuheadshésnakewěitail

Tiger's head, snake's tail — strong start, anticlimactic finish.

huàdrawbǐngflatbreadchōngsatisfyhunger

Drawing a flatbread to satisfy hunger — empty consolation that doesn't actually fix the problem.

huāfloweryyánwordsqiǎocleverlanguage

Sweet words and clever phrases; honeyed words; deceptive language.

huàntroublenàndifficultyzhīofjiāofriend

Friends made in hard times — friends who stood by you in adversity.

huǎngdimlyránthusgreatlyunderstand

To suddenly realize; to wake up to the truth.

urgentgōngachievementjìnnearprofit

Eager for quick success and instant benefits; shortsighted.

chickenquǎndognotníngpeace

Even chickens and dogs aren't at peace — total disturbance.

anxioustoqiúseekchéngsuccess

Anxious for quick results; eager to achieve success immediately.

jiāfamilyunderstandhouseholdxiǎoknow

Widely known; known to every family and household.

jiànseeduōmuchshíknowledgeguǎng广broad

Experienced and knowledgeable; well-informed.

jiànseerighteousnessyǒngbravewéido

To act bravely for a just cause; to stand up for what is right.

jiéexhaustjìnallquánwholestrength

To spare no effort; to do one's utmost.

jīnsalivajīnsalivahappydàotalk

To discuss something with great relish; to talk about something with gusto.

jīnsalivajīnsalivayǒuhavewèitaste

With great interest; with keen pleasure; to do something with relish.

jǐnbrocadeshàngontiānaddhuāflowers

Adding flowers to brocade — making something already beautiful even better.

jīngprecisecalculatecarefulsuàncalculate

To calculate minutely; to be careful in planning and budgeting.

jīngcautiousjīngcautiousdiligentdiligent

Cautious and conscientious; scrupulous.

jǐngwelljǐngwellyǒuhavetiáoorder

In perfect order; neat and tidy; methodical.

jīngrefinedmoreqiúseekjīngrefined

To strive for perfection; constantly improving.

dwellānpeacethinkwēidanger

In peace, think of danger — stay alert even when things are going well.

gatherjīngessencehuìmeetshénspirit

To concentrate one's attention; to focus one's energies.

wholeshìworldzhǔfocuseyes

Attracting worldwide attention; world-renowned.

liftfootqīnglightzhòngheavy

To carry considerable weight; to play a critical role.

kāiopenméndoorjiànseeshānmountain

To come straight to the point; to be direct and straightforward.

kǎnuprightkǎnuprightérandtánspeak

To speak with composure and confidence; to speak frankly and fluently.

momentnotróngallowhuǎndelay

Demands immediate action; admit of no delay; extremely urgent.

carvezhōuboatqiúseekjiànsword

Carving a mark on the boat to find a dropped sword — clinging to outdated methods after the situation has changed.

kōngemptyqiánbeforejuéseverhòuafter

Unprecedented and unrepeatable; the first and the last; unparalleled.

kōngairzhōngmiddlelóustoried buildingpavilion

Castle in the air; an impractical or unrealistic scheme.

kǒumouthshìisxīnheartfēinot

Saying one thing but meaning another; duplicity.

bitterjìnendgānsweetláicome

After suffering comes happiness; sweet comes after bitterness.

lànshoddy竽, a reed instrumentyuchōngfillshùnumber

To fill a position just to make up the numbers; to pass oneself off as competent when one is not.

lángwolftūnswallowtigeryàngulp

To wolf down; to devour ravenously; to eat like a wolf.

lǎooldhorseshírecognizeroad

An old horse knows the way; experienced people know the ropes.

lǎooldshēngscholarchángoftentántalk

A cliché; a commonplace remark; a truism.

courtesyshàngesteemwǎnggoláicome

Courtesy demands reciprocity; to return politeness for politeness.

reasonsuǒbydāngshouldránso

As a matter of course; inevitable and right; taken for granted.

strengthsuǒbynéngcanreach

Within one's power; as far as one's capabilities extend.

reasonzhístraightspiritzhuàngstrong

To be in the right and confident; to have justice on one's side.

liǎngbothquáncompleteitsměibeauty

To satisfy both sides; to the benefit of all parties.

luòentwinecontinuousnotjuécut off

In an endless stream; continuously; an unceasing flow.

horsedàoarrivechéngsuccessgōngsuccess

Instant success; to achieve immediate victory.

máothatchblockagedùnsuddenlykāiopen

To be suddenly enlightened; to have a sudden flash of understanding.

míngnameaccorditsshíreality

Worthy of the name; a true reflection of the name; the name matches the reality.

notmíngnameitsmiàosubtle

Baffling; inexplicable; odd; without rhyme or reason.

nándifficultnéngcanworthyguìvalue

Rare and commendable; estimable; praiseworthy.

nánsouthyuáncarriage shaftběinorthzhéwheel track

To act in a way that defeats one's purpose; to go south by driving the chariot north; to run in the opposite direction.

urgentnotreachdàiwait

too impatient to wait; itching to get on with it

presszàiatméieyebrowjiéeyelash

Imminent; impending; a matter of great urgency.

untiljīnnowwéitakezhǐstop

up until now; so far

Qirénpersonyōuworrytiānsky

To worry about unfounded or imaginary fears; to be overly concerned.

unitedxīnheartxiécooperatestrength

to work together with one heart; to be of one mind

howyǒuhavethisreason

How can this be reasonable?; preposterous!

qiàexactlydàoarrivehǎogoodchùplace

just right; perfect

qiānthousandfāngmethodbǎihundredplan

by every possible means; by hook or by crook

qiānthousandpiānchapteronelaw

Following the same pattern; stereotyped; cut from the same cloth.

qiánhiddenmovesilenthuàchange

to influence secretly; to be gradually affected

qīnggreenméiplumzhúbamboohorse

Childhood sweethearts; a couple who grew up together.

qíngfeelingtóumatchintentionagree

Feelings match, minds agree — a perfect rapport.

quánwholeshénspiritguànpenetratezhùfocus

To concentrate one's attention; to be absorbed in.

hotlèitearsyíngfillkuàngeye socket

eyes brimming with tears; moved to tears

rénpersonjìnexhausttheircáitalent

To make the best use of people's talents; everyone gives full play to their abilities.

rènresponsibilityzhòngheavydàoroadyuǎnfar

Heavy responsibility, long road — a big task with no quick finish.

dayxīnnewyuèmonthdifferent

changing with each passing day; rapid progress

róngmelthuìmeetguànpiercetōngthrough

Master a subject thoroughly — the parts melt into a connected whole.

likefishobtainshuǐwater

Like a fish in water; in one's element; feeling perfectly at home.

ruòas ifnot havethatshìmatter

As if nothing had happened; to act unconcerned.

sàifrontierwēngold manshīlosehorse

The old man of the frontier loses his horse — bad luck may be good in disguise, and vice versa.

sānthreevisitmáothatchedhut

Three visits to the thatched hut — going to great lengths to recruit talent.

sānthreethinkérandxíngact

Think three times before acting.

shākillchickenjǐngwarnhóumonkey

Kill the chicken to scare the monkeys — make a public example to deter others.

shēndeepqíngfeelinghòuthickfriendship

deep affection and profound friendship

shēngsounddōngeaststrike西west

Make noise east, strike west — feint to distract, attack elsewhere.

shìeffortbànhalfgōngresultbèidouble

To achieve twice the result with half the effort; to get great results with little effort.

shìeffortbèidoublegōngresultbànhalf

Twice the effort, half the result; inefficient.

shítimeguòpassjìngcircumstanceqiānchange

Time passes, circumstances shift — what was true once may not be now.

shírealshìthingsqiúseekshìtruth

to seek truth from facts; be practical and realistic

shuǐwaterdàoarrivechannelchéngform

When the water flows, the channel forms — things work out when conditions are right.

unrestrainedwithoutfeardànscruples

unscrupulous and unrestrained; to act with absolutely no constraint

suífollowwaveszhúchaseliúflow

To drift with the tide; to go with the flow; to follow the crowd without one's own opinion.

tāosurgingtāosurgingnotjuécease

to pour out words in a flood; talking non-stop

tiānheavenlylúnbondszhīofjoy

The joy of family bonds.

tǒngoverallchóuplanjiānconcurrentlyconsider

to plan as a whole and take all factors into consideration

tuīpushxīnheartzhìplacebelly

Push your heart into another's belly — speak with complete openness, trust held back nothing.

tūnswallowtūnswallowspitspit

to hem and haw; to speak haltingly

wánintactjadeguīreturnZhàoZhao

Return the jade intact to Zhao — return something safely and in full.

wànten thousandshìthingsallbèiready

Everything is ready; all is in order.

wànghopesonchéngbecomelóngdragon

Hoping one's son becomes a dragon — parents' high hopes for their child.

wēismallnotenoughdàomention

negligible; insignificant; not worth mentioning

wèinot yetrainchóubindmóutie

Bind and tie before it rains — prepare ahead of time.

wénhearroosterrisedance

Rising to practise sword at the cock's crow — relentless self-discipline.

wénhearonezhīknowshíten

To grasp ten things from being told one — quick on the uptake.

liexīnfirewoodchángtastedǎngall

Sleep on firewood, taste gall — endure self-imposed hardship to remember and avenge a defeat.

withoutdòngmoveatzhōngheart

unmoved; indifferent; untouched

withoutjīngspiritstrikecǎicolor

listless; in low spirits; crestfallen

withoutreasonmakenàodisturbance

to make trouble without reason; to be deliberately provocative

thingměibeautifuljiàpriceliáncheap

high quality and low price; a bargain

withoutnéngabilitywéimakestrength

powerless; helpless; unable to do anything about it

withoutqióngendwithoutjìnend

endless; inexhaustible

withoutwēismallnotzhìreach

in every possible way; meticulous

withoutyōuworrywithoutanxiety

carefree; without worries

happywénhearhappyjiànsee

a delight to see (and hear); warmly welcomed

xiǎngthinkfāngwayshèestablishmethod

To try every possible way; to do everything possible.

xiāngmutuallyassistxiāngmutuallychéngcomplete

To complement each other; to supplement and complement.

xiāngmutuallyjìngrespectlikebīnguest

Treat each other like honoured guests — mutual respect in marriage.

xiǎosmallxīnheartwingwing

Careful and cautious; with great care.

xīnnewchénolddàireplacexièsupersede

Metabolism; the new replaces the old.

xīnheartgānsweetqíngfeelingyuànwilling

Be perfectly happy to; be completely willing.

xīnflourishingxīnflourishingxiàngtowardsróngthriving

Flourishing and prosperous; thriving.

xīnheartxīnheartxiāngmutuallyyìnimprint

Hearts imprinted on each other — in perfect mutual understanding.

xìngspiritgāohighcǎispiritlièintense

In high spirits; elated.

xìnginterestzhìinclinationvigorousvigorous

Full of zest; in high spirits; bubbling with enthusiasm.

xuéstudyérandnotthinkthenwǎngbewildered

Studying without reflecting on what you study leaves you confused.

xuěsnowshàngonjiāaddshuāngfrost

To add frost to snow; one disaster after another; to make things worse in a bad situation.

xuěsnowzhōngmiddlesòngsendtàncharcoal

Sending charcoal in the snow — help that arrives exactly when needed.

xúnfolloworderjiàngraduallyjìnadvance

To proceed step by step; to advance gradually in due order.

crowquèsparrownoshēngsound

As quiet as crows and sparrows; absolute silence; complete stillness.

yǎncoverěreardàosteallíngbell

Covering your own ears while stealing a bell — pretending an obvious truth doesn't exist.

yánwordsjiǎnbriefmeaninggāicomplete

Brief in words, complete in meaning — concise.

LordgōngShehàoLoveslóngDragon

To profess love for something one actually fears or dislikes; to be a fair-weather fan.

onejiànseelikeold

Feel like old friends at first meeting — instant rapport.

onejiànseezhōngstrikeqíngfeeling

Love at first sight.

oneactchéngbecomemíngname

One act and you're famous — overnight success.

oneactionliǎngtwogains

Kill two birds with one stone; achieve two things at once.

onemíngcryjīngastonishrénpeople

A single cry that astonishes everyone — unexpected breakthrough after a quiet period.

oneglanceliǎounderstandránclearly

Clear at a glance; obvious.

onenuòpromiseqiānthousandjīngold

A single promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold — a word given is a word kept.

oneasalreadywǎngpast

As before; just as in the past.

onethreadnotgǒucareless

Meticulous; scrupulous; not the least bit negligent.

yōusuperiorshèngwinlièinferiortàieliminate

Survival of the fittest; the superior wins and the inferior is eliminated.

yǒuhavetiáoordernotwěndisorder

Methodical; in an orderly way; neat and tidy.

withdaytogetherzēngincrease

To increase steadily; to grow with each passing day.

zàiagainjiēconnectzàiagainsharpen

To continue to put in more effort; to keep up the good work; to go on to greater heights.

záoborewalltōustealguānglight

Boring a hole in the wall to steal lamplight — studying despite poverty.

zhǎnchopdīngnailjiécuttiěiron

Resolute and decisive; to chop nails and slice iron (with ease).

zhāomorningspiritpéngflourishingvigorous

Full of youthful spirit; vigorous and thriving.

zhāomorningsānthreeeveningfour

Three in the morning, four in the evening — capricious, fickle, changing one's mind.

zhēngcompetexiānfirstkǒngfearhòubehind

Striving to be first and fearing to be last; rushing headlong.

zhīknowselfzhīknowother

Know yourself and your opponent.

zhìambitiontóngsamedàopathmatch

Same ambitions, same path — like-minded companions.

zhīknowyīnsoundnánhardfind

A true kindred spirit is hard to find.

zhīknowenoughchángalwayshappy

Contentment brings happiness; happy is he who is content.

zhòngeveryonesuǒbyzhōuknowzhīknow

As everyone knows; it is common knowledge.

selfstrengthgēngrenewshēnglife

Regenerate through one's own effort; self-reliance.

selfqiángstrengthennotrest

Strive ceaselessly to better oneself.

zǒngsumérandyánspeakzhīit

In short; in a word; in conclusion.

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