Chinese Idioms from Classical Stories

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

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

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

Carving a mark on the boat to find a dropped sword — clinging to outdated methods after the situation has changed.

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

Drawing feet on a snake — overdoing it, ruining something by adding what's unnecessary.

Waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit — passively waiting for luck instead of working for it.

Contradicting oneself — like the man who sold both an unbreakable shield and an unstoppable spear.

Mend the pen after losing the sheep — better late than never.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Besiege Wei to rescue Zhao — attack the enemy's weak point to force them to retreat.

To see enemies everywhere; extreme paranoia.

To exceed expectations; unexpected.

Intricate; complicated; complex.

Unique; unparalleled; one of a kind.

Well-known; often heard and easily recalled.

To treat someone with new respect; to look at someone with new eyes.

Shocking; dreadful; scandalous.

To add the finishing touch; to paint the dragon and dot in the eyes.

Vivid and lively; lifelike; graphic.

Widely known; known to every family and household.

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

Everyone is happy; a happy ending for all.

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

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

Earth-shattering; world-shaking; of great significance.

Soul-stirring; deeply moving; extremely exciting.

To create the heavens and the earth; to start something unprecedented; epoch-making.

Exciting; thrilling; gripping; heart-stirring.

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry; to be in an awkward situation.

Origin and development; cause and effect; the whole story.

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

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

To be so happy that one forgets one's home or origins; to be content in exile.

To volunteer one's services; to recommend oneself.

To watch attentively without blinking; to stare fixedly.

Dumbfounded; stunned; agape.

To be so angry that one's hair lifts one's hat; to be in a towering rage.

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

Childhood sweethearts; a couple who grew up together.

Deeply impressed upon people's minds; to have a strong impact on people.

Seemingly familiar; déjà vu.

To be surrounded by enemies; to be isolated and without help.

To quench one's thirst by thinking of plums; to console oneself with illusions; to feed on fancies.

overjoyed; pleasantly surprised

joys, anger, sorrows, and pleasures; all feelings

little known; rarely known

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

Lifelike; true to life; vivid.

To spoil things by excessive enthusiasm; to try to help seedlings grow by pulling them up.

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

Unwilling to give up even a hair; extremely stingy.

To have nothing at all; to be penniless.

To be captivating; to be fascinating; to draw people in.

Vivid and lively; full of sound and color.

Of long standing; having a long history; deep-rooted.

To deliberately misrepresent something; to call a spade a spade.

armchair strategy; theoretical discussion divorced from practice

The main culprit; the chief perpetrator.