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IDIOMS · TIME

Chinese Idioms about Time & Change

Chengyu about time, change, and impermanence — 光阴似箭, 日月如梭, 时过境迁 — the classical phrases Chinese speakers reach for when time is the subject.

guāng光lightyīn阴shadowsì似likejiàn箭arrow

Time passes like an arrow — fast and irreversible.

rì日sunyuè月moonrú如likesuō梭shuttle

Sun and moon like a weaving shuttle — time darts past.

zhuǎn转turnshùn瞬instantjí即immediatelyshì逝gone

Gone in the blink of an eye — fleeting.

shí时timeguāng光lightrěn荏sliprǎn苒gentle

Time slips quietly by.

shí时timeguò过passjìng境circumstanceqiān迁change

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

cāng沧bluehǎi海seasāng桑mulberrytián田field

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

bǎo饱fulljīng经experiencecāng沧bluesāng桑mulberry

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

bēi悲sorrowhuān欢joylí离separationhé合reunion

Joys and sorrows, partings and reunions; the vicissitudes of life.

bù不notzhī知knowbù不notjué觉perceive

Unconsciously; unwittingly; without realizing.

céng层layerchū出emergebù不notqióng穷exhaust

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

chuān川riverliú流flowbù不notxī息stop

To flow in an endless stream; a constant flow.

cǐ此thisqǐ起risebǐ彼thatfú伏fall

Rising one after another; occurring continuously.

dé得obtainguò过passqiě且temporarilyguò过pass

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

dōng东eastbēn奔runxī西westzǒu走walk

To run here and there; to be constantly on the move.

fān翻turnlái来comefù覆turnqù去go

To toss and turn; to think something over and over.

fān翻overturntiān天heavenfù覆overturndì地earth

Earth-shattering; a world-overturning change.

gǎi改changetóu头headhuàn换exchangemiàn面face

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

gēn根rootshēn深deepdì蒂stemgù固firm

Deep-rooted; firmly established; ingrained.

gǔ古ancientsè色colorgǔ古ancientxiāng香fragrance

Of antique style and flavor; quaint and antique.

huàn焕brightrán然like thatyī一onexīn新new

A completely new look; brand new.

huò或perhapsduō多muchhuò或perhapsshǎo少little

More or less; somewhat.

jì记rememberyì忆memoryyóu犹stillxīn新fresh

To remain fresh in one's memory; to remember vividly.

jiē接connectèr二twolián连connectsān三three

One after another; in quick succession.

jīng经passjiǔ久longbù不notxī息stop

Lasting for a long time; unceasing.

kè刻momentbù不notróng容allowhuǎn缓delay

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

kōng空emptyqián前beforejué绝severhòu后after

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

lì历clearlylì历clearlyzài在atmù目eye

Vividly remembered; still fresh in one's memory.

liáo寥fewliáo寥fewwú无nonejǐ几few

Very few; hardly any.

luò络entwineyì绎continuousbù不notjué绝cut off

In an endless stream; continuously; an unceasing flow.

miàn面facemù目appearancequán全entirelyfēi非not

Changed beyond recognition; completely transformed.

niàn念thinkniàn念thinkbú不notwàng忘forget

To bear in mind constantly; to never forget.

pò迫urgentbù不notjí及reachdài待wait

too impatient to wait; itching to get on with it

pò迫presszài在atméi眉eyebrowjié睫eyelash

Imminent; impending; a matter of great urgency.

qì迄untiljīn今nowwéi为takezhǐ止stop

up until now; so far

qiān千thousandbiàn变changewàn万ten thousandhuà化change

Constantly changing; kaleidoscopic.

qián前beforesuǒ所placewèi未notyǒu有have

Unprecedented; never existed before.

qián前beforewú无nogǔ古ancientrén人people

Unprecedented; unparalleled; never before seen in history.

rì日dayfù复repeatyī一onerì日day

Day after day; day in and day out.

rì日dayxīn新newyuè月monthyì异different

changing with each passing day; rapid progress

shí时sometimeshǎo好goodshí时sometimeshuài坏bad

Sometimes good, sometimes bad; fluctuating.

shǐ史historywú无withoutqián前beforelì例precedent

Unprecedented; never happened before in history.

suí随followshí时timesuí随followdì地place

Anytime and anywhere; at all times and places.

tán昙epiphyllumhuā花floweryī一onexiàn现appear

A flash in the pan; a short-lived glory.

tiān天heavencháng长longdì地earthjiǔ久lasting

As eternal and unchanging as the universe; everlasting; forever.

wú无withoutqióng穷endwú无withoutjìn尽end

endless; inexhaustible

wú无nosuǒ所whatshì事doshì事do

Idle; to have nothing to do; unoccupied.

wú无withoutyōu忧worrywú无withoutlǜ虑anxiety

carefree; without worries

xīn新newchén陈olddài代replacexiè谢supersede

Metabolism; the new replaces the old.

yè夜nightyǐ以withjì继continuerì日day

Day and night; around the clock.

yì一onechéng成becomebú不notbiàn变change

Unchanging; static; set in stone.

yī一onerú如asjì既alreadywǎng往past

As before; just as in the past.

yǒu有havezhāo朝morningyí一onerì日day

Someday; one day; sometime in the future.

yǔ与withrì日dayjù俱togetherzēng增increase

To increase steadily; to grow with each passing day.

yǔ与withshí时timejù俱togetherjìn进advance

To keep up with the times; to advance with the times.

yù愈moreyǎn演developyù愈moreliè烈intense

To become more and more intense; to escalate.

yuán源sourceyuán源sourcebù不notduàn断stop

A steady flow; continuous; unceasing.

yuán源sourceyuǎn远distantliú流flowcháng长long

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

zhēng争competefēn分minuteduó夺seizemiǎo秒second

to fight for every minute and second; to race against time

zì自selfrán然thusér而andrán然thus

Naturally; of its own accord.

zì自fromshǐ始beginningzhì至tozhōng终end

From beginning to end; from start to finish.

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