Chengyu (simplified Chinese: 成语; traditional Chinese: 成語, pinyin: chéngyǔ, lit. "set phrases") are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions, most of which consist of four characters. Chengyu were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common in vernacular Chinese writing and in the spoken language today.
Questions tagged [chengyu]
104 questions
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Similarities between Japanese 四字熟語 and Chinese 成语?
I have been learning Japanese 四字熟語 as a passtime for sometime and I would like to know whether most of them can be used verbatim in Chinese or if there are Japanese-made yojijukugo which cannot be used in Chinese.
I don't have a Chinese 成语…
永劫回帰
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How would one accurately translate "万事大吉"?
This is a four character phrase for which I have found no accurate translation online. I hear it all the time around CNY.
万事大吉
tbaums
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What are the 1,500 chengyu for the 2015 chengyu convention
The 2015 Chengyu Convention apparently tested contestants on 1,500 different chengyu.
Where's the list of the 1,500 Chengyu?
Mou某
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Chengyu with two numbers
There are chengyu with two numbers in them, for example:
一穷二白 (一, 二)
万众一心 (万, 一)
七上八下 (七, 八)
九五至尊 (九, 五)
But it seems that the selection of numbers is not completely random, and that certain numbers tend to have certain connotations.
My questions…
congusbongus
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Request for a 成语 to describe a person with all of 貌, 才, and 德
We can use 才貌双全 to describe a person with both 貌 and 才 and 德才兼备 to describe a person with both 才 and 德.
Does there exist a 成语 that describes a person with all of the three?
Terry Li
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Is 察颜观色 or 察言观色 the correct term to use?
I have found citations from ancient texts backing both interpretations on the Internet while searching for the correct form of the term:
清·唐甄《潜书·食难》：“吾老矣，岂能复俯首于他人之宇下，察颜观色，以求无拂于人，吾不能也。
However,
《论语·颜渊》：“夫达也者，质直而好义，察言而观色，虑以下人。”
Which of these…
March Ho
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Do Chinese language users use 作心三日?
This isn't exactly a question about the linguistic properties of the Chinese language, but something I'm just curious about.
Is 作心三日 a 成語 used in China? It's a very common Korean proverb, basically meaning that whatever someone puts their mind to,…
Sean
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What does 飘然而至 mean?
My context is an old, untranslated flashcard I've found.
My guess it means "like a feather", referring to low weight and/or susceptibility to outside force.
What are meaningful contexts and according translations for 飘然而至?
Jens Jensen
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What is 匪 in 受益匪浅?
In 受益匪浅 does 匪 just mean 非?
If I look up 匪 I get: bandits, robbers, gangsters.
受益匪浅: gain 受益 not 匪 little 浅: an ideological gain?
Pedroski
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Anyone heard a saying about marriage being like cooking rice?
This was a question here which has a link to here "Chinesische Weisheiten" = Chinese wisdom.
I don't really believe there is such a saying. I think it is "Quatsch", which is German for "rubbish, nonsense", but I'd like to ask you.
Eine gute Ehe…
Pedroski
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Meaning of 走马看花
So, I came across this chengyu and my understanding is that it means something like "to take a cursory look at something" or, to quote my dictionary, "粗略地观察事物". Now, I understand this and I see where it's coming from, but the book I found it in is…
Fran
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What's distinguishes a chengyu (Chinese idiom) from a 4-character expression?
I read the first two pages of 狐狸的窗户 (Húlí de chuānghù) = The Fox's Window (douban.com) on my Kindle, and encountered several 4-character phrases:
异口同声 (yì kǒu tóng shēng) = all with one voice (Baidu Baike; Chinese Tools)
精神恍惚 (jīng shén huǎng hū) =…
Becky 李蓓
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Are there any chengyu or xiehouyu that only mean their literal meaning?
Most chengyu and xiehouyu have a literal meaning and a figurative meaning.
Take 鸡飞狗跳 for instance, it literally means [the] chicken[s] fly [and the] dog[s] jump, figuratively it stands for chaos and confusion.
Or 孔夫子搬家——净是书 literally means Confucius…
Mou某
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What is the significance of 吃秋葵时过世?
I found this on nciku.cn and after searching around I could find no other references or even mention. Is this a translation error or some sort of dictionary blip?
I asked a few Chinese friends but they had never heard of it nor any idea to what it…
tao
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Is there a 成语 that means something like "Little dogs always bark the loudest"?
What are some 成语 that mean something like "little dogs always bark the loudest", or "little dogs are mean"?
不亦说乎
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