Glossary: Chinese idioms and phrases

— The Weak are Prey to the Strong

* Meaning: the law of the jungle; "Might makes Right"

— Didn't know whether to Laugh or Cry

* Meaning: to be in an awkward situation; something both funny and embarrassing

— As Steady as Mount Tai

* Meaning: very stable and dependable

— Heavier than Mount Tai / Weightier than Mount Tai

* Meaning: an extremely serious matter

— To have Eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai

* Meaning: to be ignorant or arrogant; to fail to recognize someone or something of great status

— To Put in one's Eyes

* Meaning: to pay attention to; to care about; to attach importance to

* Note: Often used in the negative, meaning that someone is disregarding or looking down on someone else. (Example: "They didn't put him in their eyes.")

— The time it takes an Incense Stick to burn

* Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a short time span… depending on the author, generally either 5 minutes or 30 minutes

— The time it takes to drink a Cup of Tea

* Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a time span of about 10-15 minutes

— The time it takes to eat a Meal

* Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a time span of about 30-45 minutes

— A Breath of time

* Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a very short time span (how long it takes a person to inhale and exhale once)… usually about 1-3 seconds

— All of this takes some time to describe, but actually happened in an Instant

* Meaning: a cheeky comment by an author, usually made after writing a wordy action scene

— Twice the Results for Half the Effort

* Meaning: the right approach saves effort and leads to better results

— Half the Results for Twice the Effort

* Meaning: the wrong approach is wasteful and yields weaker results

— Advance by Leaps and Bounds

* Meaning: to make remarkable progress; to improve very rapidly

— I, your Father / Grandfather

* Meaning: pejorative slang – a form of address which asserts the speaker's seniority/authority over the person being spoken to, with the intention of demeaning them

— Courting Death

* Meaning: said as a warning or insult to someone overstepping their bounds ("You're courting death!"); said of someone taking serious risks with their life

— Hover between Life and Death

* Meaning: to suffer terribly; to be within an inch of one's life

— To Die a Dog's Death

* Meaning: to die miserably and dishonorably; to die in vain

* Note: "To Die a Dog's Death" isn't actually a Chinese idiom, but some translators choose to use it for any kind of phrase with a meaning of "to die miserably".

— People die in pursuit of Money, just as Birds die in pursuit of Food

* Meaning: people will do anything in their means to become rich

— Crushing Dry Weeds and Smashing Rotten Wood

* Meaning: something done very easily – illustrates the ease with which the strong dominate the weak

— Chop Nails and Sever Iron

* Meaning: resolute and decisive; to get straight to the point

— If Gods block, kill the Gods; if Buddhas block, kill the Buddhas

* Meaning: overcome every obstacle

— Mortal Dust / Red Dust of the Mortal World

* Meaning: worldly affairs or existence; the world and things of mortals (Buddhist term emphasizing the transience and insignificance of this world)

— Under Heaven / Beneath the Heavens

* Meaning: the world; the mortal world; in all the lands

— Unrivaled under Heaven

* Meaning: #1 in the world; invincible; undefeated; a paragon

— Heaven and Earth

* Meaning: the world; the universe; yin and yang; the sky and land; every manifestation of nature

— As different as Heaven and Earth

* Meaning: a tremendous qualitative difference between two things

— To not know the Immensity of Heaven and Earth

* Meaning: having an exaggerated opinion of one's own abilities

— There are Heavens beyond the Heavens / There are People beyond People, and Heavens beyond the Heavens

* Meaning: there's always someone better than you

— Man proposes, Heaven disposes

* Meaning: even the best-laid plans can go awry

— Heaven's Net is wide, and none can escape its mesh

* Meaning: criminals can't evade justice forever; the way of Heaven is fair, and the guilty will not escape

— Reaching Heaven in a single bound / Ascending to the Skies with a single leap

* Meaning: to attain instant success

— A Meat Pie falling from the Heavens

* Meaning: an unexpected windfall

— To Rebuke Heaven and Earth

* Meaning: to be extremely powerful; to shake the entire world

— Overturning Heaven and Earth

* Meaning: causing a radical change

— Heaven and Earth turned upside down

* Meaning: complete chaos/confusion

— Shrouding the Heavens / Hiding the Sky and Covering the Earth

* Meaning: omnipresent; extremely powerful; world-changing

— Coughing up Blood

* Meaning: a sign of serious internal injuries or extreme emotional disturbance

— Blood flowing in reverse

* Meaning: a serious internal injury (generally caused by a cultivation-related backlash or by great physical or mental trauma)

— Injected with Chicken Blood

* Meaning: to be very excited or energetic

— Gnashing Teeth

* Meaning: displaying extreme anger or frustration

— To Suck in a Breath of Cold Air

* Meaning: a reaction caused by shock or surprise

— A Flick of a Sleeve

* Meaning: a flourish of a long sleeve; a gesture often done in a moment of passion or simply to add emphasis to a statement

— The Seven Orifices / The Seven Apertures

* Meaning: the seven apertures of the human head (= 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 1 mouth)

— The Five Viscera and Six Bowels

* Meaning: the internal organs of the human body

* Note: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine… Five Viscera = heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys. Six Bowels = gall bladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, triple heater, and bladder.

— The Seven Emotions and Six Desires

* Meaning: all of the various feelings which humans possess or can experience

* Note: The Seven Emotions are happiness, anger, sorrow, joy, love, hate, and desire. The Six Desires are the sensory pleasures associated with the eyes, nose, ears, tongue, body, and mind.

— Three Views

* Meaning: (slang) a person's views about life, the world, and values

— The Blue Sea turned into Mulberry Fields

* Meaning: the transformations of the world; time brings great changes

— Jade-like

* Meaning: common descriptor for anything refined/elegant/beautiful; an unblemished, creamy white color (based on mutton-fat jade) when referring to skin/women

— Clear as Ice and Clean as Jade

* Meaning: spotless; irreproachable; incorruptible

— Limpid Autumn Water

* Meaning: traditional description of a girl's beautiful eyes – likening them to clear pools of water

— Rare as Phoenix Feathers and Qilin Horns

* Meaning: extremely rare objects

— To Pick the Flowers and Trample the Grass

* Meaning: to womanize; to frequent brothels; to "chase skirts"

— Pull up Grass by the Roots

* Meaning: to completely eradicate; (figuratively) to destroy root and branch

* Note: When referring to people, it means to kill off their entire family so that there's no one left to take revenge in the future.

— The Rice is Cooked

* Meaning: what is done cannot be undone

— As the Water recedes, the Rocks appear

* Meaning: the truth comes to light

— Cleansing the Marrow and Replacing the Tendons

* Meaning: to purify and strengthen the body

— Shed one's Mortal Body and Exchange one's Bones

* Meaning: to change completely; to be reborn; to become an Immortal

— Shatter the Void / Shattering the Void

* Meaning: to succeed in one's cultivation; to reach the pinnacle of strength; to reach a brand new world and horizon

— As Easy as Lifting a Hand / As Easy as Turning over a Hand

* Meaning: something requiring minimal effort

— Floating Clouds and Flowing Water

* Meaning: natural and unforced; skillful and beautiful movement

— Experts as Common as the Clouds

* Meaning: very many experts (comparing them to the number of clouds in the sky)

— Dispel the Clouds and See the Sun

* Meaning: returning to normality after a period of hardship; to restore justice

— Produce Clouds with one turn of the Hand and Rain with another

* Meaning: to possess great power or authority

— Call the Wind and Summon the Rain

* Meaning: to exercise magical powers; to exert authority

— A Mountain of Blades and a Sea of Fire

* Meaning: extreme danger

— Move Mountains and Drain Seas / Topple Mountains and Overturn Seas

* Meaning: a great display of power

— Overturning Rivers and Seas

* Meaning: overwhelming; earth-shattering; in a spectacular mess

— Four Ounces can repel a Thousand Pounds

* Meaning: a Taichi martial arts concept about using a minimal amount of force to overcome a much greater opposing force, usually by exploiting leverage and the opponent's momentum

— Three Heads, Six Arms

* Meaning: to possess remarkable abilities or formidable power

— Throw Oneself into the Net

* Meaning: to willingly walk into a trap

— To Bare Fangs and Brandish Claws

* Meaning: to make threatening gestures

— With Swords drawn and Bows bent

* Meaning: a state of mutual hostility

— Impervious to Blades and Spears

* Meaning: invulnerable; impervious to mortal weapons

— A Kite with its String cut

* Meaning: something gone without recall, blown away uncontrollably

— An Arrow at the end of its flight

* Meaning: a spent/waning force; something which has very nearly exhausted its strength

— Stake All on One Throw

* Meaning: to risk everything in a single venture

— Pass like Thunder and Move like the Wind

* Meaning: swift and decisive reaction

— Thunder from a Clear Sky

* Meaning: something completely unexpected

— Wind and Rain

* Meaning: poor weather; trials and hardships

— Winds and Waves

* Meaning: difficulties; tough experiences

— Add Oil to the Fire

* Meaning: to aggravate a situation

— Loot a Burning House

* Meaning: to profit from someone's misfortune

— To Fish in Troubled Waters

* Meaning: to take advantage of a crisis

— You'll eat Meat, We'll drink Soup

* Meaning: giving up the lion's share of benefits to someone else; begging for scraps

— Reap without Sowing

* Meaning: to be rewarded without working for it

— Throwing Stones down a Well

* Meaning: beating someone when they're down

— A Frog in a Well / View the Sky from the Bottom of a Well

* Meaning: to be ignorant/narrow-minded; to have a myopic perspective

— You Die, I Live / Cannot Live Under the Same Sky

* Meaning: irreconcilable enmity

— Fight Poison with Poison

* Meaning: to cure ills with poison; to fight fire with fire; to meet aggression with aggression

— Forget Favors and Violate Justice

* Meaning: to show ingratitude to a friend or benefactor

— Treasuring a Jade Ring becomes a Crime

* Meaning: having something precious invites disaster from the greed of others

— If one often walks by the Riverside, one's Shoes will eventually get wet

* Meaning: living dangerously or associating with the wrong people will eventually lead to consequences

— A Mantis trying to stop a Chariot

* Meaning: to overrate oneself and attempt the impossible

— The Mantis stalks the Cicada, unaware of the Oriole behind

* Meaning: to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger

— When the Sandpiper and the Clam fight each other, it's the Fisherman who benefits

* Meaning: said when a third party profits from the struggle of others; neighbors who fight each other will lose out to a mutual enemy

— A Fire at the City Gates is also a Disaster to the Fish in the Pond

* Meaning: a drastic action may unintentionally affect other people and harm innocent bystanders

* Note: The idea is that while the fish might appear to be safe from the fire outside… if the firefighters drain the pond-water to help put out the fire, then even the fish will suffer.

— A Carp leaping through the Dragon Gate

* Meaning: to make a significant advancement after much effort; to undergo a great transformation (like a carp becoming a dragon)

— Where Fish swim with Dragons / Where Dragons and Snakes intermingle

* Meaning: a place with a mixture of both strong and weak (or good and bad) people

— Even a Powerful Dragon cannot repress a Local Snake

* Meaning: an outsider with great power/influence may not be a match for a gangster on his home turf

— Paint a Dragon and Dot the Eyes

* Meaning: to add the vital finishing touch; the crucial point that brings the subject to life

— Dragon returning to the Sea

* Meaning: in one's element; "like a fish back in water"

— A Dragon among Men

* Meaning: an exceptional and talented person who stands out among others

— Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragons

* Meaning: talented individuals in hiding; concealed talent

— A Fight between a Dragon and a Tiger

* Meaning: a fierce battle between two powerful opponents

— Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Den

* Meaning: a very dangerous location

— Paper Tiger

* Meaning: something that seems fierce/threatening but is actually much weaker than it looks

— Like a Tiger that has grown Wings / Like giving Wings to a Tiger

* Meaning: with redoubled power (a tiger is already fierce… what if it could also fly?)

— Lure the Tiger away from the Mountain

* Meaning: to lure an enemy out of his territory

— If you ride a Tiger, it's hard to get off

* Meaning: something difficult to stop halfway

— A Tiger Father will not beget a Dog Son

* Meaning: a great/powerful father will not raise a worthless son (typically said as a compliment)

— Pretending to be a Pig to eat a Tiger

* Meaning: to fake weakness to fool and defeat a strong foe

— The Newborn Calf does not fear the Tiger

* Meaning: young or inexperienced people are often ignorant

— A Lion uses its full strength even when hunting a Rabbit

* Meaning: you can't relax even against a weak challenge

— A Toad lusting after a Swan's Flesh

* Meaning: aspiring after something one is not worthy of

— Play the Lute for a Cow

* Meaning: to do something for the wrong audience; "discussing philosophy with a fool"

— Chef Ding carving the Ox

* Meaning: performing a task effortlessly and with great skill

— A Single Hair from Nine Oxen

* Meaning: an insignificant amount; "a drop in the bucket"

— A Clay Ox entering the Sea

* Meaning: to disappear with no hope of returning (like a clay figurine dissolving in water)

— Beat the Grass and Scare the Snake

* Meaning: to inadvertently alert an enemy; (less commonly) to punish someone as a warning to others

— Drawing Legs on a Snake

* Meaning: wasted effort; to ruin something by adding unnecessary details

— The Dog acts fierce when his Master is present

* Meaning: to use one's position to bully others

— A starved Camel is still bigger than a Horse

* Meaning: even weakened, someone strong is still strong

— A Crane in a Flock of Chickens

* Meaning: someone exceptional who stands out among a crowd of lesser people

— Wanting to steal a Chicken, but instead losing the Bait

* Meaning: trying to gain an advantage only to end up worse off

— Killing the Chicken to warn the Monkey

* Meaning: to punish an individual as an example to others

— When the Tree falls, the Monkeys scatter

* Meaning: opportunists will quickly abandon an unfavorable cause

— Tall Trees attract the Wind

* Meaning: being outstanding brings adversity in itself

— Half a Day

* Meaning: (metaphor) for a long time; for quite a while

* Note: It literally means "half of a day", but often refers to a much shorter period of time. For example, if two people stare at each other for "half a day", it might have only been an awkwardly long moment.

— Side Dish

* Meaning: (slang) Noob; a small appetizer… in other words, "a piece of cake"

— Black Belly

* Meaning: (slang) two-faced; outwardly kind but inwardly evil or manipulative

— Fart / Farting

* Meaning: (slang) to talk nonsense; "Bullshit!"

— Wear a Green Hat

* Meaning: a cuckold; to be cuckolded by one's wife

— Intestines turning Green from Regret

* Meaning: to be completely consumed with regret

* Note: The idea is that intestines supposedly turn green in a decomposing body, so this idiom is about figuratively "dying from regret".

— Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals

* Meaning: useless troops

— The Thirty-Six Stratagems

* Meaning: a classic list of Chinese stratagems (plans/schemes) to be used in war

* Note: A particularly famous idiom says "Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best". In other words: "If all else fails, retreat".

— Wash one's Hands in a Golden Basin

* Meaning: to retire from or leave the martial world

— When in the Jianghu, one cannot move freely

* Meaning: you can't always do as you like; one has to compromise in this world

— Fly across the Rooftops

* Meaning: lit. "to leap the house and cross the roofridge"; often used to describe the superb movement skills of martial artists in Wuxia novels

— A Teacher for a Day, a Father for Life

* Meaning: a student should revere and respect someone who was willing to mentor them, even if they could only teach for a short period of time… similarly, a teacher should nurture and cherish their students as they would their own children

— A Thousand-mile Journey begins with the First Step

* Meaning: great accomplishments come from an accumulation of small achievements made one by one