Idioms (Chengyu) in Chinese 成语
chéngyǔ
Idiom in Chinese is 成语 (chéng yǔ).
Also searched for as: chinese idioms, chengyu, idiom, four character idioms.
Old stories in four characters. 20 essential idioms words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Chinese idioms, 成语 (chéng yǔ), are mostly four-character phrases that pack a story or image into a few syllables. Some are everyday expressions, like 乱七八糟 (luàn qī bā zāo), a complete mess, or 一模一样 (yī mú yī yàng), exactly the same; others, such as 守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù), waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit, come from ancient fables. Using one or two well-chosen 成语 makes your Chinese sound noticeably more fluent and educated.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 成语 | chéng yǔ | idiom |
| 马马虎虎 | mǎ ma hū hū | so-so; careless |
| 一石二鸟 | yī shí èr niǎo | two birds with one stone |
| 入乡随俗 | rù xiāng suí sú | when in Rome |
| 半途而废 | bàn tú ér fèi | to give up halfway |
| 画蛇添足 | huà shé tiān zú | to overdo it |
| 对牛弹琴 | duì niú tán qín | to talk to a brick wall |
| 一路平安 | yī lù píng ān | have a safe journey |
| 一举两得 | yī jǔ liǎng dé | to kill two birds with one stone |
| 三心二意 | sān xīn èr yì | half-hearted |
| 自言自语 | zì yán zì yǔ | to talk to oneself |
| 乱七八糟 | luàn qī bā zāo | a complete mess |
| 一模一样 | yī mú yī yàng | exactly the same |
| 不知不觉 | bù zhī bù jué | without realising |
| 千方百计 | qiān fāng bǎi jì | by every possible means |
| 守株待兔 | shǒu zhū dài tù | to wait for a windfall |
| 井底之蛙 | jǐng dǐ zhī wā | a frog in a well (narrow view) |
| 亡羊补牢 | wáng yáng bǔ láo | better late than never |
| 塞翁失马 | sài wēng shī mǎ | a blessing in disguise |
| 熟能生巧 | shú néng shēng qiǎo | practice makes perfect |
Usage tips
- Many 成语 carry a backstory: 塞翁失马 (sài wēng shī mǎ) is about an old frontiersman whose lost horse came back with another, and it's often followed by 焉知非福 (yān zhī fēi fú), "who knows it isn't a blessing?"
- For "two birds with one stone", 一举两得 (yī jǔ liǎng dé) is the more common native choice; 一石二鸟 (yī shí èr niǎo) is understood but sounds closer to a translation of the English.
- Idioms play different grammatical roles: 一模一样 acts like an adjective (她们长得一模一样), while 半途而废 (bàn tú ér fèi) acts like a verb (不能半途而废), so learn each one inside a full sentence.
Common mistakes
- Using 马马虎虎 (mǎ ma hū hū) only as "so-so": about a person or their work it usually means careless → 他做事马马虎虎 (tā zuò shì mǎ ma hū hū) means he's sloppy, not that he's average.
- Saying 对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín) to someone's face: it implies they're as dim as a cow → keep it for grumbling about a third party, or say 说了也没用 (shuō le yě méi yòng), it's no use telling them.
- Reading 一模一样 as yī mó yī yàng → here 模 is pronounced mú, as in 模样 (mú yàng), appearance.
Mini dialogue
- A你的中文怎么样了？Nǐ de Zhōng wén zěn me yàng le?How's your Chinese coming along?
- B马马虎虎吧，最近有点儿想放弃。Mǎ ma hū hū ba, zuì jìn yǒu diǎnr xiǎng fàng qì.So-so. Lately I've felt a bit like giving up.
- A别半途而废啊！多练习，熟能生巧。Bié bàn tú ér fèi a! Duō liàn xí, shú néng shēng qiǎo.Don't give up halfway! Keep practising, practice makes perfect.
- B你说得对。我想边听歌边学。Nǐ shuō de duì. Wǒ xiǎng biān tīng gē biān xué.You're right. I'm thinking of learning through songs.
- A好主意，一举两得！Hǎo zhǔ yi, yī jǔ liǎng dé!Good idea, that's two birds with one stone!
Example sentences
- 这个成语是什么意思？What does this idiom mean?
- 我的中文马马虎虎。My Chinese is so-so.
- 走路上班，一石二鸟，又省钱又锻炼。Walking to work kills two birds with one stone: it saves money and is good exercise.
- 入乡随俗，在中国就用筷子吧。When in Rome, do as the Romans do: in China, use chopsticks.
- 学中文不能半途而废。Don't give up halfway when learning Chinese.
- 这句话已经很好了，别画蛇添足。This sentence is fine already, don't overdo it.
- 跟他讲道理简直是对牛弹琴。Reasoning with him is like talking to a brick wall.
- 明天就走了？祝你一路平安！Leaving tomorrow? Have a safe journey!
- 边听歌边学中文，一举两得。Learning Chinese through songs kills two birds with one stone.
- 做作业不要三心二意。Don't be half-hearted about your homework.
- 他一边走一边自言自语。He was talking to himself as he walked.
- 你的房间怎么乱七八糟的？Why is your room such a mess?
- 她们俩长得一模一样。The two of them look exactly the same.
- 不知不觉，天已经黑了。Before I knew it, it was already dark.
- 他千方百计地想找到那本书。He tried every possible way to find that book.
- 找工作不能守株待兔。You can't just sit and wait for a job to fall into your lap.
- 多出去看看，别做井底之蛙。Get out and see the world; don't be a frog in a well.
- 现在开始复习，亡羊补牢还不晚。Start revising now; better late than never.
- 没赶上飞机也许是塞翁失马。Missing the flight might be a blessing in disguise.
- 多练习，熟能生巧。Keep practising; practice makes perfect.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Idioms speaking island has 8 everyday questions about idioms to prepare your own answers to.