This is a list of some idioms that I’ve come across through my translation projects. I thought it would be fun to keep a collection of them for anyone else who enjoys them too!
狼心狗肺 – láng xīn gǒu fèi
“heart of a wolf, lungs of a dog”; cruel and unscrupulous/ungrateful and heartless
锦衣玉食 – jǐn yī yù shí
“brocade garments, jade meals”; life of extravagance/luxury; 2
心惊胆战 – xīn jīng dǎn zhàn
“heart alarmed, trembling in fear”; scared witless
魂飞魄散 – hún fēi pò sàn
“soul flies away and scatters”; frighted stiff/terror-stricken
打草惊蛇 – dǎ cǎo jīng shé
“beat the grass and startle the snake”; inadvertently alert the enemy/punish somebody as a warning to others; 2
兵荒马乱 – bīng huāng mǎ luàn
“soldiers mutiny and troops rebel”; turmoil and chaos caused by war
失而复得 – shī ér fù dé
“to lose something and then regain it”
尘埃落定 – chén āi luò dìng
“the dust has settled”; get sorted out/be finalized
横冲直撞 – héng chōng zhí zhuàng
“bashing sideways and colliding straight on”; to push through shoving and bumping/to charge around violently
无事不登三宝殿 – wú shì bù dēng sān bǎo diàn
“One doesn’t visit a temple without a cause”; to visit somebody with an ulterior motive (especially to ask for something)/having a hidden agenda
有钱能使鬼推磨 – yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mó
“money will make the Devil turn millstones”; you can do whatever you want if you have money
单枪匹马 – dān qiāng pǐ mǎ
“single spear and horse”; single-handed or unaccompanied
老气横秋 – lǎo qì héng qiū
“old and decrepit”; proud of one’s age and experience
御驾亲征 – yù jià qīn zhēng
“the emperor leads his troops into battle”; to take part personally in an expedition
心平气和 – xīn píng qì hé
“tranquil and even-tempered”; calmly and without stress
若无其事 – ruò wú qí shì
“as if nothing happened”; calmly/nonchalantly
察言观色 – chá yán guān sè
“to weigh somebody’s words and observe their facial expression”; to discern somebody’s thoughts from their body language
满城风雨 – mǎn chéng fēng yǔ
“wind and rain sweeping through the town”; a big scandal/an uproar/the talk of the town
如狼似虎 – rú láng sì hǔ
“like wolves and tigers”; ruthless
善有善报 – shàn yǒu shàn bào
“virtue has its rewards”; one good turn deserves another
化险为夷 – huà xiǎn wéi yí
“to turn peril into safety”; to avert disaster
池鱼之殃 – chí yú zhī yāng
“calamity of the pond fish”; be involved in a disaster not of one’s own making
灰头土脸 – huī tóu tǔ liǎn
“head and face filthy with grime”; dejected and depressed
妙手回春 – miào shǒu huí chūn
“magical hands bring the dying back to life”; miracle cure / brilliant doctor
三顾茅庐 – sān gù máo lú
“three humble visits to a thatched cottage”; repeatedly request somebody to take up a responsible post. From the Romance of Three Kingdoms: Liu Bei recruits Zhuge Liang to his cause by visiting him three times
天上掉馅饼 – tiān shàng diào xiàn bǐng
“a meat pie falls from the sky”; to have something fall into your lap
Dramas On My Mind 