安步当车 Stroll over instead of riding in a carriage 1
安然无恙 Safe and sound 4
哀兵必胜 An army burning with righteous indignation is bound to win 5
拔苗助长 Plucking up a crop to help it grow 6
白云苍狗 White clouds change into gray dogs 8
百废俱兴 All neglected tasks are being undertaken 9
百闻不如一见 Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times 11
班门弄斧 Show off one's proficiency with axe before Lu Ban 13
半途而废 Give up halfway 15
抱薪救火 Carry faggots to put out a fire 16
别开生面 Create a new form 18
不痴不聋，不做家翁 It's difficult to be the head of a family unless you appear to be stupid and deaf 20
不寒而栗 Shiver all over though not cold 22
不合时宜 Be incompatible with present needs 23
不教而诛 Punish without prior warning 25
不拘一格 Not stick to one pattern 27
不平则鸣 Injustice provokes outcry 29
不入虎穴，焉得虎子 You can't catch the tiger's cub unless you enter its lair 31
不为五斗米折腰 Don't bend for five dou of grain 33
不远千里而来 Come though it is a thousand miles away 35
布衣之交 Friends in days of simple life 37
兵贵神速 Speed is precious in war 39
兵无常势 There are no constant conditions in warfare 41
沧海一粟 A drop in the ocean 42
草木皆兵 Every bush and tree looks like an enemy 44
车水马龙 An incessant stream of horses and carriages 45
成也萧何 败也萧何 The success or failure of the affair is all due to Xiao He 47
尺短寸长 Sometimes a foot may prove short while an inch may prove long 49
冲锋陷阵 Charge and shatter enemy positions 51
出尔反尔 Promise and then deny in succession 54
出其不意 Appear where you are not expected 56
出人头地 Rise head and shoulders above others 57
出奇制胜 Defeat the opponent by a surprise move 59
出淤泥而不染 Grow up from the filthy mud without being polluted 60
春蚕到死丝方尽 The spring silkworm exhausts its silk till death 62
春城无处不飞花 Flowers come out everywhere in the spring city 63
打草惊蛇 Beat the grass and frighten away the snake 65
大腹便便 Big-bellied 67
大旱之望云霓 Long for a rain cloud during a drought 68
道听途说 Spread what is heard on the road 70
得过且过 Get by however one can 72
得心应手 The Hands Respond to the Heart 74
地利人和 Favourable geographical position and support of the people 76
点金成铁 Touch a gold and turn it into iron 78
东施效颦 Ugly woman trying to imitate a famous beauty knitting her brows 80
东食西宿 Eating at the western,while sleep at the eastern 82
对牛弹琴 Play the lute to a cow 83
对症下药 Suit the medicine to the illness 84
尔虞我诈 Each trying to cheat or outwit the other 86
发愤图强 Make a determined effort for the prosperity of the country 88
翻手为云 覆手为雨 The cloud changes into rain when the hand is turned over 90
返老还童 Recover one's youthful vigor 91
焚书坑儒 Burning books and burying alive Confucian scholars 93
风声鹤唳 Be scared at the whistling of winds and crying of 95
cranes 95
奉公如（守）法 Devoted to public and obey the law 98
负荆请罪 Carry a rod on one's back and ask for punishment 100
负隅顽抗 Fighting with one's back against a corner 102
覆水难收 Spilt water can't be gathered up 104
改过自新 Turn over a new leaf 106
高枕无忧 Shake up the pillow and have a good sleep without anxiety 108
各自为政 Each administers in his own way 110
功亏一篑 Fail to build a mound for want of one final basket of earth 112
姑息养奸 To tolerate evil is to encourage evildoers 114
瓜田李下 In a melon patch or under a plum tree 116
挂羊头，卖狗肉 Hang up a sheep's head and sell dog meat 118
海内存知己 天涯若比邻 We are good friends though we are far away from each other 119
韩信将兵 多多益善 The more the better,Han Xin said about the number of troops he could command 121
好好先生 Good and good gentleman 122
好逸恶劳 Love leisure and hate labor 124
河东狮子吼 In the east of the river the lion is gnarling 126
侯门似海 The gate of a noble house is like the sea 127
后来居上 Later comers become the first 129
后起之秀 An upcoming youngster 131
囫囵吞枣 Swallow a date whole 133
狐假虎威 The fox assuming the majesty of the tiger 134
虎口余生 Escape from the tiger's mouth 136
花言巧语 Flowery words and cunning statements 137
华而不实 Blossom but bear no fruit 139
画龙点睛 Bring the painted dragon to life by putting in the pupils of its eyes 140
画蛇添足 Gilding the lily 142
讳疾忌医 Hide one's sickness for fear of treatment 144
鸡鸣狗盗 Ability to crow like a cock and snatch like a dog 146
家喻户晓 Known to every household 149
兼听则明，偏信则暗 Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened,heed only one side and you will bebenighted 151
箭在弦上，不得不发 An arrow fitted on the bow-string can't avoid being discharged 152
竭泽而渔 Drain the pond to catch all the fish 154
金戈铁马 Golden dagger-axe and armoured horses 156
惊弓之鸟 A bird that starts at the twang of a bowstring 158
井底之蛙 A frog in a well 160
鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已 Bend one's back to the task until one's dying day 161
橘生淮南则为橘，橘生淮北则为枳 An orange tree planted in the south of Huai River produces oranges,but if it gets transplanted to the north of Huai River,it produces trifoliate oranges only 162
拒人于千里之外 Keep people at a distance of 1000 li 165
决一雌雄 Fight to see who is the stronger 166
开卷有益 Reading is always profitable 168
开诚布公 Speak frankly and sincerely 169
刻舟求剑 Nick the boat to seek the sword 171
脍炙人口 Win universal praise 172
滥竽充数 Pass oneself off as one of the players in an ensemble 174
狼狈为奸 Work in collusion with somebody for some evil purpose 175
劳思逸淫 Thinking follows labor while lewdness follows comfort 176
老生常谈 A commonplace talk of an old scholar 178
厉兵秣马 Feed the horses and sharpen the weapons 180
乐不思蜀 Have much enjoyment and forget to go back home to Kingdom Shu 182
梨园子弟 Old students of pear garden 183
连理枝 Trees whose branches interlock or join together 185
梁上君子 A gentleman on the beam 186
量体裁衣 Cut the dress according to one's figure 188
临渴掘井 Not dig a well until one is thirsty 190
临危（难）不惧 Be brave in a dangerous situation 192
令行禁止 Every order is executed without fail 193
流芳百世 Leave a good name for a hundred generations 195
流水落花春去也 The spring passed with flowing water and fallen flowers 197
马革裹尸 Die on the battlefield 199
买椟还珠 Keeping the glittering caskets and give back the pearls 201
门可罗雀 Birds can be caught by a net at the door 203
门庭若市 The courtyard is like a fair market 204
孟母三迁 Mencius' mother had moved her house for three times 207
民不聊生 The people are destitute 208
民以食为天 Food is the first necessity of the people 210
名不副实 Be more in name than in reality 212
名列前茅 Come out in front 214
名落孙山 Fall behind Sun Shan 216
名正言顺 Be perfectly justifiable 218
模棱两可 Equivocal 220
南辕北辙 Try to go south by driving the chariot northward 221
鸟尽弓藏 The bows and arrows are put away when there are no birds to shoot 223
呕心沥血 Work with might and main 225
匹夫之勇 Reckless Courage 228
平易近人 Amiable and easy of approach 230
萍水相逢 Strangers meet by chance 232
破镜重圆 A broken mirror joined together 234
剖腹藏珠 Cut one's belly to hide a pearl 236
扑朔迷离 Bewildering and confusing 237
七步之才 A talent who can write a poem in seven steps 239
奇货可居 A rare commodity worth hoarding to corner the market 240
杞人忧天 A man of Qi who was haunted by the fear that the sky might fall 242
起死回生 Make the dead come back to life and health 244
千里送鹅毛 A goose feather sent from a thousand li away 246
千虑一得 Even a fool may sometimes have a good idea 247
前度刘郎 The young master Liu of those days 249
钱可通神 Money can move the gods 252
黔驴技穷 The Guizhou Donkey Has Exhausted Its Tricks 253
巧夺天工 Wonderful workmanship surpassing nature 255
锲而不舍 Work with perseverance 256
亲者痛 仇者快 Sadden one's friends and gladden one's enemies 258
清风两袖 Remain uncorrupted 259
请君莫奏前朝曲 Please don'tsing the song of the late dynasty 262
请君入瓮 Please step into the jar 263
穷则思变 Poverty gives rise to a desire for change 265
曲高和寡 Elegant songs find few singers 266
曲突徙薪 Bend the chimneyand remove the fuel to prevent a possible fire 268
人面桃花 The girl's face and the peach flowers 270
人鼠之叹 Sigh about people and mice 271
日薄西山 The sun is setting beyond the western hills 273
如嚼鸡肋 As if chewing chicken ribs 275
孺子牛 Willing ox 277
塞翁失马 The old frontiersman lost his horse 279
三顾茅庐 Make three calls at the thatched cottage 281
三令五申 Have order repeated time and again 283
三十六计（策），走为上计（策）Of the thirty-six stratagems,the best is to get away 284
三思而行 Think thrice before acting 287
杀一儆百 Execute one man as a warning to a hundred 289
伤风败俗 Corrupt public morals 291
上行下效 The inferiors imitate the superiors 293
身价十倍 The selling price had suddenly shot up tenfold 295
身先士卒 Charging in the front of armies 297
神机妙算 Clever strategy and shrewd tactics 298
生于忧患，死于安乐 Thrive in calamity and perish in soft living 300
师出无名 Dispatch troops without just cause 302
十年树木，百年树人 It takes ten years to growtrees but a hundred years to rear people 304
食言而肥 Go back on one's word 305
丹心史策 A loyal heart in history 307
守株待兔 Stand by a stump waiting for more hares to come and dash themselves against it 309
熟能生巧 Skill comes from practice 310
树倒猢狲散 Once the tree falls,the monkeys on it will scatter 312
水滴石穿 Dripping water wears through rock 314
水清无鱼 When the water is too clean,there is no fish 315
司空见惯 A common sight to the official surnamed Sikong 317
死灰复燃 Dying cinders glowing again 319
四海为家 Make one's home everywhere 320
四海之内皆兄弟也 Within the four seas all men are brothers 322
四面楚歌 Be besieged on all sides 324
四知金 Gold that was known by all 325
螳臂挡车 A mantis tries to obstruct a chariot 327
天经地义 The principle of heaven and earth 328
天若有情天亦老 If heavens had a feeling heart,it too must grow old 330
天下兴亡 匹夫有责 Every man has a share of responsibility for the fate of his country 333
天要下雨，娘要嫁人 If Heaven whishes/wants it to rain or your mother to remarry,there is no way to stop them 335
天衣无缝 A seamless heavenly robe 337
天真烂漫 Childlike innocence 339
天诛地灭、男盗女娼 Stand condemned by God;behave like thieves and prostitutes 341
铁杵磨成针 Grind an iron rod into a needle 343
同仇敌忾 Share a bitter hatred of the enemy 344
同舟共济 The people in the same boat should help each other 345
屠龙之技 The skill of slaughtering dragons 347
土崩瓦解 Collapse like a house of cards 349
推敲 Weigh one's words 351
外举不避仇，内举不避亲 Recommend the right no matter they are our relatives or enemies 353
外强中干 Be outwardly strong and inwardly weak 354
完璧归赵 Return the jade intact to the State of Zhao 356
万里长城 The Great Wall 358
万事俱备，只欠东风 Everything is ready,and all that we need is east wind 361
亡羊补牢 Mend the fold after a sheep is lost 363
网开三面 Leave three sides of a net open 365
妄自尊大 Be too big for one's boots 367
望梅止渴 Look at plums to quench thirsty 369
望洋兴叹 Lament one's littleness before the vast ocean 370
危如累卵 Be as dangerous as eggs piled one on the other 372
为富不仁 Be rich and cruel 375
为他人做嫁 Sewing somebody else's trousseau 377
尾大不掉 Leadership rendered ineffectual by recalcitrant subordinates 379
无敌于天下 Unmatched anywhere in the world 381
无法无天 Defy human and divine laws 383
无功就是有过 No contribution is wrong 384
无颜见江东父老 Can't bear to see again the elders east of the river 385
物腐虫生 Worms breed in decaying matter 387
洗耳恭听 Listen with respectful attention 389
徙宅忘妻 One moves with his wife left behind 391
削足适履 Cut the feet to fit the shoes 392
笑里藏刀 Hiding a dragger behind smiling 394
心有灵犀一点通 Our heart closely linked to beat in a harmony 396
兴利除弊 Promote what is beneficial and abolish what is harmful 398
兴师动众 Move troops about and stir up the people 400
行百里者半九十 Ninety miles is only half of a hundred-miles journey 402
行尸走肉 A walking skeleton 405
胸有成竹 Have a well-thought-out plan 406
休戚相关 Be bound by a common cause 408
言必信 行必果 Promise must be kept and action must be resolute 411
掩耳盗铃 Plug one's ears when stealing a bell 413
洋洋自得 Be proud and pleased with oneself 414
野火烧不尽 春风吹又生 Not being destroyed by fire,coming to life with the vernal breeze 416
业精于勤 Efficiency comes from diligence 418
叶公好龙 Lord Ye's love of dragons 420
一笔勾销 Cancel all by a stroke of pen 422
一寸丹心 A loyalty heart 424
一饭千金 One meal worth of thousands of pieces of gold 425
一夫当关 万夫莫开 If one man guards the pass,ten thousand are unable to get through 427
一鼓作气 Get something done at the first drum 428
一劳永逸 To win eternal ease by one supreme effort 430
一毛不拔 Too stingy to pull out a hair 431
一鸣惊人 Surprise the people with one's first cry 433
一窍不通 Be utterly ignorant 435
一厢情愿 Only one part is willing 437
一言九鼎 One's word is as heavy as nine tripods 438
一言为重百金轻 A word is more important than a hundred gold 440
一意孤行 Act in disregard of other people's opinions 442
一枕黄粱 Golden Millet Dream 444
一字之师 Teacher of a word 445
依样画葫芦 Draw a gourd according to the model 447
移风易俗 Change prevailing habits and customs 448
以火救火 Try to put out a fire with fire 450
以貌取人 Judge people by appearance 452
因材施教 Teach students according to their aptitude 454
因势利导 Guide a matter along the course of development 456
因噎废食 Giving up eating for fear of choking 459
饮鸩止渴 Drink poison to quench thirst 461
迎刃而解 Splits off as it meets the edge of knife 463
用兵如神 Direct military operations with miraculous skill 465
有恃无恐 Have something secure to rely on 467
有志竟成 Where there is a will,there is a way 469
与虎谋皮 Ask a tiger for its skin 471
欲加之罪 何患无辞 If you are out to condemn somebody,you can always trump up a charge 472
鹬蚌相争 渔翁得利 When the snipe and the clam grapple,it's the fisherman who profits 473
月下老人 The old man found in moonlight in charge of making matches by tying a red thread on boys and girls 475
运筹帷幄 Sit within a command tent and devise strategies that will assure victory one thousand miles away 477
糟糠之妻不下堂 The wife of one's"chaff and husks" days should never be cast aside 479
凿壁偷光 Bore a hole in the wall in order to get some light from the neighbor's house 481
枕戈待旦 Sleep with weapon as pillow 482
只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯 The magistrates are free to burn down houses while the common people are forbidden even to light lamps 484
纸上谈兵 To engage in idle theorizing 486
指鹿为马 Call a deer a horse 488
中流砥柱 The firm pillar in midstream 489
众怒难犯 An aroused public is difficult to tackle 490
众志成城 Joint efforts construct an insumountable wall 492
助桀为虐 Aid King Jie in his tyrannical rule 494
自给自足 Self-sufficiency 496
自相矛盾 His spear against his shield 498
嘴尖皮厚腹中空 The mouth is caustic;the skin is thick but the belly is empty 499
坐山观虎斗 Sit on top of the mountain to watch the tigers fight 501