天 tiān day / sky / heaven syn 天堂 tiān táng paradise / heaven syn 革命 gé mìng to withdraw the mandate of heaven (and transition to a new dynasty) (original meaning) / revolution / revolutionary / to revolt (against sb or sth) / to revolutionize (sth) / (separable verb sometimes used in the pattern 革noun的命) / CL:次[ci4] syn 天下 tiān xià land under heaven / the whole world / the whole of China / realm / rule syn 上天 shàng tiān Heaven / Providence / God / the sky above / to fly skywards / (euphemism) to die / to pass away / the previous day (or days) syn 天地 tiān dì heaven and earth / world / scope / field of activity syn 天子 tiān zǐ the (rightful) emperor / "Son of Heaven" (traditional English translation) syn 天国 天國 tiān guó Kingdom of Heaven syn 上苍 上蒼 shàng cāng heaven syn 天意 tiān yì providence / the Will of Heaven syn 升天 shēng tiān lit. to ascend to heaven / to die syn 听天由命 聽天由命 tīng tiān yóu mìng (idiom) to submit to the will of heaven / to resign oneself to fate / to trust to luck syn 天命 tiān mìng Mandate of Heaven / destiny / fate / one's life span syn 天造地设 天造地設 tiān zào dì shè lit. made by Heaven and arranged by Earth(idiom) / ideal / perfect / (of a match) made in heaven / to be made for one another 天庭 tiān tíng middle of the forehead / imperial court / heaven syn 赞不绝口 贊不絕口 zàn bù jué kǒu to praise without cease (idiom) / praise sb to high heaven syn 天机 天機 tiān jī mystery known only to heaven (archaic) / inscrutable twist of fate / fig. top secret syn 天壤之别 天壤之別 tiān rǎng zhī bié lit. the difference between heaven and earth (idiom) / fig. night and day difference / a world of difference / a far cry (from) syn 乾坤 qián kūn yin and yang / heaven and earth / the universe 闯荡 闖盪 chuǎng dàng to leave home to make one's way in the world / to leave the life one knows to seek success syn 开天辟地 開天闢地 kāi tiān pì dì to split heaven and earth apart (idiom) / refers to the Pangu 盤古|盘古[Pan2 gu3] creation myth syn 蛔虫 蛔蟲 huí chóng roundworm / ascarid / (esp.) Ascaris lumbricoides, a human parasite / (fig.) person who knows what another person is thinking / a mind reader 九天 jiǔ tiān the ninth heaven / the highest of the heavens syn 天经地义 天經地義 tiān jīng dì yì lit. heaven's law and earth's principle (idiom) / fig. right and proper / right and unalterable / a matter of course syn 顶天立地 頂天立地 dǐng tiān lì dì lit. able to support both heaven and earth / of indomitable spirit (idiom) syn 伤天害理 傷天害理 shāng tiān hài lǐ to offend Heaven and reason (idiom) / bloody atrocities that cry to heaven / outrageous acts syn 天下第一 tiān xià dì yī first under heaven / number one in the country syn 天宫 天宮 tiān gōng Temple in Heaven (e.g. of the Jade Emperor) / Tiangong, Chinese space station program syn 一步登天 yī bù dēng tiān reaching heaven in a single bound (idiom) / (esp. with negative: don't expect) instant success syn 天赐 天賜 tiān cì bestowed by heaven 苍穹 蒼穹 cāng qióng the blue dome of heaven syn 天时 天時 tiān shí the time / the right time / weather conditions / destiny / course of time / heaven's natural order syn 天网恢恢 天網恢恢 tiān wǎng huī huī lit. heaven's net has wide meshes, but nothing escapes it (idiom, from Laozi 73) / fig. the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape / you can't run from the long arm of the law syn 得天独厚 得天獨厚 dé tiān dú hòu blessed by heaven (idiom) / enjoying exceptional advantages / favored by nature syn 飞升 飛昇 fēi shēng to fly upwards / (fig.) to rise / to increase / (Daoism) to ascend to heaven / to achieve immortality syn 天坛 天壇 tiān tán Temple of Heaven (in Beijing) 承运 承運 chéng yùn to provide transport / to accept the Mandate of Heaven / to acknowledge one's calling to be emperor 天公 tiān gōng heaven / lord of heaven syn 天道酬勤 tiān dào chóu qín Heaven rewards the diligent. (idiom) 羽化 yǔ huà levitation (of Daoist immortal) / to become as light as a feather and ascend to heaven / (in Daoism) to become immortal / to die / of winged insects, to emerge from the cocoon in adult form / eclosion syn 叱咤风云 叱咤風雲 chì zhà fēng yún lit. to rebuke Heaven and Earth (idiom) / fig. shaking the whole world / all-powerful syn 南天门 南天門 nán tiān mén South Gate to Heaven, the name a gate constructed on various mountains, most notably on Mount Tai 泰山[Tai4 Shan1] / (mythology) southern gate of the Heavenly Palace 拜天地 bài tiān dì to worship heaven and earth / ritual kneeling by bride and groom in a old-fashioned wedding ceremony / also called 拜堂 syn 谁知道 誰知道 shéi zhī dào God knows... / Who would have imagined...? 所知 suǒ zhī known / what one knows 天后 tiān hòu Tin Hau, Empress of Heaven, another name for the goddess Matsu 媽祖|妈祖[Ma1 zu3] / Tin Hau (Hong Kong area around the MTR station with same name) 天成 tiān chéng as if made by heaven 天理 tiān lǐ Heaven's law / the natural order of things syn 天帝 tiān dì God of heaven / Celestial emperor 太虚 太虛 tài xū great emptiness / the void / heaven / the skies / universe / cosmos / original essence of the cosmos syn 齐天大圣 齊天大聖 qí tiān dà shèng Great Sage the Equal of Heaven, self-proclaimed title of the Monkey King Sun Wukong 孫悟空|孙悟空[Sun1 Wu4 kong1] in the novel Journey to the West 西遊記|西游记[Xi1 you2 Ji4] 不知天高地厚 bù zhī tiān gāo dì hòu not to know the immensity of heaven and earth / an exaggerated opinion of one's own abilities 天不怕地不怕 tiān bù pà dì bù pà fearing nothing in Heaven or Earth (idiom) / fearless 真武 zhēn wǔ Lord of profound heaven, major Daoist deity / aka Black Tortoise 玄武 or Black heavenly emperor 玄天上帝 天谴 天譴 tiān qiǎn the wrath of Heaven / imperial displeasure 大闹天宫 大鬧天宮 dà nào tiān gōng Monkey Wreaks Havoc in Heaven, story about the Monkey King Sun Wukong 孫悟空|孙悟空[Sun1 Wu4 kong1] from the novel Journey to the West 西遊記|西游记 拜堂 bài táng ritual kneeling to heaven and earth by bride and groom in a old-fashioned wedding ceremony / same as 拜天地 上天入地 shàng tiān rù dì lit. to go up to heaven or down to Hades (idiom) / fig. to go to great lengths / to search heaven and earth 穹苍 穹蒼 qióng cāng the sky / the firmament / the vault of heaven syn 惟恐天下不乱 惟恐天下不亂 wéi kǒng tiān xià bù luàn motivated by a desire to see the world in chaos / lest all under heaven's not in chaos and disorder 天公不作美 tiān gōng bù zuò měi Heaven is not cooperating (idiom) / the weather is not favorable for the planned activity syn 堪 kān (bound form) may / can / (bound form) to endure / to bear / (in 堪輿|堪舆[kan1 yu2]) heaven (contrasted with earth 輿|舆[yu2]) syn 壤 rǎng (bound form) soil / earth / (literary) the earth (contrasted with heaven 天[tian1]) syn 霄 xiāo firmament / heaven 舆 輿 yú (literary) chassis of a carriage (contrasted with the canopy 堪[kan1]) / (literary) (fig.) the earth (while the carriage canopy is a metaphor for heaven) / land / territory / (literary) carriage / (literary) sedan chair / palanquin / (bound form) the multitudes / the people / the public syn 椿 chūn Chinese toon (Toona sinensis) / tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) / (literary metaphor) father syn 椿 chún tree of heaven syn 老马识途 老馬識途 lǎo mǎ shí tú an old horse knows the way (idiom) / an experienced worker knows what to do / an old hand knows the ropes syn 臭不可闻 臭不可聞 chòu bù kě wén to stink to high heaven / (fig.) disgraceful / disgusting 识途老马 識途老馬 shí tú lǎo mǎ lit. an old horse knows the way home (idiom) / fig. in difficulty, trust an experience colleague syn 阊 閶 chāng gate of heaven / gate of palace 来路不明 來路不明 lái lù bù míng unidentified origin / no-one knows where it comes from / of dubious background syn 为富不仁 為富不仁 wéi fù bù rén the benevolent man cannot be rich (idiom, from Mencius). It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:24). syn 鸡犬升天 雞犬升天 jī quǎn shēng tiān lit. poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom) / fig. to ride on sb else's success / Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too / Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it syn 人所共知 rén suǒ gòng zhī something that everybody knows syn 天梯 tiān tī stairway to heaven / high mountain road / tall ladder on a building or other large structure / space elevator 应天承运 應天承運 yìng tiān chéng yùn lit. to respond to heaven and suit the times (idiom) / to rule according to the will of heaven / the Divine Right of kings 略识之无 略識之無 lüè shí zhī wú semiliterate / only knows words of one syllable / lit. to know only 之[zhi1] and 無|无[wu2] syn 贪贿无艺 貪賄無藝 tān huì wú yì greed for bribes knows no bounds (idiom) / unbridled corruption 好汉不吃眼前亏 好漢不吃眼前虧 hǎo hàn bù chī yǎn qián kuī a wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him (idiom) 不啻天渊 不啻天淵 bù chì tiān yuān no less than from heaven to the abyss (idiom) / differing widely / worlds apart / the gap couldn't be bigger 人间天堂 人間天堂 rén jiān tiān táng heaven on Earth / nickname for the city Suzhou 喜从天降 喜從天降 xǐ cóng tiān jiàng joy from heaven (idiom) / overjoyed at unexpected good news / unlooked-for happy event syn 天崩地裂 tiān bēng dì liè heaven falls and earth rends (idiom) / rocked by a major disaster / fig. violent revolution / major social upheaval syn 旋乾转坤 旋乾轉坤 xuán qián zhuǎn kūn lit. overturning heaven and earth (idiom) / earth-shattering / a radical change 泄漏天机 泄漏天機 xiè lòu tiān jī to divulge the will of heaven (idiom) / to leak a secret / to let the cat out of the bag 泄露天机 泄露天機 xiè lù tiān jī to divulge the will of heaven (idiom) / to leak a secret / to let the cat out of the bag 漏泄天机 漏洩天機 lòu xiè tiān jī to divulge the will of heaven (idiom) / to leak a secret / to let the cat out of the bag 为仁不富 為仁不富 wéi rén bù fù the rich man cannot be benevolent (idiom, from Mencius). It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:24). 疏而不漏 shū ér bù lòu loose, but allows no escape (idiom, from Laozi 老子[Lao3 zi3]) / the way of Heaven is fair, but the guilty will not escape 皇天不负苦心人 皇天不負苦心人 huáng tiān bù fù kǔ xīn rén Heaven will not disappoint the person who tries (idiom). If you try hard, you're bound to succeed eventually. 皇天后土 huáng tiān hòu tǔ heaven and earth (idiom) 违天害理 違天害理 wéi tiān hài lǐ lit. violating heaven and reason (idiom) / immoral character 违天逆理 違天逆理 wéi tiān nì lǐ lit. violating heaven and reason (idiom) / immoral character 震天动地 震天動地 zhèn tiān dòng dì to shake heaven and earth (idiom) syn 天作之合 tiān zuò zhī hé a match made in heaven (idiom) syn 天理难容 天理難容 tiān lǐ nán róng Heaven cannot tolerate this (idiom) / intolerable behavior 扭转乾坤 扭轉乾坤 niǔ zhuǎn qián kūn lit. to upend heaven and earth (idiom) / fig. to change the course of events / to turn things around 九重霄 jiǔ chóng xiāo ninth heaven / Highest Heaven syn 