而且 ér qiě (not only ...) but also / moreover / in addition / furthermore syn 不仅 不僅 bù jǐn not just / not limited to / (as a correlative conjunction) not only (..., but also ...) syn 只好 zhǐ hǎo to have no other option but to ... / to have to / to be forced to syn 无奈 無奈 wú nài to have no alternative / frustrated / exasperated / helpless / (conjunction) but unfortunately syn 不但 bù dàn not only (... but also ...) syn 不得不 bù dé bù have no choice or option but to / cannot but / have to / can't help it / can't avoid syn 只不过 只不過 zhǐ bu guò only / merely / nothing but / no more than / it's just that ... syn 部位 bù wèi part (esp. of the body, but also of a vegetable, e.g. the root, or a garment, e.g. the sleeve, etc) syn 只得 zhǐ dé to have no alternative but to / to be obliged to syn 不由得 bù yóu de can't help / cannot but syn 要不是 yào bu shì if it were not for / but for syn 丫头 丫頭 yā tou girl / servant girl / (used deprecatingly, but sometimes also as a term of endearment) syn 不由自主 bù yóu zì zhǔ (idiom) can't help but / involuntarily syn 不能不 bù néng bù have to / cannot but syn 反倒 fǎn dào but on the contrary / but expectedly syn 绿茶 綠茶 lǜ chá green tea / (slang) (of a girl) seemingly innocent and charming but actually calculating and manipulative / a girl who has these qualities 不要紧 不要緊 bù yào jǐn unimportant / not serious / it doesn't matter / never mind / it looks all right, but syn 不妙 bù miào (of a turn of events) not too encouraging / far from good / anything but reassuring syn 情不自禁 qíng bù zì jīn (idiom) cannot refrain from / cannot help / cannot but syn 不得已 bù dé yǐ to act against one's will / to have no alternative but to / to have to / to have no choice / must syn 花瓶 huā píng flower vase / (fig.) female employee considered to be just a pretty face (attractive but not very competent) syn 毕业证书 畢業證書 bì yè zhèng shū (PRC) (since 1985) graduation certificate, which certifies that the student has graduated, but not necessarily met all requirements to be awarded a degree certificate 學位證書|学位证书[xue2 wei4 zheng4 shu1] / (1981-1985) graduation certificate, which certified that the student graduated, and, if it included a final sentence indicating a degree type, also certified that the student met all the requirements for a degree syn 力不从心 力不從心 lì bù cóng xīn less capable than desirable (idiom) / not as strong as one would wish / the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak syn 好话 好話 hǎo huà friendly advice / words spoken on sb's behalf / a good word / kind words / words that sound fine but are not followed up with actions syn 钓鱼岛 釣魚島 diào yú dǎo Diaoyu Islands, claimed by China but controlled by Japan as the Senkaku Islands, also called the Pinnacle Islands 鲜为人知 鮮為人知 xiǎn wéi rén zhī rarely known to anyone (idiom) / almost unknown / secret to all but a few syn 名堂 míng tang item (in a program of entertainments) / trick (act of mischief) / worthwhile result / accomplishment / sth significant but not immediately apparent / sth more than meets the eye syn 冷艳 冷艷 lěng yàn (of a woman) beautiful but aloof syn 反观 反觀 fǎn guān by contrast / but as for this... / viewed from another angle / subjectively / introspection syn 不外乎 bù wài hū nothing else but syn 节度使 節度使 jié dù shǐ Tang and Song dynasty provincial governor, in Tang times having military and civil authority, but only civil authority in Song 就 jiù (after a suppositional clause) in that case / then / (after a clause of action) as soon as / immediately after / (same as 就是[jiu4 shi4]) merely / nothing else but / simply / just / precisely / exactly / only / as little as / as much as / as many as / to approach / to move towards / to undertake / to engage in / (often followed by 著|着[zhe5]) taking advantage of / (of food) to go with / with regard to / concerning / (pattern: 就[jiu4] ... 也[ye3] ...) even if ... still ... / (pattern: 不[bu4] ... 就[jiu4] ...) if not ... then must be ... syn 异曲同工 異曲同工 yì qǔ tóng gōng different tunes played with equal skill (idiom) / different methods leading to the same result / different approach but equally satisfactory outcome syn 钓鱼台 釣魚臺 diào yú tái Diaoyu Islands, located between Taiwan and Okinawa, controlled by Japan – which calls them the Senkaku Islands – but claimed by China 你 nǐ you (Note: In Taiwan, 妳 is used to address females, but in mainland China, it is not commonly used. Instead, 你 is used to address both males and females.) syn 求之不得 qiú zhī bù dé lit. seek but fail to get (idiom) / fig. exactly what one’s been looking for syn 臭豆腐 chòu dòu fu stinky tofu / strong-smelling preserved beancurd / fig. rough exterior but lovable person 清贫 清貧 qīng pín poor but upright / destitute syn 无独有偶 無獨有偶 wú dú yǒu ǒu not alone but in pairs (idiom, usually derog.) / not a unique occurrence / it's not the only case syn 花言巧语 花言巧語 huā yán qiǎo yǔ graceful words, flowery speech (idiom) / elegant but insincere words / cheating wheedling / dishonest rhetoric syn 贾宝玉 賈寶玉 jiǎ bǎo yù Jia Baoyu, male character in The Dream of Red Mansions, in love with his cousin Lin Daiyu 林黛玉 but obliged to marry Xue Baochai 薛寶釵|薛宝钗 老不死 lǎo bù sǐ (derog.) old but still alive / old fart / old bastard 似是而非 sì shì ér fēi apparently right but actually wrong / specious (idiom) syn 治标 治標 zhì biāo to treat only the symptoms but not the root cause 异母 異母 yì mǔ (of siblings) having the same father but different mothers 光棍节 光棍節 guāng gùn jié Singles' Day (November 11), originally a day of activities for single people, but now also the world's biggest annual retail sales day 华而不实 華而不實 huá ér bù shí flower but no fruit (idiom) / handsome exterior but hollow inside / flashy syn 青出于蓝 青出於藍 qīng chū yú lán lit. green is born of blue, but beats blue (idiom) / fig. the student becomes superior to the master / same as couplet 青出於藍,而勝於藍|青出于蓝,而胜于蓝 syn 卧薪尝胆 臥薪嚐膽 wò xīn cháng dǎn lit. to lie on firewood and taste gall (idiom) / fig. suffering patiently, but firmly resolved on revenge syn 薄利多销 薄利多銷 bó lì duō xiāo small profit but rapid turnover 言不由衷 yán bù yóu zhōng to say sth without meaning it (idiom) / to speak tongue in cheek / saying one thing but meaning sth different syn 祸不单行 禍不單行 huò bù dān xíng misfortune does not come singly (idiom) / it never rains but it pours syn 清苦 qīng kǔ destitute but honest / poor and simple / spartan / austere syn 不痛不痒 不痛不癢 bù tòng bù yǎng lit. doesn't hurt, doesn't tickle (idiom) / sth is wrong, but not quite sure what / fig. not getting to any matter of substance / scratching the surface / superficial / perfunctory syn 倒贴 倒貼 dào tiē to lose money instead of being paid (i.e. sb should pay me, but is actually taking my money) 擦边球 擦邊球 cā biān qiú (table tennis) edge ball / (fig.) actions that are technically legal but perhaps not respectable 可遇不可求 kě yù bù kě qiú can be discovered but not sought (idiom) / one can only come across such things serendipitously 得过且过 得過且過 dé guò qiě guò satisfied just to get through (idiom) / to muddle through / without high ambitions, but getting by syn 虎头蛇尾 虎頭蛇尾 hǔ tóu shé wěi lit. tiger's head, snake's tail (idiom) / fig. a strong start but weak finish syn 心有余而力不足 心有餘而力不足 xīn yǒu yú ér lì bù zú the will is there, but not the strength (idiom) / the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak syn 好吃懒做 好吃懶做 hào chī lǎn zuò happy to partake but not prepared to do any work (idiom) / all take and no give syn 闷骚 悶騷 mēn sāo (coll.) outwardly cold or retiring but deep and passionate inside 有名无实 有名無實 yǒu míng wú shí lit. has a name but no reality (idiom) / exists only in name / nominal syn 可望而不可及 kě wàng ér bù kě jí (idiom) in sight but beyond reach / unattainable / inaccessible syn 大篷车 大篷車 dà péng chē covered truck / covered wagon / bus with some seating but mostly standing room 换汤不换药 換湯不換藥 huàn tāng bù huàn yào different broth but the same old medicine (idiom) / a change in name only / a change in form but not in substance syn 副省级 副省級 fù shěng jí sub-provincial (not provincial status, but independent) 花架子 huā jià zi attractive appearance, but without substance 朝三暮四 zhāo sān mù sì lit. say three in the morning but four in the evening (idiom) / to change sth that is already settled upon / indecisive / to blow hot and cold syn 老当益壮 老當益壯 lǎo dāng yì zhuàng old but vigorous (idiom) / hale and hearty despite the years syn 阳奉阴违 陽奉陰違 yáng fèng yīn wéi outward devotion but inner opposition (idiom) / to pay lip service / to agree overtly, but oppose in secret syn 凡尔赛 凡爾賽 fán ěr sài Versailles (near Paris) / (slang) to humblebrag / ostensibly modest, but in fact boastful 貌合神离 貌合神離 mào hé shén lí the appearance of unity, but divided at heart (idiom) / seeming harmony belies underlying disagreement syn 旁系 páng xì collateral relative (descended from a common ancestor but through different lines) 东施效颦 東施傚顰 dōng shī xiào pín lit. Dong Shi imitates Xi Shi's frown (idiom) / fig. to mimick sb's idiosyncrasies but make a fool of oneself syn 万变不离其宗 萬變不離其宗 wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng many superficial changes but no departure from the original stand (idiom) / plus ça change, plus ça reste la mème chose 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 花拳绣腿 花拳繡腿 huā quán xiù tuǐ flowery of fist with fancy footwork (idiom) / highly embellished and ineffectual / fancy but impractical skills / all show and no go / pugilistic wankery 地广人稀 地廣人稀 dì guǎng rén xī vast, but sparsely populated syn 外强中干 外強中乾 wài qiáng zhōng gān strong in appearance but weak in reality (idiom) syn 听而不闻 聽而不聞 tīng ér bù wén to hear but not react (idiom) / to turn a deaf ear / to ignore deliberately syn 虚有其表 虛有其表 xū yǒu qí biǎo looks impressive but is worthless (idiom) / not as good as it looks / a reputation with no substance syn 宝刀未老 寶刀未老 bǎo dāo wèi lǎo treasure knife does not age (idiom) / old but still vigorous 半老徐娘 bàn lǎo xú niáng middle-aged but still attractive woman / lady of a certain age 高不成低不就 gāo bù chéng dī bù jiù can't reach the high or accept the low (idiom) / not good enough for a high post, but too proud to take a low one 唱高调 唱高調 chàng gāo diào to sing the high part / to speak fine sounding but empty words (idiom) syn 大而无当 大而無當 dà ér wú dàng grandiose but impractical (idiom) / large but of no real use syn 有始无终 有始無終 yǒu shǐ wú zhōng to start but not finish (idiom) / to fail to carry things through / lack of sticking power / short attention span syn 