羊触藩篱 羊觸藩籬 yáng chù fān lí lit. billy goat's horns caught in the fence (idiom from Book of Changes 易經|易经) / impossible to advance or to retreat / without any way out of a dilemma / trapped / in an impossible situation 羝羊触藩 羝羊觸藩 dī yáng chù fān lit. billy goat's horns caught in the fence (idiom from Book of Changes 易經|易经) / impossible to advance or to retreat / without any way out of a dilemma / trapped / in an impossible situation 张飞打岳飞 張飛打岳飛 zhāng fēi dǎ yuè fēi lit. Zhang Fei fights Yue Fei / fig. an impossible combination / an impossible turn of events (idiom) 择不开 擇不開 zhái bu kāi impossible to separate / impossible to disentangle / cannot take time out 没什么 沒甚麼 méi shén me it doesn't matter / it's nothing / never mind / think nothing of it / it's my pleasure / you're welcome syn 没事 沒事 méi shì it's not important / it's nothing / never mind / to have nothing to do / to be free / to be all right (out of danger or trouble) syn 没有什么 沒有甚麼 méi yǒu shén me it is nothing / there's nothing ... about it 空空 kōng kōng empty / vacuous / nothing / vacant / in vain / all for nothing / air-to-air (missile) 不怎么样 不怎麼樣 bù zěn me yàng not up to much / very indifferent / nothing great about it / nothing good to be said about it syn 无所作为 無所作為 wú suǒ zuò wéi attempting nothing and accomplishing nothing (idiom) / without any initiative or drive / feckless syn 没说的 沒說的 méi shuō de nothing to pick on / really good / nothing to discuss / settled matter / no problem 哀莫大于心死 哀莫大於心死 āi mò dà yú xīn sǐ nothing sadder than a withered heart (idiom attributed to Confucius by Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) / no greater sorrow than a heart that never rejoices / the worst sorrow is not as bad as an uncaring heart / nothing is more wretched than apathy 空洞无物 空洞無物 kōng dòng wú wù empty cave, nothing there (idiom) / devoid of substance / nothing new to show syn 不入虎穴焉得虎子 bù rù hǔ xué yān dé hǔ zǐ how can you catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair / nothing venture / nothing to gain or have 没甚么 沒甚麼 méi shén me nothing / it doesn't matter / it's nothing / never mind 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 bù rù hǔ xué , yān dé hǔ zǐ How do you catch the tiger cub without entering the tiger's lair? (idiom) / Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 卑之，毋甚高论 卑之，毋甚高論 bēi zhī , wú shèn gāo lùn my opinion, nothing very involved (idiom, humble expression) / my humble point is a familiar opinion / what I say is really nothing out of the ordinary 卑之，无甚高论 卑之，無甚高論 bēi zhī , wú shèn gāo lùn my opinion, nothing very involved (idiom, humble expression) / my humble point is a familiar opinion / what I say is really nothing out of the ordinary 杀人不过头点地 殺人不過頭點地 shā rén bù guò tóu diǎn dì It's all exaggeration, you don't need to take it seriously / a fuss about nothing / nothing to write home about 沒什麼 méi shén me variant of 沒甚麼|没什么, nothing / it doesn't matter / it's nothing / never mind 没有事 沒有事 méi yǒu shì not a bit / nothing is up / nothing alarming is happening 三不知 sān bù zhī to know nothing about the beginning, the middle or the end / to know nothing at all 不可能 bù kě néng impossible / cannot / not able 相提并论 相提並論 xiāng tí bìng lùn to discuss two disparate things together (idiom) / to mention on equal terms / to place on a par with / (often with negatives: impossible to mention X in the same breath as Y) syn 扑朔迷离 撲朔迷離 pū shuò mí lí impossible to unravel / confusing syn 深不可测 深不可測 shēn bù kě cè deep and unmeasurable (idiom) / unfathomable depths / incomprehensible / enigmatic and impossible to predict syn 办不到 辦不到 bàn bu dào impossible / can't be done / no can do / unable to accomplish syn 无懈可击 無懈可擊 wú xiè kě jī (idiom) impossible to fault / impeccable syn 防不胜防 防不勝防 fáng bù shèng fáng (idiom) virtually impossible to prevent 进退两难 進退兩難 jìn tuì liǎng nán no room to advance or to retreat (idiom) / without any way out of a dilemma / trapped / in an impossible situation syn 骑虎难下 騎虎難下 qí hǔ nán xià if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom) / fig. impossible to stop halfway syn 绝处逢生 絕處逢生 jué chǔ féng shēng to come back from death's door (idiom) / unexpected rescue from danger / fig. to recover from a seemingly impossible situation / to find a way out of a predicament syn 寡不敌众 寡不敵眾 guǎ bù dí zhòng the few are no match for the many / heavily outnumbered / facing impossible odds (idiom) syn 进退维谷 進退維谷 jìn tuì wéi gǔ no room to advance or to retreat (idiom) / without any way out of a dilemma / trapped / in an impossible situation syn 插翅难飞 插翅難飛 chā chì nán fēi lit. even given wings, you couldn't fly (idiom) / fig. impossible to escape syn 缘木求鱼 緣木求魚 yuán mù qiú yú lit. climb a tree to catch a fish (idiom) / fig. to attempt the impossible syn 精卫填海 精衛填海 jīng wèi tián hǎi lit. mythical bird Jingwei tries to fill the ocean with stones (idiom) / futile ambition / task of Sisyphus / determination in the face of impossible odds syn 势成骑虎 勢成騎虎 shì chéng qí hǔ if you ride a tiger, it's hard to get off (idiom) / fig. impossible to stop halfway syn 不可端倪 bù kě duān ní impossible to get even an outline (idiom) / unfathomable / not a clue 以卵击石 以卵擊石 yǐ luǎn jī shí lit. to strike a stone with egg (idiom) / to attempt the impossible / to invite disaster by overreaching oneself 拟于不伦 擬於不倫 nǐ yú bù lún to draw an impossible comparison 进退为难 進退為難 jìn tuì wéi nán no room to advance or to retreat (idiom) / without any way out of a dilemma / trapped / in an impossible situation 螳臂当车 螳臂當車 táng bì dāng chē lit. a mantis trying to stop a chariot (idiom) / fig. to overrate oneself and attempt sth impossible / also written 螳臂擋車|螳臂挡车[tang2 bi4 dang3 che1] syn 纠缠不清 糾纏不清 jiū chán bù qīng hopelessly muddled / impossible to unravel 不可解 bù kě jiě insoluble (i.e. impossible to solve) 做不到 zuò bù dào impossible 势不可当 勢不可當 shì bù kě dāng impossible to resist (idiom) / an irresistible force syn 几乎不可能 幾乎不可能 jī hū bù kě néng almost impossible 没门儿 沒門兒 méi mén r no way / impossible syn 活不下去 huó bù xià qu impossible to make a living 玉珉 yù mín jade and jade-like stone / impossible to distinguish the genuine from the fake (idiom) 绝望的境地 絕望的境地 jué wàng de jìng dì desperate straits / impossible situation 开交 開交 kāi jiāo (used with negative) to conclude / (impossible) to end / (can't) finish 挥之不去 揮之不去 huī zhī bù qù impossible to get rid of syn 言不可传 言不可傳 yán bù kě chuán impossible to put into words / inexpressible 知其不可而为之 知其不可而為之 zhī qí bù kě ér wéi zhī to keep going resolutely despite knowing the task is impossible (idiom) 一发而不可收 一發而不可收 yī fā ér bù kě shōu to be impossible to stop once started 只是 zhǐ shì merely / only / just / nothing but / simply / but / however syn 无关 無關 wú guān unrelated / having nothing to do (with sth else) syn 而已 ér yǐ that's all / nothing more syn 宝贝 寶貝 bǎo bèi treasured object / treasure / darling / baby / cowry / good-for-nothing or queer character syn 只不过 只不過 zhǐ bu guò only / merely / nothing but / no more than / it's just that ... syn 仅仅 僅僅 jǐn jǐn barely / only / merely / only (this and nothing more) syn 没办法 沒辦法 méi bàn fǎ there is nothing to be done / one can't do anything about it 罢了 罷了 bà le a modal particle indicating (that's all, only, nothing much) syn 不该 不該 bù gāi should not / to owe nothing 何况 何況 hé kuàng let alone / to say nothing of / besides / what's more syn 没有办法 沒有辦法 méi yǒu bàn fǎ there is nothing to be done / one can't do anything about it 平淡 píng dàn flat / dull / ordinary / nothing special syn 别说 別說 bié shuō to say nothing of / not to mention / let alone 白白 bái bái in vain / to no purpose / for nothing / white syn 无言 無言 wú yán to remain silent / to have nothing to say 在那儿 在那兒 zài na r (adverbial expression indicating that the attention of the subject of the verb is focused on what they are doing, not distracted by anything else) / just ...ing (and nothing else) 独一无二 獨一無二 dú yī wú èr unique and unmatched (idiom) / unrivalled / nothing compares with it syn 完备 完備 wán bèi faultless / complete / perfect / to leave nothing to be desired syn 莫过于 莫過於 mò guò yú nothing can surpass syn 精光 jīng guāng nothing left (money, food etc) / all finished / bright and shiny / radiant / glorious syn 不起眼 bù qǐ yǎn unremarkable / nothing out of the ordinary syn 无非 無非 wú fēi only / nothing else syn 拜拜 bái bái (loanword) bye-bye / also pr. [bai1 bai1] etc / (coll.) to part ways (with sb) / (fig.) to have nothing further to do (with sb or sth) syn 若无其事 若無其事 ruò wú qí shì (idiom) as if nothing had happened / calm and composed / nonchalant syn 殆尽 殆盡 dài jìn almost exhausted / nearly depleted / practically nothing left syn 落空 luò kōng to fail / to fall through / to come to nothing syn 无异 無異 wú yì nothing other than / to differ in no way from / the same as / to amount to syn 大惊小怪 大驚小怪 dà jīng xiǎo guài to make a fuss about nothing (idiom) syn 无所事事 無所事事 wú suǒ shì shì to have nothing to do / to idle one's time away (idiom) syn 废料 廢料 fèi liào waste products / refuse / garbage / good-for-nothing (derog.) syn 白手起家 bái shǒu qǐ jiā (idiom) to build up from nothing / to start from scratch syn 不相干 bù xiāng gān to be irrelevant / to have nothing to do with syn 小混混 xiǎo hùn hùn hooligan / rogue / a good-for-nothing 一成不变 一成不變 yī chéng bù biàn nothing much changes (idiom) / always the same / stuck in a rut syn 面目全非 miàn mù quán fēi nothing remains the same (idiom) / change beyond recognition syn 泡汤 泡湯 pào tāng (coll.) to fizzle out / to come to nothing / to dawdle / to stall / (Tw) to have a soak in a hot spring bath syn 窝囊 窩囊 wō nang to feel vexed / annoyed / good-for-nothing / stupid and cowardly syn 不外乎 bù wài hū nothing else but syn 不在话下 不在話下 bù zài huà xià to be nothing difficult / to be a cinch syn 不了了之 bù liǎo liǎo zhī to settle a matter by leaving it unsettled / to end up with nothing definite syn 没事儿 沒事兒 méi shì r to have spare time / free from work / it's not important / it's nothing / never mind syn 微乎其微 wēi hū qí wēi a tiny bit / very little / next to nothing (idiom) syn 