枯草 kū cǎo withered grass / dry grass 芝焚蕙叹 芝焚蕙歎 zhī fén huì tàn lit. when one grass burns the other grass sighs (idiom) / fig. to have sympathy with a like-minded person in distress 刍荛 芻蕘 chú ráo to mow grass and cut firewood / grass mower / woodman syn 厉害 厲害 lì hai (used to describe sb or sth that makes a very strong impression, whether favorable or unfavorable) terrible / intense / severe / devastating / amazing / awesome / outstanding / (of a person) stern / strict / harsh / shrewd / tough / (of an animal) fierce / (of a resemblance) striking / (of liquor or chili pepper) strong / (of bacteria) virulent syn 辛苦 xīn kǔ exhausting / hard / tough / arduous / to work hard / to go to a lot of trouble / hardship(s) syn 强悍 強悍 qiáng hàn tough / strong / formidable / fearsome syn 强硬 強硬 qiáng yìng tough / unyielding / hard-line syn 坚韧 堅韌 jiān rèn tough and durable / tenacious syn 牛皮 niú pí cowhide / leather / fig. flexible and tough / boasting / big talk syn 难为 難為 nán wei to bother / to press sb, usu. to do sth / it's a tough job / sorry to bother you (polite, used to thank sb for a favor) syn 凶悍 兇悍 xiōng hàn violent / fierce and tough / shrewish (woman) syn 硬汉 硬漢 yìng hàn man of steel / unyielding, tough guy syn 柔韧 柔韌 róu rèn pliable and tough / supple and strong / flexible syn 彪悍 biāo hàn tough as nails / formidable / kick-ass / plucky 硬仗 yìng zhàng tough battle / difficult task / big challenge syn 强韧 強韌 qiáng rèn resilient / tough and strong 逆水行舟 nì shuǐ xíng zhōu lit. navigating a boat against the current (idiom) / fig. in a tough environment (one needs to work hard) syn 老 lǎo prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity / old (of people) / venerable (person) / experienced / of long standing / always / all the time / of the past / very / outdated / (of meat etc) tough / unicode compatibility variant of 老 syn 力挫 lì cuò to win as a result of tenacious effort / to fight off tough competition syn 绢 絹 juàn thin, tough silk fabric 韧 韌 rèn annealed / pliable but strong / tough / tenacious syn 憨 hān silly / simple-minded / foolish / naive / sturdy / tough / heavy (of rope) syn 艮 gěn blunt / tough / chewy syn 虎背熊腰 hǔ bèi xióng yāo back of a tiger and waist of a bear / tough and stocky build syn 出难题 出難題 chū nán tí to raise a tough question syn 来硬的 來硬的 lái yìng de to get tough / to use force 强硬立场 強硬立場 qiáng yìng lì chǎng tough position 患难见真情 患難見真情 huàn nàn jiàn zhēn qíng true sentiments are seen in hard times (idiom) / you see who your true friends are when you go through tough times together / you see who your true friends are when you are in difficulties 最牛 zuì niú tough as nails 熊腰虎背 xióng yāo hǔ bèi waist of a bear and back of a tiger / tough and stocky build 命途坎坷 mìng tú kǎn kě to have a tough life / to meet much adversity in one's life 太妹 tài mèi girl delinquent / tomboy / schoolgirl tough 外刚内柔 外剛內柔 wài gāng nèi róu soft on the inside despite one's hard shell / appearing tough on the outside as to mask one's inner vulnerability / also written 內柔外剛|内柔外刚[nei4 rou2 wai4 gang1] 老天爷饿不死瞎家雀 老天爺餓不死瞎家雀 lǎo tiān yé è bù sǐ xiā jiā què lit. heaven won't let the sparrows go hungry (idiom) / fig. don't give up hope / if you tough it out, there will be light at the end of the tunnel 有本事 yǒu běn shi to have what it takes / (coll.) (often followed by 就[jiu4]) (used to challenge sb) if you're so clever, ..., if she's so tough, ... etc / Example: 有本事就打我[you3 ben3 shi5 jiu4 da3 wo3] Hit me if you dare! 硬骨头 硬骨頭 yìng gǔ tou resolute individual / a hard nut to crack / tough mission / difficult task syn 皮实 皮實 pí shi (of things) durable / (of people) sturdy / tough syn 遇强则强 遇強則強 yù qiáng zé qiáng tough adversaries make you stronger 点子扎手 點子扎手 diǎn zi zhā shǒu (coll.) one's adversary is very tough 规矩 規矩 guī ju lit. compass and set square / fig. established standard / rule / customs / practices / fig. upright and honest / well-behaved syn 正值 zhèng zhí just at the time of / honest / upright / (math.) positive value syn 正直 zhèng zhí upright / upstanding / honest syn 端正 duān zhèng upright / regular / proper / correct syn 笔直 筆直 bǐ zhí perfectly straight / straight as a ramrod / bolt upright syn 坚挺 堅挺 jiān tǐng firm and upright / strong (of currency) syn 直立 zhí lì erect / upright / vertical syn 端坐 duān zuò to sit upright syn 正派 zhèng pài (of a person) upright / respectable / decent / (Tw) (of a business etc) reputable syn 矗立 chù lì to tower / standing tall and upright (of large building) syn 青天 qīng tiān clear sky / blue sky / upright and honorable (official) syn 前门 前門 qián mén front door / main entrance / honest and upright approach (as opposed to 後門|后门, back-door or under the counter) 能人 néng rén capable person / Homo habilis, extinct species of upright East African hominid syn 挺立 tǐng lì to stand erect / to stand upright syn 鱼头 魚頭 yú tóu fish head / fig. upright and unwilling to compromise 竖立 豎立 shù lì to erect / to set upright / to stand syn 昂然 áng rán upright and unafraid syn 笔挺 筆挺 bǐ tǐng (standing) very straight / straight as a ramrod / bolt upright / well-ironed / trim syn 怦怦 pēng pēng thumping sound (onom.) / to be eager and anxious (to do sth) / faithful and upright syn 清贫 清貧 qīng pín poor but upright / destitute syn 伟岸 偉岸 wěi àn imposing / upright and tall / outstanding / gigantic in stature syn 扶正 fú zhèng to set sth upright or straight / to promote an employee from part-time to full-time (or from deputy to principal) / (old) to raise from concubine to wife status 堂堂正正 táng táng zhèng zhèng displaying strength and discipline / impressive / upright and frank / square syn 清正 qīng zhèng upright and honorable syn 正人君子 zhèng rén jūn zi upright gentleman / man of honor syn 光明磊落 guāng míng lěi luò open and candid (idiom) / straightforward and upright syn 刚烈 剛烈 gāng liè resolute and upright in character / unyielding / staunch syn 方 fāng square / power or involution (math.) / upright / honest / fair and square / direction / side / party (to a contract, dispute etc) / place / method / prescription (medicine) / just when / only or just / classifier for square things / abbr. for square or cubic meter syn 苍劲 蒼勁 cāng jìn bold / upright and strong / vigorous / forceful (brush strokes) / sureness of touch syn 嶙峋 lín xún bony (of people) / craggy / rugged (of terrain) / upright (of people) syn 清官 qīng guān honest and upright official (traditional) syn 竖直 豎直 shù zhí vertical / to erect / to set upright / vertical stroke in Chinese characters / young servant (old) 正襟危坐 zhèng jīn wēi zuò to sit upright and still (idiom) syn 正 zhèng straight / upright / proper / main / principal / to correct / to rectify / exactly / just (at that time) / right (in that place) / (math.) positive syn 铁面 鐵面 tiě miàn iron mask (as defensive armor) / fig. upright and selfless person 刚直 剛直 gāng zhí upright and outspoken syn 偏斜 piān xié crooked / not upright / diverging from straight line / improper / dishonest syn 刚正 剛正 gāng zhèng honest / upright syn 兀立 wù lì to stand upright and motionless syn 刚正不阿 剛正不阿 gāng zhèng bù ē upright and plainspoken syn 端方 duān fāng upright / honest / proper / correct 清官难断家务事 清官難斷家務事 qīng guān nán duàn jiā wù shì even an honest and upright official will have difficulty resolving a family dispute (proverb) 烈 liè ardent / intense / fierce / stern / upright / to give one's life for a noble cause / exploits / achievements syn 腰 yāo the waist and lower back / (bound form) kidney of an animal (as food) / the waist of trousers or a skirt / (metonym) money pouch / pocket / (bound form) the middle section of an upright object (mountain, bottle etc) syn 碑 bēi a monument / an upright stone tablet / stele / CL:塊|块[kuai4],面[mian4] syn 耿 gěng (literary) bright / brilliant / honest / upright syn 戳 chuō to jab / to poke / to stab / (coll.) to sprain / to blunt / to fuck (vulgar) / to stand / to stand (sth) upright / stamp / seal syn 矗 chù lofty / upright syn 伉 kàng spouse / big and tall / strong / robust / upright and outspoken syn 不愧不怍 bù kuì bù zuò no shame, no subterfuge (idiom) / just and honorable / upright and above board 清风两袖 清風兩袖 qīng fēng liǎng xiù honest and upright (idiom) syn 行不由径 行不由徑 xíng bù yóu jìng lit. never taking a short-cut (idiom) / fig. upright and honest 高风峻节 高風峻節 gāo fēng jùn jié a high-class upright character (idiom) 危言危行 wēi yán wēi xíng upright and plainspoken (idiom) 顜 jiǎng honest / upright 婞 xìng upright 扊 yǎn upright bar for fastening a door 正锋 正鋒 zhèng fēng (calligraphy) technique in which the shaft of the brush is kept upright, so that the tip of the brush runs along the center of the stroke (cf. 側鋒|侧锋[ce4feng1] and 偏鋒|偏锋[pian1feng1]) 亢直 kàng zhí upright and unyielding (literary) 作风正派 作風正派 zuò fēng zhèng pài to be honest and upright / to have moral integrity 