见贤思齐 見賢思齊 jiàn xián sī qí see a worthy, think to imitate (idiom, from Analects) / emulate the virtuous / Follow the example of a virtuous and wise teacher. 仁人志士 rén rén zhì shì gentleman aspiring to benevolence (idiom) / people with lofty ideals syn 君子之交淡如水 jūn zǐ zhī jiāo dàn rú shuǐ a gentleman's friendship, insipid as water (idiom, from Zhuangzi 莊子|庄子[Zhuang1 zi3]) 志士仁人 zhì shì rén rén gentleman aspiring to benevolence (idiom) / people with lofty ideals syn 出水芙蓉 chū shuǐ fú róng as a lotus flower breaking the surface (idiom) / surpassingly beautiful (of young lady's face or old gentleman's calligraphy) 以小人之心，度君子之腹 yǐ xiǎo rén zhī xīn , duó jūn zǐ zhī fù to gauge the heart of a gentleman with one's own mean measure (idiom) 有仇不报非君子，有冤不伸枉为人 有仇不報非君子，有冤不伸枉為人 yǒu chóu bù bào fēi jūn zǐ , yǒu yuān bù shēn wǎng wéi rén one who doesn't avenge an injustice is not a gentleman, one who doesn't redress a wrong is not a man (idiom) 功德无量 功德無量 gōng dé wú liàng no end of virtuous achievements (idiom) / boundless beneficence syn 任贤使能 任賢使能 rèn xián shǐ néng to appoint the virtuous and use the able (idiom) / appointment on the basis of ability and integrity 功德圆满 功德圓滿 gōng dé yuán mǎn virtuous achievements come to their successful conclusion (idiom) syn 爱民如子 愛民如子 ài mín rú zǐ (idiom) to love the common people as one's own children (praise for a virtuous ruler) syn 推贤让能 推賢讓能 tuī xián ràng néng to cede to the virtuous and yield to the talented (idiom) 妒贤忌能 妒賢忌能 dù xián jì néng to envy the virtuous and talented (idiom) 形丑心善 形醜心善 xíng chǒu xīn shàn an ugly face may hide a virtuous heart (idiom) 贤淑仁慈 賢淑仁慈 xián shū rén cí a virtuous and benevolent woman (idiom) 先生 xiān sheng teacher / gentleman / sir / mister (Mr.) / husband / (dialect) doctor / CL:位[wei4] syn 男士 nán shì man / gentleman syn 绅士 紳士 shēn shì gentleman syn 小道 xiǎo dào bypath / trail / bribery as a means of achieving a goal / minor arts (Confucian reference to agriculture, medicine, divination, and other professions unworthy of a gentleman) syn 相公 xiàng gong lord / master / young gentleman / male prostitute / catamite / mahjong player disqualified by unintentionally taking in the wrong number of dominoes / (old form of address for one's husband) husband syn 赛马会 賽馬會 sài mǎ huì the Jockey Club, Hong Kong philanthropic organization (and former gentleman's club) 正人君子 zhèng rén jūn zi upright gentleman / man of honor syn 老太爷 老太爺 lǎo tài yé elderly gentleman (respectful) / esteemed father syn 乡绅 鄉紳 xiāng shēn a scholar or government official living in one's village / a village gentleman / squire syn 君 jūn monarch / lord / gentleman / ruler syn 爷 爺 yé grandpa / old gentleman syn 叟 sǒu old gentleman / old man syn 梁上君子 liáng shàng jūn zǐ lit. the gentleman on the roof beam / fig. a thief syn 君子动口不动手 君子動口不動手 jūn zǐ dòng kǒu bù dòng shǒu a gentleman uses his mouth and not his fist 彬彬君子 bīn bīn jūn zǐ refined gentleman 老太公 lǎo tài gōng aged gentleman (dialect, respectful term) syn 士为知己者死，女为悦己者容 士為知己者死，女為悅己者容 shì wèi zhī jǐ zhě sǐ , nǚ wèi yuè jǐ zhě róng a true gentleman will sacrifice his life for a friend who understands him, as a woman makes herself beautiful for her sweetheart 淑女 shū nǚ wise and virtuous woman / lady syn 良性 liáng xìng positive (in its effect) / leading to good consequences / virtuous / (medicine) benign (tumor etc) 王道 wáng dào the Way of the King / statecraft / benevolent rule / virtuous as opposed to the Way of Hegemon 霸道 syn 自作 zì zuò to act for oneself / to view oneself (as clever, virtuous, attractive) 清高 qīng gāo noble and virtuous / aloof from politics and material pursuits syn 大义 大義 dà yì righteousness / virtuous cause / a woman's marriage / main points of a piece of writing syn 圣贤 聖賢 shèng xián a sage / wise and holy man / virtuous ruler / Buddhist lama / wine syn 善心 shàn xīn kindness / benevolence / philanthropy / virtuous intentions syn 贤淑 賢淑 xián shū (of a woman) virtuous syn 积德 積德 jī dé to accumulate merit / to do good / to give to charity / virtuous actions syn 贤良 賢良 xián liáng (of a man) able and virtuous syn 德治 dé zhì rule by virtue / rule by setting virtuous example (Confucian ideal) 德才 dé cái ethics and ability / virtuous and talented syn 贤士 賢士 xián shì virtuous person / a man of merit 义行 義行 yì xíng virtuous deed 鸾凤 鸞鳳 luán fèng luan and phoenix / husband and wife / virtuous person / sovereign / belle syn 令 lìng to order / to command / an order / warrant / writ / to cause / to make sth happen / virtuous / honorific title / season / government position (old) / type of short song or poem syn 善 shàn good (virtuous) / benevolent / well-disposed / good at sth / to improve or perfect syn 贤 賢 xián worthy or virtuous person / honorific used for a person of the same or a younger generation syn 懿 yì (literary) exemplary / virtuous 骥 驥 jì thoroughbred horse / refined and virtuous syn 腆 tiǎn make strong (as liquors) / virtuous syn 爱国如家 愛國如家 ài guó rú jiā to love one's country as one's own family (praise for a virtuous ruler) 有德行 yǒu dé xíng virtuous 良性循环 良性循環 liáng xìng xún huán virtuous cycle (i.e. positive feedback loop) 劝化 勸化 quàn huà to exhort (sb) to live a virtuous life (Buddhism) / to beg for alms 耀德 yào dé to hold up as a virtuous example 茂亲 茂親 mào qīn one's capable and virtuous relatives 良朋益友 liáng péng yì yǒu virtuous companions and worthy friends 白虎观 白虎觀 bái hǔ guàn White Tiger Hall, a Han dynasty palace hall in which the famous Virtuous Discussions Held in White Tiger Hall 白虎通德論|白虎通德论 were held under the aegis of Han Emperor Zhang 漢章帝|汉章帝 天南地北 tiān nán - dì běi (idiom) far apart / (idiom) from different places / from all over / (idiom) (to talk) about this and that syn 从天而降 從天而降 cóng tiān ér jiàng (idiom) to fall from the sky / (idiom) (fig.) to appear unexpectedly / to drop into one's lap syn 数一数二 數一數二 shǔ yī shǔ èr (idiom) reckoned to be best or second best / one of the very best / (idiom) to list one by one syn 雨过天晴 雨過天晴 yǔ guò tiān qíng sky clears after rain / new hopes after a disastrous period (idiom) / every cloud has a silver lining (idiom) / see also 雨過天青|雨过天青[yu3 guo4 tian1 qing1] syn 一技之长 一技之長 yī jì zhī cháng proficiency in a particular field (idiom) / skill in a specialized area (idiom) syn 博士买驴 博士買驢 bó shì mǎi lǘ lit. the scholar buys a donkey (idiom) / fig. long-winded verbiage that never gets to the point / idiom mocking scholastic pomposity 死而不僵 sǐ ér bù jiāng dead but showing no signs of rigor mortis / to die hard (idiom) / to die yet not be vanquished (idiom) 磨穿铁砚 磨穿鐵硯 mó chuān tiě yàn to grind one's way through an ink stone / to persevere in a difficult task (idiom) / to study diligently (idiom) 雨过天青 雨過天青 yǔ guò tiān qīng sky clears after rain / new hopes after a disastrous period (idiom) / every cloud has a silver lining (idiom) / see also 雨過天晴|雨过天晴[yu3 guo4 tian1 qing2] 雪泥鸿爪 雪泥鴻爪 xuě ní hóng zhǎo a goose's footprint in the snow / vestiges of the past (idiom) / the fleeting nature of human life (idiom) 推来推去 推來推去 tuī lái tuī qù (idiom) to rudely push and pull others / (idiom) to evade responsibility and push it to others 只要功夫深，铁杵磨成针 只要功夫深，鐵杵磨成針 zhǐ yào gōng fu shēn , tiě chǔ mó chéng zhēn If you work at it hard enough, you can grind an iron bar into a needle. / cf idiom 磨杵成針|磨杵成针, to grind an iron bar down to a fine needle (idiom) / fig. to persevere in a difficult task / to study diligently 事不过三 事不過三 shì bù guò sān (idiom) a thing should not be attempted more than three times / don't repeat the same mistake again and again / (idiom) bad things don't happen more than three times 七弯八拐 七彎八拐 qī wān - bā guǎi (idiom) twisting and turning / (idiom) tricky and complicated 不知所以 bù zhī - suǒ yǐ (idiom) to not know the reason / (idiom) to not know what to do 不管不顾 不管不顧 bù guǎn - bù gù (idiom) to pay scant regard to (sth) / (idiom) unheeding / reckless syn 亭亭玉立 tíng tíng - yù lì (idiom) (of a woman) slender and elegant / (idiom) (of a plant) tall and straight syn 十拿九稳 十拿九穩 shí ná - jiǔ wěn (idiom) to be a cinch / in the bag / (idiom) (of a person) confident of success syn 吃干抹净 吃乾抹淨 chī gān - mā jìng (idiom) to devour (food) / (idiom) to shamelessly take advantage / to ruthlessly exploit 咬紧牙关 咬緊牙關 yǎo jǐn - yá guān (idiom) to grit one's teeth tightly / (idiom) (fig.) to endure pain or suffering / to bite the bullet syn 涂脂抹粉 塗脂抹粉 tú zhī - mǒ fěn (idiom) to put on makeup / (idiom) to prettify syn 拖泥带水 拖泥帶水 tuō ní - dài shuǐ (idiom) muddy and wet / (idiom) (of speech, writing etc) slovenly / sloppy / (of actions) indecisive syn 昂首天外 áng shǒu - tiān wài (idiom) to raise one's head and look towards the heavens / (idiom) arrogant / haughty 东摇西摆 東搖西擺 dōng yáo - xī bǎi (idiom) to sway from side to side / unsteady / (idiom) indecisive / hesitant 狂风暴雨 狂風暴雨 kuáng fēng - bào yǔ (idiom) howling wind and torrential rain / furious storm / (fig.) (idiom) difficult circumstances / dangerous situation syn 莼羹鲈脍 蓴羹鱸膾 chún gēng - lú kuài (idiom) the dishes from one's hometown / (idiom) homesickness 裙带关系 裙帶關係 qún dài - guān xi (idiom) favoritism shown to sb because of the influence of the person's wife or other female relative / (idiom) (by extension) favoritism towards relatives, friends or associates 遇人不淑 yù rén - bù shū (idiom) to be in a relationship with or marry a bad person / (idiom) to associate with a bad person 高高在上 gāo gāo - zài shàng (idiom) situated high / aloft / (idiom) (fig.) aloof and remote / situated above the masses and out of touch with reality 莫名其妙 mò míng qí miào (idiom) baffling / bizarre / without rhyme or reason / inexplicable syn 不可思议 不可思議 bù kě sī yì inconceivable (idiom) / unimaginable / unfathomable syn 小心翼翼 xiǎo xīn yì yì cautious and solemn (idiom) / very carefully / prudent / gently and cautiously syn 前所未有 qián suǒ wèi yǒu (idiom) unprecedented syn 成语 成語 chéng yǔ Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical quotation / idiom / proverb / saying / adage / CL:條|条[tiao2],本[ben3],句[ju4] 与众不同 與眾不同 yǔ zhòng bù tóng to stand out from the masses (idiom) syn 不由自主 bù yóu zì zhǔ (idiom) can't help but / involuntarily syn 不知所措 bù zhī suǒ cuò not knowing what to do (idiom) / at one's wits' end / embarrassed and at a complete loss syn 