Common Chinese Chengyu
Four-character Chinese idioms, ranked by how often they appear in the dictionary, with pinyin and English translation.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Translation | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 谈情说爱談情說愛 | to murmur endearments (idiom) / to get into a romantic relationship | syn | |
| 虎视眈眈虎視眈眈 | to glare like a tiger watching his prey (idiom) / to eye covetously | syn | |
| 史无前例史無前例 | (idiom) unprecedented in history | syn | |
| 斩钉截铁斬釘截鐵 | lit. to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom) / fig. resolute and decisive / unhesitating / categorical | syn | |
| 僧多粥少 | lit. many monks and not much gruel (idiom) / fig. not enough to go around / demand exceeds supply | syn | |
| 不计其数不計其數 | lit. their number cannot be counted (idiom) / fig. countless / innumerable | syn | |
| 齐心协力齊心協力 | to work with a common purpose (idiom) / to make concerted efforts / to pull together / to work as one | syn | |
| 深入浅出深入淺出 | to explain a complicated subject matter in simple terms (idiom) / (of language) simple and easy to understand | syn | |
| 万无一失萬無一失 | surefire / absolutely safe (idiom) | syn | |
| 一望无际一望無際 | as far as the eye can see (idiom) | syn | |
| 豁然开朗豁然開朗 | suddenly opens up to a wide panorama (idiom) / to come to a wide clearing / fig. everything becomes clear at once / to achieve speedy enlightenment | syn | |
| 耿耿于怀耿耿於懷 | to take troubles to heart (idiom) / brooding | syn | |
| 千奇百怪 | fantastic oddities of every description (idiom) | syn | |
| 震耳欲聋震耳欲聾 | ear-splitting (idiom) / deafening | syn | |
| 多愁善感 | melancholy and moody (idiom) / depressed personality | syn | |
| 得不偿失得不償失 | the gains do not make up for the losses (idiom) | syn | |
| 喜出望外 | to be pleased beyond one's expectations (idiom) / overjoyed at the turn of events | syn | |
| 直截了当直截了當 | direct and plainspoken (idiom) / blunt / straightforward | syn | |
| 无微不至無微不至 | in every possible way (idiom) / meticulous | syn | |
| 油然而生 | arising involuntarily (idiom) / spontaneous / to spring up unbidden (of emotion) | syn | |
| 记忆犹新記憶猶新 | to remain fresh in one's memory (idiom) | syn | |
| 胸有成竹 | to plan in advance (idiom) / a card up one's sleeve / forewarned is forearmed | syn | |
| 不假思索 | to act without taking time to think (idiom) / to react instantly / to fire from the hip | syn | |
| 聚精会神聚精會神 | to concentrate one's attention (idiom) | syn | |
| 五彩缤纷五彩繽紛 | all the colors in profusion (idiom) / a garish display | syn | |
| 天衣无缝天衣無縫 | lit. seamless heavenly clothes (idiom) / fig. flawless | syn | |
| 别出心裁別出心裁 | to hit on sth new (idiom) / to display originality / to adopt an original approach | syn | |
| 有声有色有聲有色 | having sound and color (idiom) / vivid / dazzling | syn | |
| 无拘无束無拘無束 | free and unconstrained (idiom) / unfettered / unbuttoned / without care or worries | syn | |
| 手舞足蹈 | lit. to move one's hands and feet about (idiom) / fig. to dance about / to express one's feelings in body language / to gesture animatedly / (TCM) involuntary movements of the limbs | syn | |
| 心平气和心平氣和 | tranquil and even-tempered (idiom) / calmly and without stress | syn | |
| 人山人海 | (idiom) multitude / vast crowd | syn | |
| 古今中外 | at all times and in all places (idiom) | ||
| 走投无路走投無路 | to be at an impasse (idiom) / in a tight spot / at the end of one's rope / desperate | syn | |
| 啼笑皆非 | lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry (idiom) / between laughter and tears | syn | |
| 锦上添花錦上添花 | lit. add flowers to brocade (idiom) / fig. to give sth additional splendor / to provide the crowning touch / (derog.) to benefit sb who is already well off | ||
| 灵机一动靈機一動 | a bright idea suddenly occurs (idiom) / to hit upon an inspiration / to be struck by a brainwave | syn | |
| 阳光明媚陽光明媚 | the sun shines brightly (idiom) | ||
| 十全十美 | complete and beautiful / to be perfect (idiom) | syn | |
| 格格不入 | (idiom) inharmonious / incompatible | syn | |
| 安然无恙安然無恙 | safe and sound (idiom) / to come out unscathed (e.g. from an accident or illness) | syn | |
| 不厌其烦不厭其煩 | not to mind taking all the trouble (idiom) / to take great pains / to be very patient | syn | |
| 针锋相对針鋒相對 | to oppose each other with equal harshness (idiom) / tit for tat / measure for measure | syn | |
| 相辅相成相輔相成 | to complement one another (idiom) | syn | |
| 独树一帜獨樹一幟 | lit. to fly one's banner on a solitary tree (idiom) / fig. to act as a loner / to stand out / to develop one's own school / to have attitude of one's own | syn | |
| 一干二净一乾二淨 | thoroughly (idiom) / completely / one and all / very clean | syn | |
| 来龙去脉來龍去脈 | lit. the rise and fall of the terrain (idiom) / fig. the whole sequence of events / causes and effects | syn | |
| 千家万户千家萬戶 | every family (idiom) | syn | |
| 小心谨慎小心謹慎 | cautious and timid (idiom) / prudent / careful | syn | |
| 吞吞吐吐 | to hum and haw (idiom) / to mumble as if hiding sth / to speak and break off, then start again / to hold sth back | syn | |
| 意气风发意氣風發 | (idiom) high-spirited / full of mettle | syn | |
| 天经地义天經地義 | lit. heaven's law and earth's principle (idiom) / fig. right and proper / right and unalterable / a matter of course | syn | |
| 居高临下居高臨下 | lit. to be in a high location, overlooking the scene below (idiom) / fig. to occupy a commanding position / to assume a haughty attitude | syn | |
| 绝无仅有絕無僅有 | one and only (idiom) / rarely seen / unique of its kind | syn | |
| 左右为难左右為難 | (idiom) between a rock and a hard place / in a dilemma | syn | |
| 初出茅庐初出茅廬 | venturing from one's thatched hut for the first time (idiom) / young and inexperienced / novice / greenhorn | syn | |
| 力所能及 | as far as one's capabilities extend (idiom) / to the best of one's ability / within one's powers | syn | |
| 不同凡响不同凡響 | lit. not a common chord (idiom) / outstanding / brilliant / out of the common run | syn | |
| 熙熙攘攘 | bustling with activity (idiom) | syn | |
| 千篇一律 | thousand articles, same rule (idiom) / stereotyped and repetitive / once you've seen one, you've seen them all | syn | |
| 满不在乎滿不在乎 | not in the least concerned (idiom) / reckless / couldn't give a damn about it / unperturbed / couldn't care less / harum scarum | syn | |
| 一针见血一針見血 | lit. to draw blood on the first prick (idiom) / fig. to hit the nail on the head | syn | |
| 热泪盈眶熱淚盈眶 | eyes brimming with tears of excitement (idiom) / extremely moved | syn | |
| 风平浪静風平浪靜 | lit. breeze is still, waves are quiet (idiom) / tranquil environment / all is quiet / a dead calm (at sea) | syn | |
| 独立自主獨立自主 | independent and autonomous (idiom) / self-determination / to act independently / to maintain control over one's own affairs | syn | |
| 两败俱伤兩敗俱傷 | both sides suffer (idiom) / neither side wins | ||
| 魂飞魄散魂飛魄散 | lit. the soul flies away and scatters (idiom) / fig. to be frightened stiff / spooked out of one's mind / terror-stricken | syn | |
| 语重心长語重心長 | meaningful and heartfelt words (idiom) / sincere and earnest wishes | syn | |
| 排山倒海 | lit. to topple the mountains and overturn the seas (idiom) / earth-shattering / fig. gigantic / of spectacular significance | syn | |
| 义不容辞義不容辭 | not to be shirked without dishonor (idiom) / incumbent / bounden (duty) | syn | |
| 不速之客 | (idiom) uninvited or unexpected guest | ||
| 出神入化 | to reach perfection (idiom) / a superb artistic achievement | syn | |
| 赞不绝口贊不絕口 | to praise without cease (idiom) / praise sb to high heaven | syn | |
| 轻举妄动輕舉妄動 | to act blindly without thinking (idiom) | syn | |
| 更有甚者 | furthermore (idiom) | ||
| 张牙舞爪張牙舞爪 | to bare fangs and brandish claws (idiom) / to make threatening gestures | syn | |
| 回心转意回心轉意 | to change one's mind (idiom) | syn | |
| 迫不得已 | to have no alternative (idiom) / compelled by circumstances / forced into sth | syn | |
| 诸如此类諸如此類 | things like this (idiom) / and so on / and the rest / etc | syn | |
| 不足为奇不足為奇 | not at all surprising (idiom) | syn | |
| 神出鬼没神出鬼沒 | lit. to appear and disappear unpredictably like a spirit or a ghost (idiom) / fig. elusive | ||
| 急功近利 | seeking instant benefit (idiom) / shortsighted vision, looking only for fast return | syn | |
| 别有用心別有用心 | to have an ulterior motive (idiom) | syn | |
| 焕然一新煥然一新 | to look completely new (idiom) / brand new / changed beyond recognition | syn | |
| 奋不顾身奮不顧身 | to dash on bravely with no thought of personal safety (idiom) / undaunted by dangers / regardless of perils | syn | |
| 相得益彰 | to bring out the best in each other (idiom) / to complement one another well | syn | |
| 语无伦次語無倫次 | incoherent speech / to talk without rhyme or reason (idiom) | syn | |
| 无懈可击無懈可擊 | (idiom) impossible to fault / impeccable | syn | |
| 防不胜防防不勝防 | (idiom) virtually impossible to prevent | ||
| 雪上加霜 | (idiom) to make matters even worse / to add insult to injury | syn | |
| 脍炙人口膾炙人口 | appealing to the masses / universally appreciated (idiom) | syn | |
| 昙花一现曇花一現 | lit. the night-blooming cactus shows once / flash in the pan (idiom) / short-lived | syn | |
| 数一数二數一數二 | (idiom) reckoned to be best or second best / one of the very best / (idiom) to list one by one | syn | |
| 一视同仁一視同仁 | to treat everyone equally favorably (idiom) / not to discriminate between people | syn | |
| 首屈一指 | to count as number one (idiom) / second to none / outstanding | syn | |
| 狂风暴雨狂風暴雨 | howling wind and torrential rain (idiom) / (fig.) difficult, dangerous situation | syn | |
| 千军万马千軍萬馬 | magnificent army with thousands of men and horses (idiom) / impressive display of manpower / all the King's horses and all the King's men | syn | |
| 无精打采無精打采 | dispirited and downcast (idiom) / listless / in low spirits / washed out | ||
| 如释重负如釋重負 | as if relieved from a burden (idiom) / to have a weight off one's mind | syn | |
| 自知之明 | (idiom) self-knowledge |
The four tones
What a chengyu actually is
A chengyu is almost always four characters long, and it is not a proverb. It is a compressed classical phrase that Chinese still uses in ordinary speech and writing: the characters keep an old order and an old meaning, and unpacking them word by word will not give you the sense. That is why a dictionary of chengyu is a separate tool from the main dictionary, which treats them as ordinary entries.
The list here is not an index of every idiom in the language. It is the most frequent four-character idioms that the English column of the dictionary marks as such, ranked by how often they appear. The ones a learner meets in news, fiction and conversation sit at the top; rarer literary forms sit further down, or not on this page at all.
Each line links through to its dictionary entry, where you will find the full definition and, when the corpus has one, an example sentence. The search tool on the other side of this page is for looking up an idiom you already have in front of you; this list is for discovering which ones are worth knowing first.