沙子 shā zi n. sand / grit / CL:粒[li4],把[ba3] syn 沙袋 shā dài sandbag / punching bag (trad. filled with sand) syn 沙丘 shā qiū sand dune / sandy hill syn 沙包 shā bāo sandbag / punching bag (trad. filled with sand) / sand dune / footbag / hacky sack syn 沙尘暴 沙塵暴 shā chén bào sand and dust storm syn 沙地 shā dì sandy beach or river bank / sand dune / sandy land syn 沙坑 shā kēng sandbox / jumping pit (athletics) / sand trap, bunker (golf) 沙砾 沙礫 shā lì grains of sand syn 砂石 shā shí sandstone / sand and stone / aggregate syn 掩耳盗铃 掩耳盜鈴 yǎn ěr dào líng lit. to cover one's ears whilst stealing a bell / to deceive oneself / to bury one's head in the sand (idiom) syn 沙尘 沙塵 shā chén airborne sand and dust 风沙 風沙 fēng shā n. sand blown by wind / sandstorm 细沙 細沙 xì shā fine sand 沙石 shā shí sand and stones 砂子 shā zi sand syn 沙漏 shā lòu hourglass / sand filter 沙盘 沙盤 shā pán sand table (military) / 3D terrain (or site) model (for real estate marketing, geography class etc) / sand tray (on which to write characters) syn 沙粒 shā lì grain of sand 骨料 gǔ liào aggregate (sand or gravel used in concrete 混凝土) 沙雕 沙鵰 shā diāo sand sculpture 泥沙俱下 ní shā jù xià mud and sand flow together (idiom) / good and bad mingle syn 沙 shā granule / hoarse / raspy / sand / powder / CL:粒[li4] / abbr. for Tsar or Tsarist Russia syn 砂 shā sand / gravel / granule / variant of 沙[sha1] syn 射影 shè yǐng (geometry) projection / (Chinese mythology) creature that spits sand to make people ill 聚沙成塔 jù shā chéng tǎ sand grains accumulate to make a tower a tower (idiom) / by gathering small amounts one gets a huge quantity / many a mickle makes a muckle syn 散沙 sǎn shā scattered sand / fig. lacking in cohesion or organization 恒河沙数 恆河沙數 héng hé shā shù countless as the grains of sand in the Ganges (idiom) syn 油砂 yóu shā oil sand (mining) 鲫 鯽 jì bastard carp / sand perch syn 一盘散沙 一盤散沙 yī pán sǎn shā lit. like a sheet of loose sand / fig. unable to cooperate (idiom) syn 含沙量 hán shā liàng sand content / quantity of sediment (carried by a river) 鸵鸟政策 鴕鳥政策 tuó niǎo zhèng cè ostrich policy (sticking one's head in the sand, failing to acknowledge danger) 漏脯充饥 漏脯充飢 lòu fǔ chōng jī to bury one's head in the sand (idiom) 画荻教子 畫荻教子 huà dí jiào zǐ to write on the sand with reeds while teaching one's son (idiom) / mother's admirable dedication to her children's education 海砂 hǎi shā sea sand (sand of the ocean floor or seashore) 飞砂转石 飛砂轉石 fēi shā zhuǎn shí (idiom) Describes a violent wind that sends sand flying and stones rolling. The expression is synonymous with “sand flying and stones being blown about.” 闭目塞听 閉目塞聽 bì mù sè tīng to shut one's eyes and stop one's ears / out of touch with reality / to bury one's head in the sand syn 三合土 sān hé tǔ traditional Chinese building material made by mixing three components (typically lime, clay, and sand) syn 采砂场 採砂場 cǎi shā chǎng sandpit / sand quarry 沙坑杆 沙坑桿 shā kēng gān sand wedge (golf) 沙坝 沙壩 shā bà a sandbank / a sand bar 沙画 沙畫 shā huà sand picture 流动性大沙漠 流動性大沙漠 liú dòng xìng dà shā mò shifting sand dunes 海砂屋 hǎi shā wū house built with cheap, unreliable concrete which contains a high quantity of sea sand 滤砂 濾砂 lǜ shā filter sand 焗 jú (dialect) to cook in salt or sand, inside a sealed pot / to steam / to bake 玻璃砂 bō li shā siliceous sand (geology) 硅沙 guī shā silicon sand 输沙量 輸沙量 shū shā liàng quantity of sand (transported by a river) / sediment content 锆英砂 鋯英砂 gào yīng shā zircon sand (zirconium ore) 防风固沙 防風固沙 fáng fēng gù shā sand break (in desert environment) 铁嘴沙鸻 鐵嘴沙鴴 tiě zuǐ shā héng (bird species of China) greater sand plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii) 白蛉 bái líng sand fly 出砂 chū shā produced sand 沙盘推演 沙盤推演 shā pán tuī yǎn to plan a military mission on a sand table (idiom) / to rehearse a planned action or activity / to conduct a dry run 崖沙燕 yá shā yàn (bird species of China) sand martin (Riparia riparia) 蒙古沙鸻 蒙古沙鴴 měng gǔ shā héng (bird species of China) Siberian sand plover (Anarhynchus mongolus) 虾线 蝦線 xiā xiàn digestive tract of a shrimp / sand vein 浮尘 浮塵 fú chén dust (floating in the air or settled on a surface) / large amount of airborne sand and dust, such as during a sandstorm syn 折戟沉沙 zhé jǐ chén shā lit. broken halberds embedded in the sand (idiom) / fig. reminder of a fierce battle / remnants of a disastrous defeat 亚洲梨 亞洲梨 yà zhōu lí Asian pear / sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) 披沙拣金 披沙揀金 pī shā - jiǎn jīn lit. to sort the gold from the sand (idiom) / fig. to separate the wheat from the chaff syn 掺沙子 摻沙子 chān shā zi to mix in some sand (e.g. when making concrete) / (fig.) to place outsiders into a monolithic group (to infiltrate or disrupt it etc) 水梨 shuǐ lí Asian pear / sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) 沙梨 shā lí Asian pear / sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) 滩头 灘頭 tān tóu beach / sand bank syn 砂梨 shā lí Asian pear / sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) 积沙成塔 積沙成塔 jī shā - chéng tǎ (lit.) many sand grains accumulate to form a tower (idiom) / (fig.) many little things add up to sth great / see 聚沙成塔[ju4sha1-cheng2ta3] 聚沙成塔 jù shā - chéng tǎ lit. many sand grains accumulate to form a tower (idiom) / fig. many little things add up to sth great syn 苹果梨 蘋果梨 píng guǒ lí Asian pear / sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) 唱筹量沙 唱籌量沙 chàng chóu liáng shā (idiom) To pass off sand as rice and loudly call out the measured amounts. It means creating a deceptive appearance to steady one’s troops and mislead the enemy. 飞沙走砾 飛沙走礫 fēi shē zǒu lì (idiom) Sand is blown into the air and small stones roll about / describes a very strong wind. 飞沙走石 飛沙走石 fēi shā zǒu shí (idiom) Sand swirls and stones roll / the expression describes a fierce, violent wind. syn 画沙印泥 huà shā yìn ní (idiom) In calligraphy, it describes a precise and forceful way of wielding the brush. The image suggests a stroke that sinks distinctly into sand or mud. 排沙简金 排沙簡金 pái shā jiǎn jīn (idiom) To select the finest or most valuable elements from a large quantity of things. It evokes sifting away sand to retain gold. 拳中掿沙 quán zhōng nuò shā (idiom) Sand squeezed in a fist cannot be held together. It describes strained or incompatible relationships. 淘沙得金 táo shā dé jīn (idiom) To extract gold from sand by washing it. It means removing impurities to retain what is essential, and can also describe great effort producing little result. 蒸沙成饭 蒸沙成飯 zhēng shā chéng fàn (idiom) To try to steam sand into rice. It describes an undertaking that is impossible and bound to fail. 一片散沙 yī piàn sàn shā (idiom) Describes a force that is scattered and lacks organization. It is equivalent to “a heap of loose sand.” 入海算沙 rù hǎi suàn shā (idiom) To count grains of sand on the seabed / to work very hard in vain. It can also describe painstaking and diligent effort. 八恒河沙 bā héng hé shā (idiom) In Buddhist terminology, it refers to the sand of eight Ganges rivers. It describes an immeasurably large quantity. 命染黄沙 命染黃沙 mìng rǎn huáng shā (idiom) To die. The image evokes a body coming to rest on the yellow sand. 射影含沙 shè yǐng hán shā (idiom) According to an old belief, a poisonous creature could harm someone by shooting sand at their reflection. 恒河之沙 héng hé zhī shā (idiom) A quantity so vast that it cannot be counted, like the grains of sand in the Ganges. 扬砂走石 yáng shā zǒu shí (idiom) With sand flying and stones rolling / to describe an extremely violent wind. 抟沙作饭 摶沙作飯 tuán shā zuò fàn (idiom) To knead grains of sand into a rice ball. It describes a futile effort doomed to fail because the desired result is impossible. 抟沙嚼蜡 摶沙嚼蠟 tuán shā jiáo là (idiom) To knead sand, which cannot hold its shape, and chew wax, which has no flavor / to describe something empty and tasteless. 披沙剖璞 pī shā pōu pú (idiom) To separate gold from sand and extract jade from stone. Figuratively, to identify and select useful or gifted people from a large number of candidates. 排沙见金 排沙見金 pái shā jiàn jīn (idiom) To select the best or most essential parts from a large quantity of things. It has the same meaning as “sifting sand to find gold.” 搏砂弄汞 bó shā nòng gǒng (idiom) To stir sand and gather mercury. It metaphorically describes a situation that is difficult, if not impossible, to put right. 河沙世界 hé shā shì jiè (idiom) Refers to the countless Buddhist worlds, as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges. 淘沙取金 táo shā qǔ jīn (idiom) To extract gold by washing sand / figuratively, to remove the dross and retain what is essential. 炊沙作糜 chuī shā zuò mí (idiom) To boil sand into gruel / to labor in vain and accomplish nothing. 炊沙作饭 炊沙作飯 chuī shā zuò fàn (idiom) To cook sand into a meal. It describes an effort that is bound to fail and achieves nothing. 炊沙镂冰 chuī shā lòu bīng (idiom) Cooking sand cannot produce a meal, and carving ice cannot make a usable object. It describes a futile effort that yields no result. 炊砂作饭 炊砂作飯 chuī shā zuò fàn (idiom) To cook sand into a meal. It describes a futile effort and a waste of energy. 焦沙烂石 焦沙爛石 jiāo shā shí làn (idiom) To scorch sand and melt stone / describes exceptionally intense heat. 画沙聚米 huà shā jù mǐ (idiom) Means drawing a map in sand and arranging rice to represent mountains and valleys / figuratively, it refers to planning and decision-making in military affairs. 白沙在涅，与之俱黑 bái shān zài niè，yǔ zhī jù hēi (idiom) Even white sand turns black when mixed with black soil. The image means that a good person or thing may become corrupted by contact with a corrupt environment. 