Chinese Chengyu Dictionary
A dictionary of chengyu, the four-character Chinese idioms. Search by expression, character or pinyin, and read each one with its pinyin, its English meaning and, when it is known, the story it comes from.
49,046 idioms listed, of which 3,924 come with the story behind them, and 1,329 are illustrated.
Chengyu of the day
日新月异
rì xīn yuè yì
new each day, different each month
To develop or progress very rapidly, with new things and changes constantly emerging.
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The hidden chengyu
A four-character chengyu, with one character given. Build the other three from the characters offered: after each try, the grid tells you which ones are in the right place.
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Illustrated chengyu
Most common 6,327 With a picture 1,329 With a story 3,924 Four characters 45,782 Fewer than four 601
All expressions
不好意思 bù hǎo yì sī It expresses being constrained by social consideration or reluctant to do something. It can also mean feeling shy or embarrassed. 不知不觉 bù zhī bù jué Without being aware of it or noticing it. It now commonly refers to something happening without one’s attention. 莫名其妙 mò míng qí miào Describes something so strange that its reason or logic cannot be explained. 不可思议 bù kě sī yì Originally referring to profound mystery, it now mainly describes something beyond imagination or difficult to comprehend. 无论如何 wú lùn rú hé No matter what happens; in any case. 小心翼翼 xiǎo xīn yì yì Originally meaning grave and respectful, it now describes extreme care, without the slightest negligence. 各种各样 gè zhǒng gè yàng Of every kind; having many diverse features or categories. 送货上门 sòng huò shàng mén To deliver goods personally to a customer's door. It can also refer to someone voluntarily presenting themselves to face a consequence. 前所未有 qián suǒ wèi yǒu Never seen or experienced before; unprecedented. 与众不同 yǔ zhòng bù tóng Different from other people; unlike the rest. 不由自主 bù yóu zì zhǔ To be unable to control oneself; to act against one's own will. 以人为本 yǐ rén wéi běn A principle of respecting human dignity, safeguarding people's rights, developing their potential, and meeting their needs. 毫不犹豫 háo bù yóu yù Without the slightest hesitation; with complete decisiveness. 不知所措 bù zhī suǒ cuò To not know what to do; to be at a loss or in a state of confusion. 无可奈何 wú kě nài hé To have no way out and be left with no choice but to accept the situation. 成千上万 chéng qiān shàng wàn To describe a very large number, running into the thousands or tens of thousands. 大吃一惊 dà chī yī jīng To be greatly startled or surprised by something unexpected. 自言自语 zì yán zì yǔ To mutter or speak softly to oneself. 不可避免 bù kě bì miǎn Describes something that cannot be prevented from happening. 天下第一 tiān xià dì yī To be unsurpassed; to have no equal. 理所当然 lǐ suǒ dāng rán To be only proper and natural according to reason or the normal order of things. 随时随地 suí shí suí dì According to the circumstances of a particular time and place, or at different times and places. By extension, at any time and in any place. 一模一样 yī mó yī yàng To be exactly alike, with no difference in appearance. 迫不及待 pò bù jí dài To be so eager or urgent that one cannot wait. It describes intense impatience. 目瞪口呆 mù dèng kǒu dāi To stand dumbfounded, eyes wide and mouth agape, from surprise or fear. 众所周知 zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī Known to everyone; universally known. 与时俱进 yǔ shí jù jìn To accurately grasp the characteristics of the age, remain at the forefront of the times and practice, and move forward through emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and pioneering. It implies carrying on what has been inherited while developing it through bold exploration. 乱七八糟 luàn qī bā zāo To be without order or method; to be in a complete mess. 突如其来 tū rú qí lái To occur suddenly and unexpectedly. 引人注目 yǐn rén zhù mù To attract people's attention; to stand out. 意想不到 yì xiǎng bù dào Unexpected; not foreseen or anticipated. 毫无疑问 háo wú yí wèn Beyond any doubt; completely certain. 初来乍到 chū lái zhà dào To have just arrived in a place. 实事求是 shí shì qiú shì To proceed from objective facts in order to discover the relationships and laws governing things and understand their nature. More commonly, it means handling matters according to the actual situation. 随心所欲 suí xīn suǒ yù To do whatever one wishes; to act as one pleases. 独一无二 dú yī wú èr Unique; without equal or comparison. 情不自禁 qíng bù zì jìn To be unable to control intense emotion; to be wholly overcome by it. 可想而知 kě xiǎng ér zhī Describes something that can readily be imagined without needing to be explained. 恍然大悟 huǎng rán dà wù To suddenly understand something; to have an abrupt realization or grasp an explanation. 不约而同 bù yuē ér tóng To agree or act in the same way without prior consultation.
How to search:
Search by Chinese expression, character or pinyin.
Search by Chinese expression, character or pinyin.
A browseable list:
The most frequent idioms are also on a separate dictionary page.
The most frequent idioms are also on a separate dictionary page.
49,046 chengyu listed.
What a chengyu is, and what it is not
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 looking one up is a different job from looking up a word.
This tool searches the table of idioms by expression, character or pinyin. If you already have the four characters in front of you, that is the way in. If you do not, and you want to see which idioms are common enough to be worth knowing first, the browseable list is the other half of the same subject.