Collection · 136 idioms
成语大全 · Chéngyǔ dàquán
Chinese Idioms
成语 chéngyǔ
Chéngyǔ (成语) are the crown jewels of the Chinese language — compact four-character expressions that each carry a story, a lesson, or a piece of history. Unlike everyday sayings, nearly every chéngyǔ traces back to a specific classical text, historical event, or philosophical parable.
Using a chéngyǔ correctly signals education, cultural literacy, and rhetorical skill. Each entry below includes the origin story, literal character breakdown, pinyin pronunciation, and guidance on when — and when not — to use it.
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5 Essential Chengyu
The five idioms with the best stories — new to chengyu? Read these first. What a chengyu is: see the chengyu concept guide.
画蛇添足
Huà shé tiān zú
"To draw a snake and add feet to it"
Read Draw a Snake and Add Feet meaning
画龙点睛
Huà lóng diǎn jīng
"Paint the dragon and dot its eyes"
Read Draw the Dragon, Dot the Eyes meaning
滴水穿石
Dī shuǐ chuān shí
"Dripping water wears through stone"
Read Dripping Water Wears Through Stone meaning
All 136 Chengyu (A–Z)
- 百炼成钢 — A Hundred Smeltings into Steel
- 破釜沉舟 — Break the Cauldrons and Sink the Boats
- 重整旗鼓 — Chong Zheng Qi Gu — Rally the Forces for a Fresh Comeback
- 大道至简 — The Great Way Is Utterly Simple
- 焚琴煮鹤 — Burning the Zither to Cook the Crane
- 九牛一毛 — Jiu Niu Yi Mao — One Hair from Nine Oxen
- 苦尽甘来 — Bitterness Ends, Sweetness Comes
- 买椟还珠 — Buying the Casket, Returning the Pearl
- 沐猴而冠 — Mu Hou Er Guan — A Monkey Wearing a Crown
- 平安喜乐 — Ping An Xi Le — Peace, Safety, and Joy
- 骑虎难下 — Riding a Tiger, Hard to Dismount
- 千方百计 — Qian Fang Bai Ji — A Hundred Strategies
- 三心二意 — Three Hearts, Two Minds
- 十全十美 — Shi Quan Shi Mei — Perfect in Every Way
- 四面楚歌 — Surrounded by Chu Songs on All Sides
- 疑邻盗斧 — Suspecting the Neighbor of Stealing the Axe
- 投桃报李 — Tou Tao Bao Li — Give a Peach, Receive a Plum
- 万无一失 — Wan Wu Yi Shi — Not a Single Failure in Ten Thousand Attempts
- 万象更新 — Wan Xiang Geng Xin — All Things Take on a New Look
- 卧薪尝胆 — Sleeping on Brushwood, Tasting Gall
- 掩耳盗铃 — Covering Your Ears to Steal the Bell
- 一心一意 — Single-Minded Devotion
- 知足常乐 — Zhi Zu Chang Le — Contentment Brings Lasting Happiness
- 爱屋及乌 — Love the House and Its Crow
- 老马识途 — The Old Horse Knows the Way
- 七上八下 — Seven Up, Eight Down
- 画龙点睛 — Draw the Dragon, Dot the Eyes
- 叶公好龙 — Lord Ye's Love of Dragons
- 刻舟求剑 — Mark the Boat to Find the Sword
- 打草惊蛇 — Beat the Grass and Startle the Snake
- 画蛇添足 — Draw a Snake and Add Feet
- 狐假虎威 — The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Might
- 杀鸡儆猴 — Kill the Chicken to Frighten the Monkey
- 能屈能伸 — Able to Bend and Stretch
- 天道酬勤 — Heaven Rewards Diligence
- 酒肉朋友 — Wine and Meat Friends
- 一诺千金 — A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold
- 积少成多 — Accumulate Small, Become Much
- 日积月累 — Accumulated Over Time
- 秦晋之好 — The Alliance of Qin and Jin
- 答非所问 — Answer Not What Was Asked
- 师出有名 — An Army Deploys with Just Cause
- 骄兵必败 — The Arrogant Army Will Be Defeated
- 避而不谈 — Avoid and Not Discuss
- 善人难做 — Being Good Is Hard
- 树大招风 — Big Tree Catches Wind
- 盲人摸象 — Blind Men Touch an Elephant
- 猫哭老鼠 — The Cat Cries Over the Mouse
- 欲擒故纵 — Catch by Releasing
- 辅车相依 — Cheek and Jawbone, Mutually Dependent
- 楚材晋用 — Talent Knows No Borders
- 笨鸟先飞 — The Clumsy Bird Flies First
- 累卵之危 — Danger of Stacked Eggs
- 敢作敢当 — Dare to Act, Dare to Answer
- 临渴掘井 — Dig a Well When Thirsty
- 勤能补拙 — Diligence Compensates for Clumsiness
- 祸从口出 — Disaster Exits Through the Mouth
- 竭泽而渔 — Drain the Pond to Catch Fish
- 饮鸩止渴 — Drinking Poison to Quench Thirst
- 饮水思源 — When Drinking Water, Remember the Source
- 水滴石穿 — Dripping Water Hollows Stone
- 滴水穿石 — Dripping Water Wears Through Stone
- 醉生梦死 — Living Drunk and Dying Dreaming
- 虚怀若谷 — Empty Bosom Like a Valley
- 入乡随俗 — Enter Village, Follow Customs
- 昙花一现 — The Epiphyllum Blooms But Once
- 模棱两可 — Equivocal and Ambiguous
- 乐极生悲 — Extreme Joy Begets Sorrow
- 闪烁其词 — Flickering Words
- 福祸相依 — Fortune and Misfortune Are Intertwined
- 莫逆之交 — Friends Without Conflict
- 聚沙成塔 — Gather Sand to Build a Tower
- 金玉良言 — Gold and Jade, Precious Words
- 结草衔环 — Grass Knots and Jade Rings
- 天外有天 — Heaven Beyond Heaven
- 助人为乐 — Helping Others Is Happiness
- 韬光养晦 — Hide Your Light, Nourish the Dark
- 病从口入 — Illness Enters Through the Mouth
- 杀鸡取卵 — Kill the Hen to Get the Eggs
- 上行下效 — Leaders Set the Example
- 学无止境 — Learning Has No End
- 少说为妙 — Less Said, Better
- 志同道合 — Like Minds, Same Path
- 苟延残喘 — Linger On in One's Last Gasps
- 唇亡齿寒 — Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
- 肝胆相照 — Liver and Gallbladder Illuminating Each Other
- 声东击西 — Make Noise in the East, Strike in the West
- 集腋成裘 — Many Furs From Armpits
- 朝不保夕 — Morning Does Not Guarantee Evening
- 朝秦暮楚 — Morning Qin, Evening Chu
- 言多必失 — Much Speech Invites Mistakes
- 得过且过 — Muddle Along, Drift Aimlessly
- 不置可否 — Neither Confirm Nor Deny
- 无可奉告 — Nothing to Report
- 对牛弹琴 — Playing the Lute to a Bull
- 熟能生巧 — Practice Makes Perfect
- 危如累卵 — Precarious as a Stack of Eggs
- 悬崖勒马 — Rein In at the Cliff's Edge
- 恩将仇报 — Repaying Kindness With Malice
- 以德报怨 — Repay Unkindness with Kindness
- 苟且偷生 — Scrape By and Stay Alive
- 知恩图报 — Seek to Repay Kindness
- 以身作则 — Set the Standard with Your Own Conduct
- 沉默是金 — Silence Is Golden
- 坐收渔利 — Sit and Harvest the Fisherman's Profit
- 坐井观天 — Sit in a Well and Watch the Sky
- 虚度光阴 — Squander Time, Empty Life
- 趁热打铁 — Strike While the Iron Is Hot: Meaning and Origin
- 瓜李之嫌 — Suspicion Beneath the Melon and Plum Trees
- 同甘共苦 — Sweet and Bitter Together
- 讳莫如深 — 讳莫如深 - A Secret Buried So Deep
- 吃亏是福 — Taking Loss Is a Blessing
- 朝三暮四 — Three in the Morning, Four in the Evening
- 抛砖引玉 — Throw a Brick to Attract Jade
- 岁月如梭 — Time Passes Like a Shuttle
- 与人为善 — Treat Others with Goodness
- 改过自新 — Turn Over a New Leaf
- 忘恩负义 — Ungrateful and Betraying Kindness
- 知行合一 — The Unity of Knowledge and Action
- 锲而不舍 — Unrelenting Perseverance
- 含糊其辞 — Vague and Ambiguous Words
- 管中窥豹 — Viewing a Leopard Through a Tube
- 蹉跎岁月 — Wasting Years, Squandering Time
- 白驹过隙 — A White Colt Flashes Past a Crevice
- 夜郎自大 — The Frog Who Thought His Well Was the World
- 礼尚往来 — Courtesy Demands Reciprocity
- 顺其自然 — Go With the Flow
- 难得糊涂 — Ignorance Is Bliss
- 人生如梦 — Life Is But a Dream
- 活在当下 — Live in the Present Moment
- 大智若愚 — Great Wisdom Appears Like Foolishness
- 人生无常 — Life is Impermanent
- 落叶归根 — Fallen Leaves Return to Roots
- 未雨绸缪 — Repair Before It Rains
- 居安思危 — Think of Danger in Times of Peace
- 光阴似箭 — Time Flies Like an Arrow