Chinese Idioms in Chuken Pre-Level 1
The Chuken — Japan's Chinese Proficiency Test — has featured many idioms at Pre-Level 1. Of those, the 202 explained on this site are listed here in pinyin order. Choose an idiom to see its meaning, usage, and example sentences.
A
B
- 百里挑一bǎi lǐ tiāo yīOne in a hundred (the cream of the crop)
- 百无聊赖bǎi wú liáo làiUtterly listless (bored to death)
- 必不可少bì bù kě shǎoAbsolutely essential / Indispensable
- 变幻莫测biàn huàn mò cèUnpredictable and ever-changing (like a phantom)
- 不寒而栗bù hán ér lìShivering without being cold (to make one's blood run cold)
- 不可避免bù kě bì miǎnInevitable / Unavoidable
- 不可或缺bù kě huò quēIndispensable (cannot be missing)
- 步履蹒跚bù lǚ pán shānWalking unsteadily (to hobble or stagger)
- 不切实际bù qiè shí jìUnrealistic (not fitting reality)
- 不求甚解bù qiú shèn jiěNot seeking a thorough understanding (superficial understanding)
- 不三不四bù sān bù sìNeither fish nor fowl (shady or dubious)
- 不识抬举bù shí tái juFailing to appreciate a favor (ungrateful and arrogant)
- 不相上下bù xiāng shàng xiàOn par with each other (neck and neck)
- 不学无术bù xué wú shùLacking learning and skill (ignorant and incompetent)
- 不在话下bù zài huà xiàNot worth mentioning (a piece of cake / no problem)
- 不折不扣bù zhé bù kòuWithout discount (100% / out-and-out)
- 不知不觉bù zhī bù juéUnconsciously / Before one knows it
- 不知所措bù zhī suǒ cuòAt a loss (not knowing what to do)
C
- 才华横溢cái huá héng yìBrimming with talent (overflowing with creative brilliance)
- 长盛不衰cháng shèng bù shuāiEverlasting prosperity (to remain popular or successful for a long time)
- 畅所欲言chàng suǒ yù yánTo speak one's mind freely
- 长途跋涉cháng tú bá shèA long and arduous journey (trekking over a long distance)
- 成千上万chéng qiān shàng wànThousands upon thousands / Countless
- 成群结队chéng qún jié duìIn large groups (in droves)
- 吃苦耐劳chī kǔ nài láoEnduring hardship and hard-working
- 持之以恒chí zhī yǐ héngPersevere with constancy (to keep at it)
- 触景生情chù jǐng shēng qíngThe sight of a scene stirs up emotions
- 出人意料chū rén yì liàoBeyond expectations (unexpected)
- 串通一气chuàn tōng yī qìTo be in cahoots (colluding for a bad purpose)
- 措手不及cuò shǒu bù jíCaught off guard / Taken by surprise
D
- 打草惊蛇dǎ cǎo jīng shéBeat the grass and startle the snake (to alert the enemy prematurely)
- 大惊小怪dà jīng xiǎo guàiMaking a fuss over nothing (overreacting to trifles)
- 大器晚成dà qì wǎn chéngGreat vessels take long to complete (A late bloomer)
- 大手大脚dà shǒu dà jiǎoBig hands and big feet (spending money lavishly)
- 大相径庭dà xiāng jìng tíngVastly different (poles apart)
- 荡然无存dàng rán wú cúnCompletely vanished (nothing left at all)
- 点石成金diǎn shí chéng jīnTurning stone into gold (The Midas touch)
- 丢三落四diū sān là sìForgetful / Scatterbrained (Losing three and leaving behind four)
- 独一无二dú yī wú èrOne of a kind (Unique)
- 断章取义duàn zhāng qǔ yìTaking things out of context
E
F
- 发人深省fā rén shēn xǐngThought-provoking (providing deep food for thought)
- 发扬光大fā yáng guāng dàTo carry forward and enhance (a tradition or spirit)
- 沸沸扬扬fèi fèi yáng yángBubbling over (to be the talk of the town / causing a stir)
- 风尘仆仆fēng chén pú púTravel-worn and covered in dust (weary from a long journey)
- 风生水起fēng shēng shuǐ qǐWind rises and water surges (thriving and booming)
- 风土人情fēng tǔ rén qíngLocal customs and natural conditions
G
- 改邪归正gǎi xié guī zhèngTo turn over a new leaf (forsaking evil for the right path)
- 感慨万千gǎn kǎi wàn qiānA flood of emotions (deeply moved by a multitude of feelings)
- 格格不入gé gé bù rùOut of place / Incompatible (Like a square peg in a round hole)
- 根深蒂固gēn shēn dì gùDeep-rooted (Ingrained)
- 功成名就gōng chéng míng jiùTo achieve success and win fame
- 狗急跳墙gǒu jí tiào qiángA cornered dog will jump over a wall (resorting to desperate measures)
- 古今中外gǔ jīn zhōng wàiAt all times and in all places (Throughout history and across the world)
- 孤陋寡闻gū lòu guǎ wénIgnorant and ill-informed (limited knowledge and experience)
- 古往今来gǔ wǎng jīn láiFrom ancient times to the present (throughout history)
- 孤注一掷gū zhù yī zhìTo stake everything on a single throw (to go for broke)
- 刮目相看guā mù xiāng kànTo see someone in a whole new light
- 广阔无垠guǎng kuò wú yínVast and boundless
H
- 汗流浃背hàn liú jiā bèiSweat streaming down one's back (drenched in sweat)
- 好高骛远hào gāo wù yuǎnAiming too high (unrealistically)
- 浩浩荡荡hào hào dàng dàngVast and mighty (procession/flow)
- 好景不长hǎo jǐng bù chángGood times don't last long (short-lived prosperity)
- 和平共处hé píng gòng chǔPeaceful coexistence
- 哄堂大笑hōng táng dà xiàoThe whole room bursting into laughter
- 胡思乱想hú sī luàn xiǎngTo let one's imagination run wild (to overthink)
- 患得患失huàn dé huàn shīWorrying about personal gain and loss (obsessing over outcomes)
- 灰心丧气huī xīn sàng qìTo lose heart / To be utterly dejected
- 混为一谈hùn wéi yī tánTo lump together (different things)
- 活灵活现huó líng huó xiànVivid and lifelike (as if real)
J
- 饥肠辘辘jī cháng lù lùStomach growling with hunger (famished)
- 鸡毛蒜皮jī máo suàn píChicken feathers and garlic skins (trivialities)
- 家常便饭jiā cháng biàn fànHome-cooked meal (a commonplace occurrence)
- 家破人亡jiā pò rén wángFamily ruined and members dead or scattered
- 家喻户晓jiā yù hù xiǎoKnown to every household (a household name)
- 坚持不懈jiān chí bù xièTo persist unswervingly (unremitting perseverance)
- 坚韧不拔jiān rèn bù báFirm and indomitable (unyielding persistence)
- 见仁见智jiàn rén jiàn zhìOpinions differ (The benevolent see benevolence, the wise see wisdom)
- 渐入佳境jiàn rù jiā jìngGradually entering the best part (getting better and better)
- 将功补过jiāng gōng bǔ guòTo redeem oneself by making up for past mistakes with new achievements
- 脚踏实地jiǎo tà shí dìTo have one's feet on solid ground (down-to-earth)
- 筋疲力尽jīn pí lì jìnExhausted (Muscles tired and strength depleted)
- 进退两难jìn tuì liǎng nánTo be in a dilemma; between a rock and a hard place
- 井底之蛙jǐng dǐ zhī wāA frog at the bottom of a well (a person of narrow vision)
- 井井有条jǐng jǐng yǒu tiáoIn perfect order (methodical and organized)
- 惊心动魄jīng xīn dòng pòSoul-stirring / Heart-pounding (thrilling)
- 精益求精jīng yì qiú jīngConstantly striving for perfection (to improve even when already excellent)
- 咎由自取jiù yóu zì qǔTo have only oneself to blame (bringing misfortune upon oneself)
- 举世闻名jǔ shì wén míngWorld-famous (Known throughout the world)
- 举一反三jǔ yī fǎn sānTo infer many things from one instance (learning by analogy)
K
L
M
N
O
P
- 抛头露面pāo tóu lù miànTo show one's face in public (often with a negative or reluctant nuance)
- 疲惫不堪pí bèi bù kānExtremely exhausted (worn out to the limit)
- 平步青云píng bù qīng yúnStepping into the blue clouds (a meteoric rise)
- 平淡无奇píng dàn wú qíOrdinary and unremarkable (bland)
- 平起平坐píng qǐ píng zuòTo be on equal footing / To sit at the same table
Q
- 气喘吁吁qì chuǎn xū xūPanting heavily (out of breath)
- 七上八下qī shàng bā xiàSeven up, eight down (to be at sixes and sevens / in a state of mental unrest)
- 恰到好处qià dào hǎo chùJust right (perfectly balanced)
- 千方百计qiān fāng bǎi jìBy every possible means / To leave no stone unturned
- 千篇一律qiān piān yī lǜA thousand pieces following the same pattern (monotonous/cookie-cutter)
- 千山万水qiān shān wàn shuǐA thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers (an arduous journey)
- 前因后果qián yīn hòu guǒThe cause and effect (the whole story / the ins and outs)
- 锲而不舍qiè ér bù shěTo keep carving without stopping (unwavering perseverance)
- 情不自禁qíng bù zì jīnCannot help but (unable to restrain one's emotions)
- 轻车熟路qīng chē shú lùDriving a light carriage on a familiar road (doing something with ease due to experience)
- 青出于蓝qīng chū yú lánBlue comes from indigo (the student surpasses the master)
- 晴空万里qíng kōng wàn lǐA clear sky for ten thousand miles (cloudless sky)
R
- 人山人海rén shān rén hǎiA sea of people (huge crowds)
- 人头攒动rén tóu cuán dòngA bobbing sea of heads (a bustling crowd)
- 日积月累rì jī yuè lěiAccumulating over a long period (steady accumulation)
- 如出一辙rú chū yī zhéComing from the same rut (exactly the same)
- 如饥似渴rú jī sì kěAs if hungry or thirsty (thirsting for knowledge)
- 如坐针毡rú zuò zhēn zhānLike sitting on a bed of needles (on pins and needles)
- 弱不禁风ruò bù jīn fēngToo weak to stand a gust of wind (extremely fragile)
S
- 三长两短sān cháng liǎng duǎnThree long and two short (unexpected misfortune or death)
- 三五成群sān wǔ chéng qúnIn small groups of threes and fives
- 生吞活剥shēng tūn huó bōTo swallow whole (mechanical imitation)
- 事半功倍shì bàn gōng bèiHalf the effort, twice the result (highly efficient)
- 事必躬亲shì bì gōng qīnAttending to everything personally (Hands-on approach)
- 事与愿违shì yǔ yuàn wéiThings go against one's wishes (to backfire)
- 顺水推舟shùn shuǐ tuī zhōuPushing a boat with the current (going with the flow)
- 司空见惯sī kōng jiàn guànA common sight / Commonplace (literally: 'The Minister of Works is used to seeing it')
- 四通八达sì tōng bā dáExtending in all directions (well-connected)
- 死心塌地sǐ xīn tā dìTo be dead set on something (wholeheartedly devoted)
- 随心所欲suí xīn suǒ yùTo follow one's heart's desires (as one pleases)
- 所剩无几suǒ shèng wú jǐVery little left (hardly anything remains)
T
- 他山之石tā shān zhī shíStones from other mountains (learning from others' experience)
- 天经地义tiān jīng dì yìRight and proper (unalterable principle of heaven and earth)
- 天下无双tiān xià wú shuāngPeerless; Matchless in the world
- 听天由命tīng tiān yóu mìngTo leave things to fate (resigning oneself to destiny)
- 投机取巧tóu jī qǔ qiǎoTo resort to dubious tricks (opportunism)
- 突如其来tū rú qí láiTo happen out of the blue (sudden and unexpected)
- 退避三舍tuì bì sān shèRetreating ninety li (giving way to avoid conflict)
- 推波助澜tuī bō zhù lánPushing the waves and adding to the billows (to fan the flames)
- 推陈出新tuī chén chū xīnWeeding through the old to bring forth the new
- 唾手可得tuò shǒu kě déWithin easy reach (extremely easy to obtain)
W
- 完美无缺wán měi wú quēPerfect and flawless
- 望而却步wàng ér què bùTo shrink back at the sight of something (daunted by difficulty or cost)
- 微不足道wēi bù zú dàoInsignificant / Not worth mentioning
- 无边无际wú biān wú jìBoundless / As far as the eye can see
- 无处不在wú chù bù zàiUbiquitous / Everywhere
- 物换星移wù huàn xīng yíThings change and stars shift (the passage of time and great changes)
- 无拘无束wú jū wú shùFree and unconstrained (without any strings attached)
- 无时无刻wú shí wú kèNot a single moment (without...); constantly
- 无所事事wú suǒ shì shìTo have nothing to do (to idle away one's time)
- 无足轻重wú zú qīng zhòngInsignificant / Of no consequence
X
- 喜结良缘xǐ jié liáng yuánTo tie the knot (a happy marriage union)
- 喜怒哀乐xǐ nù āi lèJoy, anger, sorrow, and happiness (The full range of human emotions)
- 显而易见xiǎn ér yì jiànObvious / Self-evident
- 相得益彰xiāng dé yì zhāngTo complement each other and bring out the best in both
- 想方设法xiǎng fāng shè fǎTo try every possible means / To think of ways and means
- 想入非非xiǎng rù fēi fēiTo indulge in wild fantasies (to have one's head in the clouds)
- 相依为命xiāng yī wéi mìngTo depend on each other for survival
- 小题大做xiǎo tí dà zuòMaking a mountain out of a molehill (making a big fuss over a small matter)
- 小心翼翼xiǎo xīn yì yìWith extreme caution (gingerly)
- 心甘情愿xīn gān qíng yuànWillingly and gladly (of one's own free will)
- 学富五车xué fù wǔ chēWealth of learning to fill five carts (extremely erudite)
Y
- 鸦雀无声yā què wú shēngDead silence (Not even the sound of a crow or sparrow)
- 一波三折yī bō sān zhéTwists and turns (Full of ups and downs)
- 一举两得yī jǔ liǎng déKilling two birds with one stone (Gaining two advantages with one move)
- 一劳永逸yī láo yǒng yìTo do something once and for all (a permanent solution)
- 一毛不拔yī máo bù báNot pulling out even a single hair (extremely stingy)
- 一事无成yī shì wú chéngTo accomplish nothing (to have nothing to show for one's efforts)
- 一五一十yī wǔ yī shíIn full detail (from beginning to end)
- 意想不到yì xiǎng bù dàoUnexpected; beyond one's imagination
- 依依不舍yī yī bù shěReluctant to part (deeply attached)
- 一知半解yī zhī bàn jiěA smattering of knowledge (superficial understanding)
- 引人入胜yǐn rén rù shèngLeading one into a wonderland (fascinating/enchanting)
- 有目共睹yǒu mù gòng dǔObvious to all (plain for everyone to see)
- 悦耳动听yuè ěr dòng tīngPleasing to the ear and moving to listen to
Z
- 争分夺秒zhēng fēn duó miǎoRacing against time (making every second count)
- 至关重要zhì guān zhòng yàoExtremely important; of vital importance; crucial
- 至善至美zhì shàn zhì měiThe pinnacle of goodness and beauty (perfect in every way)
- 众口铄金zhòng kǒu shuò jīnPublic opinion can melt gold (the power of collective slander)
- 众目睽睽zhòng mù kuí kuíUnder the watchful eyes of the public
- 重男轻女zhòng nán qīng nǚValuing men and belittling women (preference for sons over daughters)
- 众矢之的zhòng shǐ zhī dìTarget of many arrows (target of public criticism)
- 众说纷纭zhòng shuō fēn yúnOpinions are divided (diverse and conflicting views)
- 众所周知zhòng suǒ zhōu zhīAs everyone knows (well-known)
- 众望所归zhòng wàng suǒ guīTo be the popular choice (meeting everyone's expectations)
- 自成一家zì chéng yī jiāTo establish a unique style of one's own
- 自暴自弃zì qiáng bù xīGiving up on oneself (Self-abandonment)
- 自然而然zì rán ér ránNaturally / Of its own accord / Spontaneously
- 自相矛盾zì xiāng máo dùnTo contradict oneself (The ultimate spear vs. the ultimate shield)
- 自言自语zì yán zì yǔTalking to oneself
- 自以为是zì yǐ wéi shìSelf-righteous (to think oneself always right)
- 总而言之zǒng ér yán zhīIn short / To sum up / All in all
- 走马观花zǒu mǎ guān huāLooking at flowers while riding a horse (giving a cursory glance)
- 走马看花zǒu mǎ kàn huāLooking at flowers while riding a horse (superficial understanding)
- 走投无路zǒu tóu wú lùTo have no way out (at the end of one's rope)