4 minor arts (Confucian reference to agriculture, medicine, divination, and other professions unworthy of a gentleman)
Idioms (20)
一人得道,鸡犬升天
yī rén dé dào , jī quǎn shēng tiān
1 lit. when a man achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs rise to Heaven (idiom)
2 fig. to ride on sb else's success
3 Once one man gets a government position, all his cronies get in too
4 Once sb has cracked the problem, every Tom, Dick and Harry can do it
一语道破
yī yǔ dào pò
1 one word says it all (idiom)
2 to hit the nail on the head
3 to be pithy and correct
三旬九食
sān xún jiǔ shí
1 lit. to have only nine meals in thirty days (idiom)
2 fig. (of a family) on the brink of starvation
3 in dire straits
不足为外人道
bù zú wéi wài rén dào
1 no use to tell others
2 let's keep this between ourselves (idiom)
人为财死,鸟为食亡
rén wèi cái sǐ , niǎo wèi shí wáng
1 lit. human beings will die for riches, just as birds will for food (idiom)
2 fig. man will do anything in his means to become rich
仁义道德
rén yì dào dé
1 compassion, duty, propriety and integrity (idiom); all the traditional virtues
2 mainly used sarcastically, to mean hypocritical
以其人之道,还治其人之身
yǐ qí rén zhī dào , huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn
1 to use an opponent's own methods to obtain retribution (idiom, from Song dynasty neo-Confucianist Zhu Xi 朱熹); to get revenge by playing sb back at his own game
2 to give sb a taste of his own medicine
你走你的阳关道,我过我的独木桥
nǐ zǒu nǐ de Yáng guān Dào , wǒ guò wǒ de dú mù qiáo
1 lit. you hit the high road, I'll cross the log bridge (idiom)
2 fig. you go your way, I'll go mine
3 you do it your way, I'll do it mine
假道伐虢
jiǎ dào fá Guó
1 to obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo
2 to borrow the resources of an ally to attack a common enemy (idiom)
传道受业
chuán dào shòu yè
1 to teach (idiom); lit. to give moral and practical instruction
分道扬镳
fēn dào yáng biāo
1 lit. to take different roads and urge the horses on (idiom)
2 fig. to part ways
卑卑不足道
bēi bēi bù zú dào
1 to be too petty or insignificant to mention
2 to not be worth mentioning (idiom)
口碑载道
kǒu bēi zài dào
1 lit. praise fills the roads (idiom); praise everywhere
2 universal approbation
问道于盲
wèn dào yú máng
1 lit. to ask a blind man the way (idiom)
2 fig. to seek advice from an incompetent
因噎废食
yīn yē fèi shí
1 lit. not eating for fear of choking (idiom); fig. to cut off one's nose to spite one's face
2 to avoid sth essential because of a slight risk
坐而论道
zuò ér lùn dào
1 to sit and pontificate; to find answers through theory and not through practice (idiom)
天公地道
tiān gōng dì dào
1 absolutely fair and reasonable (idiom); equitable
天道酬勤
tiān dào chóu qín
1 Heaven rewards the diligent. (idiom)
失道寡助
shī dào guǎ zhù
1 an unjust cause finds little support (idiom, from Mencius)
2 cf 得道多助[dé dào duō zhù] a just cause attracts much support
安贫乐道
ān pín lè dào
1 to be content with poverty and strive for virtue (idiom)
Sample Sentences
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