14 classifier for long thin things (rivers, cracks etc), barriers (walls, doors etc), questions (in an exam etc), commands, courses in a meal, steps in a process
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
三缄其口
sān jiān qí kǒu
1 (idiom) reluctant to speak about it
2 tight-lipped
不蒸馒头争口气
bù zhēng mán tou zhēng kǒu qì
1 not to be crushed (idiom)
2 to be determined to have one's revenge
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)
交口称誉
jiāo kǒu chēng yù
1 voices unanimous in praise (idiom); with an extensive public reputation
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
以免借口
yǐ miǎn jiè kǒu
1 to remove sth that could be used as a pretext (idiom)
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
佛口蛇心
fó kǒu shé xīn
1 words of a Buddha, heart of a snake (idiom); two-faced
2 malicious and duplicitous
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
俗谚口碑
sú yàn kǒu bēi
1 common sayings (idiom); widely circulated proverbs
信口开河
xìn kǒu kāi hé
1 to speak without thinking (idiom)
2 to blurt sth out
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
出口成章
chū kǒu chéng zhāng
1 (idiom) (of one's speech) eloquent
2 articulate
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)
口干舌燥
kǒu gān shé zào
1 lit. dry mouth and tongue (idiom); to talk too much
口口声声
kǒu kou shēng shēng
1 to keep on saying (idiom); to repeat over and over again
Sample Sentences
Free for members
Build your personal vocabulary!
With ChinesePod, you can not only build your vocabulary but also practice Chinese characters in our writing app!