1 lit. 之[zhī], 乎[hū], 者[zhě] and 也[yě] (four grammatical particles of Classical Chinese) (idiom); fig. archaic expressions
仁者见仁,智者见智
rén zhě jiàn rén , zhì zhě jiàn zhì
1 The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom.
2 Different views are admissible. (idiom)
以身作则
yǐ shēn zuò zé
1 to set an example (idiom); to serve as a model
作威作福
zuò wēi zuò fú
1 tyrannical abuse (idiom); riding roughshod over people
作茧自缚
zuò jiǎn zì fù
1 to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising
2 hoist by his own petard
作鸟兽散
zuò niǎo shòu sàn
1 lit. scatter like birds and beasts (idiom)
2 fig. to head off in various directions
3 to flee helter-skelter
来者不善,善者不来
lái zhě bù shàn , shàn zhě bù lái
1 He who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come (idiom).
2 Be careful not to trust foreigners.
3 Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!
来者不拒
lái zhě bù jù
1 to refuse nobody (idiom)
2 all comers welcome
俾夜作昼
bǐ yè zuò zhòu
1 lit. to make night as day (idiom); fig. to burn the midnight oil
2 work especially hard
俾昼作夜
bǐ zhòu zuò yè
1 to make day as night (idiom, from Book of Songs); fig. to prolong one's pleasure regardless of the hour
前不见古人,后不见来者
qián bù jiàn gǔ rén , hòu bù jiàn lái zhě
1 unique
2 unprecedented (idiom)
胜者王侯败者寇
shèng zhě wáng hóu bài zhě kòu
1 the winners become princes and marquises; the losers are vilified as bandits (idiom)
2 history is written by the victors
同室操戈
tóng shì cāo gē
1 wielding the halberd within the household (idiom); internecine strife
呼牛作马
hū niú zuò mǎ
1 to call sth a cow or a horse (idiom); it doesn't matter what you call it
2 Insult me if you want, I don't care what you call me.
回嗔作喜
huí chēn zuò xǐ
1 to go from anger to happiness (idiom)
天作之合
tiān zuò zhī hé
1 a match made in heaven (idiom)
天公不作美
tiān gōng bù zuò měi
1 Heaven is not cooperating (idiom)
2 the weather is not favorable for the planned activity
天公作美
tiān gōng zuò měi
1 Heaven is cooperating (idiom)
2 the weather is favorable for the planned activity (a variation of 天公不作美|天公不作美[tiān gōng bù zuò měi])
太公钓鱼,愿者上钩
tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want take the hook (idiom, refers to early sage 姜子牙 fishing with no bait and the hook above the water); to put one's head in the noose
始作俑者
shǐ zuò yǒng zhě
1 lit. the first person to bury funerary dolls (idiom)
2 fig. the originator of an evil practice
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