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)
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
仓皇出逃
cāng huáng chū táo
1 to run off in a great panic (idiom)
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)
劫数难逃
jié shù nán táo
1 Destiny is inexorable, there is no fleeing it (idiom). Your doom is at hand.
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
北叟失马
běi sǒu shī mǎ
1 lit. the old man lost his horse, but it all turned out for the best (idiom)
2 fig. a blessing in disguise
3 it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good
南征北伐
nán zhēng běi fá
1 war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
南征北战
nán zhēng běi zhàn
1 war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
南征北讨
nán zhēng běi tǎo
1 war on all sides (idiom); fighting from all four quarters
南箕北斗
nán jī běi dǒu
1 the Winnowing Basket in the southern sky, and the Big Dipper in the north (idiom); sth which, despite its name, is of no practical use
南辕北辙
nán yuán běi zhé
1 to act in a way that defeats one's purpose (idiom)
喝西北风
hē xī běi fēng
1 lit. drink the northwest wind (idiom); cold and hungry
大江南北
Dà jiāng nán běi
1 north and south sides of the Yangtze River (idiom)
2 (fig.) all over China
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
姜太公钓鱼,愿者上钩
Jiāng tài gōng diào yú , yuàn zhě shàng gōu
1 Jiang Ziya is fishing, if you want it, 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
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