HSK Idioms
| Level |
# |
simplified |
traditional |
pīnyīn |
definition |
| 5 |
1998 |
成语 |
成語 |
chéng yǔ |
Chinese set expression/ often made up of 4 characters or two couplets of 4 characters each/ often alluding to a story or historical quotation; idiom; proverb; saying; adage; set expression; CL:條|条[tiao2]/本[ben3]/句[ju4] |
| 6 |
2493 |
" |
一如既往 |
yī rú jì wǎng |
just as in the past (idiom); as before; continuing as always |
| 6 |
2497 |
" |
一目了然 |
yī mù liǎo rán |
obvious at a glance (idiom) |
| 6 |
2649 |
" |
力所能及 |
lì suǒ néng jí |
as far as one\'s capabilities extend (idiom); to the best of one\'s ability; within one\'s powers |
| 6 |
2836 |
" |
小心翼翼 |
xiǎo xīn yì yì |
cautious and solemn (idiom); very carefully; prudent; gently and cautiously |
| 6 |
2856 |
" |
川流不息 |
chuān liú bù xī |
the stream flows without stopping (idiom); unending flow |
| 6 |
2912 |
" |
急功近利 |
jí gōng jìn lì |
seeking instant benefit (idiom); shortsighted vision/ looking only for fast return |
| 6 |
3166 |
" |
津津有味 |
jīn jīn yǒu wèi |
with keen interest pleasure (idiom); with gusto; to relish; eagerly; with great interest |
| 6 |
3336 |
" |
精益求精 |
jīng yì qiú jīng |
to perfect sth that is already outstanding (idiom); constantly improving |
| 6 |
3374 |
" |
自力更生 |
zì lì gēng shēng |
regeneration through one\'s own effort (idiom); self-reliance |
| 6 |
3396 |
" |
莫名其妙 |
mò míng qí miào |
unfathomable mystery (idiom); subtle and ineffable; unable to make head or tail of it; boring (e.g. movie) |
| 6 |
3448 |
" |
迫不及待 |
pò bù jí dài |
impatient (idiom); in a hurry; itching to get on with it |
| 6 |
3498 |
" |
雪上加霜 |
xuě shàng jiā shuāng |
to add hail to snow (idiom); one disaster on top of another; to make things worse in a bad situation |
| 6 |
3523 |
一帆风顺 |
一帆風順 |
yī fān fēng shùn |
single sail/ gentle wind (idiom); plain sailing; to go smoothly |
| 6 |
3524 |
一丝不苟 |
一絲不苟 |
yī sī bù gǒu |
not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules; meticulous; not one hair out of place |
| 6 |
3525 |
一举两得 |
一舉兩得 |
yī jǔ liǎng dé |
one move/ two gains (idiom); two birds with one stone |
| 6 |
3532 |
不可思议 |
不可思議 |
bù kě sī yì |
inconceivable (idiom); unimaginable; unfathomable |
| 6 |
3646 |
再接再厉 |
再接再厲 |
zài jiē zài lì |
to continue the struggle (idiom); to persist; unremitting efforts |
| 6 |
3709 |
千方百计 |
千方百計 |
qiān fāng bǎi jì |
lit. thousand ways/ a hundred plans (idiom); by every possible means |
| 6 |
3710 |
半途而废 |
半途而廢 |
bàn tú ér fèi |
to give up halfway (idiom); leave sth unfinished |
| 6 |
3735 |
名副其实 |
名副其實 |
míng fù qí shí |
not just in name only/ but also in reality (idiom) |
| 6 |
3738 |
后顾之忧 |
后顧之憂 |
hòu gù zhī yōu |
fears of trouble in the rear (idiom); family worries (obstructing freedom of action); worries about the future consequences; often in negative expressions/ meaning \"no worries about anything\" |
| 6 |
3753 |
咬牙切齿 |
咬牙切齒 |
yǎo yá qiè chǐ |
gnashing one\'s teeth (idiom); displaying extreme anger; fuming with rage between gritted teeth |
| 6 |
3766 |
喜闻乐见 |
喜聞樂見 |
xǐ wén lè jiàn |
a delight to see (idiom); an attractive spectacle |
| 6 |
3832 |
天伦之乐 |
天倫之樂 |
tiān lún zhī lè |
pleasure of heavenly agreement (idiom); family love and joy; domestic bliss |
| 6 |
3860 |
安居乐业 |
安居樂業 |
ān jū lè yè |
live in peace and work happily (idiom) |
| 6 |
3870 |
家喻户晓 |
家喻戶曉 |
jiā yù hù xiǎo |
understood by everyone (idiom); well known; a household name |
| 6 |
3874 |
实事求是 |
實事求是 |
shí shì qiú shì |
to seek truth from facts (idiom); to be practical and realistic |
| 6 |
3917 |
层出不穷 |
層出不窮 |
céng chū bù qióng |
more and more emerge; innumerable succession; breeding like flies (idiom) |
| 6 |
3952 |
得天独厚 |
得天獨厚 |
dé tiān dú hòu |
(of an area) rich in resources; (of a person) gifted or able (idiom) |
| 6 |
3956 |
循序渐进 |
循序漸進 |
xún xù jiàn jìn |
in sequence/ step by step (idiom); to make steady progress incrementally |
| 6 |
3969 |
急于求成 |
急於求成 |
jí yú qiú chéng |
anxious for quick results (idiom); to demand instant success; impatient for result; impetuous |
| 6 |
3981 |
想方设法 |
想方設法 |
xiǎng fāng shè fǎ |
to think up every possible method (idiom); to devise ways and means; to try this/ that and the other |
| 6 |
3986 |
爱不释手 |
愛不釋手 |
ài bù shì shǒu |
to love sth too much to part with it (idiom); to fondle admiringly |
| 6 |
4027 |
拔苗助长 |
拔苗助長 |
bá miáo zhù zhǎng |
to spoil things through excessive enthusiasm (idiom) |
| 6 |
4122 |
斩钉截铁 |
斬釘截鐵 |
zhǎn dīng jié tiě |
to chop the nail and slice the iron (idiom); resolute and decisive; unhesitating; definitely; without any doubt |
| 6 |
4124 |
新陈代谢 |
新陳代謝 |
xīn chén dài xiè |
metabolism (biology); the new replaces the old (idiom) |
| 6 |
4131 |
日新月异 |
日新月異 |
rì xīn yuè yì |
daily renewal/ monthly change (idiom); every day sees new developments; rapid progress |
| 6 |
4152 |
有条不紊 |
有條不紊 |
yǒu tiáo bù wěn |
regular and thorough (idiom); methodically arranged |
| 6 |
4155 |
朝气蓬勃 |
朝氣蓬勃 |
zhāo qì péng bó |
full of youthful energy (idiom); vigorous; energetic; a bright spark |
| 6 |
4161 |
东张西望 |
東張西望 |
dōng zhāng xī wàng |
to look in all directions (idiom); to glance around |
| 6 |
4201 |
欣欣向荣 |
欣欣向榮 |
xīn xīn xiàng róng |
luxuriant growth (idiom); flourishing; thriving |
| 6 |
4247 |
没辙 |
沒轍 |
méi zhé |
(idiom) unable to solve; no way to escape a problem |
| 6 |
4284 |
滔滔不绝 |
滔滔不絕 |
tāo tāo bù jué |
unceasing torrent (idiom); talking non-stop; gabbling forty to the dozen |
| 6 |
4315 |
无可奉告 |
無可奉告 |
wú kě fèng gào |
(idiom) \"no comment\" |
| 6 |
4317 |
无微不至 |
無微不至 |
wú wēi bù zhì |
in every possible way (idiom); meticulous |
| 6 |
4319 |
无忧无虑 |
無憂無慮 |
wú yōu wú lǜ |
carefree and without worries (idiom) |
| 6 |
4321 |
无理取闹 |
無理取鬧 |
wú lǐ qǔ nào |
to make trouble without reason (idiom); deliberately awkward; pointless provocation; willful trouble maker |
| 6 |
4323 |
无穷无尽 |
無窮無盡 |
wú qióng wú jìn |
vast and limitless (idiom); endless span of time; no vestige of a beginning/ no prospect of an end |
| 6 |
4324 |
无精打采 |
無精打採 |
wú jīng dǎ cǎi |
dispirited and downcast (idiom); listless; in low spirits; washed out |
| 6 |
4325 |
无能为力 |
無能為力 |
wú néng wéi lì |
impotent (idiom); powerless; helpless |
| 6 |
4334 |
热泪盈眶 |
熱淚盈眶 |
rè lèi yíng kuàng |
eyes brimming with tears of excitement (idiom); extremely moved |
| 6 |
4340 |
争先恐后 |
爭先恐后 |
zhēng xiān kǒng hòu |
striving to be first and fearing to be last (idiom); outdoing one another |
| 6 |
4366 |
理所当然 |
理所當然 |
lǐ suǒ dāng rán |
as it should be by rights (idiom); proper and to be expected as a matter of course; inevitable and right |
| 6 |
4367 |
理直气壮 |
理直氣壯 |
lǐ zhí qì zhuàng |
in the right and self-confident (idiom); bold and confident with justice on one\'s side; to have the courage of one\'s convictions; just and forceful |
| 6 |
4378 |
画蛇添足 |
畫蛇添足 |
huà shé tiān zú |
lit. draw legs on a snake (idiom); fig. to ruin the effect by adding sth superfluous; to overdo it |
| 6 |
4418 |
相辅相成 |
相輔相成 |
xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng |
to complement one another (idiom) |
| 6 |
4422 |
众所周知 |
眾所周知 |
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī |
as everyone knows (idiom) |
| 6 |
4425 |
知足常乐 |
知足常樂 |
zhī zú cháng lè |
satisfied with what one has (idiom) |
| 6 |
4442 |
称心如意 |
稱心如意 |
chèn xīn rú yì |
after one\'s heart (idiom); gratifying and satisfactory; everything one could wish |
| 6 |
4452 |
竭尽全力 |
竭盡全力 |
jié jìn quán lì |
to spare no effort (idiom); to do one\'s utmost |
| 6 |
4509 |
络绎不绝 |
絡繹不絕 |
luò yì bù jué |
continuously; in an endless stream (idiom) |
| 6 |
4535 |
继往开来 |
繼往開來 |
jì wǎng kāi lái |
to follow the past and herald the future (idiom); part of a historical transition; forming a bridge between earlier and later stages |
| 6 |
4551 |
聚精会神 |
聚精會神 |
jù jīng huì shén |
to concentrate one\'s attention (idiom) |
| 6 |
4586 |
兴致勃勃 |
興致勃勃 |
xìng zhì bó bó |
to become exhilarated (idiom); in high spirits; full of zest |
| 6 |
4588 |
兴高采烈 |
興高採烈 |
xīng gāo cǎi liè |
happy and excited (idiom); in high spirits; in great delight |
| 6 |
4592 |
举足轻重 |
舉足輕重 |
jǔ zú qīng zhòng |
a foot\'s move sways the balance (idiom); to hold the balance of power; to play the decisive role |
| 6 |
4597 |
苦尽甘来 |
苦盡甘來 |
kǔ jìn gān lái |
bitterness finishes/ sweetness begins (idiom); the hard times are over/ the good times just beginning |
| 6 |
4644 |
见多识广 |
見多識廣 |
jiàn duō shí guǎng |
experienced and knowledgeable (idiom) |
| 6 |
4645 |
见义勇为 |
見義勇為 |
jiàn yì yǒng wéi |
to see what is right and act courageously (idiom/ from Analects); to stand up bravely for the truth; acting heroically in a just cause |
| 6 |
4718 |
岂有此理 |
豈有此理 |
qǐ yǒu cǐ lǐ |
how can this be so? (idiom); preposterous; ridiculous; absurd |
| 6 |
4853 |
锲而不舍 |
鍥而不舍 |
qiè ér bù shě |
to chip away at a task and not abandon it (idiom); to chisel away at sth; to persevere; unflagging efforts |
| 6 |
4965 |
风土人情 |
風土人情 |
fēng tǔ rén qíng |
local conditions and customs (idiom) |
| 6 |
5002 |
齐心协力 |
齊心協力 |
qí xīn xié lì |
to work with a common purpose (idiom); to make concerted efforts; to pull together; to work as one |