Funny Chinese Idioms and Proverbs for Language Learners203

一、五花八门 (wǔ huā bā mén)

Literal translation: five flowers, eight gates

Meaning: a great variety of things or people; all sorts

Example: This market sells 五花八门 的商品。(This market sells all sorts of things.)

二、鸡同鸭讲 (jī tóng yā jiǎng)

Literal translation: chickens and ducks talking

Meaning: people speaking different languages and failing to understand each other; talking at cross-purposes

Example: 我们语言不通，只能 鸡同鸭讲。(We don't speak the same language, so we can't communicate properly.)

三、睁一只眼闭一只眼 (zhēng yī zhī yǎn bì yī zhī yǎn)

Literal translation: open one eye, close one eye

Meaning: to pretend not to see or notice something; to turn a blind eye

Example: 老师 睁一只眼闭一只眼 地让学生作弊。(The teacher turned a blind eye to the students cheating.)

四、吃不了兜着走 (chī bú liǎo dōu zhe zǒu)

Literal translation: can't eat, have to take away

Meaning: to suffer the consequences of one's actions; to be held responsible

Example: 你闯了祸，就 吃不了兜着走。(If you cause trouble, you'll have to take responsibility.)

五、马马虎虎 (mǎ mǎ hū hū)

Literal translation: horse, horse, tiger, tiger

Meaning: mediocre; not very good; so-so

Example: 他考试成绩 马马虎虎。(His exam scores were so-so.)

六、自不量力 (zì bù liàng lì)

Literal translation: not measuring one's own strength

Meaning: to overestimate one's abilities; to be overconfident

Example: 他 自不量力 地挑战世界冠军。(He overconfidently challenged the world champion.)

七、天花乱坠 (tiān huā luàn zhuì)

Literal translation: flowers falling from the sky like rain

Meaning: to talk in a very exaggerated or flattering way; to sweet-talk

Example: 他说话 天花乱坠，让人听了浮想联翩。(His words were so exaggerated that they made people's imaginations run wild.)

八、眼高手低 (yǎn gāo shǒu dī)

Literal translation: high eyes, low hands

Meaning: to have high aspirations but lack the ability to achieve them

Example: 他 眼高手低，总想当领导，但能力不够。(He has high aspirations and always wants to be a leader, but he doesn't have the ability.)

九、破罐子破摔 (pò guàn zi pò shuài)

Literal translation: break the jar, smash the pieces

Meaning: to give up completely; to despair

Example: 他考试失败后， 破罐子破摔，再也不复习功课。(After failing the exam, he gave up completely and never studied again.)

十、丈二和尚摸不着头脑 (zhàng èr héshàng mō bù zhū tóu nǎo)

Literal translation: a six-foot-tall monk can't figure out his own head

Meaning: to be completely confused or bewildered

Example: 我听了他讲的故事， 丈二和尚摸不着头脑。(I couldn't understand his story at all.)

2025-02-03

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