Chinese CultureHard
Chinese meaning
他是个纸老虎
“He is a paper tiger.”
Natural English
He's a paper tiger.
Funny expressions. Unexpected meanings. Better English.
14 matching expressions
Chinese meaning
他是个纸老虎
“He is a paper tiger.”
Natural English
He's a paper tiger.
Chinese meaning
这件事让我一头雾水
“This matter makes my head full of fog.”
Natural English
This left me completely confused.
Chinese meaning
他是个墙头草
“He is grass on the wall.”
Natural English
He's a fence-sitter / blows with the wind.
Chinese meaning
这简直是对牛弹琴
“This is playing the lute to a cow.”
Natural English
This is casting pearls before swine.
Chinese meaning
她是个胸无点墨的人
“She is a person with no ink in her chest.”
Natural English
She is uneducated / not well-read.
Chinese meaning
他说话总是拐弯抹角
“He always speaks turning corners and wiping angles.”
Natural English
He always beats around the bush.
Chinese meaning
这件事八字还没一撇
“The character 'eight' isn't even written yet.”
Natural English
It's still up in the air / nothing is settled yet.
Chinese meaning
他是个铁公鸡
“He is an iron rooster.”
Natural English
He's a penny-pincher / a tightwad.
Chinese meaning
望子成龙
“Hope son becomes dragon.”
Natural English
Parents hope their children will succeed.
Chinese meaning
礼尚往来
“Ritual still comes and goes.”
Natural English
Courtesy requires reciprocity.
Chinese meaning
入乡随俗
“Enter village follow custom.”
Natural English
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Chinese meaning
老外
“Foreign old man.”
Natural English
Foreigners / a foreign person.
Chinese meaning
一箭双雕
“One arrow two eagles.”
Natural English
Kill two birds with one stone.
Chinese meaning
心花怒放
“Heart flower angry open.”
Natural English
Beaming with joy / overjoyed.