HEYGOW
Set phrases & idioms 100
100
phrases
Everyday life
10
At work
10
Money
10
Sizing someone up
10
Effort and endurance
10
Luck and timing
10
Trouble between people
10
Ways of speaking
10
How people get on
10
Time passing
10
家常便饭。
jiācháng biànfàn.
— an everyday occurrence
过日子。
guò rìzi.
— getting on with life
忙里偷闲。
máng lǐ tōu xián.
— snatching a moment in a busy day
将就一下。
jiāngjiu yíxià.
— make do for now
凑合着用。
còuhe zhe yòng.
— it'll do the job
图个方便。
tú ge fāngbiàn.
— for the sake of convenience
随遇而安。
suí yù ér ān.
— take things as they come
走一步看一步。
zǒu yí bù kàn yí bù.
— take it one step at a time
日子还长着呢。
rìzi hái cháng zhe ne.
— there's plenty of time yet
知足常乐。
zhīzú cháng lè.
— contentment is happiness
加把劲。
jiā bǎ jìn.
— put your back into it
走过场。
zǒu guòchǎng.
— going through the motions
拖后腿。
tuō hòutuǐ.
— holding everyone back
打下手。
dǎ xiàshǒu.
— playing second fiddle
挑大梁。
tiāo dàliáng.
— carrying the load
应付了事。
yìngfù liǎo shì.
— doing just enough to get by
一把手。
yì bǎ shǒu.
— the one in charge
半途而废。
bàn tú ér fèi.
— giving up halfway
有始有终。
yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng.
— seeing it through
各司其职。
gè sī qí zhí.
— each to their own duty
精打细算。
jīng dǎ xì suàn.
— counting every penny
手头紧。
shǒutóu jǐn.
— a bit short right now
花钱如流水。
huāqián rú liúshuǐ.
— money runs through his fingers
一分钱一分货。
yì fēn qián yì fēn huò.
— you get what you pay for
讨价还价。
tǎojià huánjià.
— haggling back and forth
血本无归。
xuèběn wú guī.
— losing your shirt
开源节流。
kāiyuán jiéliú.
— earn more, spend less
羊毛出在羊身上。
yángmáo chū zài yáng shēn shàng.
— you end up paying for it yourself
钱不是万能的。
qián búshì wànnéng de.
— money isn't everything
存点钱备用。
cún diǎn qián bèiyòng.
— put a little by
老好人。
lǎohǎorén.
— everybody's friend, nobody's critic
很有一套。
hěn yǒu yí tào.
— he really knows his stuff
心直口快。
xīn zhí kǒu kuài.
— says what he thinks
面子薄。
miànzi báo.
— easily embarrassed
死脑筋。
sǐ nǎojīn.
— set in his ways
说话算数。
shuōhuà suànshù.
— a man of his word
靠得住。
kào de zhù.
— someone you can rely on
两面派。
liǎngmiànpài.
— two-faced
眼高手低。
yǎn gāo shǒu dī.
— big ideas, small results
人不可貌相。
rén bù kě mào xiàng.
— never judge by appearances
下功夫。
xià gōngfu.
— put the work in
硬着头皮。
yìng zhe tóupí.
— grit your teeth and do it
熬过来了。
áo guòlái le.
— I got through it
从头再来。
cóng tóu zài lái.
— start over from scratch
功夫不负有心人。
gōngfu bú fù yǒuxīnrén.
— effort rewards the willing
咬牙坚持。
yǎoyá jiānchí.
— hold on through gritted teeth
万事开头难。
wànshì kāitóu nán.
— the beginning is always hardest
熟能生巧。
shú néng shēng qiǎo.
— practice makes perfect
一步一个脚印。
yí bù yí ge jiǎoyìn.
— one solid step at a time
慢工出细活。
màn gōng chū xì huó.
— good work takes time
碰运气。
pèng yùnqi.
— chance it
赶巧了。
gǎnqiǎo le.
— just at the right moment
时机成熟。
shíjī chéngshú.
— the time is ripe
错过了。
cuòguò le.
— we missed our chance
说曹操曹操到。
shuō Cáo Cāo Cáo Cāo dào.
— speak of the devil
因祸得福。
yīn huò dé fú.
— a blessing in disguise
时来运转。
shí lái yùn zhuǎn.
— the tide has turned
天上掉馅饼。
tiān shàng diào xiànbǐng.
— pennies from heaven
命中注定。
mìngzhòng zhùdìng.
— it was meant to be
尽人事听天命。
jìn rénshì tīng tiānmìng.
— do your best and leave the rest
惹麻烦。
rě máfan.
— asking for trouble
闹别扭。
nào bièniu.
— in a sulk with each other
撕破脸。
sī pò liǎn.
— an open falling-out
各执一词。
gè zhí yì cí.
— each sticking to their story
大事化小。
dà shì huà xiǎo.
— play it down
得饶人处且饶人。
dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén.
— let it go where you can
息事宁人。
xī shì níng rén.
— smooth things over
火上浇油。
huǒ shàng jiāo yóu.
— adding fuel to the fire
各退一步。
gè tuì yí bù.
— both give ground
一笑泯恩仇。
yí xiào mǐn ēnchóu.
— let a laugh wash it away
话里有话。
huà lǐ yǒu huà.
— there's a meaning behind it
说到底。
shuō dào dǐ.
— when all's said and done
打圆场。
dǎ yuánchǎng.
— smoothing over an awkward moment
拐弯抹角。
guǎiwān mòjiǎo.
— beating about the bush
一针见血。
yì zhēn jiàn xiě.
— hitting the mark exactly
有口无心。
yǒu kǒu wú xīn.
— he doesn't mean it badly
说话不算话。
shuōhuà bú suàn huà.
— he goes back on his word
直言不讳。
zhíyán bú huì.
— speaking without reserve
点到为止。
diǎn dào wéi zhǐ.
— touch on it and stop there
沉默是金。
chénmò shì jīn.
— silence is golden
走后门。
zǒu hòumén.
— pull strings
给面子。
gěi miànzi.
— let someone save face
拉关系。
lā guānxi.
— cultivate connections
划清界限。
huàqīng jièxiàn.
— draw a firm line
打成一片。
dǎ chéng yí piàn.
— blend right in
人情世故。
rénqíng shìgù.
— the ways of the world
有来有往。
yǒu lái yǒu wǎng.
— give and take
远亲不如近邻。
yuǎnqīn bùrú jìnlín.
— a near neighbour beats a distant relative
交浅言深。
jiāo qiǎn yán shēn.
— saying too much too soon
患难见真情。
huànnàn jiàn zhēnqíng.
— hard times show true friends
抓紧时间。
zhuājǐn shíjiān.
— make the most of the time
拖拖拉拉。
tuōtuō lālā.
— dragging one's feet
转眼就到。
zhuǎnyǎn jiù dào.
— here before you know it
一转眼。
yì zhuǎnyǎn.
— in the blink of an eye
日积月累。
rì jī yuè lěi.
— building up day by day
一日千里。
yí rì qiān lǐ.
— advancing by leaps
早晚的事。
zǎowǎn de shì.
— it'll happen sooner or later
迟早会来。
chízǎo huì lái.
— it will come in the end
时间会证明。
shíjiān huì zhèngmíng.
— time will tell
来日方长。
láirì fāng cháng.
— there will be other days