| 1 | 不知不觉
bùzhī-bùjué | without realising, before one knows it (chengyu) | 不知不觉，我来中国已经一年了。
Bùzhī-bùjué, wǒ lái Zhōngguó yǐjīng yì nián le.
Before I knew it, I'd been in China for a year. |
| 2 | 大吃一惊
dàchī-yìjīng | to be greatly surprised (chengyu) | 听到这个消息，我大吃一惊。
Tīngdào zhè gè xiāoxi, wǒ dàchī-yìjīng.
I was astonished to hear the news. |
| 3 | 乱七八糟
luànqī-bāzāo | in a complete mess (chengyu) | 他的房间乱七八糟的。
Tā de fángjiān luànqī-bāzāo de.
His room is a complete mess. |
| 4 | 一模一样
yìmú-yíyàng | exactly alike (chengyu) | 这对双胞胎长得一模一样。
Zhè duì shuāngbāotāi zhǎng de yìmú-yíyàng.
These twins look exactly alike. |
| 5 | 津津有味
jīnjīn-yǒuwèi | with great relish (chengyu) | 孩子们吃得津津有味。
Háizimen chī de jīnjīn-yǒuwèi.
The children ate with great relish. |
| 6 | 莫名其妙
mòmíng-qímiào | baffling, inexplicable (chengyu) | 他莫名其妙地生气了。
Tā mòmíng-qímiào de shēngqì le.
He got angry for no apparent reason. |
| 7 | 与众不同
yǔzhòng-bùtóng | out of the ordinary, unique (chengyu) | 她的想法总是与众不同。
Tā de xiǎngfǎ zǒng shì yǔzhòng-bùtóng.
Her ideas are always out of the ordinary. |
| 8 | 一举两得
yìjǔ-liǎngdé | to kill two birds with one stone (chengyu) | 骑车上班既能锻炼身体又能省钱，真是一举两得。
Qí chē shàngbān jì néng duànliàn shēntǐ yòu néng shěng qián, zhēn shì yìjǔ-liǎngdé.
Cycling to work keeps you fit and saves money: two birds with one stone. |
| 9 | 半途而废
bàntú-érfèi | to give up halfway (chengyu) | 做事不能半途而废。
Zuò shì bù néng bàntú-érfèi.
You shouldn't give up halfway through things. |
| 10 | 三心二意
sānxīn-èryì | half-hearted, unable to make up one's mind (chengyu) | 学习的时候不要三心二意。
Xuéxí de shíhou bú yào sānxīn-èryì.
Don't be half-hearted when you study. |
| 11 | 千方百计
qiānfāng-bǎijì | by every possible means (chengyu) | 他千方百计地想买到那张票。
Tā qiānfāng-bǎijì de xiǎng mǎi dào nà zhāng piào.
He tried every way he could to get that ticket. |
| 12 | 实事求是
shíshì-qiúshì | to seek truth from facts, be realistic (chengyu) | 做研究要实事求是。
Zuò yánjiū yào shíshì-qiúshì.
Research has to be grounded in the facts. |
| 13 | 十全十美
shíquán-shíměi | perfect in every way (chengyu) | 没有十全十美的工作。
Méiyǒu shíquán-shíměi de gōngzuò.
There's no such thing as a perfect job. |
| 14 | 入乡随俗
rùxiāng-suísú | when in Rome, do as the Romans do (chengyu) | 入乡随俗，在中国我也学会了用筷子。
Rùxiāng-suísú, zài Zhōngguó wǒ yě xuéhuì le yòng kuàizi.
When in Rome: in China I learned to use chopsticks too. |
| 15 | 迫不及待
pòbù-jídài | unable to wait, impatient (chengyu) | 他迫不及待地打开了礼物。
Tā pòbù-jídài de dǎkāi le lǐwù.
He couldn't wait to open the present. |
| 16 | 独一无二
dúyī-wú'èr | unique, one of a kind (chengyu) | 每个人都是独一无二的。
Měi gè rén dōu shì dúyī-wú'èr de.
Everyone is unique. |
| 17 | 全力以赴
quánlì-yǐfù | to go all out (chengyu) | 为了这次比赛，我们会全力以赴。
Wèile zhè cì bǐsài, wǒmen huì quánlì-yǐfù.
We'll go all out for this competition. |
| 18 | 理所当然
lǐsuǒ-dāngrán | naturally, as a matter of course (chengyu) | 他觉得父母帮他是理所当然的。
Tā juéde fùmǔ bāng tā shì lǐsuǒ-dāngrán de.
He takes it for granted that his parents help him. |
| 19 | 一帆风顺
yìfān-fēngshùn | plain sailing, smooth (chengyu) | 祝你工作一帆风顺！
Zhù nǐ gōngzuò yìfān-fēngshùn!
I wish you every success in your work! |
| 20 | 丰富多彩
fēngfù-duōcǎi | rich and colourful, varied (chengyu) | 大学生活丰富多彩。
Dàxué shēnghuó fēngfù-duōcǎi.
University life is rich and varied. |
| 21 | 自言自语
zìyán-zìyǔ | to talk to oneself (chengyu) | 他一边走一边自言自语。
Tā yìbiān zǒu yìbiān zìyán-zìyǔ.
He talked to himself as he walked. |
| 22 | 总而言之
zǒng'ér-yánzhī | in short, all in all (chengyu) | 总而言之，这次活动很成功。
Zǒng'ér-yánzhī, zhè cì huódòng hěn chénggōng.
All in all, the event was a great success. |
| 23 | 迄今为止
qìjīn-wéizhǐ | up to now, so far (chengyu, formal) | 迄今为止，这是最好的办法。
Qìjīn-wéizhǐ, zhè shì zuì hǎo de bànfǎ.
So far, this is the best way. |
| 24 | 无能为力
wúnéng-wéilì | powerless, helpless (chengyu) | 对这件事，我也无能为力。
Duì zhè jiàn shì, wǒ yě wúnéng-wéilì.
There's nothing I can do about this. |
| 25 | 力所能及
lìsuǒ-néngjí | within one's power (chengyu) | 孩子应该做些力所能及的家务。
Háizi yīnggāi zuò xiē lìsuǒ-néngjí de jiāwù.
Children should do the housework they're able to. |
| 26 | 心甘情愿
xīngān-qíngyuàn | perfectly willing (chengyu) | 为了家人，他心甘情愿地吃苦。
Wèile jiārén, tā xīngān-qíngyuàn de chīkǔ.
He gladly endures hardship for his family. |
| 27 | 不屑一顾
búxiè-yígù | to think beneath one's notice (chengyu) | 他对别人的意见不屑一顾。
Tā duì biérén de yìjiàn búxiè-yígù.
He dismisses other people's opinions out of hand. |
| 28 | 兢兢业业
jīngjīng-yèyè | conscientious, diligent (chengyu) | 他几十年来一直兢兢业业地工作。
Tā jǐ shí nián lái yìzhí jīngjīng-yèyè de gōngzuò.
He has worked conscientiously for decades. |
| 29 | 一丝不苟
yìsī-bùgǒu | meticulous (chengyu) | 他做事一丝不苟。
Tā zuòshì yìsī-bùgǒu.
He is meticulous in everything he does. |
| 30 | 精益求精
jīngyì-qiújīng | to keep improving, strive for perfection (chengyu) | 我们对产品质量精益求精。
Wǒmen duì chǎnpǐn zhìliàng jīngyì-qiújīng.
We keep striving to improve product quality. |
| 31 | 锲而不舍
qiè'ér-bùshě | to persevere (chengyu) | 只要锲而不舍，就一定能成功。
Zhǐyào qiè'ér-bùshě, jiù yídìng néng chénggōng.
Keep at it and you will succeed. |
| 32 | 再接再厉
zàijiē-zàilì | to keep up the effort (chengyu) | 希望你再接再厉，取得更好的成绩。
Xīwàng nǐ zàijiē-zàilì, qǔdé gèng hǎo de chéngjì.
Keep up the good work and you'll do even better. |
| 33 | 见多识广
jiànduō-shíguǎng | experienced and knowledgeable (chengyu) | 他走过很多国家，见多识广。
Tā zǒuguo hěn duō guójiā, jiànduō-shíguǎng.
He has travelled to many countries and seen a great deal. |
| 34 | 东张西望
dōngzhāng-xīwàng | to look around in all directions (chengyu) | 他在路口东张西望，好像在找人。
Tā zài lùkǒu dōngzhāng-xīwàng, hǎoxiàng zài zhǎo rén.
He was looking all around at the crossroads as if searching for someone. |
| 35 | 供不应求
gōngbú-yìngqiú | demand exceeds supply (chengyu) | 新手机上市后供不应求。
Xīn shǒujī shàngshì hòu gōngbú-yìngqiú.
Once the new phone came out, demand outstripped supply. |
| 36 | 举足轻重
jǔzú-qīngzhòng | of great importance (chengyu) | 他在公司里举足轻重。
Tā zài gōngsī li jǔzú-qīngzhòng.
He carries a lot of weight in the company. |
| 37 | 不可思议
bùkě-sīyì | inconceivable, unbelievable (chengyu) | 这简直是不可思议的事。
Zhè jiǎnzhí shì bùkě-sīyì de shì.
This is simply unbelievable. |
| 38 | 众所周知
zhòngsuǒ-zhōuzhī | as everyone knows (chengyu) | 众所周知，吸烟有害健康。
Zhòngsuǒ-zhōuzhī, xīyān yǒuhài jiànkāng.
As everyone knows, smoking harms your health. |
| 39 | 不言而喻
bùyán-éryù | self-evident, it goes without saying (chengyu) | 学习的重要性是不言而喻的。
Xuéxí de zhòngyàoxìng shì bùyán-éryù de.
The importance of learning goes without saying. |
| 40 | 家喻户晓
jiāyù-hùxiǎo | known to every household (chengyu) | 这个故事在中国家喻户晓。
Zhè gè gùshi zài Zhōngguó jiāyù-hùxiǎo.
Every household in China knows this story. |
| 41 | 日新月异
rìxīn-yuèyì | changing with each passing day (chengyu) | 科技的发展日新月异。
Kējì de fāzhǎn rìxīn-yuèyì.
Technology is changing by the day. |
| 42 | 层出不穷
céngchū-bùqióng | to emerge one after another (chengyu) | 新的问题层出不穷。
Xīn de wèntí céngchū-bùqióng.
New problems keep cropping up. |
| 43 | 络绎不绝
luòyì-bùjué | in an endless stream (chengyu) | 来参观的游客络绎不绝。
Lái cānguān de yóukè luòyì-bùjué.
Visitors come in an endless stream. |
| 44 | 争先恐后
zhēngxiān-kǒnghòu | to rush to be first (chengyu) | 孩子们争先恐后地回答问题。
Háizimen zhēngxiān-kǒnghòu de huídá wèntí.
The children rushed to be the first to answer. |
| 45 | 小心翼翼
xiǎoxīn-yìyì | very carefully, gingerly (chengyu) | 他小心翼翼地打开了盒子。
Tā xiǎoxīn-yìyì de dǎkāi le hézi.
He opened the box very carefully. |
| 46 | 聚精会神
jùjīng-huìshén | with rapt attention (chengyu) | 学生们聚精会神地听讲。
Xuéshengmen jùjīng-huìshén de tīngjiǎng.
The students listened with rapt attention. |
| 47 | 废寝忘食
fèiqǐn-wàngshí | to forget food and sleep (absorbed in work) (chengyu) | 他废寝忘食地工作。
Tā fèiqǐn-wàngshí de gōngzuò.
He worked so hard he forgot to eat and sleep. |
| 48 | 无精打采
wújīng-dǎcǎi | listless, dispirited (chengyu) | 他今天看起来无精打采的。
Tā jīntiān kàn qǐlai wújīng-dǎcǎi de.
He looks listless today. |
| 49 | 兴高采烈
xìnggāo-cǎiliè | in high spirits (chengyu) | 孩子们兴高采烈地去公园玩。
Háizimen xìnggāo-cǎiliè de qù gōngyuán wán.
The children went off to the park in high spirits. |
| 50 | 恍然大悟
huǎngrán-dàwù | to suddenly understand (chengyu) | 听了他的解释，我恍然大悟。
Tīng le tā de jiěshì, wǒ huǎngrán-dàwù.
After his explanation, it suddenly dawned on me. |
| 51 | 想方设法
xiǎngfāng-shèfǎ | to try every way (chengyu) | 他想方设法帮助我们。
Tā xiǎngfāng-shèfǎ bāngzhù wǒmen.
He did everything he could to help us. |
| 52 | 齐心协力
qíxīn-xiélì | to pull together (chengyu) | 只要大家齐心协力，就没有做不到的事。
Zhǐyào dàjiā qíxīn-xiélì, jiù méiyǒu zuò bu dào de shì.
If we all pull together, nothing is impossible. |
| 53 | 理直气壮
lǐzhí-qìzhuàng | confident of being in the right (chengyu) | 他错了，却说得理直气壮。
Tā cuò le, què shuō de lǐzhí-qìzhuàng.
He was wrong, yet he spoke as if he were in the right. |
| 54 | 自力更生
zìlì-gēngshēng | self-reliant, to stand on one's own feet (chengyu) | 我们要自力更生，不能总靠别人。
Wǒmen yào zìlì-gēngshēng, bù néng zǒng kào biérén.
We must stand on our own feet, not always rely on others. |
| 55 | 任重道远
rènzhòng-dàoyuǎn | a heavy burden and a long road (chengyu) | 保护环境任重道远。
Bǎohù huánjìng rènzhòng-dàoyuǎn.
Protecting the environment is a long, hard task. |
| 56 | 当务之急
dāngwù-zhījí | urgent matter, top priority (chengyu) | 当务之急是找到失踪的孩子。
Dāngwù-zhījí shì zhǎodào shīzōng de háizi.
The top priority is to find the missing child. |
| 57 | 刻不容缓
kèbù-rónghuǎn | extremely urgent (chengyu) | 治理污染已经刻不容缓。
Zhìlǐ wūrǎn yǐjīng kèbù-rónghuǎn.
Tackling pollution can't wait any longer. |
| 58 | 后顾之忧
hòugù-zhīyōu | worries about trouble back home (chengyu) | 公司帮员工解决了后顾之忧。
Gōngsī bāng yuángōng jiějué le hòugù-zhīyōu.
The company took care of the staff's worries back home. |
| 59 | 急于求成
jíyú-qiúchéng | impatient for success (chengyu) | 学习语言不能急于求成。
Xuéxí yǔyán bù néng jíyú-qiúchéng.
You can't rush learning a language. |
| 60 | 得不偿失
débù-chángshī | the loss outweighs the gain (chengyu) | 为了赚钱累坏身体，得不偿失。
Wèile zhuàn qián lèihuài shēntǐ, débù-chángshī.
Wrecking your health to earn money isn't worth it. |
| 61 | 画蛇添足
huàshé-tiānzú | to spoil something by adding to it (chengyu) | 最后这句话是画蛇添足，删掉吧。
Zuìhòu zhè jù huà shì huàshé-tiānzú, shāndiào ba.
That last sentence is superfluous; cut it. |
| 62 | 锦上添花
jǐnshàng-tiānhuā | to make something good even better (chengyu) | 这段音乐为电影锦上添花。
Zhè duàn yīnyuè wèi diànyǐng jǐnshàng-tiānhuā.
The music makes a good film even better. |
| 63 | 雪上加霜
xuěshàng-jiāshuāng | one disaster on top of another (chengyu) | 他丢了工作，又生了病，真是雪上加霜。
Tā diū le gōngzuò, yòu shēng le bìng, zhēn shì xuěshàng-jiāshuāng.
He lost his job and then fell ill: one blow after another. |
| 64 | 苦尽甘来
kǔjìn-gānlái | after hardship comes happiness (chengyu) | 经过多年的努力，他终于苦尽甘来。
Jīngguò duō nián de nǔlì, tā zhōngyú kǔjìn-gānlái.
After years of struggle, his hard times are finally over. |
| 65 | 知足常乐
zhīzú-chánglè | contentment brings happiness (chengyu) | 知足常乐，别要求太多。
Zhīzú-chánglè, bié yāoqiú tài duō.
Be content and you'll be happy; don't ask for too much. |
| 66 | 无忧无虑
wúyōu-wúlǜ | carefree (chengyu) | 小时候的生活无忧无虑。
Xiǎoshíhou de shēnghuó wúyōu-wúlǜ.
Life was carefree when we were small. |
| 67 | 无微不至
wúwēi-búzhì | meticulous, in every detail (of care) (chengyu) | 护士对病人的照顾无微不至。
Hùshi duì bìngrén de zhàogù wúwēi-búzhì.
The nurses look after the patients with every care. |
| 68 | 微不足道
wēibù-zúdào | insignificant, trivial (chengyu) | 这点小事微不足道。
Zhè diǎn xiǎo shì wēibù-zúdào.
This little thing isn't worth mentioning. |
| 69 | 不相上下
bùxiāng-shàngxià | evenly matched (chengyu) | 两个队的水平不相上下。
Liǎng gè duì de shuǐpíng bùxiāng-shàngxià.
The two teams are evenly matched. |
| 70 | 名副其实
míngfù-qíshí | worthy of the name (chengyu) | 他是名副其实的专家。
Tā shì míngfù-qíshí de zhuānjiā.
He's an expert in every sense of the word. |
| 71 | 难能可贵
nánnéng-kěguì | commendable, admirable (chengyu) | 这么小就这么懂事，真是难能可贵。
Zhème xiǎo jiù zhème dǒngshì, zhēn shì nánnéng-kěguì.
To be so sensible so young is truly admirable. |
| 72 | 得天独厚
détiān-dúhòu | richly endowed by nature (chengyu) | 这里有得天独厚的自然条件。
Zhèlǐ yǒu détiān-dúhòu de zìrán tiáojiàn.
This place enjoys exceptional natural advantages. |
| 73 | 物美价廉
wùměi-jiàlián | good quality at a low price (chengyu) | 这家店的东西物美价廉。
Zhè jiā diàn de dōngxi wùměi-jiàlián.
The goods in this shop are good value. |
| 74 | 称心如意
chènxīn-rúyì | just as one wishes (chengyu) | 他终于找到了一份称心如意的工作。
Tā zhōngyú zhǎodào le yí fèn chènxīn-rúyì de gōngzuò.
He finally found a job that suits him perfectly. |
| 75 | 一如既往
yìrú-jìwǎng | as always (chengyu) | 我们会一如既往地支持你。
Wǒmen huì yìrú-jìwǎng de zhīchí nǐ.
We'll support you as we always have. |
| 76 | 斩钉截铁
zhǎndīng-jiétiě | resolute, categorical (chengyu) | 他斩钉截铁地拒绝了。
Tā zhǎndīng-jiétiě de jùjué le.
He refused flatly. |
| 77 | 滔滔不绝
tāotāo-bùjué | talking non-stop (chengyu) | 一说到足球，他就滔滔不绝。
Yì shuō dào zúqiú, tā jiù tāotāo-bùjué.
Once he gets onto football, he can't stop talking. |
| 78 | 吞吞吐吐
tūntūn-tǔtǔ | to hem and haw (chengyu) | 他说话吞吞吐吐的，好像有什么事。
Tā shuōhuà tūntūn-tǔtǔ de, hǎoxiàng yǒu shénme shì.
He was hemming and hawing as if something was up. |
| 79 | 狼吞虎咽
lángtūn-hǔyàn | to wolf down (chengyu) | 他饿坏了，狼吞虎咽地吃完了饭。
Tā èhuài le, lángtūn-hǔyàn de chīwán le fàn.
He was starving and wolfed down his meal. |
| 80 | 热泪盈眶
rèlèi-yíngkuàng | eyes brimming with tears (chengyu) | 听到这个好消息，妈妈热泪盈眶。
Tīngdào zhè gè hǎo xiāoxi, māma rèlèi-yíngkuàng.
Mum's eyes filled with tears at the good news. |
| 81 | 鸦雀无声
yāquè-wúshēng | utter silence (chengyu) | 老师走进教室，大家马上鸦雀无声。
Lǎoshī zǒujìn jiàoshì, dàjiā mǎshàng yāquè-wúshēng.
The teacher walked in and the class fell silent at once. |
| 82 | 根深蒂固
gēnshēn-dìgù | deep-rooted (chengyu) | 这种观念在人们心中根深蒂固。
Zhè zhǒng guānniàn zài rénmen xīnzhōng gēnshēn-dìgù.
This notion is deeply rooted in people's minds. |
| 83 | 见义勇为
jiànyì-yǒngwéi | to act bravely for a just cause (chengyu) | 他见义勇为，抓住了小偷。
Tā jiànyì-yǒngwéi, zhuāzhù le xiǎotōu.
He bravely stepped in and caught the thief. |
| 84 | 不择手段
bùzé-shǒuduàn | by fair means or foul (chengyu) | 他为了成功不择手段。
Tā wèile chénggōng bùzé-shǒuduàn.
He'll do anything to succeed. |
| 85 | 岂有此理
qǐyǒu-cǐlǐ | outrageous, absurd (chengyu) | 他不但不道歉，还骂人，真是岂有此理！
Tā búdàn bú dàoqiàn, hái mà rén, zhēn shì qǐyǒu-cǐlǐ!
Instead of apologizing he swore at people: outrageous! |
| 86 | 欣欣向荣
xīnxīn-xiàngróng | thriving, flourishing (chengyu) | 这座城市一片欣欣向荣的景象。
Zhè zuò chéngshì yí piàn xīnxīn-xiàngróng de jǐngxiàng.
The whole city is thriving. |
| 87 | 朝气蓬勃
zhāoqì-péngbó | full of youthful vigour (chengyu) | 校园里到处都是朝气蓬勃的年轻人。
Xiàoyuán lǐ dàochù dōu shì zhāoqì-péngbó de niánqīngrén.
The campus is full of energetic young people. |
| 88 | 与日俱增
yǔrì-jùzēng | to grow day by day (chengyu) | 他对中文的兴趣与日俱增。
Tā duì Zhōngwén de xìngqù yǔrì-jùzēng.
His interest in Chinese grows by the day. |
| 89 | 精打细算
jīngdǎ-xìsuàn | to budget carefully (chengyu) | 妈妈过日子很会精打细算。
Māma guò rìzi hěn huì jīngdǎ-xìsuàn.
Mum is very good at managing the household budget. |
| 90 | 丢三落四
diūsān-làsì | forgetful, scatterbrained (chengyu) | 他总是丢三落四的。
Tā zǒngshì diūsān-làsì de.
He's always leaving things behind. |
| 91 | 竭尽全力
jiéjìn-quánlì | to do one's utmost (chengyu) | 我们会竭尽全力帮助你。
Wǒmen huì jiéjìn-quánlì bāngzhù nǐ.
We will do our utmost to help you. |
| 92 | 风土人情
fēngtǔ-rénqíng | local customs and conditions (chengyu) | 旅行可以了解各地的风土人情。
Lǚxíng kěyǐ liǎojiě gè dì de fēngtǔ-rénqíng.
Travelling lets you learn about local ways of life. |
| 93 | 礼尚往来
lǐshàng-wǎnglái | courtesy calls for reciprocity (chengyu) | 礼尚往来，他请了我，我也要请他。
Lǐshàng-wǎnglái, tā qǐng le wǒ, wǒ yě yào qǐng tā.
One good turn deserves another: he treated me, so I'll treat him. |
| 94 | 潜移默化
qiányí-mòhuà | to influence imperceptibly (chengyu) | 父母的行为会潜移默化地影响孩子。
Fùmǔ de xíngwéi huì qiányí-mòhuà de yǐngxiǎng háizi.
Parents' behaviour subtly shapes their children. |
| 95 | 循序渐进
xúnxù-jiànjìn | step by step, gradually (chengyu) | 学习要循序渐进。
Xuéxí yào xúnxù-jiànjìn.
Learning should proceed step by step. |
| 96 | 博大精深
bódà-jīngshēn | broad and profound (chengyu) | 中国文化博大精深。
Zhōngguó wénhuà bódà-jīngshēn.
Chinese culture is broad and profound. |
| 97 | 举世瞩目
jǔshì-zhǔmù | to attract worldwide attention (chengyu) | 这次比赛举世瞩目。
Zhè cì bǐsài jǔshì-zhǔmù.
This competition drew attention from all over the world. |
