Mandarin Monday is a consistent series aimed at enhancing your Chinese skills by exploring enjoyable and practical phrases and characters. Learning Chinese can be quite challenging. In addition to a writing system that has no connection with most Western languages, the tonal nature of the language adds to the difficulty, and the many perplexing idiomatic expressions further complicate the learning process.
Idioms can be tough to grasp primarily because their true meanings often diverge from their literal translations; you typically only understand them when you know their context. Here, we present a dozen useful and frequently used Chinese idioms that will hopefully assist you in navigating social situations or at least impressing your Chinese friends.
一箭双雕 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo)
This phrase translates directly to "shoot two hawks with one arrow" and corresponds to the English expression "to kill two birds with one stone," which conveys the meaning of addressing two issues simultaneously.
Example sentence:
他不仅谈成了一笔生意，还交了一位朋友，真是一箭双雕。Tā bù jǐn tánchéng le yī bǐ shēngyì, hái jiāo le yī wèi péngyǒu, zhēn shì yī jiàn shuāng diāo. He killed two birds with one stone – he negotiated a business deal while also making a new friend.
大海捞针 (dàhǎi lāo zhēn)
"To search for a needle in the ocean" signifies looking for something that is nearly impossible to locate. The English equivalent is "a needle in a haystack."
Example sentence:
在这个大城市里找一个人无异于大海捞针。Zài zhège dà chéngshì lǐ zhǎo yīgè rén wú yì yú dàhǎi lāo zhēn. Searching for one person in this large city is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
炒鱿鱼 (chǎo yóuyú)
"To fry the squid" means to be dismissed from your job.
Example sentence:
他上班总是迟到早退，被老板炒鱿鱼了。Tā shàng bān zǒng shì chídào zǎotuì, bèi lǎobǎn chǎo yóuyú le. He was fired for consistently arriving late and leaving early.
说曹操曹操就到 (shuō Cáo Cāo Cáo Cāo jiù dào)
This saying indicates that the person being discussed arrives just at that moment. Cao Cao (曹操) was a renowned general and warlord during the Three Kingdoms period, known for his cunning and sudden appearances – hence this saying. The English equivalent is "speak of the devil."
Example sentence:
说曹操曹操就到，我们正在讨论新来的同事，他就走进来了。Shuō Cáo Cāo Cáo Cāo jiù dào, wǒ men zhèng zài tǎolùn xīn lái de tóngshì, tā jiù zǒujìn lái le. Speak of the devil, the new colleague walked in while we were discussing him.
小菜一碟 (xiǎo cài yī dié)
This literally means "a plate of food" and is similar to the English phrase "a piece of cake."
Example sentence:
任务中最难的部分已经结束了，剩下的是小菜一碟。Rènwù zhōng zuì nán de bùfèn yǐjīng jiéshù le, shèngxià de shì xiǎo cài yī dié. The toughest part of the task is finished, and the rest is just a piece of cake.
不要在一棵树上吊死 (bú yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ)
"Don't hang yourself on one tree" warns against committing everything to a single opportunity at the risk of losing it all. The English equivalent is "Don't put all your eggs in one basket."
Example sentence:
这个办法行不通就换一个试试，不要在一颗树上吊死。Zhège bànfǎ háng bù tōng jiù huàn yī ge shìshì, bú yào zài yī kē shù shàng diào sǐ. If this method doesn't work, try another one. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
九牛一毛 (jiǔ niú yī máo)
"One hair from nine oxen" signifies a minuscule amount in comparison to a vast quantity. The English equivalent is "a drop in
Whether you're achieving two goals with one action or sampling octopus, these idioms will enhance your Chinese skills.
