Chinese idioms for beginners are the perfect starting point to understand Chinese culture and language. These short, vivid phrases carry thousands of years of history—and they’re easy to learn!
1. Kuang Heng Drills a Hole in the Wall
- Meaning: Study hard despite poor conditions
- Usage: “He’s like Kuang Heng—he studies by streetlight because his home has no power.”
2. Sun Jing Seals His Door
- Meaning: Lock oneself away to focus on studying
- Usage: “She ‘Sun Jing Seals Her Door’ before exams—no phone, no visitors.”
3. Draw a Snake and Add Feet
- Meaning: Ruin something by overdoing it
- Usage: “The cake was perfect, but adding extra sugar was ‘drawing a snake and adding feet’.”
4. Blind Men Touching an Elephant
- Meaning: Judge something without full understanding
- Usage: “Arguing about the movie after 5 minutes is like ‘blind men touching an elephant’.”
5. Sit by the Tree and Wait for Rabbits
- Meaning: Rely on luck instead of effort
- Usage: “Waiting for a promotion without working hard is ‘sitting by the tree and waiting for rabbits’.”
6. Break a Mirror and Regret It
- Meaning: Regret a mistake that can’t be fixed
- Usage: “He quit his job without a plan—now he’s ‘breaking a mirror and regretting it’.”
7. Three Heads Are Better Than One
- Meaning: Teamwork is wiser than working alone
- Usage: “Let’s brainstorm—‘three heads are better than one’.”
8. A Drop in the Bucket
- Meaning: A tiny part of something large
- Usage: “My savings are a ‘drop in the bucket’ compared to the house price.”
9. Actions Speak Louder Than Words
- Meaning: What you do matters more than what you say
- Usage: “Stop promising—‘actions speak louder than words’.”
10. When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do
- Meaning: Adapt to local customs
- Usage: “Eating with chopsticks here—‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’.”
Chinese idioms for beginners are fun to learn and make your Chinese sound more natural. If you want to practice using these phrases, check out our free idiom quiz.
For more Chinese learning tips, visit BBC’s Chinese Language Guide.