Chinese allegories
歇后語
Two-part allegorical saying (of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, often unstated, carries the message)

?xiǎo cōng bàn dòu fu – yī qīng èr bái
小蔥拌豆腐 – 一清二白
White bean curd and green scallions – as clear as daylight

gǒu ná hào zi – duō guǎn xián shì
狗拿耗子 – 多管閑事
Dog trying to catch mice – meddling in other people's business

yǎ ba chī huáng lián – yǒu kǔ shuō bù chū
啞巴吃黃連 – 有苦說不出
A dump person tasting bitter herbs – unable to express one's discomfort

qiū hòu de mà zha – bèng da bù liǎo jǐ tiān
秋后的螞蚱 – 蹦跶不了幾天
A grasshopper in late autumn – nearing one's end

ní pú sa guò hé – zì shēn nán bǎo
泥菩薩過河 – 自身難保
The clay idol crosses a river – one is hardly able to save oneself, let alone assist others

zhú lán dǎ shuǐ – yī chǎng kōng
竹籃打水 – 一場(chǎng)空
Draw water with a bamboo basket – achieving nothing; fruitless labor

gǎn miàn zhàng chuī huǒ – yí qiào bù tōng
搟面杖吹火 – 一竅不通
Try to blow the fire with a rolling pin – be completely ignorant or irrelevant

jiāng tài gōng diào yú – yuàn zhě shang gōu
姜太公釣魚 – 愿者上鉤
Fish like Jiang Taigong (prime minister of Zhou Dynasty in Chinese history) , who cast a hook-less and bait-less line for the fish that wants to be caught – ask for willing victim or collaborator

 View all lessons >>