Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Idioms-in-Set-Phrases

Hi, polyglots.

In Han script, there is a type of idiomatic expression called “set phrases” [成語], which are mostly four character long. In this lesson, you will find idioms from various languages in set phrases. This is a way to learn about idioms around the world, as well as to learn Han script less tediously.

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idiom	idiom in set phrase
[eng] bring home the bacon [fra] gagner son pain [nld] zijn eigen broek ophouden [pol] przynosić mamuta do domu [zho] 養家活口	攜臘返歸 : carry + cured meat + return home 掙得其麭 : earn + his/her + pastry 維繫其褲 : maintain + his/her + pants 運家毛象 : transport + home + mammoth 養家活口 : support + family + make a living for + members
[ara] أشعل فانوس الليل [eng] burn the midnight oil [spa] quemarse las pestañas [zho] 焚膏繼晷	夜半點燈 : at midnight + lit + lantern 夜半燃油 : at midnight + burn + oil 燒己睫毛 : burn + own + eyelashes 焚膏繼晷 : burn + grease + continue + sunlight shadow
[ces] plakat nad rozlitým mlékem [dan] græde over spildt mælk [eng] cry over spilt milk [fin] itkeä maahan kaatunutta maitoa [fra] pleurer sur le lait renversé [ita] piangere sul latte versato [pol] płakać nad rozlanym mlekiem [por] chorar sobre o leite derramado [spa] llorar sobre la leche derramada [swe] gråta över spilld mjölk [jpn] 死んだ子の年を数える [zho] 覆水難收	啼彼覆乳 : cry over + that + spilt + milk 死子年數 : dead + son + age + count 覆水難收 : spilt + water + hard to + collect
[deu] bessere Tage gesehen haben [eng] have seen better days [nld] betere tijden gekend hebben [nob] ha sett bedre dager [swe] ha sett sina bättre dagar [zho] 江河日下	既見良辰 : have already + seen + good + days 江河日下 : rivers + day by day + go down
[deu] auf den fahrenden Zug aufspringen [fra] prendre le train en marche [swe] hoppa på tåget [nob] kaste seg på lasset [eng] jump on the bandwagon [ita] salire sul carro del vincitore [spa] subirse al carro [por] entrar na onda [zho] 隨波逐流	躍上行車 : jump + onto + running + wagon 躍上花車 : jump + onto + decorated + wagon 隨波逐流 : follow + waves + chase + flows
[afr] die kat uit die sak laat [dan] slippe katten ud af sækken [deu] die Katze aus dem Sack lassen [eng] let the cat out of the bag [ltz] d'Kaz aus dem Sak loossen [nob] slippe katta ut av sekken [pol] wypuścić kota z worka [eng] spill the beans [fra] vendre la mèche [glg] irse da lingua [spa] irse de la lengua [por] dar com a língua nos dentes [zho] 走漏風聲	放貓出囊 : let + cat + out of + bag 潑洒小豆 : spill + little + beans 販出引綫 : sell + out + fuse 走動己舌 : go + own + tongue 舌齿相擊 : tongue + teeth + towards each other + hit 走漏風聲 : leak + wind + sounds
[afr] soos 'n vis op droë grond [deu] wie ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen [fin] kuin kala kuivalla maalla [cat] peix fora d'aigua [eng] like a fish out of water [epo] fiŝo ekster akvo [fra] poisson hors de l’eau [ita] pesce fuor d'acqua [mlt] ħuta barra mill-ilma [por] como peixe fora d'água [spa] como pez fuera del agua [jpn] 陸に上がった河童 [msa] seperti rusa masuk kampung [zho] 如坐針氈	如魚在地 : like + fish + on + ground 如魚出水 : like + fish + out of + water 陸上河童 : on shore + kappa 如鹿進村 : like + deer + entering + village 如坐針氈 : like + sitting on + needle + mat
[eng] miss the boat [nld] de boot missen [fin] myöhästyä junasta [ita] perdere il treno [spa] perder el tren [ron] pierde trenul [fra] manquer le coche [zho] 失之交臂	錯過擺渡 : miss + ferry boat 錯過列車 : miss + train 錯過馬車 : miss + coach 失之交臂 : miss + it + arm touching arm
[ces] jednou za uherský rok [slk] raz za uhorský rok [deu] alle Jubeljahre [eng] once in a blue moon [gla] uair san ràith [fra] tous les trente-six du mois [ita] una volta ogni morte di papa [pol] raz na ruski rok [pol] od wielkiego dzwonu [rus] раз в сто лет [zho] 百年一遇 [spa] cada muerte de obispo [tur] kırk yılda bir [zho] 杳如黃鶴	匈年一遇 : Hungarian + year + once + meet 聖年一遇 : jubilee + once + meet 藍月一現 : blue + moon + once + shows up 一季一時 : a + season + one + hour 月中卅六 : in a month + thirty-sixth day 教宗一逝 : Pope + once + dies 魯年一遇 : Ruthenian + year + once + meet 自從洪鐘 : from + big + bell 百年一遇 : hundred + years + once + meet 主教一逝 : bishop + once + dies 卌年一遇 : forty + years + once + meet 杳如黃鶴 : rare + as + yellow + crane
[cat] bufar i fer ampolles [eng] piece of cake [hye] խաղ ու պար [ita] come bere un bicchier d'acqua [ita] cosa da niente [jpn] 朝飯前 [kor] 누워서 떡 먹기 [nld] fluitje van een cent [zho] 小菜一碟	吹氣成瓶 : blow + air + make + bottles 菓子一切 : cake + a + cut 如戲如舞 : like + game + like + dance 如飲杯水 : like + drinking + cup of + water 無事之事 : nothing + (possessive particle) + matter 朝飯前 : breakfast + before 偃食打糕 : lie down + eat + tteok 一分口笛 : one + cent + whistle 小菜一碟 : small + dish + a + plate
[eng] pull someone's leg [zho] 嬉皮笑脸	扯腿相嬉 : pull + leg + towards the other + amuse 嬉皮笑脸 : playful + skin + smiling + face
[eng] raining cats and dogs [zho] 傾盆大雨	天降貓狗 : from the sky + drop + cats + dogs 傾盆大雨 : turned + basin + huge + rain
[eng] save for a rainy day [zho] 未雨綢繆	蓄備雨日 : save + prepare for + rainy + day 未雨綢繆 : not yet + rain + bound (the window) tightly
[eng] show one's true colours [zho] 原形畢露	顯露真色 : show + true + colours 原形畢露 : original + form + all + exposed
[eng] sink or swim [zho] 背水一戰	或沒或泅 : either + sink + or + swim 背水一戰 : back-facing-water (formation) + a + battle
[eng] the last straw [zho] 積羽沉舟	終末一稈 : the last + one + straw 積羽沉舟 : accumulating + feathers + sinks + boat

Explanation

The structure of a four-character set phrase are

• parataxis
• modifier-head
• subject-predicate
• verb-object
• verb-complement
• adjective-complement
• serial verbs
• verb-pivotal-verb
• overlap