Language/Multiple-languages/Culture/Idioms-in-Set-Phrases
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Revision as of 07:05, 17 May 2025 by GrimPixel (talk | contribs) (Created page with "Hi, polyglots. In Han script, there is a type of idiomatic expression called “set phrases” [成語]. In this lesson, you will find idioms from various languages in set phrases. In progress {| class="wikitable" !language !idiom !idiom in set phrase !similar Chinese set phrase |- |English |bring home the bacon |攜臘返歸 : carry + cured meat + return home |養家活口 : support + family + make a living for + members |- |English |burn the midnight oil |夜半燃...")
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Hi, polyglots.
In Han script, there is a type of idiomatic expression called “set phrases” [成語]. In this lesson, you will find idioms from various languages in set phrases.
In progress
| language | idiom | idiom in set phrase | similar Chinese set phrase |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | bring home the bacon | 攜臘返歸 : carry + cured meat + return home | 養家活口 : support + family + make a living for + members |
| English | burn the midnight oil | 夜半燃油 : at midnight + burn + oil | 焚膏繼晷 : burn + grease + continue + sunlight shadow |
| English | don't cry over spilt milk | 毋啼覆乳 : don't + cry over + spilt + milk | 覆水難收 : spilt + water + hard to + collect |
| English | have seen better days | 既見良辰 : have already + seen + good + days | 江河日下 : rivers + day by day + go down |
| English | jump on the bandwagon | 縱上花車 : jump + onto + bandwagon | 隨波逐流 : follow + waves + chase + flows |
| English | let the cat out of the bag | 放貓出囊 : let + cat + out of + bag | 走漏風聲 : leak + wind + sounds |
| English | like a fish out of water | 如魚出水 : like + fish + out of + water | 如坐針氈 : like + sitting on + needle + mat |
| English | miss the boat | 參差擺渡 : miss + ferry boat | 失之交臂 : miss + it + arm touching arm |
| English | not my cup of tea | 非我杯茗 : not + my + cup of + tea | 不合我意 : does not + fit + my + mind |
| English | once in a blue moon | 藍月一現 : blue + moon + once + shows up | 杳如黃鶴 : rare + as + yellow + crane |
| English | piece of cake | 菓子一切 : cake + a + cut | 小菜一碟 : small + dish + a + plate |
| English | pull someone's leg | 扯腿相嬉 : pull + leg + towards the other + amuse | 嬉皮笑脸 : playful + skin + smiling + face |
| English | raining cats and dogs | 天降貓狗 : from the sky + drop + cats + dogs | 傾盆大雨 : turned + basin + huge + rain |
| English | save for a rainy day | 蓄備雨日 : save + prepare for + rainy + day | 未雨綢繆 : not yet + rain + bound (the window) tightly |
| show one's true colours | 顯露真色 : show + true + colours | 原形畢露 : original + form + all + exposed | |
| English | sink or swim | 或沒或泅 : either + sink + or + swim | 背水一戰 : back-facing-water (formation) + a + battle |
| English | the last straw | 終末一稈 : the last + one + straw | 積羽沉舟 : accumulating + feathers + sinks + boat |