Did you know that there is over 5,000 chengyu in the Chinese language?

But it’s quite impossible for us to know all of them, and the same goes for students. And it’s totally alright for students not to know all of them since quality beats quantity. Knowing lots of idioms won’t help with their composition—without understanding these phrases enough, they won’t be able to write a piece that’ll impress.

That’s why it’s so important to fully comprehend the definitions of the idioms, before using them in writings. A big part of composition writing is about selecting a handful, learning them well, and peppering them in the right places in writings.

Commonly used Chinese idioms and phrases

Proverbs about the weather 

Since ancient times, the weather is one of the most important elements that are used in the Chinese language. The weather has been a rich subject for poets across all boundaries, not just in the Chinese language. Poets take on a high affinity with sceneries and weather in very intimate ways—whether it’s dabbling in realism or reflecting emotions. Take a look at some of the examples: 

  1. 蜻蜓低飞江湖畔，即将有雨在眼前 qīng tíng dī fēi jiāng hú pàn, jí jiāng yǒu yǔ zài yǎn qián
  2. 大雁北飞天将暖，燕子南归气转寒 dà yàn běi fēi tiān jiāng nuǎn, yàn zi nán guī qì zhuǎn hán
  3. 一场秋雨一场寒，十场秋雨要穿棉 yì chǎng qiū yǔ yì chǎng hán, shí chǎng qiū yǔ yào chuān mián
  4. 朝霞不出门，晚霞行千里 zhāo xiá bú chū mén, wǎn xiá xíng qiān lǐ
  5. 日落胭脂红，无雨必有风 rì luò yān zhī hóng, wú yǔ bì yǒu fēng
  6. 夜里星光明，明朝依旧晴 yè lǐ xīng guāng míng, míng zhāo yī jiù qíng
  7. 今夜露水重，明天太阳红 jīn yè lù shuǐ zhòng, míng tiān tài yáng hóng
  8. 有雨山戴帽，无雨山没腰 yǒu yǔ shān dài mào, wú yǔ shān méi yāo
  9. 久晴大雾必阴，久雨大雾必晴 jiǔ qíng dà wù bì yīn, jiǔ yǔ dà wù bì qíng

Click on the images below to view more details about these various phrases.

Related: LEARN CHINESE EFFORTLESSLY: EXTENSIVE LIST OF CHINESE WORDS AND IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS (词语与成语) PART 1

Proverbs about support and assistance 

    1. 花要叶扶，人要人帮 huā yào yè fú, rén yào rén bāng 
    2. 赠人玫瑰，手有余香 zèng rén méi guī, shǒu yǒu yú xiāng 
    3. 诚心能叫石头落泪，实意能叫枯水发芽 chéng xīn néng jiào shí tóu luò lèi, shí yì néng jiào kū shuǐ fā yá

Chinese idioms: Help and support

Proverbs about thinking methods 

  1. 绳在细处断，冰在薄处裂 shéng zài xì chù duàn, bīng zài báo chù liè 
  2. 亲身下河知深浅，亲口尝梨知酸甜 qīn shēn xià hé zhī shēn qiǎn, qīn kǒu cháng lí zhī suān tián 
  3. 莫看江面平如镜，要看水底万丈深 mò kàn jiāng miàn píng rú jìng, yào kàn shuǐ dǐ wàn zhàng shēn 
  4. 花盆里长不出苍松，鸟笼里飞不出雄鹰 huā pén lǐ zhǎng bù chū cāng sōng, niǎo lóng lǐ fēi bú chū xióng yīng 
  5. 日日行，不怕千万里；常常做，不怕千万事 rì rì xíng, bú pà qiān wàn lǐ; cháng cháng zuò, bú pà qiān wàn shì 

Proverbs about unity

  1. 人心齐，泰山移 rén xīn qí, tài shān yí 
  2. 人多计谋广，柴多火焰高 rén duō jì móu guǎng, chái duō huǒ yàn gāo 
  3. 一根筷子容易折，一把筷子难折断 yì gēn kuài zi róng yì zhé, yì bǎ kuài zi nán zhé duàn 
  4. 树多成林不怕风，线多搓绳挑千斤 shù duō chéng lín bú pà fēng, xiàn duō cuō shéng tiāo qiān jīn 
  5. 一花烛放不是春，百花齐放春满园 yì huā zhú fàng bú shì chūn, bǎi huā qí fàng chūn mǎn yuán 

Couplets

  1. 杨柳绿千里，春风暖万家 yáng liǔ lǜ qiān lǐ, chūn fēng nuǎn wàn jiā 
  2. 黄莺鸣翠柳，紫燕剪春风 huáng yīng míng cuì liǔ, zǐ yàn jiǎn chūn fēng 
  3. 春风放胆来梳柳，夜雨瞒人去润花 chūn fēng fàng dǎn lái shū liǔ, yè yǔ mán rén qù rùn huā 
  4. 春风一拂千山绿，南燕双归万户春 chūn fēng yī fú qiān shān lǜ, nán yàn shuāng guī wàn hù chūn 
  5. 雾锁山头山锁雾，天连水尾水连天 wù suǒ shān tóu shān suǒ wù, tiān lián shuǐ wěi shuǐ lián tiān 
  6. 绿水本无忧因风皱面，青山原不老，为雪白头。

Related: LEARN CHINESE EFFORTLESSLY: EXTENSIVE LIST OF CHINESE IDIOMS (词语与成语) PART 2

Two-part allegorical sayings (歇后语)

  1. 八仙过海——各显神通 bā xiān guò hǎi —— gè xiǎn shén tōng 
  2. 孙悟空大闹天宫——慌了神 sūn wù kōng dà nào tiān gōng —— huāng le shén 
  3. 韩信点兵——多多益善 hán xìn diǎn bīng —— duō duō yì shàn 
  4. 张飞穿针——粗中有细 zhāng fēi chuān zhēn —— cū zhōng yǒu xì 
  5. 包公断案——铁面无私 bāo gōng duàn àn —— tiě miàn wú sī 
  6. 姜太公钓鱼——愿者上钩 jiāng tài gōng diào yú —— yuàn zhě shàng gōu 
  7. 小葱拌豆腐——一清二白 xiǎo cōng bàn dòu fǔ —— yī qīng èr bái

Chinese sayingsFamous ancient sayings

  1. 取人之长，补己之短 qǔ rén zhī cháng, bǔ jǐ zhī duǎn 
  2. 虚心使人进步，骄傲使人落后 xū xīn shǐ rén jìn bù, jiāo ào shǐ rén luò hòu 
  3. 有志者事竟成 yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng 
  4. 莫以善小而不为，莫以恶小而为之。mò yǐ shàn xiǎo ér bú wéi, mò yǐ è xiǎo ér wéi zhī 
  5. 业精于勤，荒于嬉；行成于思，毁于随。yè jīng yú qín, huāng yú xī; xíng chéng yú sī, huǐ yú suí 

Famous sayings regarding cherishing time 

  1. 少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲 shǎo zhuàng bú nǔ lì, lǎo dà tú shāng bēi 
  2. 花有重开日，人无再少年 huā yǒu chóng kāi rì, rén wú zài shào nián 
  3. 一日之计在于晨，一年之计在于春 yí rì zhī jì zài yú chén, yì nián zhī jì zài yú chūn 
  4. 黑发不知勤学早，白首方悔读书迟 hēi fa bú zhī qín xué zǎo, bái shǒu fāng huǐ dú shū chí

Chinese idioms: cherishing time

Poetic sentences about the sceneries 

  1. 明月松间照，清泉石上流 míng yuè sōng jiān zhào, qīng quán shí shàng liú 
  2. 山重水复疑无路，柳暗花明又一村 shān chóng shuǐ fù yí wú lù, liǔ àn huā míng yòu yì cūn  
  3. 穿花蛱蝶深深见, 点水蜻蜓款款飞 chuān huā jiá dié shēn shēn jiàn, diǎn shuǐ qīng tíng kuǎn kuǎn fēiChinese phrases

Related: Adding Natural Flow To Primary School Chinese Composition Part 2: Situations and Sceneries

Poetic sentences about friendship

  1. 海内存知己，天涯若比邻 hǎi nèi cún, tiān yá ruò bǐ lín 
  2. 海上生明月，天涯共此时 hǎi shàng shēng míng yuè, tiān yá gòng cǐ shí 
  3. 岁寒知松柏，患难见真情 suì hán zhī sōng bǎi, huàn nán jiàn zhēn qíng  
  4. 千里送鹅毛，礼轻情意重 qiān lǐ sòng é máo, lǐ qīng qíng yì zhòng

Chinese phrases about friendship

Poetic sentences about the moon

  1. 小时不识月，呼作白玉盘 xiǎo shí bú shí yuè, hū zuò bái yù pán 
  2. 月来满地水，云起一天山 yuè lái mǎn dì shuǐ, yún qǐ yī tiān shān 
  3. 峡深明月夜，江静碧云天 xiá shēn míng yuè yè, jiāng jìng bì yún tiān

Chinese phrases about the moon

Need help with learning Chinese idioms and phrases? If you do, then you’ve come to the right place.

Free trial lesson to improve Chinese words and idioms.