Lesson 1: Learn Must Know Famous Chinese Idioms

Updated on September 25, 2020

Welcome to Lesson 1 (Level 3) of Mandarin Chinese free online lessons. In this lesson, let’s learn some of the famous Chinese idioms/proverbs (成语, Chéngyǔ).

Chinese Idiom 1

好事多磨 (hǎo shì duō mó)

Meanings:

1. A good gain takes long pain
2. The road to success/happiness is strewn with setbacks

Essentially, this proverb tells us NOT to give up when we are chasing our dreams.

Idiom 1, Vocabulary A

1. Good (好, hǎo)
2. Matter (事, shì)
3. Many/much (多, duō)
4. Setback/difficulty (磨, mó)

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Idiom 1, Example Sentence 1

• He finally got a proper job after taking interviews for more than 30 times.
• Tā cānjiā le sānshí duō cì miànshì, zhōngyú zhǎodào le héshì de gōngzuò, zhēn shì hǎo shì duō mó.
• 他参加了三十多次面试, 终于  找到了合适的工作, 真是好事多磨

Idiom 1, Vocabulary B

1. To attend/to participate (参加, cānjiā)
2. Time (次, cì)
3. Interview (面试, miànshì)
4. Eventually (终于, zhōngyú)
5. To find (找到, zhǎodào)
6. Suitable (合适的, héshìde)

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Idiom 1, Example Sentence 2

• Difficulties and setbacks will continue.
• Hǎo shì duō mó, kùnnan hé bōzhé haí huì yǒu.
• 好事多磨, 困难和波折还会有

Idiom 1, Vocabulary C

• Setback (波折, bōzhé)
• Still (还, haí )

Chinese Idiom Example 2

天壤之别 (tiānrǎngzhībié)

Meanings:

1. As far apart as heaven and earth
2. A world of difference
3. An immeasurably vast difference

Idiom 2, Vocabulary D

1. Sky/heaven (天, tiān)
2. Earth/ground (壤, rang)
3. Of (之, zhī)
4. Difference (别, bié)

• Differences Among 的 (de), 得 (de) and 地 (de)?

Idiom 2, Example Sentence 3

• The two styles couldn’t be more different.
• Zhè liǎng zhǒng fēnggé yǒuzhe tiān rǎng zhī bié.
• 这两种风格有着天壤之别。

Idiom 2, Vocabulary E

1. Type/kind (种, zhǒng)
2. Style (fēnggé, 风格)
3. To have/there be (yǒu, 有)

Idiom 2, Example Sentence 4

• There’s a world of difference between liking someone and loving someone.
• Xǐhuan yí ge rén hé ài yí ge rén yǒu tiān rang zhī bié.
• 喜欢一个人和爱一个人 有   天壤之别。

Idiom 2, Vocabulary F

• To like (喜欢, xǐhuan)
• To love (爱, ài)

I hope you enjoyed learning these two famous Chinese proverbs. Let me know your feedbacks. 🙂