Idiomatic phrases, those gems of the Chinese language, can make any non-native speaker sound like a pro, and are sure to attract more than a few 你的中文很棒 (nǐ de zhōngwén hěn bàng) from the locals–especially if they’re used correctly. I still remember my first idiom like it was yesterday. Arriving in Pingxi (平溪) for the international lantern festival, I couldn’t believe how many people were there. Pushing my way through crowds of people releasing their hopes and dreams into the heavens, I turned to a friend and exclaimed, “人太多了！” (rén tài duō le) only to have a Taiwanese person turn and say, “人山人海” ( rén shān rén hǎi). The phrase was perfect, as people did seem to be covering everything from the mountains to the ocean.
From that moment on I was hooked. Any time I heard or read something that seemed like an idiom, I would rush to write it down, storing it for the perfect moment. Drawing from poems, famous figures and commoners alike, these turns of phrase give us a glimpse into the essence of Chinese language and culture. If you’ve ever had a chance to look at a idiom dictionary, you’ll soon discover that there seems to be one for just about every occasion. By now you’re probably wondering why I haven’t used the word “idiom” yet. That’s because Chinese is comprised of more than just 成語 (chéng yŭ: idioms).
So let’s take a look at the various types of 熟語 (shúyŭ: idiomatic phrases) and see what makes each of them special.
1. First up are 成語 (chéng yŭ): the most elegant and refined of the idiomatic phrases. Also the most strict. Commonly occurring in four syllable sets, and retaining a quintessence of classical Chinese literature, cheng yu are fixed phrases that cannot be altered. Out of all the idiomatic phrases they appear with the highest frequency, and are also the most literary. Cheng yu generally appear as part of a sentence, and without quotation. Most cheng yu that we see today have a story associated with them, expanding, and giving a background, for the imagery and meaning captured inside these elegant four character sets. A few examples include:
守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù: to wait foolishly for the unexpected)
曇花一現 (tán huā yī xiàn: to be short lived)
While using chengyu can certainly make your Chinese a lot more impressive, using them in informal settings can be rather awkward, so best to save them for your speeches, and Chinese reports.
2. Second on the list is 諺語 (yàn yŭ), also referred to as 俚語 (lǐ yŭ), 俗語(sú yŭ), and 直言(zhí yán ): the great Chinese proverbs that have circulated through the ages carrying profound wisdom in an easy and accessible way. Capturing a sense of ideology, experience and wisdom about all aspects of life, yan yu contain a rich wealth of Chinese philosophy and morals. There form, much like cheng yu, is neat and tidy, with a harmonious tone that is clear and succinct making them easy to teach orally and commit to memory.
These proverbs are often made up of five or six characters, and can be used to connect the meaning of two sentences. A famous examples of this structure is “路遙知馬力, 日久見人心” (lù yáo zhī mǎ lì , rì jiŭ jiàn rén xīn). Unlike 成語 the meaning here is clear and direct, a long road will tell you the power of your horse, and a long period of time will tell you about a persons heart. By far one of the best proverbs for those of us learning Chinese is “活到老，學到老” (huó dào lǎo, xué dào lǎo), the idea that one is never too old to learn something new!
3. Third up is 歇後語 (xiē hòu yŭ), otherwise known as 俏皮語(qiào pí yŭ). These unique phrases are comprised of two interrelated expressions coming together to form a kind of witty simile. The first–(often) a metaphor, the second–the answer, explaining the true meaning of the first expression. However, what is truly unique about these phrases, is that the second expression is often left off entirely, leaving the listener to interpret the metaphor and search their linguistic archives for the proper explanation. Taking the example : 瞎子逛街-目中無人 (xiā zi guàng jiē – mù zhōng wú rén), the connection is drawn between a “blind man shopping” and the idea of (someone) being totally supercilious. While the later “目中無人” is a phrase you would rarely say openly in Chinese culture, the former could help to subtly hint that someone is acting like a total ass. These phrases are a great way to “insult” with a hint of class. Here are a few other examples:
水底撈月－白費心機 (huǐ dǐ lāo yuè–bái fèi xīn jī): to do something in vain.
殺雞取卵－只得一回 (shā jī qŭ luǎn– zhǐ dé yī huí): to do something stupid.
瞎子看書－裝模作樣(xiā zi kàn shū– zhuāng mó zuò yàng) to put on a act.
4. Fourth up, 慣用語(guàn yòng yŭ), colloquial expressions that have become the social norm in everyday speech. Short and sweet, these “fixed phrases” are simple and straight forward often describing a range of emotions. A few common examples are: 丟臉(diū liǎn)，亮相(liàng xiàng)，吃香 (chī xiāng), 哭窮(kū qióng) etc. The structure of these colloquial expressions is much more versatile that many phrases on this list, and one can often add other components to them to suit your fancy… such as: “不要丟我的臉”(bú yào diū wǒ de liǎn). Many such expressions carry a similar tone as cheng yu.
For example: The phrase 無孔不入 (wú kǒng bú rù: get in by every opening), is a fixed expression that cannot be altered. 鑽空子 (zuān kòng zi), however, carries a similar meaning but can be taken apart and altered, for example: 鑽了一個空子 (zuān le yí gè kòng zi).
5. Last but not least are 格言(gé yán), maxims, mottos, or sayings that generally were spoke by notable people in China’s history. Also called 箴言(zhēn yán), they represent a concise way of stating the behavioral norms in society, or a certain worldview… something akin to aphorism, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Structurally, these maxims often appear as a complete stand alone sentence, independently expressing an idea. They also will appear in quotation in texts. Unlike Chinese proverbs, that are author-less, these maxims will have an origin and author. Once such 格言 is Sun Yat-sen’s famous line：”革命尚未成功, 同志仍須努力” (gé mìng shàng wèi chéng gōng, tóng zhì réng xū nŭ lì)… which translated means “the revolution isn’t over, comrades keep on fighting.”
It is clear that Chinese idiomatic phrases come in all shapes and sizes. Some are more colloquial, while others are reserved for research papers and black tie events. Either way, there seems to be at least one phrase out there for just about every type of situation imaginable. Do you have a favorite idiomatic phrase? If so we would love to hear about it below.
As always, the vocabulary from today’s post can be found here.