View source for Chengyu

{{short description|Chinese idioms}}
{{Distinguish|Cheng Yu|Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Chinese words and phrases]]}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Chengyu.svg
| piccap = Chinese characters for ''chengyu''
| t = {{linktext|成語}}
| s = {{linktext|成语}}
| p = chéngyǔ
| j = sing4 jyu5
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|ch|eng|2|.|ü|3}}
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|s|ing|4|.|j|yu|5}}
| w = {{tonesup|ch‘êng2-yü3}}
| y = sìhng'yúh
| bpmf = ㄔㄥˊ ㄩˇ
| phfs = sàng-ngî
| poj = sêng-gú
| teo = {{tonesup|sêng5 ghe2}}
| wuu = {{tonesup|6zen-gniu}}
}}

'''''Chengyu''''' ({{lang-zh|t={{linktext|成語}}|s={{linktext|成语}}|first=t|p=chéngyǔ|tr=set phrase}}) are a type of traditional Chinese [[idiom]]atic expressions, most of which consist of four [[Chinese characters]]. ''Chengyu'' were widely used in [[Literary Chinese]] and are still common in [[written vernacular Chinese]] writing and in the spoken language today. According to the most stringent definition, there are about 5,000 ''chengyu'' in the [[Chinese language]], though some dictionaries list over 20,000. ''Chengyu'' are considered the collected wisdom of the [[Chinese culture]], and contain the experiences, moral concepts, and admonishments from previous generations of Chinese speakers. ''Chengyu'' still play an important role in Chinese conversation and education.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Useful Chinese Chengyu for Daily Conversation|url=https://www.maayot.com/blog/useful-chinese-chengyu-in-daily-conversation/|access-date=30 Aug 2020|website=maayot|date=27 August 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Silverman|first1=Sam|url=https://www.digmandarin.com/chinese-idioms-chengyu-animals.html|title=Chinese Idioms or Chéngyǔ About Animals -|date=2017-08-28|access-date=2018-09-01|language=en-US}}</ref> ''Chengyu'' are one of four types of formulaic expressions ({{zhi|s=熟语|t=熟語|p=shúyǔ}}), which also include collocations ({{zhi|s=惯用语|t=慣用語|p=guànyòngyǔ}}), two-part allegorical sayings called ''[[xiehouyu]]'', and proverbs ({{zhi|s=谚语|t=諺語|p=yànyǔ}}).

While not the only idioms in Chinese, and not always four characters long, they are often referred to as '''Chinese idioms''' or '''four-character idioms'''.

==Origins, construction, and interpretation==
''Chengyu'' are mostly derived from [[Chinese classic texts|ancient literature]], including the pre-Qin classics, poetry from all periods of Chinese history, and late imperial vernacular novels and short stories. A small number were constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries from Western source materials. Among the early classical literature, the lyrical imagery from the ''[[Classic of Poetry]]'', and the detailed stories recorded in the ''[[Zuo Zhuan]]'' and the ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'' serve as particularly rich source materials for chengyu. Since the ''Shijing'' poems consist of four-character lines, some ''chengyu'' are direct quotes from the ''Classic of Poetry''. For example, {{zhi|c=萬夀無疆}} 'ten-thousand year lifespan without bound', a traditional expression to wish someone a long life that often appears on bowls and tableware, quotes the poem "Tian Bao" ({{lang|zh|天保}}, poem #166) in the Lesser Court Hymns section of the ''Classic of Poetry''. More commonly, however, ''chengyu'' are created by succinctly paraphrasing or summarizing the original text, usually by selecting the most salient characters from the passage in question and inserting any necessary classical grammatical particles.

As such, ''chengyu'' are fossilized expressions that use the vocabulary and follow the syntactic rules of [[Literary Chinese]]. Consequently, they convey information more compactly than normal vernacular speech or writing. They may contain subject and predicate and act as an independent clause (or even twin two-character independent clauses in parallel), or they may play the role of any part of speech in a sentence, acting syntactically as an adjective, adverb, verb, or noun phrase. In both speech and writing, they serve to succinctly convey a complex or multifaceted situation, scene, or concept, and used fittingly and elegantly, they also mark a speaker or writer's erudition.

The meaning of a ''chengyu'' usually surpasses the sum of the meanings carried by the four characters, as ''chengyu'' are generally meant to convey the message or moral of the myth, story or historical event from which they were derived. Thus, even after translation into modern words and syntax, ''chengyu'' in isolation are often unintelligible without additional explanation. Since they often contain a classical allusion, known as a {{Transliteration|zh|diǎngù}} ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|典故}}}}), elementary and secondary school students in greater China learn ''chengyu'' as part of the classical curriculum in order to study the context from which the ''chengyu'' was born.

Often the four characters reflect the moral behind the story rather than the story itself. For example, the phrase "{{lang|zh|{{linktext|破釜沉舟}}}}" (''{{Audio|Chinese-po4 fu3 chen2 zhou1.ogg|pò fǔ chén zhōu|help=no}}'', lit: "break the pots and sink the ships") is based on a historical account where the general [[Xiang Yu]] ordered his troops to destroy all [[cooking utensil]]s and boats after crossing a river into the enemy's territory. He won the battle because of this "no-retreat" strategy. Thus, the idiom is used as a verb phrase with the meaning "to make an all-out effort to achieve success by the deliberate removal of recourse or backup." Similar phrases are known in the West, such as "Burning one's boats", "burning one's bridges", "[[Point of no return]]" or "[[Crossing the Rubicon]]".

Another example is {{lang|zh|{{linktext|瓜田李下}}}} (''{{Audio|Chinese-gua1 tian2 li3 xia4.ogg|guātián lǐxià|help=no}}'' 'melon field, beneath the plums'), whose meaning relates to the appearance of misconduct or impropriety. It is derived from an excerpt of a [[Han-era]] poem ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|樂府|詩}}《{{linktext|君子|行}}》}}, ''Yuèfǔ Shī'' "''Jūnzǐ Xíng''"). The poem includes the lines 'don't adjust your shoes in a melon field, and don't tidy your hat under the plum trees' ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|瓜田|不|納|履}}，{{linktext|李|下|不|整|冠}}}}, ''{{Audio|Chinese-gua1 tian2 bu2 na4 li3.ogg|guā tián bù nà lǚ, lǐ xià bù zhěng guān|help=no}}''), admonishing the reader to avoid situations where, however innocent, he might be suspected of doing wrong. The idiom is impossible to understand without the background knowledge of the origin of the phrase.

Some idioms have had their literal meanings overtake their original ones. For example, 'wind from an empty cave' ({{lang|zh|空穴來風}}, ''kōng xué lái fēng''), despite now being used to describe rumors without source, originally referred to rumors with actual, solid sources or reasons. Likewise, 'bare-faced facing the emperor' ({{lang|zh|素面朝天}}) is now used to describe beauty that does not require make-up, e.g., when entering court, while its original meaning was "to be confident in one's true look".

However, not all ''chengyu'' have stories to draw morals from. An example is {{lang|zh|{{linktext|言而無信}}}} 'speaking, yet without trust', referring to one who cannot be trusted despite what he says, an essentially deceitful person. It is generally acknowledged as a ''chengyu'' as it comes from the ''[[Analects]]''. The idiom is succinct in its original meaning and would likely be intelligible to anyone learned in formal written Chinese, though {{Transliteration|zh|yán}} ({{lang|zh|言}}) is no longer commonly used as a verb.

There are a few ''chengyu'' that are not four characters in length. An example is the seven-character {{lang|zh|{{linktext|醉翁之意不在酒}}}} 'The Old Drunkard's attention is not directed towards his wine'. This is a direct quote from [[Ouyang Xiu]]'s essay ''An Account of Old Drunkard's Pavilion'' ({{lang|zh|{{linktext|醉翁亭記}}}}), in which the author, as the Old Drunkard, expresses his true intention of enjoying the scenery of the mountains and rivers as he drinks. As an idiom, it expresses the situation where one does something with an ulterior though benign motive in mind.

Some ''chengyu'' have English equivalents. For example, {{linktext|lang=zh|言不由衷}} 'speak not from the bosom' and 'to speak with one's tongue in one's cheek' share idiomatic meanings. The Chinese not having conducted maritime explorations of the North Atlantic during imperial times, the expression {{lang|zh|{{linktext|冰山一角}}}} 'one corner of an ice mountain' is a rare example of a ''chengyu'' that emerged in the early 20th century after contact with the West as a translation of the expression "tip of the iceberg," thus sharing both their literal and idiomatic meanings.<ref>{{cite book|title=Best Chinese Idioms|last=Lo|first=Wing Huen|year=2003|publisher=Peace Book|isbn=962-238-338-6|volume=Three|language=en, zh|translator=Sun, Li Jie|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9789622383388}}</ref> Another expression {{lang|zh|{{linktext|火中取栗}}}} 'extracting chestnuts from the fire', originating from a [[Jean de La Fontaine|La Fontaine]] fable, means "to be duped into taking risks for someone else," used in much the same way as the expression "cat's paw" in English is another example of an "international" ''chengyu''. Though they are recent in origin, they are constructed using the vocabulary and syntax of Literary Chinese and fits within the four-character scheme, making them ''chengyu''.

Chinese idioms can also serve as a guide through Chinese culture. ''Chengyu'' teach about motifs that were previously common in Chinese literature and culture. For example, idioms with nature motifs{{snd}}e.g., mountains, water, and the Moon{{snd}}are numerous. Works considered masterpieces of Chinese literature{{snd}}such as the [[Four Great Classical Novels]]<ref>The Four Great Classical Novels are actually written in Early Vernacular Chinese, although they were intended for an educated audience and contain long passages in classical poetry and many classical allusions.</ref> – serve as the source for many idioms, which in turn condense and retell the story.

All Chinese people know idioms, though the total number known by any one individual will depend on their background. Idioms are such an important part of Chinese popular culture that there is a game called {{linktext|lang=zh|成語接龍}} 'connect the chengyu' that involves someone calling out an idiom, with someone else then being supposed to think of another idiom to link up with the first one, so that the last character of the first idiom is the same as the first character of the second idiom, and so forth.

==Chinese examples==
The following three examples show that the meaning of the idiom can be totally different by only changing one character.
* {{Ruby-zh-p|一|yí}} {{Ruby-zh-p|日|rì}} {{Ruby-zh-p|千|qiān}} {{Ruby-zh-p|秋|qiū}} : "One day, a thousand autumns."
** Meaning: implies rapid changes; one day equals a thousand years
* {{Ruby-zh-p|一|yí}} {{Ruby-zh-p|日|rì}} {{Ruby-zh-p|千|qiān}} {{Ruby-zh-p|里|lǐ}} : "One day, a thousand miles."
** Meaning: implies rapid progress; traveling a thousand miles in a day
* {{Ruby-zh-p|一|yí}} {{Ruby-zh-p|日|rì}} {{Ruby-zh-p|三|sān}} {{Ruby-zh-p|秋|qiū}} : "One day, three autumns."
** Meaning: greatly missing someone; one day feels as long as three years

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+ Examples in Chinese
|-
!''Chengyu''
!Gloss
! Meaning
!Etymology
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|一箭雙鵰|yí jiàn shuāng diāo}}
|kill two eagles with one arrow
|kill two birds with one stone, i.e. to achieve two aims at once
|See ''[[History of the Northern Dynasties]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|破釜沉舟|pò fǔ chén zhōu}}
|break the cauldrons and sink the boats
|burn bridges, i.e. commit oneself irrevocably
|See [[Battle of Julu#The battle|Battle of Julu]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|指鹿為馬|zhǐ lù wéi mǎ}}
|call a deer a horse
|deliberately misrepresent
|See [[Zhao Gao#Calling a deer a horse|Zhao Gao]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|樂不思蜀|lè bù sī shǔ}}
|so happy as to forget [[Shu Han|Shu]]
|indulge in pleasures
|See [[Liu Shan#Life after the fall of Shu|Liu Shan]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|[[Wikt:朝三暮四|朝三暮四]]|zhāo sān mù sì}}
|to say three in the morning and four in the evening
|always changing (new meaning), a change without any substantive difference (original meaning)
|See ''[[Zhuangzi (book)|Zhuangzi]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|[[Wikt:井底之蛙|井底之蛙]]|jǐng dǐ zhī wā}}
|a frog in the bottom of the well
|a person with limited outlook
|See ''[[Zhuangzi (book)|Zhuangzi]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|磨杵成針|mó chǔ chéng zhēn}}
| grind an iron bar down to a fine needle
| to persevere in a difficult task
|See [[Li Bai]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|守株待兔|shǒu zhū dài tù}}
| guard a tree-stump to wait for rabbits
| wait idly for a reward
|See ''[[Han Feizi]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|亡羊補牢|wáng yáng bǔ láo}}
| to mend the pen after sheep are lost 
| close the stable door after the horse has bolted, i.e. try too late to prevent harm
|See ''[[Warring States Records]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|三人成虎|sān rén chéng hǔ}}
| [[Three men make a tiger]] 
| repeated rumor becomes a fact
|See ''[[Warring States Records]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|[[Wikt:完璧歸趙|完璧歸趙]]|wán bì guī zhào}}
| return [[Mr. He's jade|the jade]] to [[Zhao (state)|Zhao]] 
| to return something intact to its rightful owner<ref name=":Reinders">{{Cite book |last=Reinders |first=Eric |title=Reading Tolkien in Chinese: Religion, Fantasy, and Translation |date=2024 |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing|Bloomsbury]] Academic |isbn=9781350374645 |series=Perspectives on Fantasy series |location=London, UK}}</ref>{{Rp|page=24}}
| See [[Mr. He's jade]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|[[Wikt:塞翁失馬|塞翁失馬]]|sài wēng shī mǎ}}
| [[The old man lost his horse|old man from the frontier lost his horse]]
| a blessing in disguise
| See ''[[Huainanzi]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|刻舟求劍|kè zhōu qiú jiàn}}
| carve the boat in search of the sword
| approach without considering the reality of a situation
| See ''[[Lüshi Chunqiu]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|火中取栗|huǒ zhōng qǔ lì}}
| take chestnuts out of the fire 
| Someone acting in another's interest ([[wikt:cat's-paw|cat's-paw]])
| Derived from [[The Monkey and the Cat]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|負荊請罪|fù jīng qǐng zuì}}
| carrying a bramble and ask for punishment
| offer a humble apology
|See [[Lian Po]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|紙上談兵|zhǐ shàng tán bīng}}
| talk about military tactics on paper
| theoretical discussion useless in practice
|See [[Zhao Kuo]]

|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|畫蛇添足|huà shé tiān zú}}
| to add feet when drawing a snake
| to improve something unnecessarily
|See ''[[Warring States Records]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|畫龍點睛|huà lóng diǎn jīng}}
|to add eyes when painting a dragon
|adding the finishing touch to something
|See [[Zhang Sengyou]]
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|對牛彈琴|duì niú tán qín}}
|playing the [[guqin]] to a cow
|to communicate well, you need to understand your audience
|See ''[[Mouzi Lihuolun]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|狼吞虎嚥|láng tūn hǔ yàn}}
|swallow like tiger and devour like wolf
|eating food quickly and in a messy manner
|
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|衣錦還鄉|yì jǐn huán xiāng}}
|to wear embroided clothing and return to one's hometown
|return to humble origins after making it big
|
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|易如反掌|[[Yi ru fan zhang|yì rú fǎn zhǎng]]}}
|as easy as turning over one's hand
|for something to be very easy
|See ''[[Mencius (book)|Mencius]]''
|-
|{{Ruby-zh-p|邯郸学步|Hán dān xué bù}}
|to learn the walk of [[Handan]]
|to imitate others, and lose one's own abilities in the process
|See [[Learning the Walk of Handan]]
|}

* ''[[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (disambiguation)|Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]''
* [[Seek truth from facts]]
* [[When two tigers fight]]
* [[Mirror Flower, Water Moon]]

==Japanese examples==
{{main|Yojijukugo}}
''Yojijukugo'' is the similar format in [[Japanese language|Japanese]]. The term {{nihongo||{{linktext|四|字|熟語}}|[[yojijukugo]]|four character idiom}} is [[autological]]. Many of these idioms were adopted from their Chinese counterparts and have the same or similar meaning as in Chinese. The term {{Nihongo||{{linktext|故事|成語}}|koji seigo|historical idiom}} refers to an idiom that comes from a specific text as the source. As such, the overwhelming majority of ''koji seigo'' comes from accounts of history written in classical Chinese. Although a great many of the Japanese four-character idioms are derived from the Chinese, many others are purely Japanese in origin. Some examples:

* {{linktext|花|鳥|風|月}} ''ka, chō, fū, getsu'' ("Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon"; beauties of nature)
* {{linktext|一|期|一|会}} ''[[ichigo ichie]]'' (once-in-a-lifetime experience)
* {{linktext|傍|目|八|目}} ''okamehachimoku'' (a bystander's vantage point)
* {{linktext|手|前|味|噌}} ''temaemiso'' (singing one's own praises; tooting one's own horn)
* {{linktext|二|股|膏|薬}} ''futamatagōyaku'' (double-dealer; time-server)
* {{linktext|風|林|火|山}} ''fū, rin, ka, zan'' ("wind, woods, fire, mountain"; military proverb coming from [[Sun Tzu]]'s "[[The Art of War|Art of War]]"; see also [[Fūrinkazan]])
*

==Korean examples==
The Korean equivalent are ''sajaseongeo'' ({{Korean|hangul=사자성어|hanja=四字成語}}).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ilovekorean.net/korean-language/idioms.html# |title=Structure of Korean Idioms |access-date=2014-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512222925/http://www.ilovekorean.net/korean-language/idioms.html# |archive-date=2014-05-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They have similar categorization to Japanese ones, such as ''gosaseongeo'' ({{Korean|hangul=고사성어|hanja=故事成語|labels=no}}) for historical idioms.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140512223309/http://www.ilovekorean.net/attachments/article/247/Four%20Character%20Idioms%20(05042014).pdf Structure of four character idioms]".</ref> Although many sajaseongeo are derived from Chinese ones Korean people also created their own unique idioms that reflect Korean culture refereed to as Hanguk-san sajaseongeo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Four Character Idioms |url=https://www.koreanvalley.com/four-character-idioms.html |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=KOREANVALLEY |language=en}}</ref>

== Vietnamese examples ==
Four word idioms or any idiom in Vietnamese are known as '''thành ngữ''' ([[chữ Hán]]: {{vi-nom|成語}}, literally "set phrase/speech"). A large amount of idioms originating from Classical Chinese have been borrowed into the language, but there exists native counterparts to the Classical Chinese idioms. There are also many idioms that are Vietnamese in origin. Vietnamese idioms can be classified into Sino-Vietnamese idioms ([[Vietnamese alphabet|Vietnamese]]: thành ngữ Hán Việt, [[Hán-Nôm|chữ Hán Nôm]]: {{vi-nom|成語漢越}}) and native Vietnamese idioms ([[Vietnamese alphabet|Vietnamese]]: thành ngữ thuần Việt, [[Hán-Nôm|chữ Hán Nôm]]: {{vi-nom|成語純越}}) that were once written in [[chữ Nôm]], are now written in the Latin-based [[Vietnamese alphabet]].
{| class="wikitable"
|+Sino-Vietnamese Idioms
!Classical Chinese (Hán văn, {{vi-nom|漢文}})
!Vietnamese alphabet (chữ Quốc Ngữ, {{vi-nom|𡨸國語}})
!Meaning
|-
|{{vi-nom|否極泰來}}
|Bĩ cực thái lai
|The darkest hour is just before the dawn "The worst situation comes before a good one."
|-
|{{vi-nom|相親相愛}}
|Tương thân tương ái
|To be altruistic and charitable to each other, especially in times of crisis or disaster
|-
|{{vi-nom|盡善盡美}}
|Tận thiện tận mỹ
|Very good or beautiful
|-
|{{vi-nom|溫故知新}}
|Ôn cố tri tân
|One should be able to derive new understanding while revising what one has learned.
|-
|{{vi-nom|全心全意}}
|Toàn tâm toàn ý
|With all of one's heart; completely dedicated
|}
[[File:Lên voi xuống chó.png|220x220px]]
{| class="wikitable"
|+Native Vietnamese Idioms
!Chữ Hán Nôm ({{vi-nom|𡨸漢喃}})
!Vietnamese alphabet (chữ Quốc Ngữ, {{vi-nom|𡨸國語}})
!Meaning
|-
|{{vi-nom|𫗒𠰳𫡽𠰳}}
|Ăn miếng trả miếng
|Tit for tat; literally, "eat a piece, pay back a piece" 
|-
|{{vi-nom|𢢂𨐮𢢂𧃵}}
|Ghét cay ghét đắng
|To have an extreme and utter hatred, literally, "Hate spiciness, hate bitterness"
|-
|{{vi-nom|幔𡗶𥴜𡐙}}
|Màn trời chiếu đất
|A situation where many people become homeless, especially after a disaster; literally, "to use the sky as a curtain and the land as a mat"
|-
|{{vi-nom|厭𣵰羅鐄}}
|Im lặng là vàng
|Peace and quiet have great value; literally, "Peace and quiet is golden"
|-
|{{vi-nom|𨕭𤠅𠖈㹥}}
|Lên voi xuống chó
|To have ups and downs in one's life, to go from riches to rags; literally, "Going up on an elephant, going down on a dog"
|}

== In popular culture == 
The plot of the Taiwanese comedy-drama [[GG Precinct]] centres on people murdered for misquoting Chinese idioms.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://decider.com/2024/08/23/gg-precinct-netflix-review/ |title=Stream It Or Skip It: 'GG Precinct' On Netflix, A Comedic Taiwanese Cop Show Where The Detectives Investigate Idiom-Related Murders |date=23 August 2024 |publisher=[[Decider (website)|Decider]] |last=Keller |first=Joel |access-date=26 August 2024 |archive-date=24 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240824111838/https://decider.com/2024/08/23/gg-precinct-netflix-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3275883/netflix-drama-gg-precinct-review-greg-hsu-gingle-wang-play-goofball-cops-crime-comedy |title=Netflix drama GG Precinct review: Greg Hsu, Gingle Wang play goofball cops in crime comedy |date=26 August 2024 |publisher=[[South China Morning Post]] |last=Marsh |first=James |access-date=26 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://500times.udn.com/wtimes/story/120840/8181647 |title=正港分局／雀雀劇評：台劇豪華陣容同樂會 木曜4超玩認真演 |date=24 August 2024 |publisher=[[United Daily News]] |last=Chien |first=Ying-jou |access-date=26 August 2024 |language=zh}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Idiom]]
* [[Chinese characters]]
* [[Xiehouyu]], typically longer Chinese proverbs
* [[Homophonic puns in Mandarin Chinese]]
* [[Proverbs commonly said to be Chinese]]
* [[Mulberry fields (idiom)]]

==Dictionaries of Mandarin Chinese Idioms==
*{{cite book
|url=https://archive.org/details/adictionarycoll00gilegoog
|title=A dictionary of colloquial idioms in the Mandarin dialect
|year=1873
|author=Herbert Allen Giles
|publisher=A.H. de Carvalho
|location=SHANGHAI
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/adictionarycoll00gilegoog/page/n143 65]
|access-date=10 February 2012}} (Harvard University) (Digitized Jul 22, 2005)
*{{cite book
|url=https://archive.org/details/adictionarycoll00gilegoog
|title=A dictionary of colloquial idioms in the Mandarin dialect
|year=1873
|author=Herbert Allen Giles
|publisher=A.H. De Carvalho
|location=SHANGHAI
|pages=[https://archive.org/details/adictionarycoll00gilegoog/page/n143 65]
|access-date=10 February 2012 }} (Harvard University) (Digitized Mar 4, 2009)
*{{cite book |last1=Jiao |first1=Liwei |last2=Kubler |first2=Cornelius C. |last3=Zhang |first3=Weiguo |title=500 Common Chinese Idioms: An Annotated Frequency Dictionary |date=2013 |publisher=Routledge |location=Oxon, UK |edition=Kindle |ISBN=9780415776820}}
*{{cite book |last1=Pan |first1=Weigui |title=A Chinese-English Dictionary of Chinese Idioms |date=2000 |publisher=Sinolingua |location=Beijing |ISBN=9787800522376}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Chinese proverbs}}
{{Wiktionary|Category:Mandarin idioms|Category:Mandarin proverbs}}
* [http://thinkingchinese.com/index.php?page_id=50 Theme Idioms - 相關成語／相关成语] at [http://thinkingchinese.com/index.php Thinking Chinese].
* [https://chinesenotes.com/idioms.html Search for Chinese idioms] at Chinese Notes

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[[Category:Chinese proverbs| ]]
[[Category:Japanese vocabulary]]