Xiehouyu (歇后语) is a unique form of Chinese linguistic art, consisting of two parts: the first part is a vivid metaphor, and the second part is the explanation, clarification, or complement to the first. These statements, imbued with traditional Chinese culture and wisdom, are paired with exquisite illustrations and English translations to help you better understand their deeper meanings.
竹篮打水
一场空
Drawing water with a bamboo basket
All in vain
肉包子打狗
有去无回
Hitting a dog with a meat bun
Gone forever
哑巴吃黄连
有苦说不出
A mute eating bitter herbs
Suffering in silence
画蛇添足
多此一举
Drawing feet on a snake
Gilding the lily
井底之蛙
目光短浅
A frog in a well
Short-sighted
杞人忧天
庸人自扰
A person from Qi worrying about the sky
Unnecessary anxiety
掩耳盗铃
自欺欺人
Covering one's ears to steal a bell
Deceiving oneself
刻舟求剑
不知变通
Carving a mark on a boat to find a sword
Rigid thinking
守株待兔
墨守成规
Waiting by a stump for a rabbit
Relying on luck and inflexibility
班门弄斧
不自量力
Showing off one's axe skills at Lu Ban's door
Overestimating oneself
对牛弹琴
白费口舌
Playing lute to a cow
Wasting words on an unappreciative audience
亡羊补牢
为时未晚
Mending the fence after sheep are lost
Better late than never
三个臭皮匠
顶个诸葛亮
Three cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang
Two heads are better than one
老马识途
经验丰富
Old horses know the way
Experience counts
狗咬吕洞宾
不识好人心
A dog bites Lu Dongbin
Biting the hand that feeds you
雪中送炭
及时雨
Sending charcoal in snow
Timely help in time of need
锦上添花
好上加好
Adding flowers to brocade
Making something good even better
隔岸观火
袖手旁观
Watching fire from opposite bank
Detached observation without getting involved
滥竽充数
冒充内行
Passing off as a yu player
Pretending to be competent when one is not
拔苗助长
欲速则不达
Pulling up seedlings to help them grow
Haste makes waste