to be no problem at all; to be a sure thing

to sob so much that one loses one's voice or cannot speak; to choke with sobs; describes extreme grief

To be unable to complete or finish a task or project.

not written down; established by custom or habit rather than formal documentation

to feel frustrated or impatient that someone has failed to meet one's high expectations for their improvement; literally "to resent that iron does not turn into steel"

(idiom) describes a military force being so thoroughly defeated and scattered that they no longer form an organized army; to suffer a crushing defeat

Of an object, not yet having been crafted into a useful utensil or tool

(proverb) Without coincidences there would be no stories; used to describe a situation where things happen in an extremely coincidental or fortuitous way.

cannot reach the high or accept the low; specifically, to be unfit for a high-level position but unwilling to accept a lower-level one

worthless; good-for-nothing; ne'er-do-well

unbecoming; not according with decorum; scandalous behavior or speech that violates rules of propriety

literally meaning to try to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice used to lure it; used to describe trying to gain an advantage but ending up worse off

A humble phrase used when giving a gift, indicating that the gift is not enough to fully express the giver's respect or regard.

completely unreasonable or shocking; absurd; beyond the pale

to lie awake at night; to be unable to fall asleep at night

To try to draw a tiger but end up with a dog; describes botching an overambitious attempt or making a poor imitation that ends up looking ridiculous.

Legal norms like customary law or precedents that have legal force despite not being formally enacted or published as codes; common law.

literally 'a single tree does not make a forest'; used to mean that an individual's strength is limited and cooperation is needed to achieve great things

out of a fight a friendship may grow; one does not make friends without a exchange of blows.

To set an overly ambitious goal and fail to achieve it; to make a poor imitation. This is a shortened form of the idiom [[画虎不成反类狗|畫虎不成反類狗|hua4 hu3 bu4 cheng2 fan3 lei4 gou3]].

a single thread cannot make a cord; one person cannot accomplish a task alone and needs cooperation from others

Literally "to try to paint a tiger but end up with a dog"; used to describe someone who tries to imitate others but lacks the skill, resulting in a ridiculous and clumsy failure.

a constitution where the fundamental laws and principles are not codified into a single formal document but are instead based on conventions, judicial precedents, and separate statutes

to have mediocre talent and no future; to be worthless or useless

succeed or die for a righteous cause; to conquer or die; to die for one's principles if one does not succeed

one must follow rules to achieve results; lit. without a compass and a square, one cannot make squares and circles

to be out of proportion; referring to a situation where the size, amount, or importance of things do not match or relate fairly to each other

A person who is unpromising, lacks ambition, or behaves improperly; a person of loose morals or poor character

literally meaning jade must be carved to become a valuable vessel; used to mean that a person must undergo education, training, or hardship to develop their character and achieve great things

shapeless, deformed, or ruined; in a state of disrepair or mess

Rice cooked from aged grains lacks stickiness and cannot be shaped into a ball; used as a metaphor to describe people who lack mutual affection and cannot be forced to live or work together successfully.

Used to introduce a rhetorical question, meaning "is it possible that..." or "could it be that...", expressing surprise or disbelief.

used in a rhetorical question to express disbelief or surprise

To be unable to reach a high standard while being unwilling to accept a lower one; often used to describe being overly picky when looking for a job or a spouse.

friendship often begins after a conflict or fight

literally "one cannot get fat with a single mouthful"; used as a proverb to mean that nothing significant can be accomplished in a single effort or that any great achievement requires time and persistence

to be unable to do something; to be unable to finish or achieve a task

(idiom) a child will not grow up to be a useful person if they are not disciplined; spare the rod and spoil the child

A single strand of silk does not make a thread, and a single tree does not make a forest; one person cannot achieve much without the help or cooperation of others

(idiom) a person can only be molded into something useful through strict discipline and training