- 热锅上的蚂蚁 règuōshàngdemǎyǐ cat on a hot tin roof(metaphor) someone who is extremely anxious, agitated, or unable to sit still because of worry
- 蚂蚁啃骨头 mǎyǐkěngǔtou to tackle a big task bit by bitLiterally meaning "ants gnawing a bone," this describes pooling small amounts of energy or resources together to complete a difficult or massive task through persistent, steady effort.
- 白蚂蚁 báimǎyǐ termitetermite; a social insect that lives in colonies and feeds on wood or organic matter
- 蚂蚁搬泰山 mǎyǐbāntàishān mass action can achieve great thingsliterally 'ants moving Mount Tai'; describes how many people working together or a persistent collective effort can accomplish even the most difficult tasks
- 蚂蚁窝 mǎyǐwō anthillanthill; ant nest; any structure or underground tunnel system where ants live
- 蚂蚁腰 mǎyǐyāo tiny waist(slang) an extremely slim waist; tiny waist
- 蚂蚁金服 mǎyǐjīnfú Ant FinancialAnt Financial Services Group, an affiliate company of [[阿里巴巴|阿里巴巴|a1 li3 ba1 ba1]]
- 蚂蚁上树 mǎyǐshàngshù Ants Climbing a TreeA classic dish made of cellophane noodles and ground meat, named for the way bits of meat cling to the noodles like ants on branches.
- 飞蚂蚁 fēimǎyǐ flying antwinged ant or termite that swarms during the breeding season
- 蚂蚁包 mǎyǐbāo ant bitean itchy or swollen bump resulting from an ant bite