Chinese Idiom Lookup — Meanings, Origins & Examples
Learn idioms by meaning, origin and example sentence
FAQ
What search methods does the idiom lookup support?
It supports fuzzy search by idiom name, pinyin, meaning and category tag. For example, searching "画" finds idioms like 画蛇添足 and 画龙点睛; searching the "坚持" (perseverance) category finds motivational idioms like 愚公移山 and 水滴石穿. Click an idiom to see details.
What is the difference between a chengyu and a xiehouyu?
A chengyu is usually a fixed four-character phrase with a literary source that expresses a complete figurative meaning; a xiehouyu has two parts — a metaphor followed by an explanation — and is more colloquial and humorous. To learn xiehouyu, visit the xiehouyu collection.
How many idioms are included?
30 common idioms are currently included and the list keeps growing. Each entry has pinyin, meaning, origin, example sentence and category tag, with random learning and one-click copy sharing. The data is proofread for accurate meanings.