| |
Idiom |
jyutping |
pinyin |
Meaning |
|
小心駛得萬年船
|
siu2 sam1 sai2 dak1 maan6 nin4 syun4 |
xiao3 xin1 shi3 de2 wan4 nian2 chuan2 |
it pays a long way to be careful |
|
|
應有此報
|
jing1 jau5 ci2 bou3 |
|
it serves you right |
|
|
十年樹木
|
sap6 nin4 syu6 muk6 |
shi2 nian2 shu4 mu4 |
it takes ten years to grow a tree (...but a hundred for a person) |
|
|
珍珠都冇咁真
|
zan1 zyu1 dou1 mou5 gam3 zan1 |
|
it's definitely true |
|
|
堅過石堅
|
gin1 gwo3 sek6 gin1 |
|
it's definitely true |
|
|
人心隔肚皮
|
jan4 sam1 gaak3 tou5 pei4 |
ren2 xin1 ge2 du4 pi2 |
it's hard to really know sb; it's hard to know sb. true nature |
|
|
言之過早
|
jin4 zi1 gwo3 zou2 |
yan2 zhi1 guo4 zao3 |
it's too early to say |
|
|
隻手遮天
|
zek3 sau2 ze1 tin1 |
|
（of the government etc.）to hide the truth from the masses |
|
|
周身刀冇把利
|
zau1 san1 dou1 mou5 baa2 lei6 |
|
jack of all trades |
|
|
周身刀冇張利
|
zau1 san1 dou1 mou5 zoeng1 lei6 |
|
jack of all trades |
|
|
三腳貓
|
saam1 goek3 maau1 |
|
Jack of all trades and master of none (lit., "three legged cat") |
|
|
一丘之貉
|
jat1 jau1 zi1 hok6 |
yi1 qiu1 zhi1 he2 |
jackals from the same lair; birds of a feather |
|
|
玉不琢不成器
|
juk6 bat1 doek3 bat1 sing4 hei3 |
|
jade without chiseling will not become a useful object |
|
|
心曠神怡
|
sam1 kong3 san4 ji4 |
xin1 kuang4 shen2 yi2 |
joyful and relaxed; carefree and happy |
|
|
以貌取人
|
ji5 maau6 ceoi2 jan4 |
|
judge a book by its cover |
|
|
大吃一驚
|
daai6 hek3 jat1 geng1 |
da4chi1yi1jing1 |
jump out of one's skin; be astonished |
|
|
以防萬一
|
ji5 fong4 maan6 jat1 |
yi3 fang2 wan4 yi1 |
Just in case (start to an if/then type sentence); guard against unexpected (idiom) |
|
|
差強人意
|
caa1 koeng4 jan4 ji3 |
cha1 qiang2 ren2 yi4 |
just passable; barely satisfactory |
|
|
恰到好處
|
hap1 dou3 hou2 cyu3 |
qia4 dao4 hao3 chu4 |
just right |
|
|
求之不得
|
kau4 zi1 bat1 dak1 |
qiu2 zhi1 bu4 de2 |
just what one wished for; to wish for sth. however fail to receive it in the end |
