| |
Idiom |
jyutping |
pinyin |
Meaning |
|
十劃都未有一撇
|
sap6 waak6 dou1 mei6 jau5 jat1 pit3 |
shi2 hua4 dou1 wei4 you3 yi4 pie3 |
There is not the slightest sign of anything happening yet |
|
|
野草燒不盡春風吹又生
|
je5 cou2 siu1 bat1 zeon6 ceon1 fung1 ceoi1 jau6 sang1 |
|
there will always be criminals |
|
|
針冇兩頭利
|
zam1 mou5 loeng5 tau4 lei6 |
|
there's no rose without thorns, no such thing as perfect |
|
|
空穴來風
|
hung1 jyut6 loi4 fung1 |
kong1 xue2 lai2 feng1 |
there's no smoke without fire |
|
|
無風三尺浪
|
mou4 fung1 saam1 cek3 long6 |
wu2 feng1 san1 chi3 lang4 |
there's no waves but a three foot high wave appears out of nowhere; for sth. to happen suddenly and without any forewarning |
|
|
物換星移
|
mat6 wun6 sing1 ji4 |
wu4 huan4 xing1 yi2 |
things change with the passing of time |
|
|
船到橋頭自然直
|
syun4 dou3 kiu4 tau4 zi6 jin4 zik6 |
chuan2 dao4 qiao2 tou2 zi4 ran2 zhi2 |
things have a way of working out |
|
|
物是人非
|
mat6 si6 jan4 fei1 |
wu4 shi4 ren2 fei1 |
things have remained the same, but people have changed |
|
|
少見多怪
|
siu2 gin3 do1 gwaai3 |
shao3 jian4 duo1 guai4 |
things seldom seen are strange |
|
|
自作聰明
|
zi6 zok3 cung1 ming4 |
|
think of yourself as being smart |
|
|
講笑搵第樣
|
gong2 siu3 wan2 dai6 joeng6*2 |
|
this is no laughing matter |
|
|
一山不能藏二虎
|
jat1 saan1 bat1 nang4 cong4 ji6 fu2 |
yi4 shan1 bu4 neng2 cang2 er4 hu3 |
this town ain't big enough for both of us |
|
|
一乾二淨
|
jat1 gon1 ji6 zeng6 |
|
thoroughly |
|
|
不折不扣
|
bat1 zit3 bat1 kau3 |
bu4 zhe2 bu4 kou4 |
thoroughly; out-and-out |
|
|
人小鬼大
|
jan4 siu2 gwai2 daai6 |
ren2 xiao3 gui3 da4 |
though young of age is skilled or experienced |
|
|
三人成虎
|
saam1 jan4 sing4 fu2 |
san1 ren2 cheng2 hu3 |
three men make a tiger |
|
|
三人一條心，黃土變成金
|
saam1 jan4 jat1 tiu4 sam1 wong4 tou2 bin3 sing4 gam1 |
san1 ren2 yi4 tiao2 xin1 huang2 tu3 bian4 cheng2 jin1 |
Three men of one heart can transform yellow earth into gold |
|
|
三妻四妾
|
saam1 cai1 sei3 cip3 |
san1 qi1 si4 qie4 |
three wives and four concubines; to have multiple wives |
|
|
阻住地球轉
|
zo2 zyu6 dei6 kau4 zyun2 |
zu3 zhu4 di4 qiu2 zhuan3 |
throw a spanner in the works |
|
|
手忙腳亂
|
sau2 mong4 goek3 lyun6 |
shou3 mang2 jiao3 luan4 |
thrown into confusion |
