Master These 10 Three-Character Chinese Idioms
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Learning Chinese can be a real pain in the 屁股 pìgu. Besides a writing system that shares no common roots with most languages of the Western world, tones also muddy the water, and then there are the thousands of head-scratching idiomatic expressions just to add fuel to the already raging fire.
Idioms (成语 chéngyǔ) pose a particular challenge largely because it’s difficult to comprehend their real meaning from a literal translation; the “ah, I see” moment often only arrives once you learn the context in which they should be used. In Chinese, idioms usually have three or more words, with the four-word expressions being the most common form.
Here, we list 10 useful and commonly-used three-word Chinese expressions that you can throw into everyday conversation so as to impress your Chinese friends.
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diàndēngpào
Literal translation: Lightbulb
Actual meaning: Third wheel
Example sentence:
我跟我男朋友今晚去看电影，你要一起吗？
Wǒ gēn wǒ nán péngyǒu jīn wǎn qù kàn diànyǐng, nǐ yào yīqǐ ma?
Hey, would you like to join me and my boyfriend for a movie tonight?
你们去吧，我才不要当电灯泡。
Nǐmen qù ba, wǒ cái bùyào dāng diàndēngpào.
Nah, you guys have fun, I don’t want to be the third wheel.
fàng gēzi
Literal meaning: Release the pigeon
Actual meaning: Stand somebody up
Example sentence:
我跟我朋友说好了周六一起吃火锅，结果她却放我鸽子！
Wǒ gēn wǒ péngyǒu shuō hǎole zhōu liù yīqǐ chī huǒguō, jiéguǒ tā què fàng wǒ gēzi!
My friend and I were planning to have hot pot Saturday, but she stood me up!
bào dàtuǐ
Literal translation: Hold someone's thigh (often negative but on the internet has taken on a light-hearted, self-deprecating tone)
Actual meaning: Ride one's coattails
Example sentence:
我刚谈下一个大客户，可以拿到不少绩效奖金！
Wǒ gāng tán xià yīgè dà kèhù, kěyǐ ná dào bù shǎo jīxiào jiǎngjīn!
I just won a big contract with an important client – I will get a great performance bonus!
恭喜！我想要抱你大腿！
Gōngxǐ! Wǒ xiǎng yào bào nǐ dàtuǐ!
Congratulations! Wish I could ride your coattails!
bēihēiguō
Literal translation: Carry a black pot
Actual meaning: Be a scapegoat
Example sentence:
这件事不是我的错，我不背黑锅。
Zhè jiàn shì bùshì wǒ de cuò, wǒ bù bēihēiguō.
This is not my fault. I won't be the scapegoat here.
diào liànzi
Literal translation: Bicycle chain comes off
Actual meaning: Drop the ball
Example sentence:
都这个时候了小王怎么还没来？可千万不要关键时刻掉链子！
Dōu zhège shíhòule xiǎo wáng zěnme hái méi lái? Kě qiān wàn bùyào guānjiàn shíkè diào liànzi!
Why hasn't Xiao Wang shown up yet? I hope to God that he doesn't drop the ball at the last minute!
sǐhútòng
Literal translation: Dead alley
Actual meaning: Dead end
Example sentence:
我不认为这个世界上有死胡同。只要你努力，总能找到出路！
Wǒ bù rènwéi zhège shìjiè shàng yǒu sǐhútòng. Zhǐyào nǐ nǔlì, zǒng néng zhǎodào chūlù!
There's no such thing as a true dead-end – where there’s a will, there’s a way!
bànjiǎoshí
Literal translation: Stumbling block
Actual meaning: Obstacle
Example sentence:
不幸就像石头，弱者把看成绊脚石，强者把它当成垫脚石。
Bùxìng jiù xiàng shítou, ruòzhě bǎ kàn chéng bànjiǎoshí, qiáng zhě bǎ tā dàngchéng diànjiǎoshí.
The weak-minded see misfortune as a stumbling block, while the strong-minded see it as a stepping stone.
zuānkòngzi
Literal translation: Drill a hole
Actual meaning: Exploit a weakness
Example sentence:
公司一旦管理不严，就会有人试图钻空子。
Gōngsī yīdàn guǎnlǐ bù yán, jiù huì yǒurén shìtú zuānkòngzi.
Once the company starts to become poorly-managed, someone will try to take advantage of it.
ménwàihàn
Literal translation: A man outside of the door
Actual meaning: An amateur
Example sentence:
我学这个才一个月的时间，还完全是个门外汉呢！
Wǒ xué zhège cái yīgè yuè de shíjiān, hái wánquán shìgè ménwàihàn ne!
I’ve only been learning this for a month – I'm still a total amateur!
kāixiǎochāi
Literal translation: Open a small gap
Actual meaning: Be absent-minded
Example sentence:
他上课一直开小差，老师讲的内容一句都没听进去。
Tā shàngkè yīzhí kāixiǎochāi, lǎoshī jiǎng de nèiróng yījù dōu méi tīng jìnqù.
He’s been absent-minded throughout the entire class and didn’t catch a single word of the teacher's.
Photos: studybreaks.com, giphy.com
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