Chengyu lookup

Search Chinese chengyu by character, pinyin, or meaning

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水滴石穿 · shui di shi chuansteady effort can wear through stone 一丝不苟 · yi si bu goumeticulous; not careless in the slightest 闻鸡起舞 · wen ji qi wuto rise at the rooster's crow and train; disciplined early effort Shorten the English ideapraise Try plain pinyinpraise

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23 results for praise

Results show the short meaning first, then pinyin, literal image, tone, and difficulty.

水滴石穿steady effort can wear through stoneshuǐ dī shí chuān · positive · positiveOpen entry 一丝不苟meticulous; not careless in the slightestyì sī bù gǒu · negative · positiveOpen entry 闻鸡起舞to rise at the rooster's crow and train; disciplined early effortwén jī qǐ wǔ · positive · admiringOpen entry 百折不挠to remain unyielding after many setbacksbǎi zhé bù náo · positive · admiring and determinedOpen entry 出类拔萃outstanding among otherschū lèi bá cuì · positive · clear praiseOpen entry

水滴石穿shuǐ dī shí chuānsteady effort can wear through stonewater drops pierce stoneBeginnerpositive 一丝不苟yì sī bù gǒumeticulous; not careless in the slightestnot careless about even one threadBeginnerpositive 闻鸡起舞wén jī qǐ wǔto rise at the rooster's crow and train; disciplined early efforthear the rooster and get up to practiceIntermediateadmiring 百折不挠bǎi zhé bù náoto remain unyielding after many setbacksa hundred bends, yet not yieldingIntermediateadmiring and determined 出类拔萃chū lèi bá cuìoutstanding among otherscome out from the group and rise above the clusterIntermediateclear praise 海纳百川hǎi nà bǎi chuānto be broad-minded and inclusivethe sea accepts hundreds of riversIntermediateadmiring and expansive 闭月羞花bì yuè xiū huāso beautiful that the moon hides and flowers feel ashamedthe moon closes away and flowers blush with shameLiteraryornate and admiring 鞭辟入里biān pì rù lǐpenetrating and deeply analyticalto press inward into the inner layerAdvancedapproving and analytical 读万卷书dú wàn juǎn shūread widely and deeplyread ten thousand scrolls of booksBeginnerencouraging and studious 登峰造极dēng fēng zào jíto reach the highest levelclimb the peak and reach the utmost pointAdvancedstrongly admiring or critical of extremity 顶礼膜拜dǐng lǐ mó bàito worship or admire to an excessive degreebow with the highest ritual and kneel in worshipIntermediateadmiring in form but often critical of excess 刚柔并济gāng róu bìng jìto combine firmness and flexibilityhard and soft support each other togetherAdvancedbalanced praise 开卷有益kāi juàn yǒu yìreading is beneficialopening a book has benefitBeginnerencouraging and educational 不耻下问bù chǐ xià wènnot too proud to ask those below oneselfnot ashamed to ask downwardIntermediateapproving 程门立雪chéng mén lì xuěto show deep respect for a teacherstand in the snow at Cheng's gateLiteraryrespectful 脚踏实地jiǎo tà shí dìto be practical, grounded, and steadyfeet step on solid groundBeginnerapproving and steady 锲而不舍qiè ér bù shěto keep working persistently and never give upcarve and do not abandonIntermediateencouraging 入木三分rù mù sān fēndeeply penetrating and incisiveenter the wood three-tenths of an inchLiteraryadmiring and analytical 精卫填海jīng wèi tián hǎidetermined persistence against a huge taskJingwei fills the seaLiterarysolemn and determined 妙笔生花miào bǐ shēng huābrilliant writing that brings language to lifea wonderful brush gives birth to flowersIntermediateadmiring 明察秋毫míng chá qiū háoto observe even the smallest details clearlyclearly inspect autumn downLiteraryadmiring and precise 临危不惧lin wei bu juto stay unafraid in dangerface danger without fearIntermediateadmiring 囊萤映雪nang ying ying xueto study diligently despite hardshipbag fireflies and read by reflected snowLiteraryadmiring and solemn

Search by theme instead

Themes are useful when you know the situation but not the exact chengyu.

Chengyu for Learning Chinese

Idioms that help learners talk about practice, mistakes, correction, and steady improvement.

Chengyu About Effort and Discipline

Positive and cautionary idioms for practice, persistence, over-pressure, and commitment.

Cautionary Chengyu

Story-driven warnings about passivity, rigidity, overdoing, wrong direction, and premature judgment.

Strategy Chengyu

Idioms for plans, direction, commitment, preparation, and decisions under pressure.

Everyday Spoken Chengyu

Common expressions that appear in daily conversation, self-evaluation, reviews, and casual criticism.

Chengyu About Perspective and Wisdom

Idioms that help explain uncertainty, narrow perspective, and the need to see the larger pattern.