Chengyu lookup
Search Chinese chengyu by character, pinyin, or meaning
Try Chinese characters, tone-mark pinyin, plain pinyin, English equivalents, or a theme such as effort, wisdom, or strategy.
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Start from the closest match, then check pinyin, tone, literal image, and misuse before choosing a phrase.
Open one result first. If the tone or object does not match your sentence, compare a nearby phrase or switch to a theme.
1 result for to repair the pen after losing sheep; better late than never
Results show the short meaning first, then pinyin, literal image, tone, and difficulty.
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.