Usage of the character 一

Double First-Class University Plan, Chinese government project to develop both a group of Chinese universities and a group of subject disciplines to be world-class by 2050, implemented from 2017

yībùqún

一步裙

[一步裙]

pencil skirt

yīzhènzi

一阵子

[一陣子]

a while
a spell
a short time
a burst

dìyījí

第一级

[第一級]

first level

xiàyīdài

下一代

[下一代]

the next generation

Shíyīyuè

十一月

[十一月]

November
eleventh month (of the lunar year)

yīzhìzì

一致字

[一致字]

(orthography) consistent words (e.g. "dean", "bean", and "lean", where "-ean" is pronounced the same in each case)
consistent characters (e.g. 搖／摇 (yáo), 遙／遥 (yáo) and 謠／谣 (yáo), which share a phonetic component that reliably indicates that the pronunciation of the character is yáo)

fùyīcéng

负一层

[負一層]

(architecture) basement level 1; floor B1

zàiyīqǐ

在一起

[在一起]

together

yīkǒuqì

一口气

[一口氣]

one breath
in one breath
at a stretch

yǒuyītuǐ

有一腿

[有一腿]

(coll.) to have an affair

yīmǐnzi

一抿子

[一抿子]

a little bit

yīguōduān

一锅端

[一鍋端]

see 連鍋端／连锅端 (liánguōduān)

yīdiūdiū

一丢丢

[一丟丟]

(coll.) a tiny bit

yīzhǎyǎn

一眨眼

[一眨眼]

in a wink

dìyīlún

第一轮

[第一輪]

first round (of match, or election)

qiányīxiàng

前一向

[前一向]

lately
in the recent past

yīxíhuà

一席话

[一席話]

the content of a conversation
words
remarks

dìyīcì

第一次

[第一次]

the first time
first
number one

dìyīpào

第一炮

[第一炮]

(fig.) opening shot

jìngyījìng

静一静

[靜一靜]

to put sth to rest
calm down a bit!

xiàyītiào

吓一跳

[嚇一跳]

startled
to frighten
scared out of one's skin

yīluókuāng

一箩筐

[一籮筐]

bucketloads of
in large quantities
extremely

yīdàzǎo

一大早

[一大早]

at dawn
at first light
first thing in the morning

yīzhuǎnyǎn

一转眼

[一轉眼]

in the blink of an eye

dìyīshǒu

第一手

[第一手]

first-hand

yīkǒujià

一口价

[一口價]

fixed price; take-it-or-leave-it price

yīlùshàng

一路上

[一路上]

along the way
the whole way
(fig.) the whole time

shìyīshì

试一试

[試一試]

to have a try

yītuánzāo

一团糟

[一團糟]

chaos
bungle
complete mess
shambles

yīxiǎocuō

一小撮

[一小撮]

handful (of)

yījiǎzǐ

一甲子

[一甲子]

sixty years

rènyīge

任一个

[任一個]

any one of (a list of possibilities)

xiàyībù

下一步

[下一步]

the next step

Bó Yībō

薄一波

[薄一波]

Bo Yibo (1908-2007), ranking PRC politician, served on State Council from 1950s to 1980s as colleague of Deng Xiaoping

yīyèqíng

一夜情

[一夜情]

one night stand

yīcìxìng

一次性

[一次性]

one-off (offer)
one-time
single-use
disposable (goods)

zàiyīcì

再一次

[再一次]

again

tǒngyīmǎ

统一码

[統一碼]

Unicode

lǎoyītào

老一套

[老一套]

the same old stuff

yīdīngdiǎn

一丁点

[一丁點]

a tiny bit

yīgebàn

一个半

[一個半]

one and a half

yīshíjiān

一时间

[一時間]

for a moment
momentarily

miáoyīyǎn

瞄一眼

[瞄一眼]

to shoot a glance at

yībānxìng

一般性

[一般性]

general
generality

shíyīlù

十一路

[十一路]

(coll.) going on foot

yīchànà

一刹那

[一剎那]

a moment
an instant
in a flash

yīděngjiǎng

一等奖

[一等獎]

first prize

yīdùzi

一肚子

[一肚子]

bellyful (of sth)
full of (sth)

jièyībù

借一步

[借一步]

could I have a word with you? (in private)

yīhuìr

一会儿

[一會兒]

a moment
a while
in a moment
now...now...
also pr. (yīhuǐr)

yībèizi

一辈子

[一輩子]

(for) a lifetime

Huǒwèi Yī

火卫一

[火衛一]

Phobos (moon of Mars), aka Mars I

yīshùnjiān

一瞬间

[一瞬間]

split second

yīhēizǎo

一黑早

[一黑早]

at daybreak

fùyīpíng

负一屏

[負一屏]

left panel (displayed by swiping right from the main panel of the home screen)

jìnyībù

进一步

[進一步]

to go a step further
(develop, understand, improve etc) more; further

yīlùhuò

一路货

[一路貨]

see 一路貨色／一路货色 (yīlùhuòsè)

yīzìr

一字儿

[一字兒]

in a row; in a line

èrhéyī

二合一

[二合一]

2-in-1
two-in-one

náyīxuè

拿一血

[拿一血]

(gaming) to get first blood
(slang) to take (sb's) virginity

yīlǎnbiǎo

一览表

[一覽表]

table; schedule; list

dìyībù

第一步

[第一步]

step one
first step

dìyīyǎn

第一眼

[第一眼]

at first glance
at first sight

yībǎshǒu

一把手

[一把手]

working hand; member of a work team; participant
the boss (short form of 第一把手 (dìyībǎshǒu))

ràoyīquān

绕一圈

[繞一圈]

to go around one time
to do a circuit

měngyīkàn

猛一看

[猛一看]

at first glance
first impression

yīfāngmiàn

一方面

[一方面]

on the one hand

yīlùlái

一路来

[一路來]

all the way
all along
since the start

yījiāzi

一家子

[一家子]

the whole family

yīmiàndǎo

一面倒

[一面倒]

to be entirely on one side
one-sided
lopsided
partisan
overwhelmingly on one side

yīgūlu

一骨碌

[一骨碌]

with a rolling or twisting movement
in a single movement; in one breath

bǐyibǐ

比一比

[比一比]

to make a comparison
to engage in a contest

yǒuyīxiē

有一些

[有一些]

somewhat
rather
some

yīzhìxìng

一致性

[一致性]

consistency

yīgeyàng

一个样

[一個樣]

see 一樣／一样 (yīyàng)

yīgèjìn

一个劲

[一個勁]

continuously
persistently
incessantly

yīyuánchún

一元醇

[一元醇]

methyl alcohol CH3OH

lìngyībàn

另一半

[另一半]

other half
(fig.) spouse
one's better half

yīdùpí

一肚皮

[一肚皮]

bellyful (of sth)
full of (sth)

yǒuyītào

有一套

[有一套]

to have a skill; to be savvy; to know how to do sth

wǔdǎyī

五打一

[五打一]

to masturbate (slang)

yīgègè

一个个

[一個個]

each and every one
one by one; one after another

yīdiǎnbù

一点不

[一點不]

not at all

yībōr

一拨儿

[一撥兒]

group of people

dìyīliú

第一流

[第一流]

first-class

yīwōfēng

一窝蜂

[一窩蜂]

like a swarm of bees; in droves (used to describe people flocking to do sth)

yībùfen

一部分

[一部分]

portion
part of
subset

yībēigēng

一杯羹

[一杯羹]

lit. a cup of soup
fig. to get part of the profits
one's share of the action

yǒuyīshǒu

有一手

[有一手]

to have a skill
to have a lot on the ball
to have an affair

yīqīzhì

一妻制

[一妻制]

monogamy

yītóurè

一头热

[一頭熱]

one-sided enthusiasm (abbr. for 剃頭挑子一頭熱／剃头挑子一头热 (tìtóutiāoziyītóurè))

yīyuèfèn

一月份

[一月份]

January

yīguòxìng

一过性

[一過性]

transient

bùyīhuì

不一会

[不一會]

soon

tóuyīhuí

头一回

[頭一回]

the first time
for the first time

yītiáoxīn

一条心

[一條心]

to be of one mind
to think or act alike

yījiǎojīng

一角鲸

[一角鯨]

narwhal (Monodon monoceros)

yīyuánhuà

一元化

[一元化]

integration
integrated; unified

Mùwèi Yī

木卫一

[木衛一]

Io (moon of Jupiter), aka Jupiter I

chàyīdiǎn

差一点

[差一點]

see 差點／差点 (chàdiǎn)

děngyīhuì

等一会

[等一會]

Wait a moment!
after a while

dàyītǒng

大一统

[大一統]

unification (of the nation)
large scale unification

yòuyīcì

又一次

[又一次]

yet again
once again
once more

Luo Yixiu (1889-1910), Mao Zedong's first wife

yīshàyǎn

一霎眼

[一霎眼]

suddenly
in an instant

wéiyīxìng

唯一性

[唯一性]

uniqueness

yīgǔnǎo

一股脑

[一股腦]

all of it
lock, stock and barrel

yībānbān

一般般

[一般般]

not particularly good
so-so

yītāizhì

一胎制

[一胎制]

the one-child policy

děngyīxià

等一下

[等一下]

to wait a moment
later
in awhile

yīdāoqiē

一刀切

[一刀切]

lit. to cut all at one stroke (idiom); to impose uniformity
one solution fits a diversity of problems
one size fits all

yīqīngzǎo

一清早

[一清早]

early in the morning

lāoyībǎ

捞一把

[撈一把]

to profiteer
to gain some underhand advantage

sìyī'èr

四一二

[四一二]

12th April
refers to Chiang Kai-shek's coup of 12th April 1927 against the communists in Shanghai

yīdiǎndiǎn

一点点

[一點點]

a little bit

yīlǎnzi

一揽子

[一攬子]

all-inclusive
undiscriminating

qiányītiān

前一天

[前一天]

the day before (an event)

yīhuíshì

一回事

[一回事]

one and the same (thing)
one thing (as distinct from another)

yīshénlùn

一神论

[一神論]

monotheism
unitarianism (denying the Trinity)

yīpǐnguō

一品锅

[一品鍋]

dish containing a variety of meats and vegetables arranged in a broth in a clay pot
chafing dish

yītǐhuà

一体化

[一體化]

to integrate; to unify

èrguòyī

二过一

[二過一]

(soccer) one-two
push-and-run

zhuànyītàng

转一趟

[轉一趟]

to go on a trip

yīdiǎnr

一点儿

[一點兒]

erhua variant of 一點／一点 (yīdiǎn)

yījiārén

一家人

[一家人]

the whole family
members of the same family (lit. or fig.)

yīliùyān

一溜烟

[一溜煙]

like a wisp of smoke
(to disappear etc) in an instant

yīxiàr

一下儿

[一下兒]

erhua variant of 一下 (yīxià)

děngyīděng

等一等

[等一等]

wait a moment

tǒngyīxìng

统一性

[統一性]

unity

yīgēnjīn

一根筋

[一根筋]

stubborn
inflexible
one-track minded

yīgèrén

一个人

[一個人]

by oneself (without assistance)
alone (without company)

lòuyīshǒu

露一手

[露一手]

to show off one's abilities
to exhibit one's skills

yīménshì

一门式

[一門式]

one-stop (service, shop etc)

yīchángkōng

一场空

[一場空]

all in vain; futile

liúyīshǒu

留一手

[留一手]

to hold back a trick
not to divulge all one's trade secrets

yīduìyī

一对一

[一對一]

one-to-one; one-on-one

yīpánqí

一盘棋

[一盤棋]

chessboard layout
(fig.) overall situation

dàyīxiē

大一些

[大一些]

a bit bigger

fānyīfān

翻一番

[翻一番]

to increase by 100%; to double

yībānrén

一般人

[一般人]

average person

yītāihuà

一胎化

[一胎化]

practice of allowing only one child per family

yībiāndǎo

一边倒

[一邊倒]

to have the advantage overwhelmingly on one side
to support unconditionally

Zhōu Yīyuè

周一岳

[周一嶽]

York Chow or Chow Yat-ngok (1947-), Hong Kong doctor and politician, Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food since 2004

yīniánqī

一年期

[一年期]

one year period (in a contract or budget)

bùyīyàng

不一样

[不一樣]

different
distinctive
unlike

shàngyīhào

上一号

[上一號]

(coll.) to go pee
to go to the bathroom

yīniánbàn

一年半

[一年半]

a year and a half

bùyīdìng

不一定

[不一定]

not necessarily
maybe

cìyīgè

次一个

[次一個]

next one (in order)

yīshuǐr

一水儿

[一水兒]

(coll.) of the same type
identical

yīliánchuàn

一连串

[一連串]

a succession of
a series of

yǒuyīcì

有一次

[有一次]

once
once upon a time

shàngyīyè

[上一頁]

preceding page

yīzìjīn

一字巾

[一字巾]

headband; strip of cloth worn around the head

yīpǐnhóng

一品红

[一品紅]

poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)

yǒuyīdiǎn

有一点

[有一點]

a little; somewhat

yībàntiān

一半天

[一半天]

in a day or two; soon

yītiáolóng

一条龙

[一條龍]

lit. one dragon
integrated chain
coordinated process

Wén Yīduō

闻一多

[聞一多]

Wen Yiduo (1899-1946), poet and patriotic fighter, executed by Guomindang in Kunming

yījíbàng

一级棒

[一級棒]

first-rate
excellent (loanword from Japanese 一番, ichiban)

yīyántáng

一言堂

[一言堂]

(sign hung in a shop) prices fixed – no bargaining (old)
having things decided by the will of a single individual
autocratic rule
(contrasted with 群言堂 (qúnyántáng))

dìyīshēng

第一声

[第一聲]

first tone in Mandarin
high, level tone

Shuāng Shíyī

双十一

[雙十一]

see 光棍節／光棍节 ( Guānggùnjié)

yīshàjiān

一霎间

[一霎間]

in a flash

yīshàshí

一霎时

[一霎時]

in an instant

tǒngyītǐ

统一体

[統一體]

whole
single entity

yībǎzhuā

一把抓

[一把抓]

to attempt all tasks at once
to manage every detail regardless of its importance

sānhéyī

三合一

[三合一]

three in one
triple

qīngyīsè

清一色

[清一色]

(mahjong) flush; a complete hand where all tiles are of the same suit
(fig.) uniformly; each and every one

yīshēnhàn

一身汗

[一身汗]

sweating all over

tóngyīguà

同一挂

[同一掛]

(coll.) to have a lot in common (with sb)
to get along well with each other

yījítóu

一级头

[一級頭]

first stage (diving)

yītuánhuǒ

一团火

[一團火]

fireball; ball of fire

bāyīwǔ

八一五

[八一五]

15th August (the date of Japan's surrender in 1945)

Xīngqīyī

星期一

[星期一]

Monday

kànyīkàn

看一看

[看一看]

to have a look

yīxìliè

一系列

[一系列]

a series of
a string of

dìyīlì

第一例

[第一例]

first case
first instance
first time (sth is done)

yīqièxiǎn

一切险

[一切險]

all risks (insurance)

yījiéshī

一节诗

[一節詩]

stanza

yīzhànshì

一站式

[一站式]

one-stop (service, shop etc)

yīshǎnniàn

一闪念

[一閃念]

sudden idea
flash of insight

yījùhuà

一句话

[一句話]

in a word; in short

xiàyīge

下一个

[下一個]

the next one

xiàyīzhàn

下一站

[下一站]

the next stop (of a bus etc)

yībìxiāng

一壁厢

[一壁廂]

see 一壁 (yībì)

yīyuánlùn

一元论

[一元論]

monism, belief that the universe is made of a single substance

yībǎiyī

一百一

[一百一]

faultless
impeccable

yǒuyīpīn

有一拼

[有一拼]

comparable; on a par (with)

fàngyīmǎ

放一马

[放一馬]

to let (sb) off
to let (sb) get away with sth

yīduìr

一对儿

[一對兒]

a pair; a couple

yīshénjiào

一神教

[一神教]

monotheistic religion
monotheism

yīniánshēng

一年生

[一年生]

annual (botany)

yīdìngyào

一定要

[一定要]

must

Xiāo Yīshān

萧一山

[蕭一山]

Xiao Yishan (1902-1978), Modern historian of the Qing dynasty

new generation

yīxiàzi

一下子

[一下子]

in a short while
all at once
all of a sudden

lǎoyībèi

老一辈

[老一輩]

previous generation
older generation

yīniánduō

一年多

[一年多]

more than a year

Tǒngyīchāo

统一超

[統一超]

7-Eleven (convenience store chain) (abbr. for 統一超商／统一超商 ( Tongyǐ Chāoshāng))

yīgǔzi

一股子

[一股子]

a whiff of
a taint of
a thread of

nǎyīge

哪一个

[哪一個]

which

Yīkǎtōng

一卡通

[一卡通]

the name of various contactless smart cards, notably Yikatong (mainly for public transport in Beijing) and iPASS (mainly for public transport in Taiwan)

yīkuàir

一块儿

[一塊兒]

erhua variant of 一塊／一块 (yīkuài)

Jiǎoxiùyī

角宿一

[角宿一]

(astronomy) Spica

yīfēnshú

一分熟

[一分熟]

rare (of steak)

Lǐbàiyī

礼拜一

[禮拜一]

Monday

yīguōzhōu

一锅粥

[一鍋粥]

(lit.) a pot of porridge
(fig.) a complete mess

yīcù'érjiù

一蹴而就

[一蹴而就]

to get there in one step (idiom); easily done
success at a stroke
to get results overnight

yīrúwǎngcháng

一如往常

[一如往常]

as usual

yīcuòzàicuò

一错再错

[一錯再錯]

to repeat errors
to continue blundering
to make continuous mistakes

bùxīyīzhàn

不惜一战

[不惜一戰]

to be ready to go to war

yīqièshìwù

一切事物

[一切事物]

everything

yījiàoxǐnglái

一觉醒来

[一覺醒來]

to wake up from a sleep

yīzhǐkōngwén

一纸空文

[一紙空文]

a worthless piece of paper (idiom)

yīwúsuǒcháng

一无所长

[一無所長]

not having any special skill
without any qualifications

xiǎocàiyīdié

小菜一碟

[小菜一碟]

a small appetizer
a piece of cake; very easy (idiom)

yǒuyīshuōyī

有一说一

[有一說一]

to speak plainly; to speak one’s mind; to say directly

yīqìhēchéng

一气呵成

[一氣呵成]

to do something at one go
to flow smoothly

yīpùshíhán

一暴十寒

[一暴十寒]

one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
sporadic effort
short attention span

zhōusānjìngyī

周三径一

[周三徑一]

circumference of a circle is proverbially three times its radius

yī Zhōngyī Tái

一中一台

[一中一台]

one China and one Taiwan (policy)

zhěngqíhuàyī

整齐划一

[整齊劃一]

to be adjusted to uniformity (usually of weights and measures) (idiom)

shìjièdìyī

世界第一

[世界第一]

ranked number one in the world
the world's first

yībùxiǎoxīn

一不小心

[一不小心]

to be a little bit careless; to have a moment of inattentiveness; accidentally

yīhūbǎinuò

一呼百诺

[一呼百諾]

one command brings a hundred responses (idiom); having hundreds of attendants at one's beck and call

niēyībǎhàn

捏一把汗

[捏一把汗]

to break out into a cold sweat (idiom)

dēnggāoyīhū

登高一呼

[登高一呼]

to make a clarion call
to make a public appeal

duōcǐyījǔ

多此一举

[多此一舉]

to do more than is required (idiom); superfluous
gilding the lily

tǒngyīzhāoshēng

统一招生

[統一招生]

national unified entrance exam

yīmùshíháng

一目十行

[一目十行]

ten lines at a glance (idiom)
to read very rapidly

yīcìfāngchéng

一次方程

[一次方程]

linear equation

yīgǎigùzhé

一改故辙

[一改故轍]

complete change from the old rut (idiom); dramatic change of direction
a volte-face
to change old practices

yīxiàozhìzhī

一笑置之

[一笑置之]

to dismiss with a laugh
to make light of

tiānrénhéyī

天人合一

[天人合一]

oneness of heaven and humanity
the theory that man is an integral part of nature

tǒngyīzhànxiàn

统一战线

[統一戰線]

united front

yīwàngwújì

一望无际

[一望無際]

as far as the eye can see (idiom)

yīwúsuǒdòng

一无所动

[一無所動]

totally unaffected
unimpressed

yīgānjìndòng

一杆进洞

[一桿進洞]

(golf) hole in one

yīxīshùjīng

一夕数惊

[一夕數驚]

lit. one scare after another in a single night (idiom)
fig. to live in fear

yībǎnyīyǎn

一板一眼

[一板一眼]

lit. one strong beat and one weak beats in a measure of music (two beats in the bar) (idiom); fig. follow a prescribed pattern to the letter
scrupulous attention to detail

yīzhīdúxiù

一枝独秀

[一枝獨秀]

lit. only one branch of the tree is thriving (idiom)
fig. to be in a league of one's own
outstanding

dìyījìdù

第一季度

[第一季度]

first quarter (of financial year)

yīqīngrúshuǐ

一清如水

[一清如水]

lit. as clear as water (idiom)
fig. (of officials etc) honest and incorruptible

bīngshānyījiǎo

冰山一角

[冰山一角]

tip of the iceberg

měiniányīdù

每年一度

[每年一度]

once a year (every year)

shùndàiyītí

顺带一提

[順帶一提]

by the way

yībānshuōlái

一般说来

[一般說來]

generally speaking
in general

yīshēnshìdǎn

一身是胆

[一身是膽]

devoid of fear (idiom)
intrepid

yīgài'érlùn

一概而论

[一概而論]

to lump different matters together (idiom)

yīyǔpòdì

一语破的

[一語破的]

see 一語中的／一语中的 (yīyǔzhòngdì)

yīpínyīxiào

一颦一笑

[一顰一笑]

every frown and every smile

yībānjiànshi

一般见识

[一般見識]

(idiom) to lower oneself to (sb's) level

cānghǎiyīsù

沧海一粟

[滄海一粟]

a drop in the ocean (idiom)

yīgān'èrjìng

一干二净

[一乾二淨]

thoroughly (idiom)
completely
one and all
very clean

yánxíngyīzhì

言行一致

[言行一致]

(idiom) one's actions are in keeping with what one says

yītuánqīhēi

一团漆黑

[一團漆黑]

pitch-dark
(fig.) completely in the dark; totally ignorant of
(fig.) grim; beyond salvation

Kōngjūn Yīhào

空军一号

[空軍一號]

Air Force One, US presidential jet

yīlǎnwúyí

一览无遗

[一覽無遺]

be plainly visible

bānhuíyīchéng

扳回一城

[扳回一城]

to recover some lost ground (in a competition)

yīlùfēngchén

一路风尘

[一路風塵]

to live an exhausting journey

zuìhòuyītiān

最后一天

[最後一天]

final day

yīlùhuòsè

一路货色

[一路貨色]

(pejorative) as detestable as each other; birds of a feather; cut from the same cloth

Sānwèi Yītǐ

三位一体

[三位一體]

Holy Trinity
trinity

niánfùyīnián

年复一年

[年復一年]

(idiom) over the years; year after year

chényīzhǔ'èr

臣一主二

[臣一主二]

One has the right to choose the ruler one serves. (ancient proverb)

yīyīduìyìng

一一对应

[一一對應]

one-to-one correspondence

yīyǔshuāngguān

一语双关

[一語雙關]

to make a pun
to have a double meaning
double entendre

yīniánbànzǎi

一年半载

[一年半載]

about a year

yānrányīxiào

嫣然一笑

[嫣然一笑]

to smile sweetly

yīqiánbùzhí

一钱不值

[一錢不值]

not worth a penny; utterly worthless

yīdāoliǎngduàn

一刀两断

[一刀兩斷]

(idiom) to make a clean break with; to have nothing more to do with

zhèyàngyīlái

这样一来

[這樣一來]

thus
if this happens then

bèishuǐyīzhàn

背水一战

[背水一戰]

lit. fight with one's back to the river (idiom); fig. to fight to win or die

yīzhōngyuánzé

一中原则

[一中原則]

One-China principle, the official doctrine that Taiwan is a province of China

yīshēngbùkēng

一声不吭

[一聲不吭]

to not say a word

yīsǎo'érkōng

一扫而空

[一掃而空]

to sweep clean
to clean out

juéyīcíxióng

决一雌雄

[決一雌雄]

see 一決雌雄／一决雌雄 (yījuécíxióng)

ěrmùyīxīn

耳目一新

[耳目一新]

a pleasant change
a breath of fresh air
refreshing

yīmiànzhījiāo

一面之交

[一面之交]

to have met once
casual acquaintance

yīběnwànlì

一本万利

[一本萬利]

small capital, huge profit (idiom); to put in a little and get a lot out

qiānlüyīdé

千虑一得

[千慮一得]

a thousand tries leads to one success (idiom, humble expr.); Even without any notable ability on my part, I may still get it right sometimes by good luck.

yījiǎoyínbì

一角银币

[一角銀幣]

dime

yīyǔbùfā

一语不发

[一語不發]

to not say a word (idiom)

yīkè-qiānjīn

一刻千金

[一刻千金]

(idiom) time is gold; every minute is precious

xuǎnhèyīshí

烜赫一时

[烜赫一時]

to enjoy a short-lived fame or position of power

liùfēnzhīyī

六分之一

[六分之一]

one sixth

xiǎoshìyīzhuāng

小事一桩

[小事一樁]

trivial matter; a piece of cake

yīxiāngqíngyuàn

一相情愿

[一相情願]

one's own wishful thinking

yīyèzhīqiū

一叶知秋

[一葉知秋]

lit. the falling of one leaf heralds the coming of autumn (idiom)
fig. a small sign can indicate a great trend
a straw in the wind

fēngxíngyīshí

风行一时

[風行一時]

to be popular for a while; to be all the rage for a time

Dàyītǒngzhì

大一统志

[大一統誌]

Da Yuan Dayitongzhi, Yuan dynasty geographical encyclopedia, compiled 1285-1294 under Jamal al-Din 紮馬剌丁／扎马剌丁 and Yu Yinglong 虞應龍／虞应龙, 755 scrolls

yīyǔchéngqiū

一雨成秋

[一雨成秋]

a sudden shower towards the end of summer brings an abrupt arrival of autumn (idiom)

yīcùkějī

一蹴可几

[一蹴可幾]

to succeed at the first try (idiom)
easy as pie
one can do it at once

yībān'éryán

一般而言

[一般而言]

generally speaking

wǔfēnzhīyī

五分之一

[五分之一]

one fifth

wénwǔhéyī

文武合一

[文武合一]

civilians and the military (working) hand in hand (idiom)

dǔshàngyījú

赌上一局

[賭上一局]

to engage in a game of chance
to gamble
to make a bet

děngyīxiàr

等一下儿

[等一下兒]

erhua variant of 等一下 (děngyīxià)

yīfǎnchángtài

一反常态

[一反常態]

complete change from the normal state (idiom); quite uncharacteristic
entirely outside the norm
out of character

yīqīng'èrchǔ

一清二楚

[一清二楚]

to be very clear about sth (idiom)

bāfēnzhīyī

八分之一

[八分之一]

one eighth

yīsīyīháo

一丝一毫

[一絲一毫]

one thread, one hair (idiom); a tiny bit
an iota

yīmìngguīyīn

一命归阴

[一命歸陰]

see 一命嗚呼／一命呜呼 (yīmìngwūhū)

luànchéngyītuán

乱成一团

[亂成一團]

in a great mess
chaotic

yīwúsuǒhuò

一无所获

[一無所獲]

to gain nothing
to end up empty-handed

yīwǔyīshí

一五一十

[一五一十]

lit. count by fives and tens (idiom); to narrate systematically and in full detail

xīnkǒubùyī

心口不一

[心口不一]

heart and mouth at variance (idiom); keeping one's real intentions to oneself
saying one thing but meaning sth different

tǒngyīzīyuán

统一资源

[統一資源]

unified resource

yīzìbùchā

一字不差

[一字不差]

word for word; verbatim

yībǐmǒshā

一笔抹煞

[一筆抹煞]

variant of 一筆抹殺／一笔抹杀 (yībǐmǒshā)

yīliǎnmángrán

一脸茫然

[一臉茫然]

puzzled
bewildered

yīyōng'érshàng

一拥而上

[一擁而上]

to swarm around
flocking (to see)

yīwúsuǒzhī

一无所知

[一無所知]

not knowing anything at all (idiom); completely ignorant
without an inkling

yītuánluànzāo

一团乱糟

[一團亂糟]

a chaotic mess

huànrányīxīn

焕然一新

[煥然一新]

to look completely new (idiom); brand new
changed beyond recognition

dìyītǒngjīn

第一桶金

[第一桶金]

the first pot of gold
the initial profits from an economic endeavour

yīyǎnghuàtàn

一氧化碳

[一氧化碳]

carbon monoxide CO

yīniánsìjì

一年四季

[一年四季]

all year round

shǔyīshǔ'èr

数一数二

[數一數二]

(idiom) reckoned to be best or second best; one of the very best
(idiom) to list one by one

yīqiàobùtōng

一窍不通

[一竅不通]

lit. doesn't (even) enter a single aperture (of one's head)
I don't understand a word (idiom)
it's all Greek to me

yīpào'érhóng

一炮而红

[一炮而紅]

to win instant success (idiom)
to become an instant hit

yīwúsuǒwén

一无所闻

[一無所聞]

unheard of

yīkǒuqìr

一口气儿

[一口氣兒]

erhua variant of 一口氣／一口气 (yīkǒuqì)

yīqīnfāngzé

一亲芳泽

[一親芳澤]

to get close to
to get on intimate terms with

shuōyībù'èr

说一不二

[說一不二]

to say one and mean just that (idiom); to keep one's word

lüèshèngyīchóu

略胜一筹

[略勝一籌]

slightly better
a cut above

yīdiǎnyīdiǎn

一点一点

[一點一點]

little by little
bit by bit
gradually

jiǔfēnzhīyī

九分之一

[九分之一]

one ninth

yīshǐzhòngdì

一矢中的

[一矢中的]

to hit the target with a single shot
to say something spot on (idiom)

yīxiàoliǎozhī

一笑了之

[一笑了之]

to laugh away (instead of taking seriously)

yīdiǎnyīdī

一点一滴

[一點一滴]

bit by bit
every little bit

ǒuyīwéizhī

偶一为之

[偶一為之]

to do sth once in a while (idiom)
to do sth more as an exception than the rule

fàngshǒuyībó

放手一搏

[放手一搏]

to put one's all into the fight

jùzàiyīqǐ

聚在一起

[聚在一起]

to get together

shuǐtiānyīsè

水天一色

[水天一色]

water and sky merge in one color (idiom)

yīyèlùshui

一夜露水

[一夜露水]

one-night stand
ephemeral

yīyánbùhé

一言不合

[一言不合]

(idiom) to have a disagreement; to clash verbally

yīyǐn'érjìn

一饮而尽

[一飲而盡]

to drain the cup in one gulp (idiom)

yīfēnwéi'èr

一分为二

[一分為二]

one divides into two
to be two-sided
there are two sides to everything
to see both sb's good points and shortcomings (idiom)

bùxièyīgù

不屑一顾

[不屑一顧]

to disdain as beneath contempt (idiom)

yīshíbànshà

一时半霎

[一時半霎]

a short time
a little while

yǐfángwànyī

以防万一

[以防萬一]

to guard against the unexpected (idiom); just in case
prepared for any eventualities

línményījiǎo

临门一脚

[臨門一腳]

to try to score (a goal)
final push (at a critical juncture)
the final leg of sth

chuàntōngyīqì

串通一气

[串通一氣]

to act in collusion (idiom)

yīmiànzhīcí

一面之词

[一面之詞]

one side of the story
one-sided statement

dìyīchǎnyè

第一产业

[第一產業]

primary sector of industry

yīhuī'érjiù

一挥而就

[一揮而就]

to finish (a letter, a painting) at a stroke

yībǐngqiánchéng

一秉虔诚

[一秉虔誠]

earnestly and sincerely (idiom); devoutly

yījuébùzhèn

一蹶不振

[一蹶不振]

one stumble, unable to rise (idiom); a setback leading to total collapse
ruined at a stroke
unable to recover after a minor hitch

yīshìwúchéng

一事无成

[一事無成]

to have achieved nothing
to be a total failure
to get nowhere

yīzhíyǐlái

一直以来

[一直以來]

in the past always
for a long time now
until now

shǒuqūyīzhǐ

首屈一指

[首屈一指]

to count as number one (idiom); second to none
outstanding

yīyányīdòng

一言一动

[一言一動]

(one's) every word and deed (idiom)

yīménxīnsi

一门心思

[一門心思]

to set one's heart on sth (idiom)

yīdàzǎor

一大早儿

[一大早兒]

erhua variant of 一大早 (yīdàzǎo)

yīyōng'érrù

一拥而入

[一擁而入]

to swarm in (of people etc) (idiom)

yīsǎo'érguāng

一扫而光

[一掃而光]

to clear off
to make a clean sweep of

yīlái'èrqù

一来二去

[一來二去]

gradually
little by little
in the course of time

yīyánwéidìng

一言为定

[一言為定]

(idiom) it's a deal
that's settled then

tiānxiàdìyī

天下第一

[天下第一]

first under heaven
number one in the country

yīcìzǒngfù

一次总付

[一次總付]

lump-sum (finance)

lüèjiànyībān

略见一斑

[略見一斑]

lit. to glimpse just one spot (of the leopard) (idiom)
fig. to get an inkling of the whole picture

kuībàoyībān

窥豹一斑

[窺豹一斑]

lit. see one spot on a leopard (idiom); fig. a restricted view

shífēnzhīyī

十分之一

[十分之一]

one tenth

cóngyī'érzhōng

从一而终

[從一而終]

faithful unto death (i.e. Confucian ban on widow remarrying)

yīzhīwéishèn

一之为甚

[一之為甚]

once is more than enough (idiom)

yībānmàoyì

一般贸易

[一般貿易]

general trade (i.e. importing and export without processing)

biéshùyīzhì

别树一帜

[別樹一幟]

lit. to fly one's banner on a solitary tree (idiom); fig. to act as a loner
to stand out
to develop one's own school
to have attitude of one's own

yīyǎnghuàdàn

一氧化氮

[一氧化氮]

nitric oxide

yīzìzòngduì

一字纵队

[一字縱隊]

single file

yīcùjízhì

一蹴即至

[一蹴即至]

lit. to get there in one step (idiom)
fig. easily done

yīrìsānqiū

一日三秋

[一日三秋]

a single day apart seems like three seasons (idiom)

gōngkuīyīkuì

功亏一篑

[功虧一簣]

lit. to ruin the enterprise for the sake of one basketful
to fail through lack of a final effort
to spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar (idiom)

hàngxièyīqì

沆瀣一气

[沆瀣一氣]

to act in collusion (idiom); in cahoots with
villains will look after one another

xiānzǒuyībù

先走一步

[先走一步]

to leave first (courteous expression used to excuse oneself)
(euphemism) to predecease; to die first (e.g. before one's spouse)

yīhūbǎiyìng

一呼百应

[一呼百應]

(idiom) (of a call) to elict an enthusiastic response; to receive extensive approval

kōngpǎoyītàng

空跑一趟

[空跑一趟]

to make a journey for nothing

jiǔniú-yīmáo

九牛一毛

[九牛一毛]

lit. one hair from nine oxen (idiom)
fig. a drop in the ocean

yīfēnyīháo

一分一毫

[一分一毫]

(idiom) the tiniest bit

tǒngyībiānhào

统一编号

[統一編號]

(Tw) the VAT identification number of a business or organization

yīlùpíng'ān

一路平安

[一路平安]

to have a pleasant journey
Bon voyage!

yīshǒubāobàn

一手包办

[一手包辦]

to take care of a matter all by oneself
to run the whole show

yīqióng'èrbái

一穷二白

[一窮二白]

impoverished
backward both economically and culturally

qiānpiānyīlü

千篇一律

[千篇一律]

thousand articles, same rule (idiom); stereotyped and repetitive
once you've seen one, you've seen them all

yīmìngguīxī

一命归西

[一命歸西]

see 一命嗚呼／一命呜呼 (yīmìngwūhū)

yīgèjìnr

一个劲儿

[一個勁兒]

erhua variant of 一個勁／一个劲 (yīgèjìn)

yīmùnánzhī

一木难支

[一木難支]

lit. a single post cannot prop up a falling house (idiom)
fig. one is helpless alone

yáoshēnyībiàn

摇身一变

[搖身一變]

to change shape in a single shake
fig. to take on a new lease of life

zhènbìyīhū

振臂一呼

[振臂一呼]

(idiom) to issue a call for action; to raise one's hand and issue a rousing call

bàochéngyītuán

抱成一团

[抱成一團]

to band together
to gang up
to stick together

yīxiǎozhènr

一小阵儿

[一小陣兒]

very brief period of time

fǎnzhèngyīyàng

反正一样

[反正一樣]

whether it's right or wrong doesn't make a lot of difference
six of one and half a dozen of the other
as broad as it is long

yīyīyìngshè

一一映射

[一一映射]

(math.) bijective map

yīqiánrúmìng

一钱如命

[一錢如命]

stingy; penny-pinching

yīfūduōqī

一夫多妻

[一夫多妻]

polygamy

bùzhíyīxiào

不值一笑

[不值一笑]

of no value
worthless

yījīrùdòng

一击入洞

[一擊入洞]

hole in one (golf)

yīfànzàifàn

一犯再犯

[一犯再犯]

to keep doing (the wrong thing)

hùnwéiyītán

混为一谈

[混為一談]

to confuse one thing with another (idiom); to muddle

děngyīhuìr

等一会儿

[等一會兒]

erhua variant of 等一會／等一会 (děngyīhuì)

lìngyīfāngmiàn

另一方面

[另一方面]

on the other hand
another aspect

yīyèwúmián

一夜无眠

[一夜無眠]

to have a sleepless night

yǐyīyùwàn

以一驭万

[以一馭萬]

to control a key point is to be master of the situation (idiom)

dānyīdēngrù

单一登入

[單一登入]

(Tw) single sign-on (SSO)

yīdōngyīxī

一东一西

[一東一西]

far apart

yīzuìfāngxiū

一醉方休

[一醉方休]

to get thoroughly drunk (idiom)
to get plastered

yīdǎngzhuānzhì

一党专制

[一黨專制]

one party dictatorship

yīchěngshòuyù

一逞兽欲

[一逞獸欲]

to give way to one's beastly lust

yīqiūzhīhé

一丘之貉

[一丘之貉]

jackals of the same tribe (idiom); fig. They are all just as bad as each other.

mòzhōngyīshì

莫衷一是

[莫衷一是]

unable to reach a decision (idiom); cannot agree on the right choice
no unanimous decision
still a matter of discussion

bǎileyīdào

摆了一道

[擺了一道]

to play tricks on
to make a fool of

tuánjiéyīxīn

团结一心

[團結一心]

to unite as one

yīxiànxīwàng

一线希望

[一線希望]

a gleam of hope

yīdòngbùdòng

一动不动

[一動不動]

motionless

yīdiǎnjiùtōng

一点就通

[一點就通]

a hint is all that is needed
understanding each other without the need to explain

yīchàngyīhè

一唱一和

[一唱一和]

to echo one another (idiom)

yīshì'èrfèn

一式二份

[一式二份]

in duplicate

shǐzhōngrúyī

始终如一

[始終如一]

unswerving from start to finish (idiom)

yīzhíwǎngqián

一直往前

[一直往前]

straight ahead

yīcháng-yīduǎn

一长一短

[一長一短]

talking endlessly; long-winded

yīzhìqiānjīn

一掷千金

[一擲千金]

lit. stake a thousand pieces of gold on one throw (idiom); to throw away money recklessly
extravagant

bùmiǎnyīsǐ

不免一死

[不免一死]

cannot avoid being killed
cannot escape death
to be mortal

yīshí Yú Liàng

一时瑜亮

[一時瑜亮]

two remarkable persons living at the same period (as 周瑜 ( Zhōu Yú) and 諸葛亮／诸葛亮 ( Zhūgě Liàng))

yībānláishuō

一般来说

[一般來說]

generally speaking

gàoyīduànluò

告一段落

[告一段落]

to come to the end of a phase (idiom)

shèngjíyīshí

盛极一时

[盛極一時]

all the rage for a time
grand fashion for a limited time

hōngdòngyīshí

轰动一时

[轟動一時]

to cause a sensation (idiom)

yībùdēngtiān

一步登天

[一步登天]

reaching heaven in a single bound (idiom); (esp. with negative: don't expect) instant success

yīwénbùzhí

一文不值

[一文不值]

worthless (idiom)
no use whatsoever

yīmìngguītiān

一命归天

[一命歸天]

see 一命嗚呼／一命呜呼 (yīmìngwūhū)

miànmùyīxīn

面目一新

[面目一新]

complete change (idiom); facelift
We're in a wholly new situation.

yīzìbāobiǎn

一字褒贬

[一字褒貶]

lit. dispensing praise or blame with a single word (idiom)
fig. concise and powerful style

yīyuè'érqǐ

一跃而起

[一躍而起]

to jump up suddenly
to bound up
to rise up in one bound

bùkānyījī

不堪一击

[不堪一擊]

to be unable to withstand a single blow
to collapse at the first blow

huàyībù'èr

划一不二

[劃一不二]

fixed
unalterable

yīyǎnwàngqù

一眼望去

[一眼望去]

as far as the eye can see

nándéyījiàn

难得一见

[難得一見]

rarely seen

yīchàngsāntàn

一唱三叹

[一唱三嘆]

see 一倡三歎／一倡三叹 (yīchàngsāntàn)

yīchuídìngyīn

一锤定音

[一錘定音]

lit. to fix the tone with a single hammer blow
fig. to make the final decision

wǎngkāiyīmiàn

网开一面

[網開一面]

open the net on one side (idiom); let the caged bird fly
to give one's opponent a way out
lenient treatment

jiǔsǐyīshēng

九死一生

[九死一生]

nine deaths and still alive (idiom); a narrow escape
new lease of life

mǎiyīsòngyī

买一送一

[買一送一]

buy one, get one free
two for the price of one

yībānguīdìng

一般规定

[一般規定]

ordinary provision (law)

yīyīdàishuǐ

一衣带水

[一衣帶水]

(separated only by) a narrow strip of water

yīyánqiānjīn

一言千金

[一言千金]

one word worth a thousand in gold (idiom); valuable advice
words of enormous weight

chéngyījǐngbǎi

惩一警百

[懲一警百]

lit. punish one, warn one hundred (idiom)
fig. to make an example of sb
also written 懲一儆百／惩一儆百 (chéngyījǐngbǎi)

fēngmǐyīshí

风靡一时

[風靡一時]

fashionable for a while (idiom); all the rage

yīdìyīshēng

一递一声

[一遞一聲]

(of singers etc) one answering the other

shāyījǐngbǎi

杀一警百

[殺一警百]

variant of 殺一儆百／杀一儆百 (shāyījǐngbǎi)

jǐjǐyītáng

济济一堂

[濟濟一堂]

to congregate in one hall (idiom); to gather under one roof

dúshùyīzhì

独树一帜

[獨樹一幟]

lit. to fly one's banner on a solitary tree (idiom); fig. to act as a loner
to stand out
to develop one's own school
to have attitude of one's own

yīguóliǎngzhì

一国两制

[一國兩制]

one country, two systems (PRC proposal regarding Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan)

yītǐliǎngmiàn

一体两面

[一體兩面]

(fig.) two sides of the same coin

biéshùyīqí

别树一旗

[別樹一旗]

lit. to fly one's banner on a solitary tree (idiom); fig. to act as a loner
to stand out
to develop one's own school
to have attitude of one's own

yībǐgōuxiāo

一笔勾销

[一筆勾銷]

to write off at one stroke

gèzhíyīcí

各执一词

[各執一詞]

each sticks to his own version (idiom); a dialogue of the deaf

yīshìtóngrén

一视同仁

[一視同仁]

to treat everyone equally favorably (idiom); not to discriminate between people

yīmìngwūhū

一命呜呼

[一命嗚呼]

to die (idiom)
to breathe one's last
to give up the ghost

wényīzhīshí

闻一知十

[聞一知十]

lit. to hear one and know ten (idiom); fig. explain one thing and (he) understands everything
a word to the wise

tǒngyīfāpiào

统一发票

[統一發票]

uniform invoice, a standardized government-issued invoice used in Taiwan for recording financial transactions, including purchases and sales, and also serving as a ticket for a lottery program to promote transparency and tax compliance

jiǔjiǔguīyī

九九归一

[九九歸一]

nine divide by nine is one (abacus rule)
when all is said and done

yīpāijíhé

一拍即合

[一拍即合]

lit. to be together from the first beat (idiom)
to hit it off
to click together
to chime in easily

yītánzhǐqǐng

一弹指顷

[一彈指頃]

a snap of the fingers (idiom); in a flash
in the twinkling of an eye

yīpàodǎxiǎng

一炮打响

[一炮打響]

(idiom) to hit the jackpot with a single shot; to achieve success at one's first try

yǒuzhāoyīrì

有朝一日

[有朝一日]

one day
sometime in the future

bùzhíyībó

不值一驳

[不值一駁]

(of an argument) not even worthy of a rebuttal

yījiāzhīzhǔ

一家之主

[一家之主]

master of the house; head of the family

qīnrúyījiā

亲如一家

[親如一家]

family-like close relationship (idiom)

zhuānxīnyīyì

专心一意

[專心一意]

to concentrate on

wǎn'ěryīxiào

莞尔一笑

[莞爾一笑]

(literary) to smile

yīhàomùgān

一号木杆

[一號木桿]

driver (golf)

huānjùyītáng

欢聚一堂

[歡聚一堂]

to gather happily under one roof

yīwàngwúyín

一望无垠

[一望無垠]

to stretch as far as the eye can see (idiom)

yībōsānzhé

一波三折

[一波三折]

calligraphic flourish with many twists
fig. many twists and turns

yīhòng'érsàn

一哄而散

[一鬨而散]

see 一哄而散 (yīhōng'érsàn)

měizhōuyīcì

每周一次

[每週一次]

once a week

bǎilǐtiāoyī

百里挑一

[百裡挑一]

one in a hundred
cream of the crop

chūnfēngyīdù

春风一度

[春風一度]

to have sexual intercourse (once)

yīlǎnwúyú

一览无余

[一覽無餘]

to cover all at one glance (idiom)
a panoramic view

zhèyīzhènzi

这一阵子

[這一陣子]

recently
currently

yīyányīxíng

一言一行

[一言一行]

every word and action (idiom)

húnrányītǐ

浑然一体

[渾然一體]

to blend into one another
to blend together well

zhòngkǒuyīcí

众口一词

[眾口一詞]

all of one voice
unanimous

yīmúyīyàng

一模一样

[一模一樣]

exactly the same (idiom)
carbon copy
also pr. (yīmóyīyàng)

guòyīhuìr

过一会儿

[過一會兒]

later
after a while

xǐjiéyīkōng

洗劫一空

[洗劫一空]

to steal everything

yīrìzhīyǎ

一日之雅

[一日之雅]

lit. friends for a day (idiom)
fig. casual acquaintance

yīliǎobǎiliǎo

一了百了

[一了百了]

(idiom) once the main problem is solved, all troubles are solved; death ends all one's troubles

yīyīngjùquán

一应俱全

[一應俱全]

with everything needed available

miǎoshìyīqiè

藐视一切

[藐視一切]

to look down upon everything

hézhòngwéiyī

合众为一

[合眾為一]

united as one
e pluribus unum

yībǎoyǎnfú

一饱眼福

[一飽眼福]

to feast one's eyes on (idiom)

zìchéngyījiā

自成一家

[自成一家]

to have a style of one's own

yīhàodiànchí

一号电池

[一號電池]

D size battery

Ershíyī Tiáo

二十一条

[二十一條]

the Japanese Twenty-One Demands of 1915

yīmàixiāngchéng

一脉相承

[一脈相承]

traceable to the same stock (idiom); of a common origin (of trends, ideas etc)

bùkěyīshì

不可一世

[不可一世]

(idiom) to consider oneself unexcelled in the world; to be insufferably arrogant

fùzhīyīxiào

付之一笑

[付之一笑]

(idiom) to dismiss sth with a laugh; to laugh it off

yītóuzāijìn

一头栽进

[一頭栽進]

to plunge into
to run headlong into

qǔdéyīzhì

取得一致

[取得一致]

to reach a consensus

yīchuídìngyīn

一槌定音

[一槌定音]

variant of 一錘定音／一锤定音 (yīchuídìngyīn)

bìlěiyīxīn

壁垒一新

[壁壘一新]

to have one's defenses in good order (idiom)

rìxíngyīshàn

日行一善

[日行一善]

to do a good deed every day

wēifèngyīyǔ

威凤一羽

[威鳳一羽]

lit. one phoenix feather; fig. a glimpse that reveals the whole

yīshíbànkè

一时半刻

[一時半刻]

a short time; a little while

yītǔwéikuài

一吐为快

[一吐為快]

to get sth off one's chest

yīpāiliǎngsàn

一拍两散

[一拍兩散]

(idiom) (of marriage or business partners) to break up; to separate

yīxiāngqíngyuàn

一厢情愿

[一廂情願]

one's own wishful thinking

yībǎniánjì

一把年纪

[一把年紀]

to be of an advanced age; to be old
an advanced age

yīpánsǎnshā

一盘散沙

[一盤散沙]

lit. like a sheet of loose sand
fig. unable to cooperate (idiom)

yīrújìwǎng

一如既往

[一如既往]

(idiom) just as in the past; as before; continuing as always

yībìngbùqǐ

一病不起

[一病不起]

to fall gravely ill, never to recover (idiom)

yīquéyīguǎi

一瘸一拐

[一瘸一拐]

to limp
to hobble

língjīyīdòng

灵机一动

[靈機一動]

a bright idea suddenly occurs (idiom); to hit upon an inspiration
to be struck by a brainwave

bùzànyīcí

不赞一词

[不贊一詞]

to keep silent
to make no comment

qiānjīnyīzhì

千金一掷

[千金一擲]

lit. stake a thousand pieces of gold on one throw (idiom); to throw away money recklessly
extravagant

yīxīnyīdé

一心一德

[一心一德]

of one heart and one mind (idiom)

dìyīguójì

第一国际

[第一國際]

First international, organized by Karl Marx in Geneva in 1866

fēnyībēigēng

分一杯羹

[分一杯羹]

(fig.) to have a slice of the pie
to get a piece of the action

yīniànzhīchā

一念之差

[一念之差]

momentary slip
false step
ill-considered action

yībǐmǒshā

一笔抹杀

[一筆抹殺]

to blot out at one stroke
to reject out of hand
to deny without a hearing

sìfēnzhīyī

四分之一

[四分之一]

one-quarter

rìfùyīrì

日复一日

[日復一日]

day after day

yījiànqīngxīn

一见倾心

[一見傾心]

love at first sight

yītánsǐshuǐ

一潭死水

[一潭死水]

a pool of stagnant water
stagnant or listless condition

tǒngyī Xīnluó

统一新罗

[統一新羅]

unified Silla (658-935), Korean kingdom

bùshíyīdīng

不识一丁

[不識一丁]

total illiterate
unable to read the simplest characters

yīchénbùrǎn

一尘不染

[一塵不染]

(idiom) untainted by even a speck of dust; spotlessly clean; (of a person) honest; incorruptible

fùzhīyījù

付之一炬

[付之一炬]

to put to the torch (idiom)
to commit to the flames
to burn sth down deliberately

hé'érwéiyī

合而为一

[合而為一]

to merge together (idiom); to unify disparate elements into one whole

quánchǎngyīzhì

全场一致

[全場一致]

unanimous

dàchīyījīng

大吃一惊

[大吃一驚]

to have a surprise (idiom); shocked or startled
gobsmacked

yīchùjífā

一触即发

[一觸即發]

could happen at any moment
on the verge

yīwǎngwúqián

一往无前

[一往無前]

to advance courageously (idiom)
to press forward

zhídeyītí

值得一提

[值得一提]

to be worth mentioning

fǎnyǎoyīkǒu

反咬一口

[反咬一口]

to make a false countercharge

sǐlùyītiáo

死路一条

[死路一條]

(idiom) dead end
road to ruin

dìngyúyīzūn

定于一尊

[定於一尊]

(idiom) to rely on a single authority to determine what is correct
to regard a source (or entity or individual) as the ultimate authority

yītōngbǎitōng

一通百通

[一通百通]

grasp this fundamental point and all the rest will follow (idiom)

yītāhútu

一塌糊涂

[一塌糊塗]

muddled and completely collapsing (idiom); in an awful condition
complete shambles
a total mess

yīshǎn'érguò

一闪而过

[一閃而過]

to flash past
to flit by

yīpàihúyán

一派胡言

[一派胡言]

a bunch of nonsense

yīxiàn-shēngjī

一线生机

[一線生機]

(idiom) a chance of survival; a fighting chance; a ray of hope

fùzhīyītàn

付之一叹

[付之一嘆]

to dismiss with a sigh (idiom); a hopeless case

biéjùyīgé

别具一格

[別具一格]

having a unique or distinctive style

míngzàoyīshí

名噪一时

[名噪一時]

to achieve fame among one's contemporaries (idiom); temporary or local celebrity

chàyīdiǎnr

差一点儿

[差一點兒]

erhua variant of 差一點／差一点 (chàyīdiǎn)

bùdiàoyīzhì

步调一致

[步調一致]

to be united in action

yīgǔqīngliú

一股清流

[一股清流]

(fig.) a breath of fresh air

yǒuyīdiǎnr

有一点儿

[有一點兒]

a bit
a little

yīqùbùhuí

一去不回

[一去不回]

gone forever

bùyī'érzú

不一而足

[不一而足]

by no means an isolated case
numerous

chóngxīntǒngyī

重新统一

[重新統一]

reunification

yīshēnliǎngyì

一身两役

[一身兩役]

one person taking on two tasks simultaneously

dúshùyīgé

独树一格

[獨樹一格]

to have a unique style of one's own (idiom)

yīqièrújiù

一切如旧

[一切如舊]

everything as before

yīyèzhàngmù

一叶障目

[一葉障目]

lit. eyes obscured by a single leaf (idiom)
fig. not seeing the wider picture
can't see the wood for the trees

yīxīnduōyòng

一心多用

[一心多用]

to multitask

yīmǎdāngxiān

一马当先

[一馬當先]

(idiom) to take the lead

yīchéng-bùbiàn

一成不变

[一成不變]

(idiom) immutable; impervious to change; set in stone

yībǐbùgǒu

一笔不苟

[一筆不苟]

lit. not even one stroke is negligent (idiom)
fig. to write characters (calligraphy) in which every stroke is placed perfectly

yībānláijiǎng

一般来讲

[一般來講]

generally speaking

yījǔchénggōng

一举成功

[一舉成功]

success at one go
to succeed at the first attempt

yīzhǎnshēnshǒu

一展身手

[一展身手]

to showcase one's talents; to display one's prowess

yībùdàowèi

一步到位

[一步到位]

to settle a matter in one go

tiāngèyīfāng

天各一方

[天各一方]

(of relatives or friends) to live far apart from each other

shíyīfèngxiàn

什一奉献

[什一奉獻]

tithing

yīxiànzhījiān

一线之间

[一線之間]

a hair's breadth apart
a fine line
a fine distinction

yīqìzhīxià

一气之下

[一氣之下]

in a fit of pique
in a fury

yīzìbùtí

一字不提

[一字不提]

to not mention a single word (about sth) (idiom)

yīqínyīhè

一琴一鹤

[一琴一鶴]

carrying very little luggage (idiom)
honest and incorruptible (government officials)

yīxīn'èryòng

一心二用

[一心二用]

to do two things at once (idiom)
to multitask
to divide one's attention

yīxuěqiánchǐ

一雪前耻

[一雪前恥]

to wipe away a humiliation (idiom)

bùjūyīgé

不拘一格

[不拘一格]

not stick to one pattern

dúbàyīfāng

独霸一方

[獨霸一方]

to exercise sole hegemony (idiom); to dominate a whole area (market, resources etc)
to hold as one's personal fiefdom

yīcímòzàn

一辞莫赞

[一辭莫贊]

left speechless by sth perfect (idiom)

yīshēngbùxiǎng

一声不响

[一聲不響]

to keep totally silent
noiselessly

Bīntián Jìngyī

滨田靖一

[濱田靖一]

HAMADA Yasukazu (1955-), Japanese defense minister from 2008

chéngyījǐngbǎi

惩一儆百

[懲一儆百]

lit. punish one to warn one hundred (idiom)
fig. to make an example of sb

qiānjīnyīnuò

千金一诺

[千金一諾]

a promise worth one thousand in gold (idiom); a promise that must be kept

yīwǎngqíngshēn

一往情深

[一往情深]

deeply attached
devoted

yījíshìguān

一级士官

[一級士官]

corporal (army)

yīfānfēngshùn

一帆风顺

[一帆風順]

propitious wind throughout the journey (idiom)
plain sailing
to go smoothly
have a nice trip!

yīwúsuǒyǒu

一无所有

[一無所有]

not having anything at all (idiom); utterly lacking
without two sticks to rub together

jǔyīfǎnsān

举一反三

[舉一反三]

to raise one and infer three
to deduce many things from one case (idiom)

yǒudéyībǐ

有得一比

[有得一比]

can be compared
to be very similar

biǎolǐbùyī

表里不一

[表裡不一]

outside appearance and inner reality differ (idiom); not what it seems
saying one thing but meaning sth different

qíjùyītáng

齐聚一堂

[齊聚一堂]

to get together all at once

yīqí-juéchén

一骑绝尘

[一騎絕塵]

(idiom) to lead the pack by a wide margin; to leave one's competitors trailing behind in one's dust

yīlíngzhēnxìng

一灵真性

[一靈真性]

soul
spirit

qígāoyīzhāo

棋高一着

[棋高一著]

to be a step ahead of the opponent (idiom)
to outsmart one's opponent

yīlùshùnfēng

一路顺风

[一路順風]

to have a pleasant journey (idiom)

bùzhǐyīcì

不止一次

[不止一次]

many times
on more than one occasion

èrfēnzhīyī

二分之一

[二分之一]

one half

yīkǒngzhījiàn

一孔之见

[一孔之見]

partial view; limited outlook

yīzìqiānjīn

一字千金

[一字千金]

one word worth a thousand in gold (idiom)
(in praise of a piece of writing or calligraphy) each character is perfect
each word is highly valued

tǒngyīsīxiǎng

统一思想

[統一思想]

with the same idea in mind
with a common purpose

yīxiànzhīgé

一线之隔

[一線之隔]

a fine line
a fine distinction

tiānshēngyīduì

天生一对

[天生一對]

a match made in heaven; a perfect couple

bèichéngjièyī

背城借一

[背城借一]

to make a last-ditch stand before the city wall (idiom); to fight to the last ditch
to put up a desperate struggle

tǒngyīkǒujìng

统一口径

[統一口徑]

to adopt a unified approach to discussing an issue; to sing from the same hymn sheet

yīcù'érdé

一蹴而得

[一蹴而得]

to get there in one step (idiom); easily done
success at a stroke
to get results overnight

mǎnchǎngyīzhì

满场一致

[滿場一致]

unanimous

yīzìyīlèi

一字一泪

[一字一淚]

each word is a teardrop (idiom)

yīpàihuǎngyán

一派谎言

[一派謊言]

a pack of lies

yīshíbànhuì

一时半会

[一時半會]

a short time
a little while

bùzhíyīwén

不值一文

[不值一文]

worthless (idiom)
no use whatsoever

yībǎhǎoshǒu

一把好手

[一把好手]

expert
dab hand

yīzìzhīshī

一字之师

[一字之師]

one who can correct a misread or misspelt character and thus be your master

yīmíngjīngrén

一鸣惊人

[一鳴驚人]

to amaze the world with a single brilliant feat (idiom); an overnight celebrity

yīyìgūxíng

一意孤行

[一意孤行]

obstinately clinging to one's course (idiom)
willful
one's own way
dogmatic

yīyǔdàopò

一语道破

[一語道破]

one word says it all (idiom)
to hit the nail on the head
to be pithy and correct

júcùyīyú

局促一隅

[局促一隅]

to be cramped in a corner (idiom)

gāorényīděng

高人一等

[高人一等]

a cut above others
superior

yīláoyǒngyì

一劳永逸

[一勞永逸]

to get sth done once and for all

yīyèzhījiān

一夜之间

[一夜之間]

(lit. and fig.) overnight

yīniándàotóu

一年到头

[一年到頭]

all year round

yīdiǎnlínyù

一点邻域

[一點鄰域]

(math.) neighborhood of a point

liáobèiyīgé

聊备一格

[聊備一格]

to use as a stopgap; to make a perfunctory gesture; token; nominal

wànwúyīshī

万无一失

[萬無一失]

surefire; absolutely safe (idiom)

huángliángyīmèng

黄粱一梦

[黃粱一夢]

see 黃粱夢／黄粱梦 (huángliángmèng)

yīyuánfùshǐ

一元复始

[一元復始]

a new year begins (idiom)

yīxízhīdì

一席之地

[一席之地]

(acknowledged) place
a role to play
niche

yīyánbùfā

一言不发

[一言不發]

to not say a word (idiom)

yīyánjiǔdǐng

一言九鼎

[一言九鼎]

one word worth nine sacred tripods (idiom); words of enormous weight

sānfēnzhīyī

三分之一

[三分之一]

one third

yǎnyǎnyīxī

奄奄一息

[奄奄一息]

dying
at one's last gasp

yīzhāoyīxī

一朝一夕

[一朝一夕]

lit. one morning and one evening (idiom)
fig. in a short period of time
overnight

yīhōng'érsàn

一哄而散

[一哄而散]

to disperse in confusion (idiom)

yīzhībànjiě

一知半解

[一知半解]

lit. to know one and understand half (idiom); a smattering of knowledge
dilettante
amateur

yībānyuánzé

一般原则

[一般原則]

general principle

yīyánnánjìn

一言难尽

[一言難盡]

hard to explain in a few words (idiom); complicated and not easy to express succinctly

yīwǎngzhíqián

一往直前

[一往直前]

see 一往無前／一往无前 (yīwǎngwúqián)

yīwàng'érzhī

一望而知

[一望而知]

to be evident at a glance (idiom)

Gōngzé Xǐyī

宫泽喜一

[宮澤喜一]

Kiichi Miyazawa (1919-2007), former Japanese prime minister

yīsībùguà

一丝不挂

[一絲不掛]

not wearing one thread (idiom); absolutely naked
without a stitch of clothing
in one's birthday suit

fùzhīyītàn

付之一叹

[付之一歎]

to dismiss with a sigh (idiom); a hopeless case

yīduōduìyìng

一多对应

[一多對應]

one-to-many correspondence

qiānjūnyīfà

千钧一发

[千鈞一髮]

a thousand pounds hangs by a thread (idiom)
imminent peril
a matter of life or death

kōngwúyīrén

空无一人

[空無一人]

not a soul in sight (idiom)

dìyīxiàngxiàn

第一象限

[第一象限]

first quadrant (of the coordinate plane, where both x and y are positive)

yīmǎpíngchuān

一马平川

[一馬平川]

flat land one could gallop straight across (idiom); wide expanse of flat country

dìyīshíjiān

第一时间

[第一時間]

in the first moments (of sth happening)
immediately (after an event)
first thing

yītóuwùshuǐ

一头雾水

[一頭霧水]

to be confused
to be baffled

yītànjiūjìng

一探究竟

[一探究竟]

to check out
to investigate

yīzhéliǎngduàn

一折两段

[一折兩段]

to split sth into two (idiom)

yīmáobùbá

一毛不拔

[一毛不拔]

stingy (idiom)

bǎiwúyīshī

百无一失

[百無一失]

no danger of anything going wrong
no risk at all

bùmíngyīwén

不名一文

[不名一文]

without a penny to one's name
penniless
stony-broke

táoguòyījié

逃过一劫

[逃過一劫]

(idiom) to survive a calamity
to get through a crisis

yīpùshíhán

一曝十寒

[一曝十寒]

one day's sun, ten days' frost (idiom, from Mencius); fig. to work for a bit then skimp
sporadic effort
lack of sticking power
short attention span

dúchūyīshí

独出一时

[獨出一時]

incomparable
head and shoulders above the competition

yījiànrúgù

一见如故

[一見如故]

familiarity at first sight

yīmùliǎorán

一目了然

[一目了然]

obvious at a glance (idiom)

yībǐdàiguò

一笔带过

[一筆帶過]

(idiom) to mention only very briefly; to skate over (a topic)

Yuēhànyīshū

约翰一书

[約翰一書]

First epistle of St John

yībùyīqū

一步一趋

[一步一趨]

see 亦步亦趨／亦步亦趋 (yìbùyìqū)

rúchūyīzhé

如出一辙

[如出一轍]

to be precisely the same
to be no different

yīpínrúxǐ

一贫如洗

[一貧如洗]

penniless

yīběnzhèngjīng

一本正经

[一本正經]

in deadly earnest; deadpan

yīqièjiùxù

一切就绪

[一切就緒]

everything in its place and ready (idiom)

yīshēngyīshì

一生一世

[一生一世]

a whole lifetime (idiom); all my life

hépíngtǒngyī

和平统一

[和平統一]

peaceful reunification

xiá'ěryītǐ

遐迩一体

[遐邇一體]

both near and distant treated alike (idiom)

yīxuéjiùhuì

一学就会

[一學就會]

to pick up (a skill) in a very short time; to take to sth like a duck to water

èrshíyīdiǎn

二十一点

[二十一點]

blackjack (card game)

ruòdiàntǒngyī

弱电统一

[弱電統一]

electro-weak interaction in fermion particle physics

yánxíngbùyī

言行不一

[言行不一]

(idiom) to say one thing and do another

yīgǔnǎor

一股脑儿

[一股腦兒]

erhua variant of 一股腦／一股脑 (yīgǔnǎo)

yīluòqiānzhàng

一落千丈

[一落千丈]

lit. to drop a thousand zhang in one fall (idiom)
fig. (of business, popularity etc) to suffer a sudden, devastating decline
to take a dive

yījìzhīcháng

一技之长

[一技之長]

proficiency in a particular field (idiom)
skill in a specialized area (idiom)

yījièbùqǔ

一介不取

[一介不取]

to not even take a penny (as a bribe)

yīyǔzhòngdì

一语中的

[一語中的]

(idiom) to hit the mark with a comment; to say sth spot on

yītiāndàowǎn

一天到晚

[一天到晚]

all day long; the whole day

yījǔliǎngdé

一举两得

[一舉兩得]

one move, two gains (idiom); two birds with one stone

yīyǎnkànchuān

一眼看穿

[一眼看穿]

to see through something at first glance (idiom)

tiàoyīzhījiǎo

跳一只脚

[跳一隻腳]

to hop on one leg

yīxīngbàndiǎn

一星半点

[一星半點]

just the tiniest bit
a hint of

dúyīwú'èr

独一无二

[獨一無二]

unique and unmatched (idiom); unrivalled
nothing compares with it

yīrúsuǒliào

一如所料

[一如所料]

as expected

shāyījǐngbǎi

杀一儆百

[殺一儆百]

lit. kill one to warn a hundred (idiom); to punish an individual as an example to others
pour encourager les autres

báipǎoyītàng

白跑一趟

[白跑一趟]

to go on an errand for nothing
to go on a wild-goose chase

dìyīfūrén

第一夫人

[第一夫人]

First Lady (wife of US president)

yīshǒuzhētiān

一手遮天

[一手遮天]

lit. to hide the sky with one hand
to hide the truth from the masses

biǎolǐrúyī

表里如一

[表裡如一]

external appearance and inner thoughts coincide (idiom); to say what one means
to think and act as one

yījiànzhīchóu

一箭之仇

[一箭之仇]

a wrong suffered (idiom)
old grievance
previous defeat

yītuánhéqì

一团和气

[一團和氣]

(idiom) to keep on the right side of everyone (often at the expense of principle)

yībǎnsānyǎn

一板三眼

[一板三眼]

lit. one strong beat and three weak beats in a measure of music (four beats in the bar) (idiom); fig. scrupulous attention to detail

yīwénbùmíng

一文不名

[一文不名]

to be penniless

hōngdòngyīshí

哄动一时

[哄動一時]

variant of 轟動一時／轰动一时 (hōngdòngyīshí)

Qiáozhì Yīshì

乔治一世

[喬治一世]

George I of Great Brittain

yīcìhánshù

一次函数

[一次函數]

linear function (math.)

huāngchéngyītuán

慌成一团

[慌成一團]

(of a group of people) to run about helplessly

sōngyīkǒuqì

松一口气

[鬆一口氣]

to heave a sigh of relief

yīhōng'érqǐ

一哄而起

[一哄而起]

(of a group of people) to rush into action

lüèzhīyī'èr

略知一二

[略知一二]

to know just a little; to have a rough idea

yīdīngbùshí

一丁不识

[一丁不識]

illiterate

yīwúshìchù

一无是处

[一無是處]

(idiom) not one good point; everything about it is wrong

gūzhùyīzhì

孤注一掷

[孤注一擲]

to stake all on one throw

dàdànyīfān

大啖一番

[大啖一番]

to have a square meal

yīmùliǎorán

一目了然

[一目瞭然]

obvious at a glance (idiom)

dòngcháyīqiè

洞察一切

[洞察一切]

to see everything clearly

yīgǔzuòqì

一鼓作气

[一鼓作氣]

in a spurt of energy

dàocǐyīyóu

到此一游

[到此一遊]

(used in graffiti) "... was here"

yīyèbàohóng

一夜爆红

[一夜爆紅]

to become popular overnight

Qiānxǐ Yīdài

千禧一代

[千禧一代]

Generation Y
Millennial Generation

yīzhùqíngtiān

一柱擎天

[一柱擎天]

lit. to support the sky as a single pillar (idiom)
fig. to take a crucial responsibility upon one's shoulders

jiǎyīpéishí

假一赔十

[假一賠十]

lit. if one is fake, I shall compensate you for ten of them
fig. (of goods) 100% genuine

mùkōngyīqiè

目空一切

[目空一切]

the eye can see nothing worthwhile all around (idiom); arrogant
condescending
supercilious

yīrìqiānlǐ

一日千里

[一日千里]

lit. one day, a thousand miles (idiom); rapid progress

yījiàogāoxià

一较高下

[一較高下]

to compete against
to measure oneself against
to go head to head (see who is best)

yīkǒuyǎodìng

一口咬定

[一口咬定]

to arbitrarily assert
to allege
to stick to one's statement
to cling to one's view

yīzhīwèishèn

一之谓甚

[一之謂甚]

see 一之為甚／一之为甚 (yīzhīwéishèn)

wànzhòngyīxīn

万众一心

[萬眾一心]

millions of people all of one mind (idiom); the people united

bùyīzhìzì

不一致字

[不一致字]

(orthography) inconsistent words (e.g. "through", "bough" and "rough", where "-ough" is not pronounced the same in each case)
inconsistent characters (e.g. 流 (liú), 梳 (shū) and 毓 (yù), which are pronounced differently from each other even though they all have the same notional phonetic component)

yīqiāngmìngzhòng

一枪命中

[一槍命中]

(idiom) to hit with the first shot

guàyīlòuwàn

挂一漏万

[掛一漏萬]

to mention some but omit many others (idiom)
to leave out much more than one includes

yīzìbùlà

一字不落

[一字不落]

see 一字不漏 (yīzìbùlòu)

qūzhǐyīsuàn

屈指一算

[屈指一算]

to count on one's fingers

yīfǎnwǎngcháng

一反往常

[一反往常]

(idiom) contrary to what usually happens

wèidáyījiàn

未达一间

[未達一間]

differing only slightly
not much between them

zhēngyuèchūyī

正月初一

[正月初一]

New Year's Day in the lunar calendar

rónghéwéiyī

融合为一

[融合為一]

to form a cohesive whole
to fuse together

tóngshēngyīkū

同声一哭

[同聲一哭]

to share one's feeling of grief with others (idiom)

yījǔyīdòng

一举一动

[一舉一動]

every movement; each and every move

dānyīhuòbì

单一货币

[單一貨幣]

single currency

shǒuzìyītǐ

手自一体

[手自一體]

manumatic

yīxiànwēiguāng

一线微光

[一線微光]

gleam

jiārényīděng

加人一等

[加人一等]

a cut above
top quality

huālāyīshēng

哗啦一声

[嘩啦一聲]

with a crash
with a thunderous noise

shūyīkǒuqì

舒一口气

[舒一口氣]

to heave a sigh of relief

yīkuīduānní

一窥端倪

[一窺端倪]

to infer easily; to guess at a glance; to get a clue

yīwǎngdǎjìn

一网打尽

[一網打盡]

lit. to catch everything in the one net (idiom)
fig. to scoop up the whole lot
to capture them all in one go

yīdìyīgè

一递一个

[一遞一個]

one after another

yīshí'èrniǎo

一石二鸟

[一石二鳥]

to kill two birds with one stone (idiom)

yīzǒuliǎozhī

一走了之

[一走了之]

to avoid a problem by walking away from it
to quit

yīyǔchéngchèn

一语成谶

[一語成讖]

(idiom) to have one's words turn out to be (tragically) prophetic

yīchùjíkuì

一触即溃

[一觸即潰]

to collapse on the first encounter
to give way at once

bǎocānyīdùn

饱餐一顿

[飽餐一頓]

to eat one's fill
to be full

xīnkǒurúyī

心口如一

[心口如一]

lit. heart and mouth as one (idiom); to say what you think
honest and straightforward

quēyībùkě

缺一不可

[缺一不可]

not a single one is dispensable
can't do without either

yīgǔnǎor

一古脑儿

[一古腦兒]

variant of 一股腦兒／一股脑儿 (yīgǔnǎor)

yīzhēnjiànxiě

一针见血

[一針見血]

lit. to draw blood on the first prick (idiom)
fig. to hit the nail on the head

yīlínbànzhǎo

一鳞半爪

[一鱗半爪]

lit. one scale and half a claw (idiom)
fig. only odd bits and pieces

dǎchéngyīpiàn

打成一片

[打成一片]

to merge
to integrate
to become as one
to unify together

yīsībùgǒu

一丝不苟

[一絲不苟]

not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules
meticulous
not one hair out of place

yīfángyītīng

一房一厅

[一房一廳]

one bedroom and one living room

yīshíbànshǎng

一时半晌

[一時半晌]

a short time
a little while

yīfūyīqī

一夫一妻

[一夫一妻]

monogamy

yīzìbùlòu

一字不漏

[一字不漏]

without missing a word

yījiànzhōngqíng

一见钟情

[一見鍾情]

to fall in love at first sight (idiom)

yībàitúdì

一败涂地

[一敗塗地]

lit. defeated, the ground blanketed with bodies (idiom)
fig. to suffer a crushing defeat

róngwéiyītǐ

融为一体

[融為一體]

to fuse together (idiom)
hypostatic union (religion)

yīnuòqiānjīn

一诺千金

[一諾千金]

a promise worth one thousand in gold (idiom); a promise that must be kept

qīhēiyītuán

漆黑一团

[漆黑一團]

pitch-black
(fig.) to be completely in the dark

suōchéngyītuán

缩成一团

[縮成一團]

to huddle together
to curl up

shíyīyuèfèn

十一月份

[十一月份]

November

yīzìbùshí

一字不识

[一字不識]

totally illiterate

jiérányīshēn

孑然一身

[孑然一身]

to be all alone in the world

bùgùyīqiè

不顾一切

[不顧一切]

(idiom) to disregard all negative considerations; to cast aside all concerns

yánxíngruòyī

言行若一

[言行若一]

(idiom) one's actions are in keeping with what one says

yījuécíxióng

一决雌雄

[一決雌雄]

to have a showdown; to fight for mastery; to compete for a championship

yīchóumòzhǎn

一筹莫展

[一籌莫展]

to be unable to find a solution
to be at wits' end

tǒngyīguīhuà

统一规划

[統一規劃]

integrated program

liǎngdànyīxīng

两弹一星

[兩彈一星]

(China's achievements of) producing an atomic bomb (1964) and hydrogen bomb (1967) and launching a satellite into space (1970)

yīxīnyīyì

一心一意

[一心一意]

concentrating one's thoughts and efforts
single-minded
bent on
intently

shǒuyī'érzhōng

守一而终

[守一而終]

to be faithful to one's mate all one's life

yīdài'érguò

一带而过

[一帶而過]

to skate around
to skip over
to skimp

yīchàngsāntàn

一倡三叹

[一倡三歎]

(of literature, music) deeply moving (idiom)

yījiànshuāngdiāo

一箭双雕

[一箭雙鵰]

lit. one arrow, two golden eagles (idiom)
to kill two birds with one stone

yībǎsǐná

一把死拿

[一把死拿]

stubborn
inflexible

yīkuíyǐzú

一夔已足

[一夔已足]

one talented person is enough for the job (idiom)

Yīdài Yīlù

一带一路

[一帶一路]

Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese government plan to provide finance and engineering expertise to build infrastructure across Eurasia and northeast Africa, unveiled in 2013

yīrìsāncān

一日三餐

[一日三餐]

to have three meals a day

tuánjiéyīzhì

团结一致

[團結一致]

see 團結一心／团结一心 (tuánjiéyīxīn)

dìyībǎshǒu

第一把手

[第一把手]

the person in charge
the head of the leadership group

yīxiǎobùfèn

一小部分

[一小部分]

a small part; a small section

yīyánwéizhòng

一言为重

[一言為重]

each word carries weight
a promise must be kept (idiom)

dúdāngyīmiàn

独当一面

[獨當一面]

to assume personal responsibility (idiom); to take charge of a section

gèngshèngyīchóu

更胜一筹

[更勝一籌]

superior by a notch
a cut above
even better

zhùyīnyīshì

注音一式

[注音一式]

Mandarin Phonetic Symbols 1
Bopomofo
abbr. for 國語注音符號第一式／国语注音符号第一式 ( Guóyǔzhùyīnfúhàodìyīshì)

tánhuāyīxiàn

昙花一现

[曇花一現]

lit. the night-blooming cactus shows once
flash in the pan (idiom)
short-lived

zhèngjiàohéyī

政教合一

[政教合一]

union of religious and political rule
theocracy
Caesaropapism

yījīngyīzhà

一惊一乍

[一驚一乍]

frightened
flustered

yīqīng'èrbái

一清二白

[一清二白]

perfectly clean
blameless
unimpeachable (idiom)

Tiānwèn Yīhào

天问一号

[天問一號]

Tianwen-1, Chinese mission to put a robotic rover on Mars launched in 2020

bùmíngyīqián

不名一钱

[不名一錢]

to be penniless

yījiàngāodī

一见高低

[一見高低]

lit. to fight it out with sb to see who is best (idiom)
fig. to cross swords with
to lock horns

Nánkēyīmèng

南柯一梦

[南柯一夢]

lit. a dream of Nanke
fig. dreams of grandeur

dàodǎyīpá

倒打一耙

[倒打一耙]

lit. to strike with a muckrake (idiom), cf Pigsy 豬八戒／猪八戒 in Journey to the West 西遊記／西游记; fig. to counterattack
to make bogus accusations (against one's victim)

qīfēnzhīyī

七分之一

[七分之一]

one seventh

qiānlüyīshī

千虑一失

[千慮一失]

reflect a thousand times and you can still make a mistake (idiom); to err is human

hóngjíyīshí

红极一时

[紅極一時]

tremendously popular for a while

yīyánchāobǎizǒng

一言抄百总

[一言抄百總]

to cut a long story short

yīqièxiàngqiánkàn

一切向钱看

[一切向錢看]

to put money above everything else

língxīyīdiǎntōng

灵犀一点通

[靈犀一點通]

mental rapport
likeness of mind
spiritual link

yīwǎnshuǐduānpíng

一碗水端平

[一碗水端平]

lit. to hold a bowl of water level (idiom)
fig. to be impartial

yīshíbànhuìr

一时半会儿

[一時半會兒]

a short time; a little while

zhùyībìzhīlì

助一臂之力

[助一臂之力]

to lend a helping hand (idiom)

yīduìyīdòuniú

一对一斗牛

[一對一鬥牛]

one-on-one basketball game

Yīqiān Líng Yī Yè

一千零一夜

[一千零一夜]

The Book of One Thousand and One Nights

fēiyīrìzhīgōng

非一日之功

[非一日之功]

lit. cannot be done in one day (idiom)
fig. will take much time and effort to accomplish

yītuìliù'èrwǔ

一退六二五

[一退六二五]

see 一推六二五 (yītuīliù'èrwǔ)

yītuīliù'èrwǔ

一推六二五

[一推六二五]

1 divided by 16 is 0.0625 (abacus rule)
(fig.) to deny responsibility; to pass the buck

yīgejiēyīge

一个接一个

[一個接一個]

one by one; one after another

yīwùxiángyīwù

一物降一物

[一物降一物]

lit. one object bests another object
every item has a weakness (idiom)
there is a rock to every scissor, a scissor to every paper, and a paper to every rock

Xīnpǔsēnyījiā

辛普森一家

[辛普森一家]

The Simpsons (US TV series)

gèngshàngyīcénglóu

更上一层楼

[更上一層樓]

to take it up a notch
to bring it up a level

yīlǎnzhòngshānxiǎo

一览众山小

[一覽眾山小]

(last line of the poem 望岳 by Tang poet Du Fu 杜甫 ( Dù Fǔ)) with one look I shall see all the smaller mountains down below (from the summit of Mt Tai 泰山 ( Tài Shān))
(fig.) awe-inspiring view from a very high place

Yī Erbā Shìbiàn

一二八事变

[一二八事變]

Shanghai Incident of 28th January 1932, Chinese uprising against Japanese quarters of Shanghai

yībíkǒngchūqì

一鼻孔出气

[一鼻孔出氣]

lit. to breathe through the same nostril (idiom); fig. two people say exactly the same thing (usually derog.)
to sing from the same hymn sheet

yīyányǐbìzhī

一言以蔽之

[一言以蔽之]

one word says it all (idiom, from Analects); to cut a long story short
in a nutshell

bāzìméiyīpiě

八字没一撇

[八字沒一撇]

lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八 (bā) (idiom)
fig. things have not even begun to take shape
no sign of success yet

yītiānyīgeyàng

一天一个样

[一天一個樣]

to change from day to day

sìyī'èrcǎn'àn

四一二惨案

[四一二慘案]

the massacre of 12th Mar 1927
the Shanghai coup of 12th Mar 1927 by Chiang Kai-shek against the communists

yīcìyòuyīcì

一次又一次

[一次又一次]

repeatedly
over and over again

èrshíyīshìjì

二十一世纪

[二十一世紀]

21st century

yībiànyòuyībiàn

一遍又一遍

[一遍又一遍]

over and over

Yījí Fāngchéngshì

一级方程式

[一級方程式]

Formula One

yīyǎnghuà'èrdàn

一氧化二氮

[一氧化二氮]

nitrous oxide N2O
laughing gas

yītiáolóngfúwù

一条龙服务

[一條龍服務]

one-stop service

yīqùbùfùfǎn

一去不复返

[一去不復返]

gone forever

bǎifēnzhīyībǎi

百分之一百

[百分之一百]

one hundred percent
totally (effective)

Cháoyǒng Zhènyīláng

朝永振一郎

[朝永振一郎]

TOMONAGA Shin'ichirō (1906-1979), Japanese physicist, 1965 Nobel prize laureate with Richard Feynman and Julian Schwinger

jiānghúyīdiǎnjué

江湖一点诀

[江湖一點訣]

special technique
trick of the trade
knack

yīqùwúyǐngzōng

一去无影踪

[一去無影蹤]

gone without a trace

niēyībǎlěnghàn

捏一把冷汗

[捏一把冷汗]

to break out into a cold sweat (idiom)

pèngyībízihuī

碰一鼻子灰

[碰一鼻子灰]

lit. to have one's nose rubbed in the dirt
fig. to meet with a sharp rebuff

Bāyī Jiànjūnjié

八一建军节

[八一建軍節]

see 建軍節／建军节 ( Jiànjūnjié)

yīcìfāngchéngshì

一次方程式

[一次方程式]

linear equation (math.)

sānhéyīyìmiáo

三合一疫苗

[三合一疫苗]

DTP vaccination

tánzhǐyīhuījiān

弹指一挥间

[彈指一揮間]

in a flash (idiom)

yīmǔ-sānfēndì

一亩三分地

[一畝三分地]

a piece of land of 1.3 mu 畝／亩 (mǔ)
(fig.) one's turf

tiānshēngdeyīduì

天生的一对

[天生的一對]

couple who were made for each other

dàochōuyīkǒuqì

倒抽一口气

[倒抽一口氣]

to gasp (in surprise, dismay, fright etc)

yīwènsānbùzhī

一问三不知

[一問三不知]

lit. to reply "don't know" whatever the question (idiom)
fig. absolutely no idea of what's going on
complete ignorance

yīgùnzidǎsǐ

一棍子打死

[一棍子打死]

to deal a single fatal blow
(fig.) to totally repudiate sb because of a minor error

shēngwùzhuānyīxìng

生物专一性

[生物專一性]

biospecificity

bùdàngyīhuíshì

不当一回事

[不當一回事]

not regard as a matter (of any importance)

yīzhìxìngxiàoyìng

一致性效应

[一致性效應]

consistency effect

yīzhuāyīdàbǎ

一抓一大把

[一抓一大把]

to be a dime a dozen; easy to come by

sìyī'èrshìbiàn

四一二事变

[四一二事變]

the coup of 12th Mar 1927, an attempt by Chiang Kai-shek to suppress the communists
called 反革命政變／反革命政变 or 慘案／惨案 in PRC literature

yīchuízimǎimài

一锤子买卖

[一錘子買賣]

a one-off, short-sighted deal
a one-shot, all-out attempt

èryītiānzuòwǔ

二一添作五

[二一添作五]

lit. one half equals zero point five (division rule in abacus reckoning)
to share fairly between two parties
to go fifty-fifty

Xiǎoquán Chúnyīláng

小泉纯一郎

[小泉純一郎]

KOIZUMI Jun'ichirō (1942-), Japanese LDP politician, prime minister 2001-2006

sānqī'èrshíyī

三七二十一

[三七二十一]

three sevens are twenty-one (idiom)
the facts of the matter
the actual situation

Yī'èr Jiǔ Yùndòng

一二九运动

[一二九運動]

December 9th Movement (1935), student-led demonstrations demanding that the Chinese government resist Japanese aggression

mǒyībízihuī

抹一鼻子灰

[抹一鼻子灰]

lit. to rub one's nose with dust
to suffer a snub
to meet with a rebuff

Jiǔ Yībā Shìbiàn

九一八事变

[九一八事變]

the Mukden or Manchurian Railway Incident of 18th September 1931 used by the Japanese as a pretext to annex Manchuria
also known as Liutiaogou incident 柳條溝事變／柳条沟事变

chuānyītiáokùzi

穿一条裤子

[穿一條褲子]

(of male friends) to have been through thick and thin together
to be like family
to share the same view of things

quánshìjièdìyī

全世界第一

[全世界第一]

world's first

níngchéngyīgǔshéng

拧成一股绳

[擰成一股繩]

to twist (strands) together to form a rope
(fig.) to unite; to work together

Liù Yī Ertóngjié

六一儿童节

[六一兒童節]

Children's Day (June 1st), PRC national holiday for children under 14

yīkǒuchīgepàngzi

一口吃个胖子

[一口吃個胖子]

lit. to want to get fat with only one mouthful (proverb)
fig. to try to achieve one's goal in the shortest time possible
to be impatient for success

yīlèibǎohùdòngwù

一类保护动物

[一類保護動物]

class A protected animal

bìqígōngyúyīyì

毕其功于一役

[畢其功於一役]

to accomplish the whole task at one stroke (idiom)

yīrìbùrúyīrì

一日不如一日

[一日不如一日]

to be getting worse by the day

yīgè Zhōngguózhèngcè

一个中国政策

[一個中國政策]

one-China policy

tǒngyīzīyuándìngwèi

统一资源定位

[統一資源定位]

universal resource locator (URL), i.e. webaddress

yīfābùkěshōushi

一发不可收拾

[一發不可收拾]

once it gets started there's no stopping it

Fēizhōu Tǒngyī Zǔzhī

非洲统一组织

[非洲統一組織]

Organization of African Unity

yībùyīgèjiǎoyìn

一步一个脚印

[一步一個腳印]

one step, one footprint (idiom); steady progress
reliable

yītiáodàozǒudàohēi

一条道走到黑

[一條道走到黑]

to stick to one's ways
to cling to one's course

Dà Yuán Dàyītǒngzhì

大元大一统志

[大元大一統誌]

Da Yuan Dayitongzhi, Yuan dynasty geographical encyclopedia, compiled 1285-1294 under Jamal al-Din 紮馬剌丁／扎马剌丁 and Yu Yinglong 虞應龍／虞应龙, 755 scrolls

bǎiwénbùrúyījiàn

百闻不如一见

[百聞不如一見]

seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times (idiom); seeing for oneself is better than hearing from many others
seeing is believing

chéngbàizàicǐyījǔ

成败在此一举

[成敗在此一舉]

win or lose, it all ends here
this is the moment to shine

yībǎshǐyībǎniào

一把屎一把尿

[一把屎一把尿]

to have endured all sorts of hardships (to raise one's children) (idiom)

yǒuyīdāméiyīdā

有一搭没一搭

[有一搭沒一搭]

unimportant
perfunctory
indifferent
(of conversation) idly

yīdiǎnshuǐyīgèpào

一点水一个泡

[一點水一個泡]

honest and trustworthy (idiom)

yīshānbùróng'èrhǔ

一山不容二虎

[一山不容二虎]

lit. the mountain can't have two tigers (idiom)
fig. this town ain't big enough for the two of us
(of two rivals) to be fiercely competitive

yījǔshǒuyītóuzú

一举手一投足

[一舉手一投足]

every little move
every single movement

xìngtóngyīxìngzhàng'ài

性同一性障碍

[性同一性障礙]

gender identity disorder

yījūtóngqíngzhīlèi

一掬同情之泪

[一掬同情之淚]

to shed tears of sympathy (idiom)

kěyī'érbùkězài

可一而不可再

[可一而不可再]

may be done once and once only; just this once

zhēngyīyǎnbìyīyǎn

睁一眼闭一眼

[睜一眼閉一眼]

to turn a blind eye

yīfēnqiánliǎngfēnhuò

一分钱两分货

[一分錢兩分貨]

high quality at bargain price

yīmǎsháohuàiyīguō

一马勺坏一锅

[一馬勺壞一鍋]

one ladle (of sth bad) spoils the (whole) pot (idiom)
one bad apple spoils the barrel

yǒuyīdāwúyīdā

有一搭无一搭

[有一搭無一搭]

see 有一搭沒一搭／有一搭没一搭 (yǒuyīdāméiyīdā)

bùjiànyīdiǎnzōngyǐng

不见一点踪影

[不見一點蹤影]

no trace to be seen

bǐyīshícǐyīshí

彼一时此一时

[彼一時此一時]

that was one thing, and this is another
times have changed

dìyījīběnxíngshì

第一基本形式

[第一基本形式]

(math.) first fundamental form

yīgetóuliǎnggedà

一个头两个大

[一個頭兩個大]

(coll.) to feel as though one's head could explode (Tw)

yǒuyījùméiyījù

有一句没一句

[有一句沒一句]

to speak one minute and be quiet the next

yīhuíshēngliǎnghuíshú

一回生两回熟

[一回生兩回熟]

see 一回生二回熟 (yīhuíshēng'èrhuíshú)

yīfā'érbùkěshōu

一发而不可收

[一發而不可收]

to be impossible to stop once started

Guójiāyījíbǎohù

国家一级保护

[國家一級保護]

Grade One State protected (species)

dàoxīyīkǒuliángqì

倒吸一口凉气

[倒吸一口涼氣]

to gasp (with amazement or shock etc)
to feel a chill run down one's spine
to have one's hairs stand on end

yītiáolùzǒudàohēi

一条路走到黑

[一條路走到黑]

lit. to follow one road until dark (idiom)
fig. to stick to one's ways
to cling to one's course

dìyīxíngtángniàobìng

第一型糖尿病

[第一型糖尿病]

Type 1 diabetes

yīdàibùrúyīdài

一代不如一代

[一代不如一代]

to be getting worse with each generation

bāzìháiméiyīpiě

八字还没一撇

[八字還沒一撇]

lit. not even the first stroke of the character 八 (bā) has been written (idiom)
fig. things have not even gotten started yet; nothing tangible has come of one's plans yet

yīhuíshēng'èrhuíshú

一回生二回熟

[一回生二回熟]

unfamiliar at first, but well accustomed soon enough (idiom)

yīfēnqiányīfēnhuò

一分钱一分货

[一分錢一分貨]

you get what you pay for

yīzhìzīyuándìngzhǐqì

一致资源定址器

[一致資源定址器]

uniform resource locator (URL), i.e. web address

bùgǎnyuè Léichíyībù

不敢越雷池一步

[不敢越雷池一步]

dare not go one step beyond the prescribed limit

yīshīzúchéngqiāngǔhèn

一失足成千古恨

[一失足成千古恨]

a single slip may cause everlasting sorrow (idiom)

Dìyīcì Shìjiè Dàzhàn

第一次世界大战

[第一次世界大戰]

World War One

yīkū'èrnàosānshàngdiào

一哭二闹三上吊

[一哭二鬧三上吊]

(idiom) to make a terrible scene; to throw a tantrum

tìtóutiāoziyītóurè

剃头挑子一头热

[剃頭挑子一頭熱]

lit. only one end of the barber's pole is hot (idiom)
fig. one-sided enthusiasm
one party is interested, but the other, not so much
(Note: In former days, street barbers carried their equipment on a pole, with tools and a stool at one end and a brazier at the other.)

tóufahúziyībǎzhuā

头发胡子一把抓

[頭髮鬍子一把抓]

lit. hair and beard all in one stroke
fig. to handle different things by the same method
one method to solve all problems
one size fits all

yīcháotiānzǐyīcháochén

一朝天子一朝臣

[一朝天子一朝臣]

new emperor, new officials (idiom)
a new chief brings in new aides

yǒubǎilì'érwúyīhài

有百利而无一害

[有百利而無一害]

to have many advantages and no disadvantages

xīnyǒulíngxīyīdiǎntōng

心有灵犀一点通

[心有靈犀一點通]

hearts linked as one, just as the proverbial rhinoceros communicates emotion telepathically through his single horn (idiom); fig. two hearts beat as one

bēizhebàozheyībānzhòng

背着抱着一般重

[背著抱著一般重]

lit. whether one carries it on one's back or in one's arms, it's equally heavy (idiom)
fig. one can't avoid the burden

yīgèjiāngjūnyīgèlìng

一个将军一个令

[一個將軍一個令]

lit. one general, one order (idiom)
fig. every boss has their own rules
everyone has their own way of doing things

zěnyīgèchóuzìliǎodé

怎一个愁字了得

[怎一個愁字了得]

(last line of the poem 聲聲慢／声声慢 ( Shēngshēng Màn) by Song poet Li Qingzhao 李清照 ( Lǐ Qīngzhào))
how can it be expressed in one word, "sorrow"?
how can words express such sadness?

yǒubǎihài'érwúyīlì

有百害而无一利

[有百害而無一利]

having no advantage whatsoever

guǎntāsānqī'èrshíyī

管他三七二十一

[管他三七二十一]

who cares
no matter what
regardless of the consequences

sāngènürényīgèxū

三个女人一个墟

[三個女人一個墟]

three women makes a crowd

yīgebāzhǎngpāibùxiǎng

一个巴掌拍不响

[一個巴掌拍不響]

lit. one palm alone cannot clap (proverb)
fig. it takes two persons to start a dispute
it takes two to tango
it's difficult to achieve anything without support

yītiáoshéngshàngdemàzha

一条绳上的蚂蚱

[一條繩上的螞蚱]

lit. grasshoppers tied together with a piece of string (idiom)
fig. people who are in it together for better or worse
people who will sink or swim together

Huángdì Bāshíyī Nànjīng

黄帝八十一难经

[黃帝八十一難經]

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Eighty-one Difficulties, medical text, c. 1st century AD

yīgèluóboyīgèkēng

一个萝卜一个坑

[一個蘿蔔一個坑]

lit. every turnip to its hole (idiom)
fig. each person has his own position
each to his own
horses for courses
every kettle has its lid

sèzìtóushàngyībǎdāo

色字头上一把刀

[色字頭上一把刀]

lit. there is a knife above the character for lust
fig. lascivious activities can lead to bitter consequences

yīchuánshí,shíchuánbǎi

一传十，十传百

[一傳十，十傳百]

(idiom) (of news etc) to spread like wildfire; to be disseminated far and wide

bāzìháiméiyīpiěr

八字还没一撇儿

[八字還沒一撇兒]

lit. there is not even the first stroke of the character 八 (bā) (idiom)
fig. things have not even begun to take shape
no sign of success yet

Tǒngyī Zhànxiàn Gōngzuòbù

统一战线工作部

[統一戰線工作部]

United Front Work Department of CCP Central Committee (UFWD)

yīkǒuchībùchéngpàngzi

一口吃不成胖子

[一口吃不成胖子]

lit. you cannot get fat with only one mouthful (proverb)
fig. any significant achievement requires time, effort and persistence

yīniánzhījìzàiyúchūn

一年之计在于春

[一年之計在於春]

the whole year must be planned for in the spring (idiom)
early planning is the key to success

shuōyīqiān,dàoyīwàn

说一千，道一万

[說一千，道一萬]

when all is said and done
at the end of the day

yīcùnguāngyīnyīcùnjīn

一寸光阴一寸金

[一寸光陰一寸金]

(idiom) time is precious

yīrìzhījìzàiyúchén

一日之计在于晨

[一日之計在於晨]

make your day's plan early in the morning (idiom)
early morning is the golden time of the day

yǒubǎilì'érwúyībì

有百利而无一弊

[有百利而無一弊]

to have many advantages and no disadvantages

Déguó Tǒngyī Shèhuìdǎng

德国统一社会党

[德國統一社會黨]

Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (Socialist Unity Party of Germany 1949-1990), the ruling communist party of the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany)

qiānyīfà'érdòngquánshēn

牵一发而动全身

[牽一髮而動全身]

lit. pulling a single hair makes the whole body move (idiom)
fig. a small change in one part can affect the whole system

méimaohúziyībǎzhuā

眉毛胡子一把抓

[眉毛鬍子一把抓]

careless
any-old-how, regardless of the specific task

sāngenürényītáixì

三个女人一台戏

[三個女人一臺戲]

three women are enough for a drama (idiom)

yīgēnshéngshàngdemàzha

一根绳上的蚂蚱

[一根繩上的螞蚱]

see 一條繩上的螞蚱／一条绳上的蚂蚱 (yītiáoshéngshàngdemàzha)

wǔbǎiniánqiánshìyījiā

五百年前是一家

[五百年前是一家]

five hundred years ago we were the same family (idiom) (said of persons with the same surname)

tǒngyīzīyuándìngwèifú

统一资源定位符

[統一資源定位符]

universal resource locator (URL), i.e. webaddress

yī'érzài,zài'érsān

一而再，再而三

[一而再，再而三]

again and again

yīcìshēng,liǎngcìshú

一次生，两次熟

[一次生，兩次熟]

unfamiliar at first but you get used to it
strangers are first meeting, but soon friends
an acquired taste

tiānxiàwūyāyībānhēi

天下乌鸦一般黑

[天下烏鴉一般黑]

all crows are black (idiom)
evil people are bad all over the world

yībùzuò,èrbùxiū

一不做，二不休

[一不做，二不休]

lit. either don't do it, or don't rest (idiom)
fig. if you do it at all, you may as well go the whole hog
in for a penny, in for a pound

chīyīqiàn,zhǎngyīzhì

吃一堑，长一智

[吃一塹，長一智]

Fall into the moat and you'll be wiser next time (idiom); One only learns from one's mistakes.

bùguǎnsānqī'èrshíyī

不管三七二十一

[不管三七二十一]

regardless of the consequences
recklessly relying on a hopelessly optimistic forecast

yīshìyī,èrshì'èr

一是一，二是二

[一是一，二是二]

lit. one is one, two is two (idiom)
fig. things are (or ought to be) perfectly clear-cut
unequivocal

zhúlándǎshuǐ,yīchángkōng

竹篮打水，一场空

[竹籃打水，一場空]

using a wicker basket to draw water (idiom); wasted effort

yībǎyǎnlèiyībǎbítì

一把眼泪一把鼻涕

[一把眼淚一把鼻涕]

with one's face covered in tears (idiom)

sìyī'èrfǎngémìngzhèngbiàn

四一二反革命政变

[四一二反革命政變]

counterrevolutionary coup of 12th April 1927, Chiang Kai-shek's coup against the communists in Shanghai

tǒngyīshèhuìxìnyòngdàimǎ

统一社会信用代码

[統一社會信用代碼]

unified social credit identifier, the VAT identification number of a business or organization

dōngyīlángtóuxīyībàngzi

东一榔头西一棒子

[東一榔頭西一棒子]

banging away clumsily in all directions with no overall vision

duōyīshìbùrúshǎoyīshì

多一事不如少一事

[多一事不如少一事]

it is better to avoid unnecessary trouble (idiom)
the less complications the better

zhēngyīzhīyǎnbìyīzhīyǎn

睁一只眼闭一只眼

[睜一隻眼閉一隻眼]

to turn a blind eye

yījiārénbùshuōliǎngjiāhuà

一家人不说两家话

[一家人不說兩家話]

lit. family members speak frankly with one another, not courteously, as if they were from two different families (idiom)
fig. people don't need to be deferential when they ask a family member for help
people from the same family should stick together (and good friends likewise)

yībǎyàoshikāiyībǎsuǒ

一把钥匙开一把锁

[一把鑰匙開一把鎖]

One key opens one lock.
There is a different solution for each problem. (idiom)

Guóyǔzhùyīnfúhàodìyīshì

国语注音符号第一式

[國語注音符號第一式]

Mandarin Phonetic Symbols 1 (official name of the phonetic system of writing Chinese used in Taiwan)
Bopomofo
abbr. to 注音一式 (zhùyīnyīshì)

cōngmingyīshì,měngdǒngyīshí

聪明一世，懵懂一时

[聰明一世，懵懂一時]

see 聰明一世，糊塗一時／聪明一世，糊涂一时 (cōngmingyīshì,hútuyīshí)

jūnzǐyīyán,sìmǎnánzhuī

君子一言，驷马难追

[君子一言，駟馬難追]

a nobleman's word is his bond (proverb)

qiānjūnyìdé,yījiàngnánqiú

千军易得，一将难求

[千軍易得，一將難求]

Easy to raise an army of one thousand, but hard to find a good general. (idiom)

zuòyītiānhéshangzhuàngyītiānzhōng

做一天和尚撞一天钟

[做一天和尚撞一天鐘]

lit. as a monk for today, toll today's bell (idiom)
fig. to do one's job mechanically
to hold a position passively

yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngbīngyīshí

养兵千日，用兵一时

[養兵千日，用兵一時]

lit. Train an army for a thousand days to use it for an hour. (idiom); fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off

bùpàyīwàn,jiùpàwànyī

不怕一万，就怕万一

[不怕一萬，就怕萬一]

better to be safe than sorry (proverb)
to be prepared just in case

yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngzàiyīzhāo

养兵千日，用在一朝

[養兵千日，用在一朝]

lit. train an army for a thousand days to use it for one morning (idiom)
fig. extensive preparation eventually pays off

dǎyībāzhang,gěigètiánzǎo

打一巴掌，给个甜枣

[打一巴掌，給個甜棗]

lit. to give sb a slap, then offer a sweet date (idiom)
fig. to deal harshly with sb, then offer sth by way of consolation

dàogāoyīchǐ,mógāoyīzhàng

道高一尺，魔高一丈

[道高一尺，魔高一丈]

(idiom) as one climbs higher on the path of righteousness, one faces ever greater challenges from evil; no sooner does one overcome one obstacle than another arises

bùyàozàiyīkēshùshàngdiàosǐ

不要在一棵树上吊死

[不要在一棵樹上吊死]

don't insist on only taking one road to Rome (idiom)
there's more than one way to skin a cat

yīfēn-gēngyún,yīfēn-shōuhuò

一分耕耘，一分收获

[一分耕耘，一分收穫]

(idiom) you reap what you sow

yīge-tiānnán,yīge-dìběi

一个天南，一个地北

[一個天南，一個地北]

(idiom) to live miles apart

yīrìwéishī,zhōngshēnwéifù

一日为师，终身为父

[一日為師，終身為父]

lit. teacher for one day, father for ever (idiom)

cōngmingyīshì,hútuyīshí

聪明一世，糊涂一时

[聰明一世，糊塗一時]

(idiom) even the wisest can have a momentary lapse in judgment; every man has a fool in his sleeve

Yīgèyōulíngzài Oūzhōuyóudàng

一个幽灵在欧洲游荡

[一個幽靈在歐洲遊蕩]

Ein Gespenst geht um in Europa ("A specter is haunting Europe", the opening sentence of Marx and Engels' "Communist Manifesto")

yīyánjìchū,sìmǎnánzhuī

一言既出，驷马难追

[一言既出，駟馬難追]

lit. once said, a team of horses cannot unsay it (idiom); a promise must be kept

yībōwèipíng,yībōyòuqǐ

一波未平，一波又起

[一波未平，一波又起]

before the first wave subsides, a new wave rises (idiom); a new problem arises before the old is solved
many twists and turns to a story
one thing after another

shàngyīcìdàng,xuéyīcìguāi

上一次当，学一次乖

[上一次當，學一次乖]

to take sth as a lesson for next time (idiom)
once bitten, twice shy

yǒuyīshuōyī,yǒu'èrshuō'èr

有一说一，有二说二

[有一說一，有二說二]

to call sth as it is (idiom)

zhìzhěqiānlü,bìyǒuyīshī

智者千虑，必有一失

[智者千慮，必有一失]

lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom); fig. nobody is infallible

yīfū-dāngguān,wànfū-mòkāi

一夫当关，万夫莫开

[一夫當關，萬夫莫開]

(idiom) one man guarding the pass can prevent the passage of ten thousand

èrhǔxiāngdòu,bìyǒuyīshāng

二虎相斗，必有一伤

[二虎相鬥，必有一傷]

lit. when two tigers fight, one is sure to be wounded (idiom)
fig. if it comes to a fight, someone will get hurt

Zǔguó Hépíng Tǒngyī Wěiyuánhuì

祖国和平统一委员会

[祖國和平統一委員會]

Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (North Korean)

bùjīngyīshì,bùzhǎngyīzhì

不经一事，不长一智

[不經一事，不長一智]

lit. you can't gain knowledge without practical experience (idiom)
fig. wisdom only comes with experience

liǎnghǔxiāngdòu,bìyǒuyīshāng

两虎相斗，必有一伤

[兩虎相鬥，必有一傷]

lit. when two tigers fight, one will get injured (idiom)
fig. if it comes to a fight, someone will get hurt

Zhōng Rì Hántǒngyībiǎoyìwénzì

中日韩统一表意文字

[中日韓統一表意文字]

China Japan Korea (CJK) unified ideographs
Unihan

yīrìbùjiàn,rúgésānqiū

一日不见，如隔三秋

[一日不見，如隔三秋]

one day apart seems like three years (idiom)

yīzé-yǐxǐ,yīzé-yǐyōu

一则以喜，一则以忧

[一則以喜，一則以憂]

(idiom) happy on the one hand, but worried on the other

yīrén-dédào,jīquǎn-shēngtiān

一人得道，鸡犬升天

[一人得道，雞犬升天]

lit. when a person attains enlightenment and immortality, even his chickens and dogs will ascend to heaven with him (idiom)
fig. when somebody attains a position of power and influence, their relatives and friends also benefit

liǎnghǔxiāngzhēng,bìyǒuyīshāng

两虎相争，必有一伤

[兩虎相爭，必有一傷]

lit. if two tigers fight, one will get injured (idiom)
fig. if you start a war, someone is bound to get hurt

dāngyītiānhéshangzhuàngyītiānzhōng

当一天和尚撞一天钟

[當一天和尚撞一天鐘]

see 做一天和尚撞一天鐘／做一天和尚撞一天钟 (zuòyītiānhéshangzhuàngyītiānzhōng)

zhǐzhīqíyī,bùzhīqí'èr

只知其一，不知其二

[只知其一，不知其二]

to know the first, but not know the second (idiom); only partial information

rénshēngyīshì,cǎomùyīchūn

人生一世，草木一春

[人生一世，草木一春]

Man has but one life, grass but one spring (idiom). fig. the brevity of human existence

yīshǒujiāoqián,yīshǒujiāohuò

一手交钱，一手交货

[一手交錢，一手交貨]

lit. one hand exchanges the cash, the other the goods (idiom)
fig. to pay for what you want in cash
simple and direct transaction

bǎichǐgāntóu,gèngjìnyībù

百尺竿头，更进一步

[百尺竿頭，更進一步]

lit. after climbing a hundred feet up a pole, one should go even further (idiom)
fig. even if one has achieved a measure of success, one should strive to do even better

yīzhāobùshèn,mǎnpánjiēshū

一着不慎，满盘皆输

[一著不慎，滿盤皆輸]

One careless move and the whole game is lost. (idiom)

yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngzàiyīshí

养兵千日，用在一时

[養兵千日，用在一時]

see 養兵千日，用兵一時／养兵千日，用兵一时 (yǎngbīngqiānrì,yòngbīngyīshí)

yīniánbèishéyǎoshíniánpàjǐngshéng

一年被蛇咬十年怕井绳

[一年被蛇咬十年怕井繩]

once bitten by a snake, one is scared all one's life at the mere sight of a rope (idiom)
fig. once bitten, twice shy

bīngdòngsānchǐ,fēiyīrìzhīhán

冰冻三尺，非一日之寒

[冰凍三尺，非一日之寒]

three feet of ice does not form in a single day (idiom); Rome wasn't built in a day

jiùrényīmìngshèngzàoqījífútú

救人一命胜造七级浮屠

[救人一命勝造七級浮屠]

saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda (idiom)

yīlìlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōzhōu

一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥

[一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥]

lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of congee (idiom)
fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch

yīkēlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōtāng

一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅汤

[一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋湯]

lit. one pellet of rat feces spoiled the whole pot of soup (idiom)
fig. one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch

kēxuéjìshùshìdìyīshēngchǎnlì

科学技术是第一生产力

[科學技術是第一生產力]

science and technology is the number one productive force (from a 1978 speech by Deng Xiaoping 鄧小平／邓小平 ( Dèng Xiǎopíng) introducing the Four Modernizations 四個現代化／四个现代化 (sìgexiàndàihuà))

duǒguòchūyī,duǒbùguòshíwǔ

躲过初一，躲不过十五

[躲過初一，躲不過十五]

see 躲得過初一，躲不過十五／躲得过初一，躲不过十五 (duǒdeguòchūyī,duǒbùguòshíwǔ)

bùshìyījiārénbùjìnyījiāmén

不是一家人不进一家门

[不是一家人不進一家門]

people who don't belong together, don't get to live together (idiom)
marriages are predestined
people marry because they share common traits

yīkēlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōzhōu

一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅粥

[一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥]

see 一粒老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥／一粒老鼠屎坏了一锅粥 (yīlìlǎoshǔshǐhuàileyīguōzhōu)

yīzhāobèishéyǎo,shíniánpàjǐngshéng

一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳

[一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩]

once bitten by a snake, ten years in fear of a well rope
once bitten, twice shy (idiom)

duǒdeguòchūyī,duǒbùguòshíwǔ

躲得过初一，躲不过十五

[躲得過初一，躲不過十五]

lit. you may go undetected during the new moon, but at full moon you'll be found out (idiom)
fig. you can't put it off forever
sooner or later you'll have to deal with it

tīngjūnyīxíhuà,shèngdúshíniánshū

听君一席话，胜读十年书

[聽君一席話，勝讀十年書]