Chinese four character idioms: a guide to Chengyu for Chinese learners

As you study Chinese you’ll encounter various idioms, the most popular form being the four-character idioms known as Chengyu. Chengyu are a unique part of the Chinese language and hold great cultural significance. In this article I’ll guide you through what Chengyu are, give you some examples of interesting ones and discuss the value of learning them. We’ll then finish with a list of some of the most common Chengyu that you are likely to encounter and a couple whose stories are too fun not to mention.

What are Chengyu?

Chengyu are traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions (common sayings) composed of four characters. That’s why they are also sometimes called four character idioms. Chengyu often originate from classical literature, historical stories and ancient philosophies. They manage to express deep meaning or wisdom very concisely with just four characters. Unlike other idioms they have a fixed structure and don’t vary in form depending on where they are used.

Some chengyu are relatively straightforward. Their meanings are quite literal and can be deduced from the characters.

For example the Chengyu:

一箭双雕 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo) translates to "One arrow, two golden eagles."

English speakers can probably guess the meaning of this as there is a similar English idiom: “To kill two birds with one stone.” The Chengyu means to achieve two goals with a single action.

For many Chengyu their meaning is not literally what the characters say, but rather more poetically related. For example:

井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā) means "The frog at the bottom of the well."

This Chengyu describes someone with a narrow perspective unaware of the broader world. In the Chengyu the frog is this person. The frog lives at the bottom of a well and looking up believes that the sky is only as large as the small section visible from the bottom of the well. Once you hear the explanation, the Chengyu’s four character make sense, but it would be hard to deduce the meaning without some explanation, and the characters represent a poetic example of the wisdom rather than literally expressing the wisdom.

There are also Chengyu whose meaning seems entirely unrelated to their four characters and an explanation or understanding of the history of the idiom is needed to make sense of them. A classic example of this is:

马马虎虎 (mǎ ma hū hu) which literally translates to “horse horse tiger tiger”

There is no chance of you guessing the meaning of this Chengyu just based on the characters. It’s only meaningful once you have heard the story behind it. What is the story? Well allegedly in the Song Dynasty there was a painter called Hu Zi (胡子), who was asked to paint a horse and a tiger for someone. The painter being slightly lazy painted a horse with a tiger’s head. When challenged about his painting, Hu Zi simply said “I have painted 马马虎虎 (mǎmǎhūhū) “, a horse horse tiger tiger. Maybe this story is a myth but the Chengyu exists and this idiom is commonly used to describe something that is done carelessly or without much attention to detail. It’s a fun idiom but not one that makes sense until the story behind it is explained.

How are Chengyu different from just idioms?

Now you might be thinking, “so are Chengyu just idioms? What’s the big deal?”, and this would be a good question. English has plenty of idioms with historical backgrounds and poetic images. ”Hit the sack”, “Bite the bullet”, “By the skin of my teeth” etc. What makes Chengyu special? Well to put it simply, Chengyu are a more important part of the Chinese language than English idioms are to the English language. Chengyu are an essential part of everyday communication and whereas English idioms are often used in informal settings, chengyu are used in formal writing, speeches and academic discourse. The use of Chengyu can demonstrate a speaker’s eloquence and allow them to express ideas succinctly whilst demonstrating cultural knowledge. In the education system chengyu are taught from a young age and appear in exams and literature studies. Since the stories behind Chengyu often reflect traditional Chinese values, wisdom and moral lessons, they serve as a bridge to past, preserving and passing down cultural knowledge through language. The use of Chengyu is often expected in formal settings among educated individuals in a way that English idioms are not.

Do you need to learn Chengyu?

Based on the above you are probably wondering if you should start studying Chengyu. Learning Chengyu can enhance your understanding of Chinese culture and history. Moreover, you will likely come across Chengyu in your reading, so learning the most common ones will be important for reading comprehension. However, at least for beginners, it’s easy to overstate the important of studying Chengyu. For beginners there are many other areas of Chinese it would be better to focus on before Chengyu and rather than studying them directly it is better to gradually learn them as they come up in conversation and reading.

Another issue with studying Chengyu in isolation is that whilst they do demonstrate a proficiency in Chinese, this is only true if they are used correctly. Like English idioms, Chengyu have a meaning but also a context in which they are appropriate. For example, the chengyu 十全十美 (shíquánshíměi) is a commonly used expression in Chinese that means "perfect in every way" or "flawless." However, native speakers most commonly use this Chengyu in an ironic manner to highlight the unrealistic exception of perfection. So you can see that just learning the meaning of a Chengyu isn’t alone enough to understand how to use it. This is another reason why it’s not worth studying Chengyu directly and better to learn them organically by reading and talking.

How many Chengyu are there?

There are a lot of Chengyu, more than 20,000. However before you panic, you definitely don’t need to learn them all. Research on the use of Chengyu has show that knowing the most common 800 would cover 95% of the ones used in daily life and media such as TV shows, movies, newspapers etc. And remember, they are not all as difficult to decipher as 马马虎虎 (mǎmǎhūhū). As your knowledge of Chinese improves you will get a feel for the meaning of the new Chengyu you encounter based on context and the characters used. My advice would be to learn Chengyu organically as you study Chinese. Look up the ones you encounter and don’t understand and then commit them to memory. This strategy will stop you getting overwhelmed, mean you study the commonly used ones rather than the more obscure ones, and importantly learn them in the correct context.

If you want to read through some of the most common Chengyu, I’ve provided a list below of 5 very common ones below. You can also find a more comprehensive list of the most commonly used Chengyu here.

5 commonly used Chengyu

1. 先发制人 (xiān fā zhì rén)

• Literal Meaning: "Take the initiative to control others."
• Interpretation: This chengyu refers to the strategy of taking preemptive action to gain the upper hand in a situation. It emphasises the importance of being proactive and acting before others do to secure an advantage. It's often used in competitive or confrontational contexts, such as business or military strategies.
• Example Usage: A company might launch a new product ahead of its competitors to capture market share, embodying the principle of 先发制人.

2. 前所未有 (qián suǒ wèi yǒu)

• Literal Meaning: "Never before."
• Interpretation: This chengyu describes something that is unprecedented or has never happened before. It's used to highlight the uniqueness or novelty of a situation, event, or achievement.
• Example Usage
  • Just think of what would happen if one nuclear power launched a preemptive strike on another
  • 试想一下一个核大国先发制人会出现什么情况。
  • shì xiǎng yī xià yī gè hé dà guó xiān fā zhì rén huì chū xiàn shén me qíng kuàng 。

3. 众所周知 (zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī)

• Literal Meaning: "As everyone knows."
• Interpretation: This chengyu is used to indicate that something is widely known or universally acknowledged. It’s often employed when referring to common knowledge or facts that are well-known to the general public.
• Example Usage:
  • As we all know, journalists must maintain an objective stance when reporting news
  • 众所周知，新闻工作者必须保持客观的立场去报道新闻。
  • zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， xīn wén gōng zuò zhě bì xū bǎo chí kè guān de lì cháng qù bào dào xīn wén 。

4. 引人注目 (yǐn rén zhù mù)

• Literal Meaning: "Attract people's attention."
• Interpretation: This chengyu describes something that is eye-catching or attracts significant attention. It can refer to an event, object, or person that stands out and draws notice due to its remarkable nature.
• Example Usage
  • The class has made noticeable improvement.
  • 这个班已有引人注目的进步
  • zhè gè bān yǐ yǒu yǐn rén zhù mù de jìn bù

5. 无论如何 (wú lùn rú hé)

• Literal Meaning: "No matter what."
• Interpretation: This chengyu expresses determination or resolve, indicating that something will happen or be done regardless of the circumstances or obstacles. It's often used to emphasize perseverance or commitment.
• Example Usage:
  • The teacher made him finish this assignment, no matter how long it takes.
  • 老师让他无论如何，都要完成这项作业
  • lǎo shī ràng tā wú lùn rú hé ， dū yào wán chéng zhè xiàng zuò yè

2 Chengyu with fun stories

1. 画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú)

• Literal Meaning: "Drawing legs on a snake."
• Origin: This chengyu comes from a story about a man who participated in a snake-drawing competition. He finished drawing his snake quickly and, feeling overconfident, decided to add legs to it to show off his skills. Of course, a snake with legs isn’t a snake anymore, so he lost the competition.
• Funny Aspect: The humor here lies in the absurdity of giving legs to a snake, which clearly doesn’t need them. It’s used to describe the act of adding unnecessary and sometimes ridiculous details to something that is already complete, often ruining it in the process.
• Example:
  • Born beautiful girl use cosmetics are often superfluous.
  • 天生丽质的姑娘用化妆品往往是画蛇添足
  • tiān shēng lì zhì de gū niáng yòng huà zhuāng pǐn wǎng wǎng shì huà shé tiān zú

2. 守株待兔 (shǒu zhū dài tù)

• Literal Meaning: "Waiting by a tree stump for a rabbit."
• Origin: This chengyu originates from a story about a farmer who saw a rabbit accidentally run into a tree stump and die. Instead of continuing to farm, he decided to wait by the stump every day, hoping another rabbit would come along and do the same. Of course, no more rabbits ran into the stump, and the farmer ended up with nothing.
• Funny Aspect: The funny part of this chengyu is the farmer’s irrational belief that luck would strike twice in the exact same way, leading him to abandon his sensible work. It’s a humorous way to describe someone being lazy or overly reliant on luck rather than effort.
• Example:
  • The jobless man did nothing but wait for his chance.
  • 那个失业者守株待兔，等待机会
  • nà gè shī yè zhě shǒu zhū dài tù ， děng dài jī huì

To Sum up

Chengyu are a fascinating part of Chinese culture and language. They encapsulate stories, morals and wisdom passed down over generations all within just four characters. Learning Chengyu not only deepens your understanding of Chinese but also allows you to connect with the cultural heritage that the idioms represent. However, whilst mastering the use of common Chengyu is crucial for near native level fluency in Chinese, it is something that can be done gradually as they are encountered in your studies.

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In the meantime, all the best, Vocabhacker