夜貓子：喜歡晚上活動的人

我們常說：白天睡覺，晚上才起床活動的人是「夜貓子」。
wǒ men cháng shuō ：bái tiān shuì jiào ，wăn shàng cái qǐ chuáng huó dòng de rén shì 「yè māo zi」 。

你知道「夜貓子」是什麼嗎？
nǐ zhī dào 「yè māo zi」 shì shé me ma？

夜貓子其實不是貓，牠是貓頭鷹的另一個名字。
yè māo zi qí shí bú shì māo ，tā shì māo tóu yīng de lìng yí ge míng zi 。

貓頭鷹的頭，長得很像貓，所以我們叫牠「貓頭」鷹。
māo tóu yīng de tóu ，zhăng de xiàng māo ，suǒ yǐ wǒ men jiào tā 「māo tóu 」yīng 。

因為牠晚上才活動，所以我們又叫牠「夜貓子」。
yīn wèi tā wăn shàng cái huó dòng ，suǒ yǐ wǒ men yòu jiào tā 「yè māo zi 」。

Chinese Idiom(57): 栩栩如生

栩栩如生

xŭ xŭ rú shēng

Meaning:

vivid and lifelike (idiom);

true to life

realistic

栩栩（xŭ xŭ）：vivid

如（rú）：as, as if, such as

生（shēng）：life, living

例句：

他畫的小狗栩栩如生。

tā huà de xiăo gǒu xŭ xŭ rú shēng 。

我第一次見到這麼栩栩如生的石像。

wǒ dì yī cì jiàn dào zhè me xŭ xŭ rú shēng de shí xiàng 。

這個作者把他的人物寫得栩栩如生。

zhèi ge zuò zhě bă tā de rén wù xiě de xŭ xŭ rú shēng 。

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Chinese Idiom(56): 言歸正傳

言歸正傳

yán guī zhèng zhuàn

Meaning:

to return to the main topic (idiom);

back to business

to finish a digression and get back to the main subject

言（yán）：words, speech

歸（guī）：to return, to go back to

正傳（zhèng zhuàn）：main subject of long novel

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Sentence pattern (1)： 你覺得_____怎麼樣？How do you like_____?

How do you like_____?
How do you think of______?

你覺得＿＿＿＿怎麼樣？
(nǐ jué de _____zěn me yàng ？）


Examples:

How do you like that pen?
你覺得那枝筆怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de nà zhī bǐ zěn me yàng ？）

How do you like Germany?
你覺得德國怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de dé guó zěn me yàng ？）

How do you like American movies?
你覺得美國電影怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de měi guó diàn yǐng zěn me ？）

How do you like Will Smith?
你覺得 Will Smith 怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de Will Smith zěn me yàng ？）

How do you like Japanese comics?
你覺得日本漫畫怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de rì běn màn huà zěn me yàng ？）


Ｈow do you like this pattern?
你覺得這個款式怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de zhèi ge kuăn shì zěn me yàng ？）

How do you think of the weather today?
你覺得今天的天氣怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de jīn tiān de tiān qì zěn me yàng ？）

How do you think of that book?
你覺得那本書怎麼樣？
（nǐ jué de nà běn shū zěn me yàng ？）

Chinese Idiom(55): 失敗為成功之母

失敗為成功之母

shī bài wéi chéng gōng zhī mŭ

Meaning:

Failure is the mother of success.

失敗（shī bài）：Failure

為（wéi）：to be

成功（chéng gōng）：success

之（zhī）：possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的(de)

母（mŭ）：mother

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Chinese Idiom(54): 金窩、銀窩，不如自己的狗窩

金窩、銀窩，不如自己的狗窩

jīn wō 、yín wō ，bù rú zì jǐ de gǒu wō

Meaning:

lit. gold house & silver house are not as good as my dog house

There is no place like home.

East, west, home is the best.

No place is as desirable as home.

金（jīn）：gold

窩（wō）：house

銀（yín wō）：silver

不如（bù rú）：not as good as

自己的（zì jǐ de）：one’s own

狗窩（gǒu wō）：dog house

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Chinese Idiom(53): 各有所好

各有所好

gè yǒu suǒ hào  

Meaning:

Each has his likes (idiom).

There is no accounting for tastes.

Every man has his taste.

各（gè）：each

有（yǒu）：to have

所（suǒ）：particle introducing a relative clause or passive

好（hào）：to like, to be fond of

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Chinese Idiom(52): 人各有志

人各有志

rén gè yǒu zhì

Meaning:

Everyone has his own ambition

Each to his own.

人（rén）：person

各（gè）：each

有（yǒu）：to have

志（zhì）：ambition, aspiration

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Chinese Idiom(51): 不經一事，不長一智

不經一事，不長一智

bù jīng yī shì ，bù zhăng yī zhì

Meaning:

You can't gain knowledge without practical experience (common saying);

wisdom only comes with experience

Experience is the best teacher.

不（bù）：not

經（jīng）：to experience

一（yī）：one

事（shì）：affair, matter

長（bù zhăng）：to grow, to develop,

智（zhì）：wisdom, knowledge

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Chinese Idiom(50): 無風不起浪

無風不起浪

wú fēng bù qǐ làng

Meaning:

lit. without wind there cannot be waves (idiom);

there must be a reason

no smoke without fire

Every why has a wherefore.

無（wú）：no, not to have, without

風（fēng）：wind

不（bù）：didn’t

起（qǐ）：to rise, to start

浪（làng）：wave

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Chinese Idiom(49): 過河拆橋

過河拆橋

guò hé chāi qiáo

Meaning:

lit. to destroy the bridge after crossing the river (idiom)

fig. to abandon one's benefactor upon achieving one's goal

Danger past, God forgotten.

過（guò）：to cross

河（hé）：river

拆（chāi）：to tear down, dismantle

橋（qiáo）：bridge

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How to respond to "謝謝（xiè xie ）" in Chinese?

There are a couple of ways to respond.

1.不客氣(bú kè qì )

2.不謝(bú xiè )

3.不用(bú yòng )

4.不用謝(bú yòng xiè )

5.不會(bú huì )

6.沒事(méi shì )

Chinese Idiom(48): 情人眼裡出西施

情人眼裡出西施

qíng rén yăn lǐ chū xī shī

Meaning:

lit. in the eyes of a lover appears 西施(xī shī) (idiom);

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Beauty lies in lovers eyes.

情人 (qíng rén )：lover

眼 (yăn )：eye

裡 (lǐ )：in

出 (chū )：to go out; to come out; to appear

西施 (xī shī )：(c. 450 BC), famous Chinese beauty, foremost of the Four legendary beauties (四大美女sì dà měi nǚ), given by King Gou Jian (勾踐gōu jiàn) of Yue as concubine to King of Wu as part of a successful plan to destroy Wu.

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Chinese Idiom(47): 老王賣瓜，自賣自誇

老王賣瓜，自賣自誇

lăo wáng mài guā ，zì mài zì kuā

Meaning:

lit. Lao Wang selling melons praises his own goods.

Every potter boasts of his own pot.

老王（lăo wáng ）：Mr. Wang

賣（mài ）：to sell

瓜（guā ）：melon

自（zì ）：oneself

誇（kuā ）：to praise

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Chinese Idiom(46): 觀其友，知其人

觀其友，知其人

guān qí yǒu ，zhī qí rén

Meaning:

A man is known by the company he keeps.

lit. You shall know a person by knowing his friends.

觀：to observe, to know

其：one’s

友：friend

知：to know

其：one’s

人：person, personality, character

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Chinese Idiom(45): 飲水思源

飲水思源

yǐn shuǐ sī yuán

Meaning:

spril showers bring May flowers.

lit. when you drink water, think of its source;

gratitude for blessings and their well-spring.

Don't forget where your happiness come from.

Be grateful for all your blessings!

飲(yǐn )：to drink

水(shuǐ )：water

思(sī )：to think

源(yuán )：source

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Chinese Idiom(44): 量力而為

量力而為

liàng lì ér wéi 

Meaning:

Cut your coat according to your cloth.

lit. to weigh one's abilities and act accordingly

量 (liàng)：to measure, to weigh

力 （lì）：power, ability

而 （ér ）：and

為 （wèi ）：to act, to be, to do

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Chinese Idiom(43): 滴水穿石

滴水穿石

dī shuǐ chuān shí

Meaning:

constant dropping wears away the stone

lit.dripping water penetrates the stone

滴 (dī) ：drip

水 (shuǐ) ：water

穿 (chuān) ：penetrate

石 (shí) ：stone

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Chinese Idiom(42):江山易改，本性難移

江山易改，本性難移

jiāng shān yì găi ，běn xìng nán yí 

Meaning:

Lit. It is easy to change mountains and rivers. It is hard to change one's essential nature (idiom).

A leopard cannot change it's spots.

江 (jiāng) ：river

山 (shān) ：mountain

易 (yì) ：easy

改 (găi) ：to change

本性 (běn xìng) ：natural instincts

難 (nán) ：hard

移 (yí) ：to change

Chinese Idiom(41): 病急亂投醫

病急亂投醫

bìng jí luàn tóu yī

Meaning:

A drowning man will catch at a straw.

lit. to turn to any doctor one can find when critically ill (idiom);

fig. to try anyone or anything in a crisis

A drowning man will catch at a straw.

病：illness, disease,

急：urgent,

亂：random, arbitrary

投醫：to turn to a doctor

Example:

例：問題來了才慌張想對策，就像病急亂投醫，根本是治標不治本。

wèn tí lái le cái huāng zhāng xiăng duì cè ，jiù xiàng shì bìng jí luàn tóu yī ，gēn běn shì zhì biāo bú zhì běn 。

例：為了解決公司缺錢的問題，就到處亂借錢，這只是病急亂投醫而已。

wèi le jiě jué gōng sī quē qián de wèn tí ，jiù dào chù luàn jiè qián ，zhè zhǐ shì bìng jí luàn tóu yī ér yǐ 。

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Polysemous words(9): 樂

聽音樂（yuè ）是一件讓人快樂（lè）的事。

Chinese Idiom(40):知足常樂

知足常樂

zhī zú cháng lè

Meaning:

satisfied with what one has (idiom)

A contented mind is a perpetual feast.

知足：satisfaction, contentment

常：always, constantly

樂：happy, cheerful,

Example:

她不懂知足常樂的道理，總想著她得不到的東西，忽略她已經擁有的一切。

tā bù dǒng zhī zú cháng lè de dào lǐ ，zǒng xiăng zhe tā de bù dào de dōng xī ，hū lüè tā yǐ jīng yǒng yǒu de yí qiè 。

我們應該知足常樂，對於現有的資源該滿足了，不應該奢求太多！

wǒ mén yīng gāi zhī zú cháng lè ，duì yú xiàn yǒu de zī yuán gāi măn zú le ，bù yīng gāi shē qiú tài duō 。

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Chinese Idiom(39): 匹夫之勇

匹夫之勇

pī fū zhī yǒng

Meaning:

brute courage;

mere physical courage;

a deed of derring-do; courage without discipline; foolhardiness

匹夫：ignorant person

之：possessive particle, literary equivalent of 的

勇：courage

Example:

你以為這樣做，自己就是英雄。其實只不過是匹夫之勇。

nǐ yǐ wéi zhè yàng zuò ，zì jǐ jiù shì yīng xióng 。qí shí zhǐ bú guò shì pī fū zhī yǒng 。

遇到問題要冷靜面對，不能光憑匹夫之勇就想解決問題。

yù dào wèn tí yào lěng jìng miàn duì ，bù néng guāng píng pī fū zhī yǒng jiù xiăng jiě jué wèn tí 。

Chinese Idiom(38): 五十步笑百步

五十步笑百步

wŭ shí bù xiào băi bù

Meaning:

the one who has retreated 50 steps laughs at the one who has retreated 100 steps (idiom)

the pot calls the kettle black

五十：

步：a step

笑：to laugh

百：hundred

Example:

考四十分的同學嘲笑考三十分的同學，那只不過是「五十步笑百步」罷了。

kăo sì shí fēn de tóng xué cháo xiào kăo sān shí fēn de tóng xué ，nà zhǐ bú guò shì 「wŭ shí bù xiào băi bù 」bà le 。

你們同樣沒得到那個工作，卻互相取笑，這不是五十步笑百步嗎？

nǐ mén tóng yàng méi dé dào nà ge gōng zuò ，què hù xiāng qŭ xiào ，zhè bú shì wŭ shí bù xiào băi bù mā ？

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