Qigong Deviation (???? Zou huo ru mo)

• Meaning: to indicate that something has gone wrong in spiritual or martial arts training

The Weak are Prey to the Strong (???? ruò ròu qiáng shí)

• Meaning: the law of the jungle; “Might makes Right”

Didn’t know whether to Laugh or Cry (???? k? xiào bù dé)

• Meaning: to be in an awkward situation; something both funny and embarrassing

To have Eyes but fail to recognize Mount Tai (?????? y?u y?n bù shí tài sh?n)

• Meaning: to be ignorant or arrogant; to fail to recognize someone or something of great status

To Put in one’s Eyes (???? fàng zài y?n l?)

• Meaning: to pay attention to; to care about; to attach importance to 
• Note: Often used in the negative, meaning that someone is disregarding or looking down on someone else. (Example: “They didn’t put him in their eyes.”)

The time it takes an Incense Stick to burn (??? y? zhù xi?ng) (?????? y? zhù xi?ng de shíji?n)

• Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a short time span… depending on the author, generally either 5 minutes or 30 minutes
• More information on ancient Chinese time measurements here.

The time it takes to drink a Cup of Tea (?????? y? zh?n chá de shíji?n)

• Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a time span of about 10-15 minutes
  

The time it takes to eat a Meal (?????? y? dùn fàn de shíji?n)

• Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a time span of about 30-45 minutes
  

A Breath of time (??????? y? gè h?x? de shíji?n)

• Meaning: a poetic way of referring to a very short time span (how long it takes a person to inhale and exhale once)… usually about 1-3 seconds
  

All of this takes some time to describe, but actually happened in an Instant (?????????????????? zhè y?qiè shu?lái hu?nmàn, k? shíjìshàng quèshì shùnji?n f?sh?ng)

• Meaning: a cheeky comment by an author, usually made after writing a wordy action scene

Twice the Results for Half the Effort (???? shì bàn g?ng bèi)

• Meaning: the right approach saves effort and leads to better results

Half the Results for Twice the Effort (???? shì bèi g?ng bàn)

• Meaning: the wrong approach is wasteful and yields weaker results

Advance by Leaps and Bounds (???? t? f?i m?ng jìn)

• Meaning: to make remarkable progress; to improve very rapidly

I, your Father / Grandfather (?? l?ozi) (? yé)

• Meaning: pejorative slang – a form of address which asserts the speaker’s seniority/authority over the person being spoken to, with the intention of demeaning them

Courting Death (?? zh?os?)

• Meaning: said as a warning or insult to someone overstepping their bounds (“You’re courting death!”); said of someone taking serious risks with their life
  

Hover between Life and Death (???? s?qù huó lái)

• Meaning: to suffer terribly; to be within an inch of one’s life

To Die a Dog’s Death (????? b?ic?n dì s?qù)

• Meaning: to die miserably and dishonorably; to die in vain
• Note: “To Die a Dog’s Death” isn’t actually a Chinese idiom, but some translators choose to use it for any kind of phrase with a meaning of “to die miserably”.

Crushing Dry Weeds and Smashing Rotten Wood (???? cu? k? l? xi?)

• Meaning: something done very easily – illustrates the ease with which the strong dominate the weak

Chop Nails and Sever Iron (???? zh?n d?ng jié ti?)

• Meaning: resolute and decisive; to get straight to the point

If Gods block, kill the Gods; if Buddhas block, kill the Buddhas (????????? shén d?ng sh? shén, fó d?ng sh? fó)

• Meaning: overcome every obstacle

Red Dust / Mortal Dust (?? hóngchén) (???? w?imò fánchén)

• Meaning: worldy affairs; the world of mortals (Buddhist term emphasizing the transience and insignificance of this world)

Under Heaven / Beneath the Heavens (?? ti?nxià)

• Meaning: the world; the mortal world; in all the lands
• More information here.

Unrivaled under Heaven (???? wúdí ti?nxià)

• Meaning: #1 in the world; invincible; undefeated; a paragon

Heaven and Earth (?? ti?ndì) (?? qiánk?n)

• Meaning: the world; the universe; yin and yang; the sky and land; every manifestation of nature

As different as Heaven and Earth (???? pàn ruò yún ní)

• Meaning: a tremendous qualitative difference between two things

To not know the Immensity of Heaven and Earth (?????? bùzh? ti?n g?o dì hòu)

• Meaning: having an exaggerated opinion of one’s own abilities

There are Heavens beyond the Heavens (???? ti?n wài y?u ti?n)

There are People beyond People, and Heavens beyond the Heavens (????????? rén wài y?u rén, ti?n wài y?u ti?n)

• Meaning: there’s always someone better than you

Man proposes, Heaven disposes (?????? rén suàn bù rú ti?n suàn)

• Meaning: even the best-laid plans can go awry

Heaven’s Net is wide, and none can escape its mesh (???? ti?n w?ng hu? hu?)

• Meaning: criminals can’t evade justice forever; the way of Heaven is fair, and the guilty will not escape

Reaching Heaven in a single bound / Ascending to the Skies with a single leap (???? y? bù d?ng ti?n)

• Meaning: to attain instant success

To Rebuke Heaven and Earth (???? chìzhà f?ng yún)

• Meaning: to be extremely powerful; to shake the entire world
  

Overturning Heaven and Earth (???? xuán qián zhu?n k?n)

• Meaning: causing a radical change

Heaven and Earth turned upside down (???? f?n ti?n fù dì)

• Meaning: complete chaos/confusion

Coughing up Blood (?? ké xuè)

• Meaning: a sign of serious internal injuries or extreme emotional disturbance
  

Blood flowing in reverse (???? xuèmài dàoliú) (???? xuèyè nìzhu?n) (???? x?nxuè nìliú)

• Meaning: a serious internal injury (generally caused by a cultivation-related backlash or by great physical or mental trauma)

Injected with Chicken Blood (??? d? j? xuè)

• Meaning: to be very excited or energetic

Gnashing Teeth (???? y?o yá qiè ch?)

• Meaning: displaying extreme anger or frustration

To Suck in a Breath of Cold Air (?????? dào x? y?k?u liáng qì)

• Meaning: a reaction caused by shock or surprise

With a Flick of a Sleeve (???? dà xiù y? shu?i)

• Meaning: a flourish of a long sleeve; a gesture often done in a moment of passion or simply to add emphasis to a statement

The Seven Orifices / The Seven Apertures (?? q?k?ng) (?? q?qiào)

• Meaning: the seven apertures of the human head (= 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils, 1 mouth)

The Five Viscera and Six Bowels (???? w?zàng liùf?)

• Meaning: the internal organs of the human body
• Note: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine… Five Viscera = heart/liver/spleen/lungs/kidneys, Six Bowels = gall bladder/stomach/large intestine/small intestine/triple heater/bladder
  

The Seven Emotions and Six Desires (???? q?qíng liùyù)

• Meaning: all of the various emotions and desires which humans possess
• Note: According to Chinese philosophy… Seven Emotions = happiness/anger/sorrow/joy/love/hate/desire, Six Desires = the sensory pleasures associated with the eyes/nose/ears/tongue/body/mind

Vicissitudes (?? c?ngs?ng)

The Blue Sea turned into Mulberry Fields (???? c?ng h?i s?ng tián )

• Meaning: the transformations of the world; time brings great changes
• More information here. There was an interesting discussion about the origin and connection between ?? and ???? here.

Jade-like (?? yù b?n) (?? rú yù)

• Meaning: common descriptor for anything refined/elegant/beautiful; an unblemished, creamy white color (based on mutton-fat jade) when referring to skin/women

Clear as Ice and Clean as Jade (???? b?ng q?ng yù jié)

• Meaning: spotless; irreproachable; incorruptible

Limpid Autumn Water (?? qi?shu?)

• Meaning: traditional description of a girl’s beautiful eyes – likening them to clear pools of water

Phoenix Eyes (??? d?nfèng y?n)

• Meaning: considered striking/beautiful, eyes which look like this

Rare as Phoenix Feathers and Unicorn Horns (???? fèng máo lín ji?o)

• Meaning: extremely rare objects

The Rice is Cooked (???? m? y? chéng chu? ) (?????? sh?ngm? zuò chéngshú fàn)

• Meaning: what is done cannot be undone

As the Water recedes, the Rocks appear (???? shu? luò shí ch?)

• Meaning: the truth comes to light

Cleansing the Marrow and Replacing the Tendons (???? x? su? yì j?n)

• Meaning: to purify and strengthen the body

Shed one’s Mortal Body and Exchange one’s Bones (???? tu? t?i huàn g?)

• Meaning: to change completely; to be reborn; to become an Immortal

As Easy as Lifting a Hand (???? j?sh?u zh? láo)

As Easy as Turning over a Hand (???? yì rú f?nzh?ng)

• Meaning: something requiring minimal effort

Floating Clouds and Flowing Water (???? xíngyún liúshu?)

• Meaning: natural and unforced; skillful and beautiful movement

Experts as Common as the Clouds (???? g?osh?u rú yún)

• Meaning: very many experts (comparing them to the number of clouds in the sky)

Dispel the Clouds and See the Sun (???? b? yún jiàn rì)

• Meaning: returning to normality after a period of hardship; to restore justice

Produce Clouds with one turn of the Hand and Rain with another (???? f?n yún fù y?)

• Meaning: to possess great power or authority

Call the Wind and Summon the Rain (???? h? f?ng huàn y?)

• Meaning: to exercise magical powers; to exert authority
  

A Mountain of Blades and a Sea of Fire (???? d?o sh?n hu? h?i)

• Meaning: extreme danger

Move Mountains and Drain Seas (???? yí sh?n d?o h?i)

Topple Mountains and Overturn Seas (???? pái sh?n d?o h?i)

• Meaning: a great display of power

Overturning Rivers and Seas (???? f?n ji?ng d?o h?i)

• Meaning: overwhelming; earth-shattering; in a spectacular mess

Three Heads, Six Arms (???? s?n tóu liù bì)

• Meaning: to possess remarkable abilities or formidable power
• Note: This is a reference to the mythological Asura – powerful and warlike beings who are commonly depicted with Three Heads and Six Arms.
  

Throw Oneself into the Net (???? zì tóu luów?ng)

• Meaning: to willingly walk into a trap

To Bare Fangs and Brandish Claws (???? zh?ng yá w? zh?o)

• Meaning: to make threatening gestures

With Swords drawn and Bows bent (???? jiàn bá n? zh?ng)

• Meaning: a state of mutual hostility

Impervious to Blades and Spears (???? d?o qi?ng bù rù)

• Meaning: invulnerable; impervious to mortal weapons

A Kite with its String cut (???? duàn xiàn f?ngzh?ng)

• Meaning: something gone without recall, blown away uncontrollably

An Arrow at the end of its flight (???? qiáng n? zh? mò)

• Meaning: a spent/waning force; something which has very nearly exhausted its strength

Stake All on One Throw (???? g? zhù y? zhì)

• Meaning: to risk everything in a single venture

Pass like Thunder and Move like the Wind (???? léi lì f?ng xíng)

• Meaning: swift and decisive reaction

Thunder from a Clear Sky (???? qíngti?n p?lì)

• Meaning: something completely unexpected

Wind and Rain (?? f?ngy?)

• Meaning: poor weather; trials and hardships

Winds and Waves (???? dàf?ng dàlàng)

• Meaning: difficulties; tough experiences

Add Oil to the Fire (???? hu? shàng ji?yóu)

• Meaning: to aggravate a situation

Loot a Burning House (???? chèn hu? d?jié)

• Meaning: to profit from someone’s misfortune

To Fish in Troubled Waters (???? hún shu? m?yú)

• Meaning: to take advantage of a crisis

Reap without Sowing (???? bù láo ér huò)

• Meaning: to be rewarded without working for it

Throwing Stones down a Well (???? tóu j?ng xià shí)

• Meaning: beating someone when they’re down

A Frog in a Well (???? j?ngd? zh? w?)

View the Sky from the Bottom of a Well (???? zuò j?ng gu?n ti?n)

• Meaning: to be ignorant/narrow-minded; to have a myopic perspective

You Die, I Live (???? n? s? w? huó)

Cannot Live Under the Same Sky (???? bù gòng dài ti?n)

• Meaning: irreconcilable enmity

Fight Poison with Poison (???? y? dú g?ng dú)

• Meaning: to cure ills with poison; to meet aggression with aggression

Forget Favors and Violate Justice (???? wàng’?n fùyì)

• Meaning: to show ingratitude to a friend or benefactor

Treasuring a Jade Ring becomes a Crime (???? huái bì qí zuì)

• Meaning: having something precious invites disaster from the greed of others

If one often walks by the Riverside, one’s Shoes will eventually get wet (?????, ????? cháng zài hébi?n z?u, n? y?u bù sh? xié)

• Meaning: living dangerously or associating with the wrong people will eventually lead to consequences

The Mantis stalks the Cicada, unaware of the Oriole behind (????????? tángláng b? chán, huángquè zài hòu)

• Meaning: to pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger 

When the Sandpiper and the Clam fight each other, it’s the Fisherman who benefits (????????? yù bàng xi?ngzh?ng, yúw?ng dé lì)

• Meaning: said when a third party profits from the struggle of others; neighbors who fight each other will lose out to a mutual enemy

A Fire at the City Gates is also a Disaster to the Fish in the Pond (????????? chéngmén sh?hu? y?ngjí chí yú)

• Meaning: a drastic action may unintentionally affect other people and harm innocent bystanders
• Note: The idea is that while the fish might appear to be safe from the fire outside… if the firefighters drain the pond-water to help put out the fire, then even the fish will suffer.

A Carp leaping through the Dragon Gate (????? l?yú tiào lóngmén)

• Meaning: to make a significant advancement after much effort; to undergo a great transformation (like a carp becoming a dragon – see here)

Where Fish swim with Dragons (???? yú lóng hùnzá)

Where Dragons and Snakes intermingle (???? lóng shé hùnzá)

• Meaning: a place with a mixture of both strong and weak (or good and bad) people

Even a Powerful Dragon cannot repress a Local Snake (??????? qiáng lóng bù y? dìtóushé )

• Meaning: an outsider with great power/influence may not be a match for a gangster on his home turf

Paint a Dragon and Dot the Eyes (???? huà lóng di?n j?ng)

• Meaning: to add the vital finishing touch; the crucial point that brings the subject to life

Dragon returning to the Sea (???? lóng gu? dàh?i) (???? lóng gu? c?ngh?i)

• Meaning: in one’s element; “like a fish back in water”

A Dragon among Men (???? rén zh?ng zh? lóng)

• Meaning: an exceptional and talented person who stands out among others

Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragons (???? wòh? cáng lóng)

• Meaning: talented individuals in hiding; concealed talent

A Fight between a Dragon and a Tiger (???? lóng zh?ng h? dòu)

• Meaning: a fierce battle between two powerful opponents

Dragon’s Pool and Tiger’s Den (???? lóngtán h?xué)

• Meaning: a very dangerous location

Paper Tiger (??? zh? l?oh?)

• Meaning: something that seems fierce/threatening but is actually much weaker than it looks

Like a Tiger that has grown Wings / Like a Tiger that has been given Wings (???? rú h? ti?n yì)

• Meaning: with redoubled power (a tiger is already fierce… what if it could also fly?)

Lure the Tiger away from the Mountain (???? diào h? lí sh?n)

• Meaning: to lure an enemy out of his territory

If you ride a Tiger, it’s hard to get off (???? qí h? nán xià)

• Meaning: something difficult to stop halfway

A Tiger Father will not beget a Dog Son (????? h?fù wú qu?nz?)

• Meaning: a great/powerful father will not raise a worthless son (typically said as a compliment)

A Lion uses its full strength even when hunting a Rabbit (????, ???? sh?zi b? tù, yì yòng quánlì)

• Meaning: you can’t relax even against a weak challenge

A Toad lusting after a Swan’s Flesh (???????? làiháma xi?ng ch? ti?n’é ròu)

• Meaning: aspiring after something one is not worthy of

Play the Lute for a Cow (???? duì niú tánqín)

• Meaning: to do something for the wrong audience; “discussing philosophy with a fool”

Chef Ding carving the Ox (???? páo d?ng ji? niú)

• Meaning: performing a task effortlessly and with great skill
• Note: This idiom comes from a story about the Daoist concept of Ziran.

A Single Hair from Nine Oxen (???? ji? niú yì máo)

• Meaning: an insignificant amount; “a drop in the bucket”

A Clay Ox entering the Sea (???? ní niú rù h?i)

• Meaning: to disappear with no hope of returning (like a clay figurine dissolving in water)

Beat the Grass and Scare the Snake (???? d? c?o j?ng shé )

• Meaning: to inadvertently alert an enemy; (less commonly) to punish someone as a warning to others

Drawing Legs on a Snake (???? huà shé ti?n zú)

• Meaning: wasted effort; to ruin something by adding unnecessary details

The Dog acts fierce when his Master is present (???? g?u zhàng rén shì)

• Meaning: to use one’s position to bully others

A starved Camel is still bigger than a Horse (???????? shòu s? de luòtuo b? m? dà)

• Meaning: even weakened, someone strong is still strong

A Crane in a Flock of Chickens (???? hè lì j? qún)

• Meaning: someone exceptional who stands out among a crowd of lesser people

Wanting to steal a Chicken, but instead losing the Bait (??????? t?u j? bù chéng shí b? m?)

• Meaning: trying to gain an advantage only to end up worse off

Killing the Chicken to warn the Monkey (???? sh? j? j?ng hóu) (???? sh? j? xià hóu)

• Meaning: to punish an individual as an example to others

When the Tree falls, the Monkeys scatter (????? shù d?o hús?n sàn)

• Meaning: opportunists will quickly abandon an unfavorable cause

Tall Trees attract the Wind (???? shù dà zh?o f?ng)

• Meaning: being outstanding brings adversity in itself

Side Dish (? cài) (???? xi?ocài y? dié)

• Meaning: (slang) Noob; a small appetizer… in other words, “a piece of cake”

Black Belly (?? fùh?i)

• Meaning: (slang) two-faced; outwardly kind but inwardly evil or manipulative

Fart / Farting (?? fàngpì)

• Meaning: (slang) to talk nonsense; “Bullshit!”

Wear a Green Hat (???? dài l? mào zi)

• Meaning: a cuckold; to be cuckolded by one’s wife 
• More information here.

Intestines turning Green from Regret (?????? chángzi d?u hu? q?ng le)

• Meaning: to be completely consumed with regret
• Note: The idea is that intestines supposedly turn green in a decomposing body, so this idiom is about figuratively “dying from regret”.

Shrimp Soldiers and Crab Generals (???? xi? b?ng xiè jiàng)

• Meaning: useless troops

The Thirty-Six Stratagems (???? s?nshíliù jì)

• Meaning: a classic list of Chinese stratagems (plans/schemes) to be used in war
• A particularly famous idiom says “Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is best” (????????? s?nshíliùjì, z?u wéi shàng cè). In other words: “If all else fails, retreat”.

Wash one’s Hands in a Golden Basin (???? j?npén x?sh?u)

• Meaning: to retire from or leave the Jianghu (martial world)

When in the Jianghu, one cannot move freely (????????? rén zài ji?nghú, sh?n bù yóu j?)

• Meaning: you can’t always do as you like; one has to compromise in this world

Fly across the Rooftops (???? cu?n fáng yuè j?)

• Meaning: lit. “to leap the house and cross the roofridge”; often used to describe the superb movement skills of martial artists in Wuxia novels

A Teacher for a Day, a Father for Life (????????? y?rì wéi sh?, zh?ngsh?n wéi fù)

• Meaning: a student should revere and respect someone who was willing to mentor them, even if they could only teach for a short period of time… similarly, a teacher should nurture and cherish their students as they would their own children

A Thousand-mile Journey begins with the First Step (???????? qi?n l? zh? xíng?sh? yú zú xià)

• Meaning: great accomplishments come from an accumulation of small achievements made one by one