Chinese Idioms by Mood, Situation, and Style
Chinese idioms are compact phrases that carry a story, image, or social meaning in just a few Hanzi. Some are classical chengyu used in writing and speeches, while others are everyday sayings, blessing phrases, Hong Kong Cantonese expressions, or modern Mandarin internet slang.
This idioms list is organized by how learners actually look for phrases: funny visual idioms, business strategy idioms, startup and ambition phrases, money and luck sayings, wisdom idioms, poetic nature expressions, love and friendship phrases, study idioms, resilience sayings, sarcastic expressions, Cantonese slang, and short aesthetic Hanzi for design or tattoo research.
Each card shows the traditional and simplified forms when both are useful, a literal translation, and a practical English meaning. Click any Hanzi form to open it in Hanzi Guide and practice the characters stroke by stroke.