Two-part allegorical saying (of which the first part, always stated, is descriptive, while the second part, often unstated, carries the message)
yă ba chī jiăo zi – xīn lĭ yŏu shù
哑巴吃饺子 – 心里有数
A dumb person eats dumplings. – (literally) He knows the number in his mind, although he cannot say it. Figuratively, it means somebody has a clear idea of the situation.
máng rén qí xiā mă – luàn chuăng luàn pèng
盲人骑瞎马 – 乱闯乱碰
A blind man on a blind horse – rushing headlong into disaster
tiào dào huáng hé xĭ bu qīng – yuān wang
跳到黄河洗不清 – 冤枉
Even if one jumped into the Yellow River, one could not wash oneself clean. – One is unjustly or unfairly treated.
guān gōng miàn qián shuă dà dāo – zì bù liàng lì
关公面前耍大刀 – 自不量力
To perform swordplay before an expert like Guan Yu, a general in the period of the Three Kingdoms – overestimate one's abilities; overestimate oneself
zhĭ lăo hǔ – wài qiáng zhōng gān
纸老虎 – 外强中干
Paper tiger – something or someone is outwardly strong but inwardly weak.
hǔ tóu shé wĕi – yŏu shĭ wú zhōng
虎头蛇尾 – 有始无终
With a tiger's head but a snake's tail – fine start and poor finish; to start something but fail to carry it through to the end.
qí lǘ zhăo lǘ – hūn tóu hūn năo
骑驴找驴 – 昏头昏脑
To look for the donkey while riding it – be muddle-headed
shēng mĭ zhǔ chéng shú fàn – găi bù guò lái le
生米煮成熟饭 – 改不过来了
The rice is cooked. – What is done cannot be undone; it can't be helped.
dà hăi lāo zhēn – wú chù xún
大海捞针 – 无处寻
Fish for a needle in the ocean – one can find it nowhere; be next to impossible
shā jī yòng niú dāo – xiăo tí dà zuò
杀鸡用牛刀 – 小题大做
Use a butcher's knife or cleaver to kill a chicken – break a butterfly on the wheel; use a hammer to swat a fly
căo chuán jiè jiàn – măn zài ér guī
草船借箭 – 满载而归
To borrow arrows with thatched boats (It refers to an interesting story back to the Three Kingdoms period in ancient China.) – come back with fruitful results; have a rewarding experience
mén fèng lĭ kàn rén – bă rén kàn biăn le
门缝里看人 – 把人看扁了
Look at somebody through a door crack – belittle somebody
wèng zhōng zhuō biē – shŏu dào ná lái
瓮中捉鳖 – 手到拿来
Catch a turtle in a jar – go after an easy prey; be sure of success; be a walkover
dōng guō xiān sheng jiù láng – hăo xīn bù dé hăo bào
东郭先生救狼 – 好心不得好报
Master Dongguo, the foolish, soft-hearted scholar, had helped to hide a wolf from a hunter, but then narrowly escaped being eaten by it. – One gets no thanks for his/her good intentions; kind-heartedness may not be met with good recompense.
lăo tài tai de guŏ jiăo bù – yòu chòu yòu cháng
老太太的裹脚布 – 又臭又长
An old lady's foot-bindings are long as well as smelly. (Foot binding was a custom practiced on young girls and women in feudal China.) – Something, written or said, is long-winded.
xiā māo pèng shàng sĭ hào zi – (pèng) qiăo le
瞎猫碰上死耗子 – （碰）巧了.[www.youngerchinese.com]
A blind cat stumbled on a dead rat. – by sheer luck
jĭng dĭ de há ma – jiàn shi shăo
井底的蛤蟆 – 见识少
Frog in a well – A person with a very limited outlook
kŏng fū zĭ de kŏu dài – shū dāi (dài) zi
孔夫子的口袋 – 书呆（袋）子
Confucius’ bag is full of books (Confucius is the Chinese philosopher, educator and founder of Confucianism in late Spring and Autumn Period.). – Somebody is a pedant or bookworm.
tū zi dāng hé shang – jiāng jiu cái liào
秃子当和尚 – 将就材料
Let a baldhead serve as a monk. – Make do with what is available.
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