| 怪不得 | [guài bu de, ㄍㄨㄞˋ ㄅㄨ˙ ㄉㄜ˙, 怪 不 得] lit. you can't blame it!; no wonder!; so that's why! #9,199 [Add to Longdo] | | 今非昔比 | [jīn fēi xī bǐ, ㄐㄧㄣ ㄈㄟ ㄒㄧ ㄅㄧˇ, 今 非 昔 比] You can't compare the present with the past.; Nothing is as good as in former times.; Things ain't what they used to be. #39,735 [Add to Longdo] | | 鱼与熊掌 | [yú yǔ xióng zhǎng, ㄩˊ ㄩˇ ㄒㄩㄥˊ ㄓㄤˇ, 鱼 与 熊 掌 / 魚 與 熊 掌] lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (成语 saw, from Mencius); fig. you must choose one or the other; you can't always get everything you want; you can't have your cake and eat it #60,442 [Add to Longdo] | | 饥不择食 | [jī bù zé shí, ㄐㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄜˊ ㄕˊ, 饥 不 择 食 / 飢 不 擇 食] when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (成语 saw); beggars can't be choosers; When matters are urgent, don't spend time choosing alternatives. #63,343 [Add to Longdo] | | 饥不择食 | [jī bù zé shí, ㄐㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄜˊ ㄕˊ, 饥 不 择 食 / 饑 不 擇 食] when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (成语 saw); beggars can't be choosers; When matters are urgent, don't spend time choosing alternatives. #63,343 [Add to Longdo] | | 同日而语 | [tóng rì ér yǔ, ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄖˋ ㄦˊ ㄩˇ, 同 日 而 语 / 同 日 而 語] lit. to speak of two things on the same day (成语 saw); to mention things on equal terms (often with negatives: you can't mention X at the same time as Y) #64,045 [Add to Longdo] | | 人不可貌相 | [rén bù kě mào xiàng, ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄇㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄤˋ, 人 不 可 貌 相] (proverb) You can't judge a man by his looks. #65,986 [Add to Longdo] | | 不经一事不长一智 | [bù jīng yī shì bù zhǎng yī zhì, ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄧ ㄕˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄤˇ ㄧ ㄓˋ, 不 经 一 事 不 长 一 智 / 不 經 一 事 不 長 一 智] you can't gain knowledge without practice; wisdom comes from experience [Add to Longdo] | | 咬人狗儿不露齿 | [yǎo rén gǒu r bù lù chǐ, ㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄍㄡˇ ㄦ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄨˋ ㄔˇ, 咬 人 狗 儿 不 露 齿 / 咬 人 狗 兒 不 露 齒] the dog that bites does not show its fangs (俗语 saying); fig. You can't tell the really dangerous enemy from his external appearance. [Add to Longdo] | | 吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸 | [chī bù dào pú tao shuō pú tao suān, ㄔ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄆㄨˊ ㄊㄠ˙ ㄕㄨㄛ ㄆㄨˊ ㄊㄠ˙ ㄙㄨㄢ, 吃 不 到 葡 萄 说 葡 萄 酸 / 喫 不 到 葡 萄 說 葡 萄 酸] sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop); lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them [Add to Longdo] | | 既来之，则安之 | [jì lái zhī, zé ān zhī, ㄐㄧˋ ㄌㄞˊ ㄓ, ㄗㄜˊ ㄢ ㄓ, 既 来 之 ， 则 安 之 / 既 來 之 ， 則 安 之] Since they have come, we should make them comfortable (成语 saw). Since we're here, take it easy.; Since this is so, we should accept it.; Now we have come, let's stay and take the rough with the smooth.; If you can't do anything to prevent it, you might as [Add to Longdo] | | 牵马到河易，强马饮水难 | [qiān mǎ dào hé yì, qiáng mǎ yǐn shuǐ nán, ㄑㄧㄢ ㄇㄚˇ ㄉㄠˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄧˋ, ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄇㄚˇ ㄧㄣˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄋㄢˊ, 牵 马 到 河 易 ， 强 马 饮 水 难 / 牽 馬 到 河 易 ， 強 馬 飲 水 難] you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink (谚语 proverb) [Add to Longdo] | | 旧的不去，新的不来 | [jiù de bù qù, xīn de bù lái, ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄩˋ, ㄒㄧㄣ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄞˊ, 旧 的 不 去 ， 新 的 不 来 / 舊 的 不 去 ， 新 的 不 來] lit. If the old doesn't go, the new will not come.; By clinging to old notions you can't move forwards. [Add to Longdo] | | 说葡萄酸 | [shuō pú tao suān, ㄕㄨㄛ ㄆㄨˊ ㄊㄠ˙ ㄙㄨㄢ, 说 葡 萄 酸 / 說 葡 萄 酸] sour grapes (set expr. based on Aesop); lit. to say grapes are sour when you can't eat them [Add to Longdo] | | 鱼与熊掌不可兼得 | [yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé, ㄩˊ ㄩˇ ㄒㄩㄥˊ ㄓㄤˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄧㄢ ㄉㄜˊ, 鱼 与 熊 掌 不 可 兼 得 / 魚 與 熊 掌 不 可 兼 得] lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (成语 saw, from Mencius); fig. you must choose one or the other; you can't always get everything you want; you can't have your cake and eat it [Add to Longdo] |
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| お世辞にもうまいとは言えない;お世辞にもうまいとはいえない | [おせじにもうまいとはいえない, osejinimoumaitohaienai] (exp, adj-i) With the best will in the world, you can't say that it's good [Add to Longdo] | | と言ってしまえばそれまで | [といってしまえばそれまで, toitteshimaebasoremade] (exp) it is certain true that ... (but); you can't argue that it's not ... (but) [Add to Longdo] | | 我が身をつねって人の痛さを知れ;我が身を抓って人の痛さを知れ | [わがみをつねってひとのいたさをしれ, wagamiwotsunettehitonoitasawoshire] (exp) (id) you can't appreciate others' suffering until you've gone through it yourself; pinch oneself and know others' pain [Add to Longdo] | | 泣く子と地頭には勝てぬ | [なくことじとうにはかてぬ, nakukotojitounihakatenu] (exp) (id) you cannot win against someone who doesn't listen to reason (e.g. a crying child or a violent lord); you can't fight City Hall [Add to Longdo] | | 人には添うて見よ馬には乗って見よ | [ひとにはそうてみようまにはのってみよ, hitonihasoutemiyoumanihanottemiyo] (exp) (obsc) you can't judge someone until you've spent time with them, just like you can't judge a horse until you've ridden it [Add to Longdo] | | 人の口には戸が立てられない | [ひとのくちにはとがたてられない, hitonokuchinihatogataterarenai] (exp) (See 人の口) you can't control what people say; you can't stop rumours (rumors) [Add to Longdo] | | 提灯に釣り鐘 | [ちょうちんにつりがね, chouchinnitsurigane] (exp) (obsc) paper lanterns and temple bells (esp. as an example of two things looking similar on the outside, but of a completely different nature); you can't judge a book by its cover [Add to Longdo] | | 腹が減っては戦は出来ぬ;腹が減っては軍は出来ぬ | [はらがへってはいくさはできぬ, haragahettehaikusahadekinu] (exp) (id) an army marches on its stomach; you can't fight on an empty stomach [Add to Longdo] | | 無い袖は振れぬ | [ないそではふれぬ, naisodehafurenu] (exp) you can't give (use) what you don't have; nothing comes from nothing; lit [Add to Longdo] |
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