中国语言博大精深。相较于某些英语的冗长，中文常常是精辟独到之余夹带着浓浓的幽默感，国人每每听之都会心一笑，但对于初来中国的“foreigner”就不亚于一部语言中的“无字天书”。能说一口地道的美国或英国俚语是很多中国的英语学习者的期盼，但是你有没有想过若你能将中国的俚语，通过英文说给外国人听，让他们了解到中国的市井地道，其实也是一件十分愉快的事情呢?说不定，由于你的“博学”，让你成为朋友圈中的瞩目之处呢。本专辑通过26个字母的排列方式来安排俚语开头文字的拼音，既方便又实用。例如：当你要查找“八九不离十”这个俚语的英语表达方式时，你可以先查“b”母的位置，然后在查到“ba”这个拼音的所在，这样就可以查找到了。
A
挨不上 have no relations; be irrelevant; be extraneous
挨剋 get a talking-to; told off; get a dressing-down
矮半截 be inferior to other; be worse than others
案子 case; law case
B
八九不离十 mostly correct; pretty close; eighty percent or more right
巴不得 earnestly wish; itching to do sth.
吧女 bar girl
吧台 bar counter
扒带子 to make illegal copies of legally published cassettes or videotapes
扒分 work in spare time for money
把 time; rounds
把势 1. martial art
2. person skilled in martial art or trade
3. skill; technique
掰 break up; break off a friendship
白搭 have no use; futile; spend effort in vain
白骨精 Abbreviation for white collar, cadre, and elite.
白话 make empty talk; talk big; talk nonsense; be blah-blah
白生生 (of women’s skin) pure white and delicate; as white as snow
白玩儿 easy to do; not difficult; not hard
白眼儿狼 ingrate; treacherous and ruthless person
白相 1. go on an outing
2. make a fool of sb.; make fun of sb.
拜拜 bye-bye( transliteration of English phrase)
摆龙门阵 chat; engage in chitchat; tell a story
摆谱 keep up appearance; go in for extravagance; show off one’s wealth
摆摊儿 set up a stall along the street or in a market
板儿爷 pedicab man/ A term refers to one who makes a living driving a pedicab.
办 punish; penalize
半吊子 A term refers to one who does things unreliably
半残废 half-crippled/ A metaphor for a man of 170cm or below in height who is not tall enough
for the woman he’s romantically interested in and therefore jokingly called
“ half-crip-pled”.
半拉 half
半晌 half a day/ A metaphor for quite a long time.
半仙 a minor sorcerer/ sorceress, used to refer to one who knows a little about fortune
telling or astrology
扮靓 dress in the best and the most fashionable way to catch people’s attention
棒 strong; excellent; great
棒槌 wooden club ( used to beat clothes when washing them in the old days ) /A metaphor for
a layman or an amateur
傍 1. rely on or accompany ( a rich person )
2. love; have an intimate relationship with sb.
傍大款 ( for a woman ) to accompany a rich man; have an intimate relationship with a rich man
包圆儿 1. buy the whole lot or the remainder
2. take on the whole thing; finish off
煲电话粥 boil ( cook ) porridge of telephone/A metaphor for talking on the phone for along time
报冷门 1. produce unexpected results
2. choose a profession, trade or branch of learning which receives little attention
报料 to provide news clues or information to journalists
暴打 beat sb. severely; give a good thrashing.
暴侃 talk big; boast; shoot the bull
暴笑 originally meaning “shot to death” in the computer game counter strike, it now means to “suffer a
sudden attack or unexpected blow”
曝光 make public; expose; make known to the public
爆炒 quick-fry/A metaphor for launching a whirlwind mass media advertising campaign for quick optimum
commercial impact in a short period.
爆料 rarely known information which is exposed through the media
爆棚 Literally it means a tent is too crowded with people and may explode. A metaphor for something that is
very popular and loved by people so that too many wish to join it , participate or go for it.
北漂 1. come to Beijing and lead a wandering life there
2. artists, actors and artisans who come to cites in northern China, particularly Beijing, to development
their careers
背 be unlucky; have bad luck
背过气 stop breathing; be out of breath; gasp for breath
备份 copy
倍儿棒 awfully good; great
本子 driver’s license
崩 shoot to death; execute by shooting
绷 hold back; deliberately withhold information
蹦迪 disco dance
蹦极 bungee
鼻子不是鼻子，脸不是脸 angry looks; unpleasant look
飙车 drive violently ( madly )
表叔 uncle/An impolite term used by people in Hong Kong to refer to government official from the
mainland of China to work in Hong Kong.
蹩脚 1. inferior; poor; unskilled
2. be uncomfortable; stinko
病秧子 sick vine; person in poor health; someone to illness
波霸 woman with big breasts
泊车 parking
不搭脉 two things entirely different, like chalk and cheese
不赖 not bad; good
不要脸 1. disgusting; shameless; A colloquial expression often used by woman to express their disgust or
hated for someone. Sometimes, “chou( stinking)” is added in front of the phrase to increase the
degree of disgust and hatred.
2. shameless
不搭界 (a common expression in Shanghai dialect) have no relation; have nothing to do with
不起眼儿 not eye-catching; trivial; unremarkable
C
擦屁股 clean up the dirt/ A metaphor for one who cleans up a messy situation or finishes
work others leave behind
彩儿 interest; delight; lively atmosphere
踩点儿 step on the spot; make a thorough and careful investigation of a place a person intends
to go to
菜 1. sb. or sth. that is good for nothing; hopelessly stupid; humiliating; rustic;
countrified; ignorant
2. lose; be beaten
菜鸟 fool; blockhead; simpleton, also refers to new hand; greenhorn; rookie
菜色 dark green or sallow yellow/ A term to indicate someone who has a colorless complexion
or looks famished.
糙 1. rude; rough; boorish; uncouth; impolite
2. crudely made; of poor work manship;
3. unskilled
蹭 get sth. free from association with sb. or sth.; benefit from association with sb. or
sth.
插一杠子 interfere; interrupt
缠 deal with; cope with; handle
长假 a long holiday, mainly referring to the three seven-day holidays of Spring Festival,
May 1st International Labor Day, and October 1st National Day
长舌妇 gossip monger; garrulous woman
吵吵 twitter; talk rapidly at the same time; make a noise
潮 1.fashion; fashionable;
2. interior; low grade; poor; bad;
3. unskillful; incompetent; awkward
炒 1. buy and resell at a profit;
2. to select;
3. dismiss; fire; sack
炒更 moonlighter; a spare-time job for extra money/ A term that mainly refers to people, mainly actors or actresses, who have anther job besides their formal one.
炒股 engage in speculation in stocks; buy and resell stocks at a profit
炒汇 arbitrage; buy and resell foreign currency at a profit
炒冷饭 do sth. again and again; repeat doing the same things
炒明星 to make a person famous; to create a star through publicity
炒鱿鱼 sack; dismiss; fire
车本 driver’s license
车匪路霸 highwaymen or road bandits who rob bus or train passengers or block the road and demand road
fare
扯谈 (swearword) talk nonsense; bullshit
扯平 be (get) even with sb.; make even
撑 1. prop up; maintain; hold out; support;
2. eat too much; fill up; make a pig of oneself
3. look for trouble; ask for it
撑死了 1.at the utmost; to the end; finally;
2. too full; stuffed to the gills
吃不了兜着走 1. get more than one bargained for: land oneself in serious trouble;
2. ask for a doggy bag; take one’s leftovers back home
吃错药了 take the wrong medicine/ A term that infers a person’s behavior is a bit strange or rude and
impolite
吃豆腐 1. (lit.) eating beancurd; (men) take advantage of women; find sexual satisfaction in touching women
apart from one’s wife
2. take advantage of/ A term used between male friends to make fun of each other
吃价 to be very popular; to be well-liked
吃软饭 (of men) live off women rather than working for a living; (of men) be supported by women
吃素的 (of a person or sth.) easy; easy going; easy to deal with
吃相 table manner, generally only referring to eating
吃小灶 have a special meal for sb. or receive (give sb.) a special treatment or service/ Often it refers to
giving someone individual tuition or training
丑八怪 very ugly person; very bad-looking person
臭 1. stupid; bad; disappointing; inferior;
2. ruin one’s reputation; discredit; defame
臭美 1. make up; dress up; beautify;
2. give oneself airs; be stuck on oneself; be swell-headed
臭棋篓子 a scornful term for a bad chess player; an unskillful chess player
出彩儿 make a good show; put on a good play; do brilliant things; brilliant; exciting; splendid
出菜 produce a product; make sth.; achieve sth.
出道 to begin a career(usually in show business)
出格 (speech and action) be out of the ordinary; differ from others
出更 (policeman) go on a tour of inspection; patrol; make one’s rounds
出镜 come (appear) on the camera; play a role(in a film)
出局 be knocked out or eliminated in a competition
出摊儿 (of vendors) do business; open for business
触电 to have one’s first experience on TV or in a movie; to play a role in a TV drama or a film, or to be a
host/hostess on TV
川妹子 a Sichuan girl
穿帮 to let the cat out of the bag; to give oneself away; to let the whole world know
窗户纸 thin paper used on windows/ A metaphor for screen, cover-up or camouflage
戳 1. erect; stand sth. on end;
2. back up; support;
3. stand
凑份子 1. club together (present a gift to sb. or do sth.); get together;
2. to bother sb.
醋坛子 vinegar jar/ A metaphor for a jealous person
蹿 (of price) rise quickly; hike up; go up suddenly
搓麻 play mahjong
D
搭错线 have one’s wires crossed; make a mistake; misunderstand
搭挡 1. cooperate; collaborate;
2. partner; collaborator
打车 hail cab; take a taxi; by taxi
打的 take a taxi; travel by taxi
打工仔 male employee; male worker
打工妹 female employee; female worker
打哈哈 poke fun at; joke about
打喷嚏 response; answer
打小报告 write small reports/ Refers to those who blow the whistle on or slander sb. to a leader
打一枪换一个地方 go job-hopping; move regularly(from one place to anther); change frequently(job, things)
打游击 work(live, etc.) at no fixed place
打住 stop; hold on; bring to a halt
大放送 a long running TV drama series or a lengthy drama
大巴 large bus; coach
大比拼 dual meet; a meeting between two competing teams or two competitors
大兵 G.I. (impolite term); soldier
大出血 sell goods at a very low price; have a grand sale
大喘气 take a deep breath before finishing a sentence or phrase(on purpose):make fun of or tease
大大咧咧 careless; casual
大跌眼镜 very surprising, unexpected
大哥大 1. cellular phone;
2. older brother/ Refer to the head of a gang or a person with the highest prestige in a group
大红大紫 (of a person) very famous; well-known; celebrated
大伙儿 everybody; you all; we all
大件 expensive consumer goods(television, refrigerator, washing machine, tape recorder) in the 80s of the
20th century
大姐大 older sister/Refers to the head of a gang or a woman who has the highest prestige in a group
大款 1. rich person; big wheel;
2. parvenu; nouveau riche;
3. big sum of money
大佬 1. eldest brother;
2. gang leader
大礼拜 “big weekend”(Saturday and Sunday) In1994, the Chinese government passed the official 44-hour
work week. This means that Chinese who work in companies that follow this guideline have
alternating weekend-“big” and “small” weekends. “Big weekend” means they must work
on Saturday( a full day)
大路菜 common vegetables
大路货 1. goods at ordinary or low price; cheap goods;
2. popular goods of fine quality
大排档 stalls selling food normally in the street but can also indoors, normally very cheap
大头朝下 1. head over heels; upside down
2. handstand
大腕儿 famous person; big shot; expert; celebrity
大仙 a professional fortune teller, or sorcerer/ sorceress
大修 (lit.) overhaul/ A metaphor for having an operation or a surgery
大战 1. fierce competition;
2. a large-scale fight; big clash
DIY do it yourself
单车 bicycle; bike
单飞 1. solo flight/ A married person who goes to work or study abroad alone without his or her spouse;
2. a traveling on his or her own; to travel around and do business by oneself
单练 1. fight one to one; have a contest;
2. do sth. alone; do sth. by oneself or single-handed
单挑 do sth. by oneself; work on one’s own
蛋白质 a fool, idiot or neurotic/ a derogatory term which mostly refers to people
淡出 leave( a career) without notice; gradually disappear
挡镜头 1. to be in view of the camera;
2. be in the limelight; show off
档次 level; standard
倒腾 1. turn sth. over and over; remove; move from here to there;
2. engage in buying and selling( goods or foreign currency) for profit
倒胃口 1. ruin one’s appetite; feel sick; feel like vomiting; make one nauseous;
2. have no interest in sb. or sth.; get tired of sb. or sth.
捣浆糊 act restlessly or recklessly; run wild
倒插门 bolt the door in a back to front way/ A metaphor for a man who goes to live in his wife’s parents’
home after marriage.
德行 ( a curse of anger) disgusting; shameful; damn
低能儿 1. retarded child/ A term often used to indicate someone who is unclever and incapable or even
idiotic.
2. incapable people/ A term often used to describe someone who gets high marks in school, but is
incapable in life.
的哥 taxi driver; cabman/ An affectionate form of address to taxi driver.
的姐 female taxi driver
掂量 1. weigh by hand
2. think over; consider
点卯 roll call in the morning( in yamen originally); check in; make an appearance; show one’s face
点子 squealer/ A term refers to one who is a criminal himself, but has responsibilities to supply information
for the public security organs.
点儿背 bad luck-The word “dian ”refers to the dots on dice. Good luck and bad luck are represented by
different numbers of dots
垫背的 scapegoat; fall guy
垫底儿 1. be the poorest( lowest; bottom-most); be the worst one
2. base; take responsibility; support
电灯泡 electric bulb/ a vivid expression for someone who accompanies anther to see his or her beloved, or
who serves as a pretext or foil for a courting pair; a third wheel
掉价 lower oneself( socially)
掉链子 break down; have problem; go wrong; make mistakes
掉钱眼儿里 fall into the hole of a coin/ A metaphor for someone who is very good with money.
调胃口 whet one’s appetite
跌份 embarrass yourself; cause yourself embarrassment
钉子户 a “nailed down” household/ A metaphor for those who refuse to move when their house is about to
be torn down by the government for a new construction project.
丢份 lose face; embarrass oneself; disgraceful
东东 thing
兜圈子 beat about the bush
斗富 show off one’s wealth by trying to spend more money than someone else/ A term usually used to
describe the competition between businessmen, nouveau riche, etc, in trying to spend more at
restaurants, karaoke bars, etc.
豆腐块 beancurd cube/ a tiny article published in a periodical or newspaper
独食 selfish; domineering/A term used to describe someone who gets something and does not share it with
others
断档 (of people )break off in the middle; miss a link
断码 no all sizes of goods are available; a shortage of some sizes
断尾 tail end; end up with the last person who stands at the tail of a scheduled queue
对路子 be in line with; be correct
蹲点 1. defecate; have a bowel movement; shit;
2. at a selected waiting spot catching criminals
E
恶心 put someone in an awkward situation; make sb. embarrassed; make someone uncomfortable
耳朵根子软 soft ear/ A person who is easily swayed by other’s words
二百五 1. idiot; rash person;
2. smatterer
二等公民 second-class citizen/ A term that refers to migrants or citizens not born in the
country
二婚 remarriage
二进宫 take into custody for the second time; put in prison for the second time
二奶 mistress; illegal spouse
二手货 1. second-hand; used; worn;
2. girl who has lost her virginity; divorced woman; defiled woman; sullied
woman( derogatory)
F
发福 put on weight; get fat; plump( a euphemism)
发毛 1. be afraid of; be terrified; be scared;
2. lose one’s temper
发蒙 be confused; be at a loss; get into a muddle
发难 attack (in speech or writing); assail(with words); lash out at sb.
发烧友 1. video fever/ Someone who is crazy about stereo equipment and music, particularly
those intent on buying the latest hi-tech equipment.
2. fanatic
翻白眼 1. show the whites of one’s eyes/ Refers to one’s dissatisfaction, hatred or
helplessness.
2. show the whites of one’s eyes/Refers to one who is dying or is at a very dangerous
situation
犯不着 unnecessary; not worthwhile
犯傻 1. be foolish; do an unclever or unwise thing;
2. stare blankly; be in a daze; be in a trance
饭局 dinner party; fete
放电 (electric) discharge/ A metaphor for expressing passion between the sexes.
放鸽子 to break an appointment; to stand someone up
放话 spread news or rumors; create public opinion
放空 1. an automobile with no passengers in it, usually it refers to a taxi;
2. fly a kite;
3. leave unused; lie idle; set aside
放血 stab someone with a knife; make someone bleed
粉丝 fans( of movie, pop music, ball games, etc.)
风光 have fame; have status; enjoy a luxury life
封杀 1. prohibit sb. from doing sth. or provide sb. no chance as a punishment;
2. ban; stop sth. from
佛爷 pilferer; thief
福分 good fortune; happy lot
服软 admit defeat; ask pardon; knuckle under; compromise
富姐 a rich woman
富婆 rich or wealthy married woman
富态 plump; stout; fat/ A polite way to address someone who is overweight
G
嘎嘣脆 crisp and neat; clear-cut; prompt; to act or speak nattily and promptly
丐帮 group of beggars/ A term that refers to a group of people who live off begging
干货 dried food/ A metaphor for high value or expensive things
赶趟儿 have time for; be in time for
感冒 be interested in; have interest in
港姐 female( movie or pop) star from Hong Kong/ An affectionate term of address for famous
Hong Kong actresses.
港客 compatriots in Hong Kong and Macao who come to the mainland
港星 Hong Kong movie or pop star
港仔 Hong Kong lad
港纸 Hong Kong currency; Hong Kong dollar
搞错 mistake; make a mistake; confuse
搞定 settle; fix; decide; ascertain; make sure
搞笑 (words or actions)meant to amuse or to cause laughter
哥们儿 brother
各色 odd, eccentric
给脸上鼻梁 give him an inch and he’ll take a mile
跟风 to follow the trends; do as others do
跟屁虫 1. someone who is obsequious and has no definite views of his or her own; one’s shadow;
2. flatterer; boot licker; ass-kisser; brown-noser
跟着感觉走 follow one’s heart; do what comes naturally; do something without
thinking
够档次 reach a certain(high)level; be up to standard; be up to par
够劲儿 1. heavy; strong(in taste, strength, etc.);strenuous:
2. almost too much to cope with
够戗 terrible; hard; difficult; unbearable
够味儿 pretty good; well done; strong(in taste, flavor)
挂号 establish a criminal record
挂拍 hang up one’s racket; retire from (professional) athletics (mostly refers to tennis,
ping-pong or badminton);give up an athlete’s life
灌水 to pour water; to fill web pages with exaggerated content or articles (an Internet term
meaning to write articles praising one’s own web site)
广告人 advertising man; adman
逛街 1. go shopping;
2. go window shopping; stroll in the street
鬼扯 talk nonsense; rubbish
鬼佬 foreigner(impolite term)
国际倒儿爷 transnational goods speculator; international goods profiteer
国脚 player on national soccer term
过气 to be old or out of date(of a famous person)
H
哈韩族 young people who love Korean pop songs or TV dramas
哈日族 young people who love Japanese pop songs or TV dramas
孩子王 1. head of children;
2. teacher
号贩子 someone who scalps registration tickets
盒饭 boxed meal/A meal of rice and aside dish in a box
黑车 illegal taxi; a car that carries passengers illegally and without a business license
黑道 gang( of criminals)
黑哨 black whistle/ A metaphor for an unfair decision of a judge(referee)who is partial or
who has been bribed
横插一杠子 1. make trouble; create a disturbance;
2. hinder; bar the way
红包 red envelope filled with money that is usually given to someone as a bonus, gift, reward
or donation
红火 having a run of luck; prosperous
红眼病 1. pinkeye(an acute eye disease):
2. jealousy; resentment
后娘养的 to be raised by a stepmother/A metaphor for one who receives little attention or
ill treatment or who is out of favor
后生 young man; lad
忽悠 1. flicker; wave;
2. Persuade someone to believe what one says (usually by words of honeyed words)
唬人 bluff; scare; frighten; cheat; deceive
护犊子 Originally referring to an adult cow or ox protecting its calf, this is a metaphor
to refer to shielding the shortcoming or faults of one’s child
糊弄 fool; cheat; deceive
花花肠子 many ideas; fertile imagination
花老头 dirty old man
黄花闺女 virgin
黄脸婆 middle-aged married woman
黄牛 (lit.)yellow ox/A term refers to a black market dealer who buys foreign currency in
the street; scalper;2:a person who will not or can not take responsibility and pay for
their debts
皇历 (lit.) almance; old hat/ A metaphor for old system, regulations or things in the past
回放 review; show again; rebroadcast a program
回头客 returned customer/ Refers to customers who return to a place once or more often. A
metaphor for a place that has built up a prosperous business, has a reputation for good
quality goods at cheap prices ad which attracts customers back
会来事儿 know how to cater to someone’s tastes; good at getting along with others; butter
someone up
浑球儿 (swearword)blackguard; wretch; scoundrel; bastard
混混儿 idler; loafer; slacker/ A term that refers to those who idle about and lead an ignoble
existence
活该 serve you right
火爆 extremely hot/ A metaphor for business, a show or something that is lively, prosperous,
or very popular
J
犄角旮旯儿 1. corner; nook; quiet and secluded place; out-of-the-way place
2. uncommon; trite; rare
挤兑 1. force to; bully
2. insult; belittle
加盟 take part in; join; participate
加塞儿 jump a queue; push into a queue
甲壳虫 beetle/ A type of private car smaller in size than ordinary cars.
奸 selfish; mean; petty; crafty
捡软的捏 choose the weak to bully; take advantage of the coward
矫情 use lame arguments; resort to sophistry; willfully make trouble
脚底板抹油 hotfoot; clear out; go fast; flee quickly
叫板 challenge; ask for trouble; pick a quarrel
叫彩儿 appealing; welcome; appeal to; with the applause of; be warmly welcomed
叫（较）劲儿 1. challenge; have a competition
2. oppose; dispute
叫（较）针儿 1. argue; wrangle
2. be finicky; be conscientious and meticulous; be inflexible
叫座 (of a play, movie, show)very popular; a box-office success; draw a large audience
教头 coach
结了 All right! That’s it! (used to end a discussion and to express agreement)
进局子 be taken into custody by police; go to prison; be taken to prison
警花 policewoman
九曲十八弯 strenuous; hard; difficult; complicated; complications; twist and turns;
hardship; tribulations/A term used to describe something that is only through
many trials and tribulations.
局子 police station; cop shop
卷铺盖 1. withdraw; retreat; quit; leave
2. be fired, be sacked
绝代佳人 Originally it means a woman of matchless beauty. Now by playing with the words people
jocularly use it to refer to a young woman of beauty who does not produce male heir,
only a girl, for her husband.
绝活 special skill; unique ability
倔驴 bullheaded mule/ A metaphor for someone who is stubborn and straightforward.
军嫂 soldier’s girlfriend
K
卡哇依 A Japanese expression for (someone or something)cute or lovely
开国际玩笑 1. make a big joke; kid
2. act without thinking; kid
开练 1. start working
2. fight; scuffle; come to blows
开溜 escape; run away; sneak away; slink off
开瓢 break one’s head
开涮 make fun of; make a fool of
开眼 see the world; enrich one’s experience
开洋荤 enjoy a foreign lifestyle; enjoy foreign food
开夜车 to burn the midnight oil; usually meaning to stay up late reading, studying or writing
看走眼 to misjudge or fail to recognize someone or something
侃 1. chat
2. boast
3. smooth talk
侃大山 1. chat
2. boast
侃价 bargain; haggle with a peddler
侃爷 big talker; someone who is good at boasting; someone full of hot air(American slang)
砍价 cut down the price; beat down the price
看涨 (of market prices)expected to rise
扛 1. stand; bear; tolerate; endure
2. deal with; cope with; handle
靠谱 to be accurate or reliable in speech or action
可圈可点 Originally this referred to making circles or dots on a manuscript as notation,
or to draw attention. Later it was used to mean that something has both good and
bad points, or that something is worth noticing and making further study.
空姐 stewardess
空嫂 married stewardess
空少 steward
空手道 1. petty thief; pilferer(a term originally used in karate)
2. Literally it means doing things empty handed or without capital or investment.
/A metaphor for a person who guys, sells, or exchanges merchandise, etc, without
using his own money.
恐龙 (derogatory term first used on Internet) a dinosaur, a metaphor for an ugly girl
抠门儿 stingy; mean; closefisted
口头禅 pet expression
酷毙 very or extremely cool; the coolest; the best
L
拉倒 forget about it; never mind; drop it; let it go at that
拉钩 pull each others’ little fingers/A term which refers to making a promise or swearing
to do sth.
辣妹子 hot girl/A girl who is bold, hot- and quick-tempered with a sharp tongue.
劳模 model worker
老不死的 (swearword or intimate term) old fellow; old folk; old fogy; old fart/An impolite
term for the elderly.
老大 1. Literally it means the eldest of sisters and brothers. / A metaphor for a head of
a gang or a bandit chieftain.
2. It refers to large- and medium-sized enterprises run by the state.
老东西 unwelcome old creature (person)/An impolite term used to describe some old men not
liked.
老家儿 parents
老来俏 hip older person/A term to describe an older person who dresses in clothes popular
among younger people.
老人家 1. Mao Zedong; Chairman Mao
2. elderly
老鼠会 a mouse meeting(association)/A metaphor for a pyramid sale.
老头儿 1. old man; old chap
2. father
老外 1. foreigner
2. layman; someone inexperienced
老爷子 1. father; dad
2. old man; old chap
老油条 a slippery or cunning person
老子 1. father
2. oneself(in arrogant or conceited tones)
唠嗑 chat; talk
乐子 1. pleasure; delight
2. joke; laughing stock; poke fun at
雷子 cop; policeman; public security man
里弄 1. alley; lane
2. neighborhood; residential district
礼拜 1. week
2. day of the week
立马儿 immediately; at once; right away
练摊儿 set up a stall to sell goods; run a private stall
亮点 (lit.) a bright spot/A metaphor for(sb. or sth.)to be attractive; eye-catching; attract
attention
晾 purposely ignore; intentionally brush aside
靓女 pretty girl
靓仔 good looking man; handsome young man
撩人 stirring; exciting; hot; teasing
了了 be over; end; finish; settle
料 1. material
2. makings; material or qualities needed for the development or making or sth.
临了 in the end; finally
零碎儿 1. odds and ends; bits and pieces
2. swearword; dirty words; abusive language
另类 a different, special, completely new or fashionable type or trend
溜弯儿 take a walk; go for a stroll
露脸 1. show up; appear
2. do credit to; win honor for
路子野 be well-connected
裸机 unregistered cellular phones
落单 widow /widower
M
麻利儿地 quickly; promptly; at once; immediately
马屁精 ass-kisser; boot licker; flatterer; brown-noser
马仔 gangster; accomplice
码长城 build the Great Wall/ A metaphor for playing mahjong.
埋单 “bury the bill”; pay the bill
卖相 1. exterior; outward appearance; packaging
2. looks; appearance(often used as a derogatory term)
蛮 pretty; quite
满地找牙 be badly beaten; be seriously battered(lit,. pick one’s teeth up from the ground)
满脸旧社会 It refers to someone with a weather-worn face, filled with wrinkles, as if he or she bad gone
through a very hard life.
满世界 everywhere; in all places; all over; the world over
忙活 be busy; bustle with
盲流 jobless peasants in search of work
猫儿腻 illegal deal; underhanded activity
猫眼（儿） peephole, such as those with fisheye lenses found on doors in hotels or households
毛片 pornographic video or movie; porno flick
冒傻气 do sth. unwise; unclever or stupid
没的说 1. have no faults or mistakes; be perfect
2. have no room for discussion; not open to debate
3. have no problem
没好气 hostile; impolite; unkind; feel bad; turn a cold eye
没劲 1. uninteresting; boring
2. (of person)good-for-nothing; not very promising
没门儿 1. have no way out; have no idea
2. get no clues; not take shape
3. no way; no go; absolutely impossible
没脾气 have no way out; be at the end of one’s rope
没谱 1. unsure; unrealistic; be irrelevant; unsettled
2. have no idea; not know
没商量 be settled; impossible to change; have no room to reconsider
没完没了 ceaseless; endless; restless
没戏 have no hope; hopeless; impossible/A term that originally referred to a dull and uninteresting
performance.
没心没肺 have no heart and lungs/ One who is tolerant; broad-minded and doesn’t fuss.
没着没落 1. unsteady; unsure; anxious
2. unsettled; unresolved
没辙 have no other way out; have no solution
没治 1. hopeless; helpless
2. excellent; incredible
没主 1. belongs to nobody
2. unmarried woman; woman who has no boyfriend
没准儿 1. perhaps; maybe
2. have no definite idea, way or rule; have no certainty
眉毛胡子一把抓 try to grasp the eyebrows and the beard all at once/One who tries to handle everything at
once.
美的 pleased; complacent; delightful
美眉 pretty girl
美食 delicious food
美食家 gourmet; good eater
焖骚 (derogatory term) refers to one who pretends not care about or be unconcerned about the opposite sex
or sexual things, but actually feels the stirrings of love. It means an emotional hypocrite.
门槛 1. threshold/ A metaphor for high social status or airs.
2. key to problem; knack
3. a person who is shrewd or good at calculation
门脸 1. appearance/A term that mostly refers to facial appearance. (mainly a beard or moustache) and hair.
2. the façade of a shop; shop front
门前清 clear the ground in front of one’s gate or street/A metaphor for one to down their wine or liquor
during a meal.
门儿清 know sb. or sth. completely; know like the back of one’s hand
闷罐子 1. sealed pot/A metaphor for a puzzle.
2. sealed pot; a calm/A metaphor for someone who doesn’t like to talk too much.
猛料 unexpected, very important news
咪表 parking meter
面包会有的 turn for the better; have a bright future
面瓜 1. fool; stupid person; idiot
2. weak and incompetent person; good for nothing
灭 beat; convince sb. by force
名模 supermodel; famous model
命门 point of weakness; Achilles’ heel/A term meaning a matter of vital importance in China’s future
development.
磨合 break in(fit together perfectly)/A term originally referred to new parts in vehicles that require a period
to break in to operating efficiently. During this period, vehicles cannot travel at high speeds. The term
now describes someone or something that needs a period o time before working efficiently.
磨牙 1. Argue endlessly; talk nonsense
2. idle away time; kill time
3. crack sth. between the teeth(usually nuts, melon seeds, etc.)
磨嘴皮子 rub one’s lips/ A metaphor for talking over and over; persuading sb. to agree with one’s ideas.
摩的 a motor cycle or motor tricycle(for the handicapped) used as taxi to carry passengers
模仿秀 imitation show/ A show in which people mimic stars(usually singers).
N
拿下 solve, settle, accomplish
奶水 (lit.) milk/ A metaphor for the profit one gets after offering a bribe.
奶油小生 effeminate young man; good-looking young man with feminine characteristics
脑体倒挂 situation where workers are making more than intellectuals
闹心 be terribly upset; be agitated; irritate; be restless
嫩 unexperienced; young
能耐 skill; ability
腻腻歪歪 refers to hemming and hawing in speech, working sloppily, causing others to feel bored or
disgusted
黏糊 1. sticky; glutinous
2. slow-tempered; phlegmatic
3. delay; betardy
撵 1. drive out; oust; expel
2. catch up
念想 things hidden in one’s mind; hidden longings; desires
鸟语 dialect, usually the Cantonese dialect
牛 1. proud; arrogant.
2. talk big; boast; brag
牛气 very proud and arrogant; cocky; complacent
弄潮儿 tide player/A reformer or one who fights against old customs and influences, or a pioneer.
O
呕吔 Oh yeh./ An exclamation expressing happiness, encouragement, or agreement.
P
PK “player killing”的缩写，指两名选手对垒，淘汰其中一人。
趴车 parking
扒拉 eat; stuff/ A term that actually refers to the action of putting food(rice or vegetables
from a bowl or dish )into one’s mouth.
爬格子 take up writing or editing
拍板 make the final decision; give the final verdict; have the final say
拍拖 (lit.)patrol/It refers to courting; being in love; have a love affair.
派对 1. party
2. make pairs; matchmaking
攀高枝 climb the social ladder; play up to powerful or influential people
泡妞 flirt with girls; spend time with girls; chase girls; womanize
泡吧 indulge oneself for a long time in bars( wine bars or internet bars)
泡汤 fall flat; fall through(of plans); fail; be done for; be unsuccessful; come to nothing;
be fruitless
坯子 person with a gift or talent for something; gifted person
皮包公司 a briefcase company/ A company or person which has few assets; few employees and
mainly engages in consulting, buying and reselling. The only thing needed to run
in this sort of company is only a briefcase company.
痞子 rascal; scoundrel; ruffian
屁颠儿 happy and gay; pleased; overjoyed
片儿警 local regional policeman/A policeman in charge of the public order of a local region
or a residential area.
漂 to get nothing; come up short; fail to make money
飘 1. float in the air; flutter
2. brisk; elegant; skillful; graceful
3. be unemployed; loaf about; wander
漂白 bleach; whitewash/Refers to sinister gangsters who whitewash their image.
票贩子 train ticket scalper
Q
气管炎 tracheitis; hen-pecked husband/Homonym for a husband who is strictly controlled by
his wife. A term for man who is afraid of his wife.
掐 1. fight; scuffle; come to blows; quarrel; kick up a row
2. handful
千儿八百 (of money) a thousand or slightly less
前卫 fashionable; modern; creative
枪毙 1. be executed by gun
2. vote down; veto; shot down; nix
枪手 1. gun shooter/A metaphor for someone who is hired to participated an examination on
behalf of someone else.
2. ghostwriter
抢滩 seize the shore/A metaphor for to seize a market; fight to be the first on the market.
巧劲儿 1. clever way; ingenious method
2. coincidence
翘辫子 kick the bucket
切入 cut in(queue or line)
青春饭 a youthful profession, which has a strict age limit usually between18 to 30 years
old, like dancing, air hostessing, athletics, etc.
青一色 monotone; entirely; all; whole
清水衙门 water purifier; low salary unit(usually refers to government offices where
employees have low salaries)
穷开心 amuse oneself at another’s expense; make fun of sb. ; look for fun
R
惹火 1. inspire; excite
2. enrage; infuriate; cause one to lose temper
人精 devil of human being/ Referring to someone who is clever, smart, or good at calculating
their own gains and losses.
人来风 (children)run wild and disobey parents when guests come t house
人脉 have many personal relationships; popular; well-connected
人模狗样 1. dress up (derogatory)
2. serious; grave(derogatory)
人气 degree of popularity of sb. or a place
人渣 dregs or scum of society, or someone of inferior evil characteristics or a morally
degenerate person
揉巴 rub; knead; crumple
软肋 someone or something’s weak point
弱智 idiotic; stupid extremely little
S
飒 (of women)natural and unrestrained; elegant; graceful
塞车 traffic jam; to be help up in traffic
塞牙缝 sth. not large enough to fill a tooth gap; sth. very sparse or
三级跳 triple jump/ A metaphor to describe someone who gets promoted quickly.
三只手 pickpocket
扫黄 confiscate pornographic magazines, books, audio and video tapes; ban on the sale of pornographic
magazines, books and video tapes on the market.
扫街 to clean street or roads/A metaphor for selling product door to door along the entire street. Also “clean
buildings”, meaning to sell to every apartment in a building.
杀青 Originally meaning a completed manuscript, this now refers to a film or television drama which has
been shut down or finish producing.
杀熟 charge, especially a friend, a high price/It refers only to cheating a friend.
傻冒儿 1. stupid person; fool; dodo(scornful or jocular)
2. idiot; blockhead
煽火 fan the flames; stir up trouble
煽情 1. arouse one’s enthusiasm, fervor
2. flirt
闪客 a flash-animation cartoonist
上班族 class of people who do white-collar jobs(white-collar workers; office workers)
上脸 1. become flushed after drinking
2. give him a inch and he will take a mile
上路 understand; comprehend; get to know
烧钱 to burn money, used to describe someone who spends money very quickly
蛇头 a person or a gang that ferries people illegally across the border
神经搭错线了 have one’s nerves crossed(to act strangely or behave differently from normal)
神聊 a long rambling discussion; a long, animated discussion on many topics
省油的灯 an oil-saving lamp; someone industrious and thrifty/A metaphor for someone who is easy to deal
with.
狮子大张口 be too greedy; ask for (demand) a huge sum of money
十三点 A metaphor for simple minded person; stupid person; rash person
十有八九 mostly; in eight or nine cases out of ten
十一路 walk
时下菜 vegetables in season (seasonal vegetable in abundant market supply and cheap)
屎盆子 crap pot, meaning fault; mistake; bad thing; sin
收线 hang up the receiver
收心 to return one’s mood to normal after play or excitement; to readjust to work after holiday or vacations
书商 book trader who plans, organizes and invest in the publication and distribution of books to make a
profit
数落 1. scold; rebuke; blame
2. talk on and on; say sth. again and again
刷卡 pay by credit card
耍大牌 to put on airs; to affect a movie-star pose
帅呆 the appearance of sb. (usually male) or sth. that is very beautiful or handsome; sb. demeanor or that is
outstanding or extraordinarily unusual
帅哥 handsome young chap; smart man
涮 make fun of; make a fool of; deceive; be stood up
水分 moisture content/ A term used to describe something that has been exaggerated or falsified.
水货 1. poor quality; shoddy
2. lose money; be in the hole; run a business at loss
顺出去 1. carry sth. out vertically
2. carry sb. out after knocking him down or give him a good thrashing
说胖就喘 to puff and blow when other say you are fat/A metaphor for one who cannot stand praise from
others.
私了 settle a dispute privately(without lawsuit)
死扛 1. go all out to support or shoulder responsible
2. refuse to confess or reveal information
死磕 risk one’s life
死性 stubborn; obstinate; having one-tack mind; inflexible; stiff
送死 court death
馊主意 rotten idea; lousy thought
损 1. vicious; wicked; cruel
2. caustic; sarcastic
缩头乌龟 turtle with its head in its shell/A metaphor for a cowardly person.
T
抬杠 argue; wrangle
抬轿子的 sedan chair carrier; flatterer( someone who flatters or sings the praise of others);
booster; boot polisher; sycophant
太平公主 ( jocular term) girl with flat breasts
探班 to visit or interview actors and actresses at the filming location
趟混水 do sth. together; participate; join in
掏心窝 tell the truth; pour out one’s innermost thoughts and feelings; talk frankly
逃票 take a bus without paying the fare; evade bus fare
讨个说法 want to have a fair judgment, answer or explanation
套瓷 cotton up to; try to establish a relationship with someone; act as if one has a close
relationship with someone else
套近乎 try to get in with sb.; try to create a close relationship with sb.
添堵 trouble; disturb; annoy; displease
添乱 trouble; disturb
甜姐 sweet girl; cutie-pie
挑刺儿 find fault with sb.; pick holes in
调侃 1. joke; tease; make fun of
2. empty talk; chitchat
跳槽 1. change jobs; job-hopping
2. divorce in order to marry someone else
跳水价 the lowest price
铁 ( of a relationship) intimate; close; firm; stable
铁哥们儿 intimate male friend; close male friend
铁姐们儿 intimate female friend; close female friend
通吃 sweep the deck; be able to deal with everything; eat everything; defeat everyone
同道儿 partners in crime; people involved in the same illegal trade
筒子楼 tube-shaped building with lining on both sides of a long corridor/ In China, this
type of building is mainly used for offices or classrooms but can also be used for
residential quarters
头彩 first prize in a lottery
头头脑脑 all the department heads and leaders of a unit, company, organization
透心凉 1. extremely cold; freezing; heartfelt cold
2. be bitterly disappointed; be discouraged
秃瓢儿 1. baldhead
2. boy; baby boy; son
土得掉渣儿 very ignorant; rustic; unrefined
土老冒儿 a country bumpkin; clod-hopper; ignoramus; hillbilly (scornful)
托儿 1. someone hired by a store owner to pretend to be a customer in order to attract
customers
2. someone entrusted to perform a task
脱口秀 talk show
脱星 a star who has been photographed nude, or who is well known for roles in sexy scenes
particularly those involving nudity
W
歪才 unique artistic talent; cleverness in a certain field
外快 additional income; temporary income; extra money
外来妹 a young woman from elsewhere who finds temporary work in a city
玩儿深沉 pretend to be sophisticated; speak in a way so as to deliberately mystify others
玩儿完 be over; collapse; be finished; e dead and done for
玩儿一把 play (do ) sth. once
玩儿阴的 play dirty tricks on sb.; secretly scheme against sb.; employ underhand
means
玩主 fop; dandy; trouble-maker
网吧 Internet bar
网虫 web worm/ A metaphor for web fanatics who have a certain knowledge and skills on the
Internet.
网恋 web dating; fall in love on web
网友 web friend
腕儿 celebrity; famous person; expert
温吞水 lukewarm water; slow coach or slowpoke
揾钱 make money
窝里反 uproar; internal rebellion; internal dissension; domestic conflict
卧底 hide (lie low) in middle of opponents
无厘头 something meaningless, unmotivated, vulgar and unreasonable
五毒俱全 be totally addicted to the five vices(gluttony, drunkenness, lechery,
gambling and drug abuse)
雾里看花 unable to see things clearly; to see thing s blearily
X
吸引眼球 eye-catching; attractive
洗钱 laundering money/ A term that describes putting money made through illegal means (such
as drug or weapons smuggling)into a bank and then withdrawing it in a proper way.
瞎掰 act senselessly; talk nonsense
下海 go to sea/ Originally this term referred to someone who joined a gang or a woman from
a good family who became a prostitute. Now it refers to someone who has given up a stable
job to engage in business.
下课 to be fired; to be dismissed( usually referring to sports coaches)
显摆 show off; flaunt
现炒现卖 1. sell whole cooking / someone who teaches, uses or shows off what he or she has
just learned.
2. do business without capital; engage in buying and reselling
线人 informer; spy
香饽饽 delicious pastry or cake/ A popular, welcome or valuable person.
向毛主席保证 In Chairman Mao’ name/ A term to indicate that what one says is absolutely
true, mostly used in the 1970s of the 20th century.
小巴 minibus; small bus
小菜 common or cold dish (meat, fish, vegetable)/ Referring to an easy task or a child’s play ; a piece of cake; no sweat.
小打小闹 do sth. on a small scale
小儿科 1. pediatrics/ A term used to describe something trivial and insignificant or
something that is neglected or looked down upon by others.
2. pediatrics/ A term used to describe someone simple, naïve or childish.
小皇帝 little emperor/ A term referring to children from one-child families or spoilt
children.
小金库 private hoard
小蜜 1. cutie-pie; little sweetie; little honey/ A term describing a young woman who
accompanies rich men.
2. girlfriend
小时工 1. hourly job
2. hourly worker
小样 appearance; look
笑星 comedy celebrity; comedy star/ Usually refers to “cross talkers”(TV celebrities who
perform short monologues)or comedians.
歇菜 stop doing sth.; have a rest; stand aside; get out of the way
邪门儿 1. strange; odd; out of the ordinary
2. strange; odd; abnormal
邪乎 1. out of the ordinary; incredible
2. exaggerated; overstated
心里美 1. turnip (which is light green on the outside and red on the inside)/ Someone who
has a good heart, noble mind and solid virtues.
2. happy; pleased
行头 apparel; dress; clothes; outfit /A term that originates from the word for a theatrical
costume.
雄起 1. Originally means “spring up; grow up”/ A tem often used in sport games, meaning
“go!”, to cheer on.
2. refers to one who does the best
修长城 play mahjong
修地球 farm; till land
绣花枕头 embroidered pillow / A person or a thing which looks beautiful, but is not useful
or practical.
悬 dangerous
穴头 agent or middleman who organizes performances and runs the show
寻开心 look for fun; amuse; make fun of
Y
丫头片子 girl; baby girl
压根儿 1. at all; simply
2. at first; originally
轧马路 saunter; take a walk; stroll
洋插对 study, work or live in a foreign country
洋妞 foreign girl; young woman from the West
养小 have concubine
养眼 pleasant-looking, pleasing to the eye
咬耳朵 whisper; murmur sth. in sb.’s ear
野鸡 1. illegal trader or corporation without any business licenses or certificates
2. prostitute; whore
野模 amateur model/ someone hired to be a model with no previous experience.
夜猫子 night owl; a person who stays up late at night
一个数 one hundred yuan
一根筋 stubborn; having a one-track mind; inflexible
一号 lavatory; toilet; bathroom; John
一水儿 single color or sex only; completely; totally
一头雾水 to make one puzzled or confused; to cast a mist before someone’s eyes
衣服架子 clothes hanger; clothes-horse; clothes holder/ Someone with a beautiful figure and
fit to all kinds of clothes.
医托 someone hired by a hospital or a certain department of a hospital to pretend to help
those patients coming to a hospital, in order to convince them to go to the hospital
or certain department of the hospital.
瘾君子 drug addict
硬派小生 stud; role model; a strong-minded, brave and unyielding young man
悠着点儿 be careful; keep oneself under control; take it easy
油耗子 gas mouse/ Someone who steals gas from other vehicles.
有板有眼 ( of speech and action) orderly; methodical; rhythmical
有碍市容 be an eyesore; be repugnant to the eye; be a monstrosity/ Something or someone who
is ugly; poorly dressed or looks shabby and poor.
有鼻子有眼 vivid description; description full of details
有病 nuts; neurotic; sick; (behavior) strange; unusual, out of the ordinary; odd/ A phrase
to express one’s dissatisfaction or opinion that someone’s conduce is strange mentally
有两把刷子 have skills, capability or ability
有头有脸 have fame( social status, dignity); leader; head; famed person; VIP
有戏 hopeful; possible/A term that originally desctrbed a show that appealed to a wide
audience.
有一搭，无一搭 1. not take sth. seriously; pay little attention
2. do sth. without certainty; be unreliable
郁闷 bored; depressed/ A phrase used by the young to express a fretful bad mood.
原装 1. ( genuine) product
2. inborn; innate
3. attached; included
冤大头 fool; a person who spends time or money but gets no return; a person who is fooled
or cheated
月嫂 a maid who cares for a woman in the month after she’s given birth to a child
晕菜 feel dizzy; get confused; be muddleheaded
云山雾罩 covering the mountain with mist and clouds/ An expression for something that is
described or told in a vague and mysterious fashion.
Z
砸 fail; fall through; be bungled
宰 overcharge; rip off
在行 be expert at sth.; know sth. well
在乎 care; mind; take to heart
糟践 harm; hurt; ruin; spoil
造势 make a noise; promote
扎堆儿 get together to chat
扎帐 owe a debt
扎针（儿） give or receive acupuncture treatment/ A term to describe when someone speaks
ill of a co-worker or lodges a complaint against him or her with the boss.
咋呼 1. shout; bluster; yell
2. make widely known; show off
掌柜的 1. shopkeeper; manager; boss
2. head of the household, the one who wears the pants in the house
招事（儿） call down trouble; stir up trouble; bring trouble upon oneself
着实 really; indeed
找不着北 unable to find where north is; to get confused; knock out; beat up
找辙 think of a way( idea, solution); look for a way out; seek a way( solution) out
照镜子 look at oneself in the mirror/ An expression for assessing oneself.
真格的 really; truly; seriously; real; true; serious
枕边风 advice on public matters given to a public official by his wife while they are in bed
支招 give counsel; think of a way
直肠子 straight intestines/ A metaphor for a straightforward( open, frank) person.
直来直去 ( of speech or action) get to the point; do sth. straight out; be blunt
钟点工 hourly worker
主儿 person
煮饺子 boil dumplings in a pot/ A metaphor for a place that is full of people or overcrowded.
装嫩 pretending to be childish, lovely or young/ refers to one who speaks, dresses, or acts like a young girl
or boy
撞大运 try one’s luck; hit the jackpot; have a try
撞枪口上 look for trouble; bring about one’s own downfall
追捧 vying to praise someone or something highly
追尾 tailgate
追星 go crazy pursing or worshipping a movie star or pop singer
追星族 groupie; class of people who go crazy pursuing or worshipping a movie star or pop singer
滋润 comfortable; at ease; free; in heaven
自找 ask for it; suffer from one’s own actions
走红 become popular or welcomed by public; ( someone or something) develop smoothly and make
unceasing progress and success
走火入魔 1. overdo; go too far; go to extremes
2. be absorbed in ; utterly devoted to
走穴 take part in a short-term commercial performance/ In old times referred to being a traveling performer
who put on street performances for a living.
走眼 to see something mistakenly; to misjudge something; mistake sb. or sth.
钻石王老五 a very wealthy bachelor
嘴臭 have a sinking mouth/ A metaphor for someone who is rude of impolite, can be used to describe people
who swear.
坐冷板凳 sit on a cold stool/ A metaphor for someone who is passed over or has suffered a cold shoulder.
坐台小姐 front desk girls; waitresses or head waitresses at the front desk of bars, night clubs or
karaoke( entertainment) clubs
做东 play host; act as host
作秀 show
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