Chinese idioms

[panos]

Dear friends

I get via e-mail from www.xianzai.com chinese idioms. ( anyone can easyly subscribe and get too, as well as jokes recepies.etc )

But for some of them I do not have the ideogram , only pin ying.

Here is an example :

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Split water cannot be recaptured

pronunciation: fu(4) shui(3) nan(2) shou(1)

[said of something has been settled and can not change any more]

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I am not sure which ideogram to use. There are many with the same tone!

Is there a way to find the correct frase? An on line translator or dictionary

with idioms?

Thank you

[skylee]

It is "spilt water cannot be recaptured". The chinese is -

覆水難收 (or 覆水难收 in simplified Chinese)

The meaning is something like there is no use to cry over spilt milk, what is done can't be undone.

Is there a way to find the correct frase?

Asking here is a good way. This and this can be good reference.

[studentyoung]

Dear panos@sun

Have you ever heard of a song named "against all odds"? You see in Chiese, it is translated in "fu shui nan shou". "fu shui nan shou" means the splashed water can't be recollected together. It really looks like the idiom "don't cry for the spilled milk", but they have diferent meaning in side.

In fact, there is a story about "fu shui nan shou". Long long ago, there was a very learned man, he was very poor before he became an offical. His wife just had enough of poverty of the family, so she divorced with him. But just when the man became an offical and rich, she came to him and asked for a reunion. But this learned man just splashed a basin of water and told his wife, if she could recollect the water into the basin, then he would marry her again.

So we Chinese usually to "fu shui nan shou" to descirbe a breakup pair has no hope to be together once again.

So is that all clear? Give me message, if you still have no idea about "fu shui nan shou" or other idioms.

[skylee]

Have you ever heard of a song named "against all odds"? You see in Chiese, it is translated in "fu shui nan shou".

I am puzzled.

[panos]

Thank you for your advise! The sites you suggest, friend skylee, are useful! Although one is in chinese, I will try to search it!

Yes, I got the meaning of the above idiom ! The problem is that I have

around 80 idioms to get the ideogramms!

When xianzai.com started to e-mail idioms to anyone learning chinese, all

were without chinese charachters. Now its ok.

The song you mention is chinese one? I do not know about chinese

songs.! Although I hear much in CCTV4 !

[skylee]

If you just want the Chinese characters of the 80 idioms, I'd be glad to help. You can send the pinyin of the idioms to me via PM.

[panos]

Thank you very much for your help!

I will fix them in a single word format file and send them!

I hope it will not be much problem and time- consuming for you!