Play a game? On Chinese idioms…

[elina]

This game’s Chinese name is 成语巧接龙 :

One person starts with one Chinese idiom, and the second person puts forward another Chinese idiom using the last Chinese character of the first Chinese idiom as the first Chinese character of the second Chinese idiom. We may make the game easier by regulating that one can use the different Chinese character with the same Pin Yin as the first Chinese character of the following Chinese idiom, and can also use Chinese folk adage, common saying, proverb, not only restrict Chinese idiom.

For example:

The first person starts with: 至理名言

The second person puts forward： 言而无信

The third person may follow: 信口开河

The fourth one: 合情合理

The fifth: 礼尚往来

The sixth: 来日方长

The seventh: 长命百岁

The eighth: 岁岁平安

The ninth: 安居乐业

……

This game can help you increase your vocabulary, especially on Chinese idioms. Everyone who plays this game should add Pin Yin and English explanation for reference, please.

Let me start with a Chinese idiom which is easy to follow:

表里如一

biao3 li3 ru2 yi1

act and think in one and the same way

Anyone to be the second?

[roddy]

We may make the game easier by regulating that one can use the different Chinese character with the same Pin Yin as the first Chinese character of the following Chinese idiom

Don't think anyone did that last time we (well, not me admittedly ) played the game.

1

2

3

[elina]

Ha ha, you guys have already enjoyed the game for three times! I didn't notice that before.

[HashiriKata]

Anyone to be the second?

I'll try:

一帆风顺

yì(yī)fān fēngshùn

smooth/ plain sailing

[elina]

顺水推舟

Shùn Shuǐ Tuī Zhōu

push the boat along with the current—make use of an opportunity to gain one’s end 比喻顺应形势行事

一帆风顺

yì(yī)fān fēngshùn

In this idiom, I think it should be yì fān fēngshùn

[gougou]

Sorry to interrupt

When you play this game in China, is the goal to go on as long as possible, or do you play competitively, i.e. trying to choose a proverb with the most obscure ending possible?

[HashiriKata]

When you play this game in China, is the goal to go on as long as possible, or do you play competitively

I assume it can be either, depending on the players.

As for here, all I wish for is to be able to last for a little while . But, to make the game more fun and useful, I hope others will have a go. So, here is my last for today and I hope others will continue:

舟中敌国

zhōu zhōng dí guó

be isolated, be in a dangerous situation

[elina]

I assume it can be either, depending on the players. As for here, all I wish for is to be able to last for a little while. But, to make the game more fun and useful, I hope others will have a go.

I absolutely agree with you, HashiriKata. I think it’s a friendly game, not a competition, just to practise the Chinese idioms which you have learned or learn more about Chinese idioms. So let’s continue:

At first, I have not heard of 舟中敌国 before, did you learn it from your textbook or something else?

国泰民安

guó tài mín ān

The state is prosperous and the people is peaceful

I also hope others will take part in to make the game interesting.

[tluroc76]

安居樂業

[HashiriKata]

I have not heard of 舟中敌国 before, did you learn it from your textbook or something else?

There are extremely few idioms starting with 舟, so I cheated a bit by consulting an equally extremely thick dictionary, and then checking it in google (In the learning context, I suppose this is encouraged. Am I right? ). Anyway, as there are loads of idioms starting with 安, I don't need that trick this time:

安居乐业

ānjū lèyè

live and work in peace

By the way, I think 安居乐业 goes very well with 国泰民安 in terms of meaning.

[HashiriKata]

tluroc76 ,

I didn't cheat this time, I swear!

I was typing off line!

[elina]

业精于勤

ye4 jing1 yu2 qin2

have a good result through diligent study or hard working

There are extremely few idioms starting with 舟

By the way, if you think it is difficult to find a Chinese idiom starting with 舟, you could use周（周而复始zhōu ér fù shǐ, go round and round) to follow it, which has the same Pin Yin with舟

[Outofin]

秦晋之好

qin2 jin4 zhi1 hao3

It simply means marriage. Qin and Jin were 2 kingdoms in the Spring and Autumn period. The two royal families had marriages between them.

[elina]

好景不长

hǎo jǐng bù cháng

good times don’t last long

[HashiriKata]

长生不老

chángshēng bùlǎo

long life & forever young

(Is this a kind of Chinese magic portion? )

[Outofin]

老马识途 lao3 ma3 shi2 tu2

Old horses know where to go. It means, the expierenced could offer good advices.

The story comes from 韩非子·说林上. In the Spring and Autumn period, the king of Qi got lost on his way home from a campain. His advisor Guan Zhong 管仲 suggested to let old horses lead the group. And they found their way.

[elina]

图穷匕见

tu2 qiong2 bi4 jian2

the real intention is revealed in the end

《战国策》所载荆轲刺秦王的故事中，荆轲把匕首藏在地图中，在秦王座前展开，图尽匕首显露

[HashiriKata]

Elina,

"tu2 qiong2 bi4 jian2" or should it be "tu2 qiong2 bi3 jian4" ?

(Or perhaps I'm missing something? )

Anyway,

见多识广

jian4duo1 shi2guang3

experienced & knowledgeable

[gougou]

I learned that as tu2 qiong2 bi3 xian4...

[HashiriKata]

Gougou, I've also seen the variation you mentioned:

图穷匕现, so it has a different character at the end.

Elina seems to have given the wrong tones to the 2 words underlined in the other version.

Cheers,