Glossary / Stock Phrases
Stock Phrases in Chinese: 127 Terms and Their English Renderings
The fixed lines that recur across thousands of novels, and what each one is doing in a scene.
127 terms
| Chinese | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 岂有此理 | Outrageous | Real indignation, said when a rule has been broken in public. |
| 欺人太甚 | Going Too Far | 'You have pushed it too far.' The line right before someone finally fights back. |
| 我命由我不由天 | My Fate Is Mine | The genre's signature defiance line. Said at the exact moment destiny is refused. |
| 三十年河东，三十年河西 | Thirty Years East of the River | 'Things turn around.' A warning aimed at whoever is winning right now. |
| 有眼不识泰山 | Blind to Mount Tai | 'I failed to recognise greatness.' Either an apology or a dying regret. |
| 来日方长 | There Will Be Time | 'We will settle this later.' A polite way to leave a fight unfinished. |
| 后会有期 | Until We Meet Again | Standard farewell to a rival. Usually means the opposite of what it says. |
| 青山不改，绿水长流 | The Green Hills Stay | A formal, faintly theatrical goodbye. Popular with wanderers and old men. |
| 告辞 | Taking My Leave | Clean exit line. Ends a conversation without conceding anything. |
| 恕不奉陪 | I Will Not Be Keeping You Company | Refusing to stay or to fight, said politely. A disguised insult. |
| 好自为之 | Take Care of Yourself | Warm on the surface, a warning underneath. |
| 走着瞧 | We Will See | A threat wearing the clothes of a shrug. |
| 一言为定 | It Is Settled | Sealing a verbal agreement. In this genre, usually the setup for a betrayal. |
| 多谢前辈 | Thank You, Senior | Formulaic gratitude to someone stronger. Correct, and slightly cold. |
| 前辈谬赞 | You Flatter Me, Senior | Deflecting a compliment. Required politeness, never sincere. |
| 不敢当 | I Do Not Deserve It | Formal refusal of praise. Said while accepting it. |
| 承让 | Thanks for Going Easy | What the winner says to the loser. Insufferable by design. |
| 此事休要再提 | Drop the Subject | Closing a topic permanently. Said by someone who will not be argued with. |
| 该死 | Damn It | Ordinary frustration. Works in any scene, at any rank. |
| 混账 | Bastard | A general-purpose insult with no specific content. Loud rather than clever. |
| 废物 | Useless | What a master calls a disappointing disciple. Cruel precisely because it is casual. |
| 狂妄 | Arrogant | A judgement rather than an insult. Usually the last word before a beating. |
| 不知死活 | Does Not Know Death | Contempt for someone walking into their own end without noticing. |
| 放话 | Put Out Word | A public statement made in order to be repeated. In practice, a threat with witnesses attached. |
| 久仰大名 | Long Heard of You | First line of any formal meeting. Sometimes true. |
| 如雷贯耳 | Thunder in the Ear | Praising someone's reputation to their face. Standard flattery, still effective. |
| 幸会 | Fortunate to Meet | Neutral greeting between strangers of equal standing. |
| 失敬 | Pardon My Ignorance | The apology after realising who you just spoke to rudely. |
| 见笑 | You Must Be Laughing | Self-deprecation before showing something. Lowers expectations on purpose. |
| 献丑 | Showing My Poor Skill | Said before demonstrating a technique. The humbler the words, the more dangerous the technique. |
| 岂敢 | I Wouldn't Dare | Polite refusal, or polite agreement. The tone decides. |
| 客气 | You're Too Kind | Deflecting a compliment or an offer. Rarely meant, always said. |
| 过奖 | Overpraising | Modest deflection of praise. Delivered with a small smile. |
| 托福 | Thanks to You | Credit given away to the other person. Gracious, and slightly old-fashioned. |
| 借光 | Borrowing Your Light | Riding someone else's reputation for a moment. Said with a bow. |
| 叨扰 | Pardon the Intrusion | Said when entering someone's home or sect. The standard opening of a visit. |
| 打扰 | Disturbing You | Lighter than the previous one. Used for brief interruptions. |
| 恕不远送 | I Won't See You Out | Cold courtesy. The host is done with you, politely. |
| 留步 | Don't See Me Out | The guest releasing the host from courtesy. Also used to make someone stop walking. |
| 慢走 | Take Your Time | What you say to someone leaving. Entirely neutral, which is why it can sting. |
| 一路顺风 | Fair Winds | A send-off for a journey. The standard, and slightly ominous if the journey is dangerous. |
| 珍重 | Take Care | The last thing said when people do not expect to meet again. |
| 有缘再见 | If Fate Allows | A farewell that admits the odds. Softer than goodbye, and sadder. |
| 拭目以待 | We Shall See | Waiting to watch the outcome. Neutral in form, a challenge in practice. |
| 静候佳音 | Awaiting Good News | Polite closing. Used when the other party has no choice but to deliver. |
| 恭候大驾 | Awaiting Your Arrival | Elaborate courtesy with pressure underneath. You are expected. |
| 蓬荜生辉 | My Hut Is Honored | Said when a distinguished guest arrives. Self-deprecating by convention. |
| 三生有幸 | Fortune of Three Lives | Overwhelming honour at meeting someone. Grander than it needs to be. |
| 不胜荣幸 | Overwhelmed with Honor | Formal delight. Used in front of superiors and enemies alike. |
| 愧不敢当 | I Dare Not Accept | Refusing praise out of humility. Also the polite way to decline a dangerous honour. |
| 却之不恭 | Rude to Refuse | Accepting a gift while pretending not to want it. The standard formula. |
| 笑纳 | Please Accept | The words that accompany a gift. Humble, and slightly formal. |
| 略表心意 | A Small Token | Announcing a gift as though it were nothing. The size of the gift contradicts this. |
| 不成敬意 | Barely Worth Your Notice | Same idea, more elaborate. The more elaborate, the more valuable the gift. |
| 风水轮流转 | The Wheel Turns | The second half of the same idea, used alone. Short, and always a threat. |
| 莫欺少年穷 | Do Not Mock the Young and Poor | The genre's founding line. Any character who hears it has just made an enemy. |
| 青山不改 | The Green Hills Do Not Change | The first half of a farewell proverb. Said by a character who intends to come back. |
| 山水有相逢 | Mountains and Rivers Will Meet Again | Warning disguised as courtesy. Usually said just before letting someone leave alive. |
| 在下告辞 | I Take My Leave | Formal exit. Refusing to accept it is a declaration. |
| 不送 | I Will Not See You Out | Dismissive courtesy. Doing it with a smile is worse. |
| 得寸进尺 | Give an Inch, Take a Yard | Accusation against someone who keeps asking. Accurate about the antagonist. |
| 一手遮天 | One Hand Covers the Sky | Describes a person whose influence reaches everything. Said with resentment. |
| 不知天高地厚 | Knows Not the Height of Heaven | Said to someone who has picked the wrong enemy. Very reliable predictor of a beating. |
| 狗眼看人低 | Judging by Dog's Eyes | Accusation of snobbery. Mostly said by people who are about to prove they were right. |
| 以卵击石 | Egg Against Stone | A prediction of failure. The genre's way of announcing a reversal. |
| 不知好歹 | Cannot Tell Good from Bad | Said when a kindness is refused. The speaker is usually the problem. |
| 自作自受 | Made It Yourself, Suffer It Yourself | Said over a defeated enemy. Structurally, the last line before a chapter ends. |
| 如意算盘 | Wishful Calculation | An assumption of success that will not survive the next page. |
| 异想天开 | Wild Imagination | Disbelief at a bold plan. Sometimes admiration. |
| 痴人说梦 | A Fool's Dream | The clipped version, aimed at a plan. |
| 雪中送炭 | Charcoal in Snow | Help at the worst moment. Recognised instantly by everyone in the room. |
| 锦上添花 | Flowers on Brocade | Help for someone who does not need it. Usually said with contempt. |
| 无事献殷勤 | Keenness Without a Request | The opening of a proverb about hidden motives. Everyone knows the second half, so it is never said. |
| 黄鼠狼给鸡拜年 | Weasel Wishing the Chicken a Happy New Year | A whole proverb about disguised malice. Delivered with relish. |
| 此地无银三百两 | Three Hundred Taels of Silver Are Not Here | A denial that proves the thing denied. Used to describe clumsy lying. |
| 掩耳盗铃 | Covering the Ears to Steal a Bell | Self-deception that fools nobody. Said about an enemy's plan. |
| 画蛇添足 | Drawing Legs on a Snake | Ruining something by adding to it. Used about overcautious allies. |
| 守株待兔 | Wait by the Tree for Hares | Waiting for luck instead of working. The criticism made of unambitious characters. |
| 刻舟求剑 | Marking the Boat to Find a Sword | Insisting on an outdated plan. Said by the young to the old, and sometimes justified. |
| 亡羊补牢 | Mend the Pen After a Sheep is Lost | Fixing a problem late. Never said approvingly in this genre. |
| 釜底抽薪 | Remove the Fuel from Under the Pot | Cut the root cause. The clever solution an elder proposes. |
| 擒贼先擒王 | Catch the Thief Before the King | Actually means catch the leader first. Constant tactical advice, almost never followed. |
| 打草惊蛇 | Beat the Grass, Alarm the Snake | A warning about acting too early. Precisely what the protagonist is accused of. |
| 引蛇出洞 | Lure the Snake from its Hole | The tactic that is accused of the above line. Both get used in the same chapter. |
| 两虎相争 | Two Tigers Fighting | The opening of a proverb about a third party profiting. Never stated in full. |
| 渔翁得利 | The Fisherman Profits | The second half. Said quietly by whoever is waiting. |
| 借刀杀人 | Borrow a Knife to Kill | Getting someone else to do it. The foundational tactic of the demonic path. |
| 隔岸观火 | Watch the Fire from the Far Bank | Doing nothing while allies burn. Sometimes wisdom, usually betrayal. |
| 火上浇油 | Add Oil to the Fire | Making an argument worse. Said of anyone who speaks in the middle of a fight. |
| 竹篮打水 | Hauling Water with a Bamboo Basket | Total loss. Used to describe a plan the book has just dismantled. |
| 赔了夫人又折兵 | Lose the Wife and the Troops | A historic humiliation turned proverb. Used when a scheme fails in front of witnesses. |
| 偷鸡不成蚀把米 | Fail to Steal the Chicken, Lose the Rice | Same structure, more comic. Frequent in low-tier arcs. |
| 画饼充饥 | Draw a Cake to Cure Hunger | Empty promises. The line aimed at a corrupt sect head. |
| 望梅止渴 | Look at Plums to Cure Thirst | A comforting lie that works briefly. Cited approvingly by tacticians. |
| 纸上谈兵 | Discussing War on Paper | Criticism of anyone who has read a lot and fought nothing. The genre's favourite insult for young masters. |
| 时辰已到 | The Hour Has Come | Said by an executioner or a patient duellist. Both readings are intended. |
| 天要亡我 | Heaven Is Ending Me | Said at the moment a character understands he has lost. |
| 宁为玉碎 | Better to Be Broken Jade | The opening of a proverb about refusing to be whole clay. Said before an unnecessary stand. |
| 不为瓦全 | Than to Be Whole Clay | The second half. Rarely spoken; the speaker is usually dead before it. |
| 士可杀不可辱 | A Gentleman May Be Killed, Not Insulted | A duel justification. Occasionally said by someone about to be both. |
| 此仇不报 | If This Wrong Is Not Answered | The opening of an oath. Completed only in the last chapter. |
| 何须多言 | What More Is There to Say | Ending a negotiation. Consistent with the short English version. |
| 不必再说 | Say No More | The same, colder. Usually followed by a drawn weapon. |
| 就此别过 | We Part Here | A final-sounding goodbye. Brings the other party back within ten chapters. |
| 空口无凭 | Words Are No Proof | Demanding a written promise. The correct reply to the line above. |
| 立字为据 | Put It in Writing | The demand itself. Used before a bet that everyone intends to honour. |
| 口说无凭 | A Spoken Word Has No Weight | The variation that appears in legal scenes. |
| 有仇报仇 | A Grudge Is Paid | The first half of a formula. Usually said calmly, at close range. |
| 有怨报怨 | A Resentment Is Answered | The second half. Together they sound like a court sentence. |
| 因果循环 | Karma Comes Around | Said over a fallen enemy. Almost always true in these books. |
| 善有善报 | Good Deeds Are Rewarded | Half a proverb. The genre tests this claim repeatedly and does not always pass. |
| 恶有恶报 | Evil Deeds Are Repaid | The other half, said grimly. Works as a threat. |
| 不是不报 | It Is Not That There Is No Reckoning | The opening of the most quoted line about delayed justice. Never finished because everyone knows it. |
| 时辰未到 | The Hour Has Not Come | The completion. Used to end a chapter with menace. |
| 天网恢恢 | Heaven's Net Is Wide | The first half of a proverb about nothing escaping. Said by officials, and by anyone closing a trap. |
| 疏而不漏 | Sparse but Not Leaking | The second half. Rarely spoken, often implied. |
| 大难不死 | Survived a Great Calamity | The first half of a proverb promising later fortune. The genre treats it as a mechanic. |
| 必有后福 | Must Have Fortune After | The second half. Deployed right before the next disaster. |
| 命里有时终须有 | What Is Destined Will Come | Resignation, spoken by an old character. The young never agree. |
| 命里无时莫强求 | What Is Not Destined Cannot Be Forced | The second half. The moral the protagonist routinely ignores. |
| 人外有人 | There Are People Beyond People | The first half of a warning about stronger opponents. Usually said to someone who then meets one. |
| 天外有天 | There Are Heavens Beyond Heaven | The second half. The genre's favourite de-escalation. |
| 一山还有一山高 | There Is Always a Higher Mountain | The full idea in one line. Used as a lesson or as a threat. |
| 强中自有强中手 | Among the Strong There Is Always Stronger | The formal version. Sounds like a saying because it is one. |
| 三十年太久 | Thirty Years Is Too Long | Said when revenge cannot wait. Cuts off the classic proverb on purpose. |
| 留得青山在 | Keep the Green Mountain | The first half of a proverb about surviving to fight later. Retreat justified. |
| 不怕没柴烧 | There Will Be Firewood | The second half. The acceptance of a temporary loss. |
You will meet every one of these within twenty chapters of any long novel. Pick a rendering and keep it. Terms follow the free cultivation novels at cultivationnovel.com.
Source: cultivationnovel.com · Cultivation Glossary