Dictionary content from CC-CEDICT

Welcome to the MDBG free online English to Chinese dictionary, the no. 1 Chinese study aid! This website offers more than just a Chinese to English and English to Chinese dictionary, it offers various tools such as: flashcards, quizzes, text annotation, Chinese text input, written Chinese and more. The MDBG dictionary is used in many schools and universities all over the world, discover why! Learn Chinese faster with MDBG!

Chinese dictionary for Windows 10

MDBG Chinese Reader is the perfect dictionary application for Microsoft Windows. Translate Chinese text and Lookup Mandarin pinyin for Chinese words easily. Just glide your mouse over the Chinese text and a pop-up window shows English translations and Mandarin pronunciations. Learn Chinese faster with MDBG!


handwriting
Auto complete input: off | on

32 results on this page.

Usage Tips
Simplified
Pīnyīn
English Definition Add a new word to the dictionary Traditional
HSK
not equal to; not as good as; inferior to / it would be better to
HSK 2
if you want sth done well, do it yourself (idiom)
to be getting worse with each generation
to be getting worse by the day
give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime (idiom)
it is better to avoid unnecessary trouble (idiom) / the less complications the better
man proposes, God disposes (idiom) / one's plans can be derailed by unforeseen events
if an official does not put the people first, he might as well go home and sell sweet potatoes
the palest ink is better than the best memory (idiom)
leaving much to be desired / unsatisfactory / undesirable
to consider oneself as being not as good as the others
ashamed of being inferior (idiom) / to feel inferior to others
better to go home and weave a net than to stand by the pond longing for fish (idiom) / one should take practical steps to achieve one's aim
better a bad life than a good death (idiom)
lit. carefully setting an auspicious date does not beat seizing an opportunity (idiom) / fig. seize the occasion
A relative afar is less use than a close neighbor (idiom). Take whatever help is on hand, even from strangers.
arriving early can't beat coming at the right time / perfect timing
better to just get the pain over with, rather than prolong the agony
seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times (idiom); seeing for oneself is better than hearing from many others / seeing is believing
things are not as good as they used to be
deference is no substitute for obedience (idiom) / (said to accept sb's request, invitation etc)
worse than a beast / to behave immorally
give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime / knowledge is the best charity
the unvarnished truth is better than a cunning ruse (idiom) / honesty is the best policy
lit. to dispatch a general is not as effective as to excite a general / fig. inciting people to action is more effective than dispatching orders
worse than a dog or pig / lower than low
knowing sb by their reputation can't compare to meeting them in person (idiom)
the benefits of medicine are not as great as those of good nutrition
there's no place like home (idiom)
to be better off ... / might as well ...
seeing sth for oneself is better than hearing about it from others
Explaining in words is not as good as teaching by example (idiom). Action speaks louder than words.


Tip: Do you know some useful Chinese websites? Send the links to me through the contact page, thanks!
© 2025 MDBG Made in Holland Made in Europe
Automated or scripted access is prohibited
Privacy and cookies