Chinglish Dictionary

One more bowl

再来一碗

A simple but powerful Chinglish request: "one more bowl please!" Used when you want a second helping of rice, noodles, s...

This dish very delicious

这道菜非常美味

A textbook example of Chinglish food praise: "this dish is very delicious." The error is using "very" to modify "delicio...

Want eat what

想吃什么

The ultimate Chinese food question in Chinglish: "what do you want to eat?" Dropping the auxiliary verb "do" and followi...

Front door not open, back door open

前门不开后门开

A Chinese business criticism about backdoor deals: "when the front door (official channel) doesn't open, the back door (...

Bend waist for five rice dou

为五斗米折腰

A poetic Chinese phrase about compromising dignity for a salary: "bending your waist for five measures of rice." It desc...

Use person not doubt, doubt person not use

用人不疑，疑人不用

A classic Chinese management philosophy: "if you use a person, don't doubt them; if you doubt a person, don't use them."...

Sponge squeeze

压榨

A harsh Chinese business term: "squeezing the sponge" — meaning extracting every last drop of value from employees. It d...

Kill chicken scare monkey

杀鸡儆猴

A famous Chinese business management tactic: "kill the chicken to scare the monkey." It means punishing one person harsh...

Ride horse look for horse

骑马找马

A pragmatic Chinese career strategy: "while riding one horse, look for another horse." It means keeping your current job...

Eat big pot rice

吃大锅饭

A term from China's socialist era: "eating from the big pot" — meaning equal distribution regardless of contribution. Ev...

Work bull work horse

当牛做马

A vivid Chinese expression of workplace exhaustion: "working like a bull and a horse" — meaning working extremely hard, ...

One face good one face bad

当面一套背后一套

A Chinese business criticism: "one face in front, another face behind." It describes someone who acts friendly to your f...

Wear small shoes

穿小鞋

A uniquely Chinese business expression: "wearing small shoes" means being deliberately given a hard time by someone in p...

Step stone

垫脚石

A Chinese business metaphor for a "stepping stone" — a position or person used as a means to reach a higher goal. In Chi...

Burn bridge after cross river

过河拆桥

A Chinese business idiom about ungratefulness: "after crossing the river, burn the bridge." It describes someone who use...

Carry the pot / Bei guo

背锅

A vividly descriptive Chinese business term: "carrying the pot" means taking the blame for something you didn't do — bei...

Beat worker / Da gong ren

打工人

A self-deprecating Chinese term for the modern worker: "the beaten worker" or "wage laborer." It went viral as a way for...

Lie flat / Tang ping

躺平

The ultimate Chinese response to the rat race: "lie flat" means giving up the exhausting competition for wealth and stat...

Inside roll / Nei juan

内卷

A modern Chinese business phenomenon: "involution" or "inside roll" — the exhausting competition where everyone works ha...

Face project

面子工程

A critical Chinese business term: a "face project" is a vanity project done primarily to gain face (prestige, reputation...