Four character sayings, called chengyu, are an interesting feature of the Chinese language, if rather a challenge for the learner. Some of them are quite easy to understand – like 好久不見 hao jiu bu jian, long time no see. Others require knowledge of the often ancient story they refer to. 塞翁失馬 Sai Weng shi ma, the old man from the border lost his horse, can mean either a blessing in disguise or bad luck disguised as good, and refers to a Daoist story from the second century BC.
Many chengyu refer to plants, particularly those with strong symbolic meanings in Chinese culture, such as orchids, willows, pines, and bamboo. Here are a selection.
柳暗花明 liǔ àn huā míng, willows make shade, flowers give light – hope at the darkest hour
柳烟花雾 liǔ yān huā wù, willow scent and flower mist – a scene full of the delights of spring
残花败柳 cán huā bài liǔ, broken flower, withered willow – a fallen woman (willow is often used to symbolise female frailty)
华而不实 huá ér bù shí, flower but no fruit – all show and no substance
红杏出墙 hóng xìng chū qiáng, the red apricot blossom leans over the garden wall – a wife having an affair
破竹之势 pò zhú zhī shì, a force to smash bamboo – an irresistible force
雨后春笋 yǔ hòu chūn sǔn, after rain, the spring bamboo – rapid new growth, or many new things in rapid succession
胸有成竹 xiōng yǒu chéng zhú, to have a finished bamboo in mind – to plan and prepare in advance
势如破竹 shì rú pò zhú, like splitting bamboo – when things are going your way, don’t stop.
出水芙蓉 chū shuǐ fú róng, a lotus flower breaking the surface – surpassingly beautiful (apparently this can refer to a young woman’s face or an old man’s calligraphy – offered without comment)
秋菊傲霜 qiū jú ào shuāng, the autumn chrysanthemum braves the frost – resilience in adversity
明日黄花 míng rì huáng huā, chrysanthemums after the Double Ninth festival – an out-dated or antiquated thing
春兰秋菊chūn lán qiū jú, spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums – everyone/ thing has their own unique charm
采兰赠芍 cǎi lán zèng sháo, pick orchids and present peonies – presents between lovers
芝兰之室 zhī lán zhī shì, a room with irises and orchids – in wealthy and pleasant company
芝兰玉树 zhī lán yù shù, irises, orchids and jade trees – a child with splendid future prospects (irises and orchids symbolise a noble character and the jade tree is also called the scholar tree, a term which might be used to describe a fine son who would do well in the Imperial examinations)
兰艾同焚 lán ài tóng fén, burn orchids and stinking weeds together – to destroy noble and common indiscriminately, or the rain falls on the just and unjust alike
空谷幽兰 kōng gǔ yōu lán, secluded orchids in an empty valley – a noble character (Confucius often used the orchid as a symbol of virtue. Orchids still give out their perfume when there is no one to appreciate it, just as people of good character maintain their standards in poverty)
松柏后凋 sōng bǎi hòu diāo, the pine and the cypress are the last to wither – honesty and virtue will stand the test of time (again, this refers to the Analects of Confucius)
苍松翠柏 cāng sōng cuì bǎi, evergreen pine and cypress – steadfast nobility, similar to the previous phrase
瓜田李下 guā tián lǐ xià, in a melon patch or under a plum tree – suspicious circumstances (this is an abbreviated form of the saying “Don’t put on your shoes in a melon patch, don’t adjust your hat in a plum field,” as reaching up or down in those circumstances could be misconstrued as stealing fruit.)
Japonica Plants Nursery 