Numerical idioms

In the profundity of Chinese culture, numbers are not just numbers. They can convey many other meanings when used in Chinese idioms. Here are some idioms which include the numbers from one to ten. Let’s check them out.


一穷二白（yī qióng èr bái）
一(yī ) means one and 二（èr）means two. However, when we say “一穷二白”（ yī qióng èr bái），it means “poverty and blankness”, or “economically poor and culturally blank”. For example:

改变这个国家一穷二白的面貌。
gǎi biàn zhè gè guó jiā yī qióng èr bái de miàn mào
Lift this country from the state of “poverty and blankness”.

我们仅仅用了半个多世纪时间，不仅改变了旧中国一穷二白的落后面貌，而且建立起门类齐全的现代工业体系。 
Wǒmen jǐnjǐn yòngle bàn gè duō shìjì shíjiān, bùjǐn gǎibiànle jiù zhōngguó yīqióng'èrbái de luòhòu miànmào, érqiě jiànlì qǐ ménlèi qíquán de xiàndài gōngyè tǐxì. It has taken us just a little more than half a century not only to put an end to the backward state of poverty and blankness characteristic of the old China, but also set up a modern industrial system with a complete range of production. 


丢三落四(diū sān là sì)
三（sān）means three and 四（sì）means four. This idiom means “do things carelessly or have a bad memory”. For example:

他做事老是丢三落四的。
tā zuò shì lǎo shì diū sān là sì de.
He is always careless.


五颜六色(wǔ yán liù sè)
五(wǔ) is five and 六(liù) is six. It is equivalent to “colorful”. For example:

他们将房子漆得五颜六色。
tā men jiāng fáng zi qī de wǔ yán liù sè.
They paint their house with various colors.


七上八下(qī shàng bā xià)
七(qī) stands for seven and八(bā) for eight. 七上八下(qī shàng bā xià) is often used when “someone is very upset or anxious and feels ill at ease”. For example,

他就感觉心里七上八下。
tā jiù gǎn jué xīn lǐ qī shàng bā xià.
He is very anxious.


十拿九稳（shí ná jiǔ wěn）
十(shí) is ten and 九(jiǔ) is nine. You can use 十拿九稳（shí ná jiǔ wěn）when you are quite certain of something. For example,

他学习很好，考进前三名是十拿九稳的事。
tā xué xí hěn hǎo, kǎo jìn qián sān míng shì shí ná jiǔ wěn de shì.
He studies very well, so it is certain that he will be placed in the first three spots in the exam.


十全十美(shí quán shí měi)
十全十美(shí quán shí měi) means perfection. For example,

新生事物在刚产生时，并不都是十全十美的。

xīn shēng shì wù zài gāng chǎn shēng shí，bìng bù dōu shì shí quán shí měi de.

It is impossible for new things to be perfect.

Please fill in the blanks by using the idioms above:

1. 小张很马虎，做事情总是_______________。
2. 小李做事非常认真，总是追求_______________
3. 我心里_______________，坐也不安稳。
4. 半个世纪前，中国真是_______________啊!
5. 我没有把这件事安排好, 因此心里_______________的。  
6. 李雷学习成绩非常优秀，_______________可以考上重点大学。
7. 他老是这么_______________的。你看, 又把房门钥匙锁在屋子里了。
8. 窗前放着一个鱼缸，里面有_______________的石子。
9. 别想找_______________的工作了，那简直是幻想。

 
More Numerical idioms for you:
一目十行（yí mù shí hang）: cover ten lines at one glance; quick in reading.
 一言九鼎（yì yán jiǔdǐng）: one word has the weight of nine bronze Ding, a solemn promise or pledge

一言为定（yì yán wéi dìng）：one word and it's settled (idiom); It's a deal! / That's settled then.
一心一意(yì xīn yī yì): be preoccupied with.
三心二意（sān xīn èr yì）：be of two minds
四通八达（sì tōng bā dá）：accessible from all directions.
九牛一毛（jiǔ niú yī máo）：a drop in the bucket.
（CRI.CN）