Chinese idioms starting with K

Four-character idioms (chengyu) from CC-CEDICT, sorted by pinyin.

开诚布公 kāi chéng bù gōng lit. deal sincerely and fairly ; frank and open-minded
开诚相见 kāi chéng xiāng jiàn candid and open
开花结果 kāi huā jiē guǒ (lit.) to blossom and bear fruit
开疆拓土 kāi jiāng tuò tǔ to expand one's territory; to conquer new lands; (fig.) to e
开卷有益 kāi juàn yǒu yì lit. opening a book is profitable ; the benefits of educatio
开锣喝道 kāi luó hè dào to clear a street by banging gongs and shouting loudly
开门见山 kāi mén jiàn shān lit. to open the door and see the mountain; fig. to get righ
开门揖盗 kāi mén yī dào leaving the door open invites the thief ; to invite disaster
开天辟地 kāi tiān pì dì (lit.) to split heaven and earth apart (refers to the Pangu
开源节流 kāi yuán jié liú lit. to open a water source and reduce outflow ; to increase
开宗明义 kāi zōng míng yì to declare at the outset
开足马力 kāi zú mǎ lì to accelerate at full power ; at full speed
看菜吃饭 kàn cài chī fàn (lit.) to eat depending on the dish
看家本领 kān jiā běn lǐng one's forte
坎坷不平 kǎn kě bù píng potholed and bumpy road ; fig. full of disappointment and da
看破红尘 kàn pò hóng chén to see through the illusions of the material world (often a
看人行事 kàn rén xíng shì to treat people according to their rank and one's relationsh
慷慨赴义 kāng kǎi fù yì heroically sacrificing one's life ; to sacrifice oneself fer
慷慨解囊 kāng kǎi jiě náng to contribute generously ; help sb generously with money
慷慨捐生 kāng kǎi juān shēng sacrificing one's life generously ; to sacrifice oneself fer
慷慨输将 kāng kǎi shū jiāng to donate generously
康庄大道 kāng zhuāng dà dào broad and open road ; fig. brilliant future prospects
刻薄寡恩 kè bó guǎ ēn harsh and merciless
可乘之机 kě chéng zhī jī an opportunity that someone (usually a villain or adversary)
可歌可泣 kě gē kě qì lit. you can sing or you can cry ; fig. deeply moving
刻骨铭心 kè gǔ míng xīn lit. carved in bones and engraved in the heart
刻骨相思 kè gǔ xiāng sī deep-seated lovesickness
刻鹄类鹜 kè hú lèi wù to aim to carve a swan and get a semblance of a duck
克己奉公 kè jǐ fèng gōng self-restraint and devotion to public duties ; selfless dedi
苛捐杂税 kē juān zá shuì exorbitant taxation
刻苦耐劳 kè kǔ nài láo to bear hardships and work hard ; assiduous and long-sufferi
克勤克俭 kè qín kè jiǎn industrious and frugal
客死异乡 kè sǐ yì xiāng to die in a foreign land
溘先朝露 kè xiān zhāo lù the morning dew will swiftly dissipate ; fig. ephemeral and
可想而知 kě xiǎng ér zhī (it) goes without saying; can well be imagined
刻舟求剑 kè zhōu qiú jiàn lit. a notch on the side of a boat to locate a sword dropped
坑蒙拐骗 kēng mēng guǎi piàn to swindle, scam and deceive
空洞无物 kōng dòng wú wù empty cave, nothing there ; devoid of substance
空腹高心 kōng fù gāo xīn ambitious despite a lack of talent
空谷足音 kōng gǔ zú yīn (lit.) the sound of footsteps in a deserted valley
空空如也 kōng kōng rú yě as empty as anything ; completely bereft
空口无凭 kōng kǒu wú píng mere verbal statement cannot be taken as proof
空室清野 kōng shì qīng yě empty room, clean field ; clean out everything to leave noth
空头支票 kōng tóu zhī piào bounced check; bad check
空无所有 kōng wú suǒ yǒu having nothing ; utterly destitute
空无一人 kōng wú yī rén not a soul in sight
孔武有力 kǒng wǔ yǒu lì courageous and strong
空穴来风 kōng xué lái fēng lit. wind from an empty cave
空中楼阁 kōng zhōng lóu gé pavilion in the air ; unrealistic Utopian construction
口碑流传 kǒu bēi liú chuán widely praised ; with an extensive public reputation
口碑载道 kǒu bēi zài dào lit. praise fills the roads ; praise everywhere
口齿伶俐 kǒu chǐ líng lì eloquent and fluent speaker ; grandiloquence
口齿生香 kǒu chǐ shēng xiāng eloquence that generates perfume ; profound and significant
口干舌燥 kǒu gān shé zào lit. dry mouth and tongue ; to talk too much
口口声声 kǒu kou shēng shēng to keep on saying ; to repeat over and over again
口蜜腹剑 kǒu mì fù jiàn lit. honeyed words, a sword in the belly ; fig. hypocritical
口若悬河 kǒu ruò xuán hé mouth like a torrent
口是心非 kǒu shì xīn fēi duplicity
口说无凭 kǒu shuō wú píng you can't rely on a verbal agreement; just because sb says s
口无择言 kǒu wú zé yán to say not a word that is not appropriate
口诛笔伐 kǒu zhū bǐ fá to condemn in speech and in writing
苦大仇深 kǔ dà chóu shēn great bitterness and deep hatred; deeply ingrained long-stan
苦海茫茫 kǔ hǎi máng máng sea of bitterness is vast
苦尽甘来 kǔ jìn gān lái bitterness finishes, sweetness begins ; the hard times are o
苦口婆心 kǔ kǒu pó xīn earnest and well-meaning advice ; to persuade patiently
枯木逢春 kū mù féng chūn lit. the spring comes upon a withered tree
苦思冥想 kǔ sī míng xiǎng to think deeply; to rack one's brains
哭笑不得 kū xiào bù dé lit. not to know whether to laugh or cry
苦心孤诣 kǔ xīn gū yì to make painstaking efforts ; after much trouble
苦中作乐 kǔ zhōng zuò lè to find joy in sorrows ; to enjoy sth in spite of one's suff
夸多斗靡 kuā duō dòu mǐ to use literary phrases in one's writing to show off one's e
夸夸其谈 kuā kuā qí tán to talk big; to sound off; to be full of hot air
胯下之辱 kuà xià zhī rǔ (lit.) the humiliation of having to crawl between the legs o
快马加鞭 kuài mǎ jiā biān to spur the horse to full speed
脍炙人口 kuài zhì rén kǒu appealing to the masses
宽大为怀 kuān dà wéi huái magnanimous
宽打窄用 kuān dǎ zhǎi yòng to give oneself leeway
宽宏大量 kuān hóng dà liàng magnanimous ; generous
宽以待人 kuān yǐ dài rén to be lenient with others
狂风暴雨 kuáng fēng bào yǔ howling wind and torrential rain; furious storm
狂风骤雨 kuáng fēng zhòu yǔ strong wind and heavy rain
旷古未闻 kuàng gǔ wèi wén never before in the whole of history
旷古未有 kuàng gǔ wèi yǒu never before in the whole of history
狂奴故态 kuáng nú gù tài to be set in one's ways
旷日持久 kuàng rì chí jiǔ protracted
狂三诈四 kuáng sān zhà sì to deceive and swindle across the board
狂饮暴食 kuáng yǐn bào shí to eat and drink to excess
窥豹一斑 kuī bào yī bān lit. see one spot on a leopard ; fig. a restricted view
溃不成军 kuì bù chéng jūn (of troops) to be utterly routed and dispersed
愧悔无地 kuì huǐ wú dì ashamed and unable to show one's face
困兽犹斗 kùn shòu yóu dòu a cornered beast will still fight

Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.