Chinese symbol for “idiom”
成语
chéng yǔ
Traditional: 成語
Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical quotation; idiom; proverb; saying; adage; 条 (tiáo),本 (běn),句 (jù)
The closest CC-CEDICT match for idiom is 成语 (chéng yǔ), defined as: Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical quotation; idiom; proverb; saying; adage; 条 (tiáo),本 (běn),句 (jù).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Characters and stroke order
Traditional forms
Other Chinese words for “idiom”
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 熟语 (熟語) | shú yǔ | idiom |
| 习惯用语 (習慣用語) | xí guàn yòng yǔ | idiom; idiomatic expression |
| 习惯用法 (習慣用法) | xí guàn yòng fǎ | idiom |
| 习语 (習語) | xí yǔ | common saying; idiom |
| 惯用语 (慣用語) | guàn yòng yǔ | commonly used phrase; idiom |
Related words
Other words that share a character with 成语.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 成为 (成為) | chéng wéi | to become; to turn into |
| 完成 | wán chéng | to complete; to accomplish |
| 成功 | chéng gōng | to succeed; success |
| 成立 | chéng lì | to establish; to set up |
| 造成 | zào chéng | to bring about; to create; to cause |
| 成员 (成員) | chéng yuán | member |
| 语言 (語言) | yǔ yán | language; 门 (mén),种 (zhǒng) |
| 语音 (語音) | yǔ yīn | speech sounds; pronunciation |
See also: Japanese symbol for “idiom”.
Data: CC-CEDICT (CC BY-SA 4.0); Unihan Database (Unicode License v3); Make Me a Hanzi (Arphic Public License (graphics.txt); LGPL-3.0-or-later (dictionary.txt)); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.