| 黎明前的黑暗 | li2 ming2 qian2 de5 hei1 an4 | darkness comes before dawn |
| 一发不可收拾 | yi1 fa1 bu4 ke3 shou1 shi5 | to get out of hand |
| 事到如今 | shi4 dao4 ru2 jin1 | as matters stand |
| 不以物喜，不以己悲 | bu4 yi3 wu4 xi3 bu4 yi3 ji3 bei1 | not to become attached to material things, not to pity oneself |
| 事无巨细 | shi4 wu2 ju4 xi4 | fig. to deal with any matter, regardless of its importance |
| 天下没有不散的筵席 | tian1 xia4 mei2 you3 bu4 san4 de5 yan2 xi2 | all good things must come to an end (idiom) |
| 好大喜功 | hao4 da4 xi3 gong1 | to rejoice in grandiose deeds |
| 效果图 | xiao4 guo3 tu2 | rendering (visual representation of how things will turn out) |
| 暴殄天物 | bao4 tian3 tian1 wu4 | to waste natural resources recklessly |
| 洪水猛兽 | hong2 shui3 meng3 shou4 | fig. great scourges |
| 白衣苍狗 | bai2 yi1 cang1 gou3 | fig. the impermanence of all things |
| 穿一条裤子 | chuan1 yi1 tiao2 ku4 zi5 | to be like family |
| 触类旁通 | chu4 lei4 pang2 tong1 | to comprehend (new things) by analogy |