Category: Chinese Words&Phrases

秘方 (mìfāng) secret recipe Usage: “秘方”古代又叫“禁方”，指有效灵验的药方，因其比较独特神秘，一般不对外公开。现在人们有时候也把奇妙或巧妙的方法叫做“秘方”。“秘方(mìfāng)” also “禁方(jìnfāng)”, means an effective prescription or remedy, which is usually confidential because it is usually special and mysterious. Now ingenious or marvelous methods are also called “秘方”.

热门 (rèmén) in great demand; hot Usage: “热门”是指当前流行的，能引起人们注意或者吸引人的事物。“热门(rèmén)” refers to a popular thing which attracts people’s attention or something in great demand.

铁饭碗 (tiě fànwǎn) a secure job Usage: “铁饭碗”的字面意思是指用铁制作成的碗，非常坚硬。后来用来形容一份收入稳定、待遇优厚、不会失业的工作。“铁饭碗”是中国众多求职者一直向往的理想工作。“铁饭碗 (tiě fàn wǎn)”, whose literal meaning is an iron bowl. Because it is too hard to break up, people also use it to refer to a job or position which is stable, well-paid and secure. The job described like this is always pursued by most Chinese job seekers.

跑龙套 (pǎo lóngtào) play an insignificant role Usage: “跑龙套”本义是指戏曲中拿着旗子演士兵的角色。后来用来比喻在别人手下做一些不重要的事情，或者在一个团队、项目中充当不重要的角色。"跑龙套(pǎo lóngtào)" refers to the person who holds flags and plays the soldier’s role in the opera. It is a metaphor for those who are in charge of something unimportant or play a small role in a team or a project.

捏把汗 (niē bǎ hàn) feel nervous; worry about sth. or sb. Usage: “捏把汗”指因为担心所以手上出了很多汗，好像手里捏了一把汗一样。形容心情非常紧张。关于这个词，人们经常使用的结构还有“为/替某人捏（一/两）把汗”“ 捏了把汗”等。"捏把汗(niē bǎ hàn )" means one’s hands sweat because he/she is nervous about something or somebody. The common structure is "为/替（wèi/tì） somebody 捏（一/两）把汗(niē(yì/liǎng) bǎ hàn ) /捏了把汗(niē le bǎ hàn ) ".

拉后腿 (lā hòutuǐ) hold sb. back/be a drag on sb. Usage: “拉后腿”指阻止或牵绊别人或整个团队的前进进程，使其不能继续向前发展。口语中也常常用“给……拉后腿，拉……的后腿”这两种表达方式。"拉后腿(lā hòutuǐ)" means to deter or hold back the advance of someone or the whole team. In colloquial language, it can also be used in "给……拉后腿”and “拉……的后腿."

捅娄子 (tǒng lóuzi) make a mess of sth. Usage: “捅娄子”是一个贬义词，意思是某人做错了事或是说错了话，引起了麻烦或纠纷。"捅娄子(tǒng lóuzi)" is a derogatory term indicating someone has done something wrong or said something inappropriate that caused trouble or dispute.