Introduction
Many common idioms and proverbs (成语, chéngyǔ) use fruit to represent wisdom, luck, or life lessons. Understanding these phrases will help you speak more naturally and express ideas in an engaging way. In this post, we’ll explore fruit-related idioms and their meanings.
1. Common Chinese Idioms and Proverbs with Fruits
Here are some fruit-related idioms, their meanings, and how to use them:
瓜田不纳履 (guā tián bù nà lǚ) – “Don’t adjust your shoes in a melon field”
Meaning: Avoid doing things that could cause suspicion.桃李满天下 (táo lǐ mǎn tiān xià) – “Peach and plum trees fill the world”
Meaning: A teacher has many successful students.柿子捡软的捏 (shì zi jiǎn ruǎn de niē) – “Squeeze the soft persimmon”
Meaning: Bullies pick on the weak.葡萄是酸的 (pú táo shì suān de) – “The grapes are sour”
Meaning: Someone is jealous and pretending they don’t care. (Similar to “sour grapes” in English.)杏花春雨 (xìng huā chūn yǔ) – “Apricot blossoms in spring rain”
Meaning: Describes a soft and poetic spring scene.梨花带雨 (lí huā dài yǔ) – “Pear blossoms with rain”
Meaning: Describes a woman crying beautifully.望梅止渴 (wàng méi zhǐ kě) – “Gazing at plums to quench thirst”
Meaning: Imagining something to make oneself feel better (often used when someone is longing for something).橘生淮南则为橘，生于淮北则为枳 (jú shēng huái nán zé wéi jú, shēng yú huái běi zé wéi zhǐ) – “Oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet, but those grown north turn sour.”
Meaning: Environment can change a person’s nature.结桃种李 (jié táo zhǒng lǐ) – “Harvest peaches, plant plums”
Meaning: If you do good things, you will receive good things in return.苹果落地 (píng guǒ luò dì) – “The apple falls to the ground”
Meaning: Things will happen naturally when the time is right.
2. How to Use Fruit Idioms in Daily Conversation
Writing Practice: Try using a fruit-related idiom in a sentence.
Roleplay Conversations: Practice using idioms in everyday speech.
Short Stories: Read or create short stories featuring these idioms.
3. Fun Learning Activities
Draw and Guess: Illustrate a fruit idiom and ask a friend to guess its meaning.
Word Matching: Match idioms with their meanings in a worksheet.
Create Your Own Idioms: Make up new idioms using fruits and explain their meanings.
Conclusion
Understanding fruit idioms makes learning Chinese more fun and helps you use the language in a natural and expressive way.
Want more interactive learning? Download our free fruit idioms worksheet at Little Rainbow Artwork and start improving your Chinese skills today!
