Chengyu in the context of "Classic of Poetry"

A yojijukugo (Japanese: 四字熟語; pronounced [jo̞ʑiʑɨꜜkɯ̟ɡo̞]) is a Japanese lexeme consisting of four kanji (Chinese characters). English translations of yojijukugo include "four-character compound", "four-character idiom", "four-character idiomatic phrase", and "four-character idiomatic compound". It is equivalent to the Chinese chengyu.

A saying is any concise expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. A saying often shows a wisdom or cultural standard, having different meanings than just the words themselves. Sayings are categorized as follows:

• Aphorism: a general, observational truth; "a pithy expression of wisdom or truth".
  • Proverb, adage or saw: a widely known or popular aphorism that has gained credibility by long use or tradition.
  • Apothegm/Apophthegm: "an edgy, more cynical aphorism; such as, 'Men are generally more careful of the breed of their horses and dogs than of their children.'"
• Axiom: a proposition that commends itself to general acceptance; a well-established or universally conceded principle; a maxim, rule, or law.
• Cliché or bromide: an unoriginal and overused saying.
  • Platitude: a cliché that is unsuccessfully presented as though it were meaningful, original, or effective.
• Epigram: a clever and often poetic written saying that comments on a specific person, idea, or thing; it especially denominates such a saying that is conspicuously put at the beginning of a text.
• Epitaph: a saying in honor of a decedent, often engraved on a headstone or plaque.
• Epithet: a descriptive word or saying already widely associated with a specific person, idea, or thing.
• Idiom or phraseme: a saying that has only a non-literal interpretation; "an expression whose meaning can't be derived simply by hearing it, such as 'kick the bucket.'"
  • Four-character idiom:
    • Chengyu: Chinese four-character idioms
    • Sajaseong-eo: Korean form of four-character idioms
    • Yojijukugo: Japanese form of four-character idioms
• Mantra: a religious, mystical, or other spiritual saying that is repeated, for example, in meditation.
• Maxim: (1) an instructional expression of a general principle or rule of morality or (2) simply a synonym for "aphorism"; they include:
  • Brocard
  • Gnome
  • Legal maxim
• Motto: a saying used frequently by a person or group to summarize its general mission.
  • Credo: a motto implicitly or explicitly extended to express a larger belief system.
  • Slogan: a motto with the goal of persuading.
• Quip: a clever or humorous saying based on an observation.
• Witticism: a saying that is clever and usually humorous and that is notable for its form or style just as much as, or more than, its meaning.

Three laughs at Tiger Brook (Chinese: 虎溪三笑; pinyin: hǔ xī sān xiào; Gan: fû ki sam siēu) is a Chinese proverb which refers to the image that the three men, Huiyuan, Tao Yuanming and Lu Xiujing laugh together when arriving at Huxi (虎溪, Tiger Brook) of Mount Lu. This concept represents the ideal harmonious relations of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism in ancient China.

The Zuo Zhuan (Chinese: 左傳; Wade–Giles: Tso Chuan; [tswò ʈʂwân]), often translated as The Zuo Tradition or as The Commentary of Zuo, is an ancient Chinese narrative history traditionally regarded as a commentary on the ancient Chinese chronicle Spring and Autumn Annals. It comprises 30 chapters that cover the period from 722 to 468 BC, and it focuses mainly on the Chinese political, diplomatic, and military affairs from that era.

For many centuries, the Zuo Zhuan was the primary text through which educated Chinese learned their ancient history. The Zuo Zhuan does not simply explain the wording of the Spring and Autumn Annals, but rather expounds upon its historical background with rich and lively accounts of the history and culture of the Spring and Autumn period (771–476 BC). The Zuo Zhuan is the source of more Chinese sayings and idioms than any other classical work, and its concise, flowing style served as a paragon of elegant Classical Chinese. Its tendency toward third-person narration and portraying characters through direct speech and action became hallmarks of Chinese narrative in general, and its style was imitated by historians, storytellers, and ancient-style prose masters for over 2000 years of subsequent Chinese history.