对牛弹琴 (duì niú tán qín)
This idiom literally means “to play the lute to a cow.” It is used to describe a situation where one’s efforts are unappreciated or misunderstood by the audience.
No matter how eloquently he presented his innovative ideas, it was like 对牛弹琴 because the board was just not ready for change.

班门弄斧 (bān mén nòng fǔ)
Translated as “to show off one’s ax in front of Lu Ban’s door,” this idiom alludes to Lu Ban, the legendary master carpenter. It is used to humbly suggest that one should not flaunt their skills in front of an expert.
He felt like he was 班门弄斧 when he tried to impress the chef with his cooking.

杯弓蛇影 (bēi gōng shé yǐng)
“Seeing the reflection of a bow in a cup and thinking it’s a snake” describes someone who is paranoid and lets their fears run wild over something that is not there.
When she heard the noise and thought there was an intruder, it turned out to be 杯弓蛇影 since the noise was just from the wind.

狗拿耗子 (gǒu ná hàozi)
This idiom means “a dog trying to catch mice,” and it refers to someone meddling in others’ affairs or a person doing something that is none of their business.
He was like 狗拿耗子, always giving unsolicited advice on topics he knew nothing about.

画蛇添足 (huà shé tiān zú)
Literally “to draw a snake and add feet to it,” this idiom suggests that by doing something unnecessary, one might ruin what was otherwise fine.
Their plan was already good, but by adding more features they became like 画蛇添足, making things overly complicated.

塞翁失马 (sài wēng shī mǎ)
The story behind “Sai Weng lost his horse” is about a blessing in disguise. It implies that a misfortune might actually be a blessing, and one shouldn’t be too quick to despair.
After losing his job, he realized it was 塞翁失马 when it led him to a better career opportunity.

鸡飞蛋打 (jī fēi dàn dǎ)
Translated as “the chicken flies and the eggs break,” this idiom depicts a situation where not only has one failed in their attempt, but they have also made things worse.
Trying to fix the printer herself, she ended up with 鸡飞蛋打, as it stopped working altogether.

井底之蛙 (jǐng dǐ zhī wā)
“The frog in the well” refers to a person with a limited outlook and experience, much like a frog that can only see the sky from the bottom of a well.
He considered himself well-traveled, but next to his globetrotting cousin, he was just 井底之蛙.

狐假虎威 (hú jiǎ hǔ wēi)
Meant “a fox exploiting the tiger’s might,” this idiom is for someone who bullies others by relying on powerful connections rather than their own strength.
She thought she could boss everyone around just because her brother was the manager, truly a case of 狐假虎威.

Understanding these idioms is not just about language learning, but it’s also a way to gain insight into Chinese culture and humor. They can also be a delightful addition to your spoken and written Mandarin, adding color and depth to your communication. Remember, idioms often carry deeper meanings than their literal translations, so use them appropriately and enjoy the nuances they bring to your mastery of the Chinese language.