Snake is the 6^th zodiac out of twelve Chinese animal horoscopes. 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake, which starts on January 29^th, 2025, the first day of the lunar calendar.

Let’s learn Chinese online by learning some fun Chinese idioms that includes the word ‘snake’ (蛇 shé).

佛口蛇心
fó kǒu shé xīn

Literal translation: words of a Buddha, heart of a snake

Meaning: two-faced

打草惊蛇
dǎ cǎo jīng shé

Literal translation: beat the grass to scare the snake

Meaning: to alert the enemy accidentally

画蛇添足
huà shé tiān zú

Literal translation: drawings legs on a snake

Meaning: to ruin something by overdoing

牛鬼蛇神
niú guǐ shé shén

Literal translation: ox ghost and snake god

Meaning: bad characters

杯弓蛇影
bēi gōng shé yǐng

Literal translation: a bow reflected in a cup as a snake

Meaning: overly fearful

打蛇打七寸
dǎ shé dǎ qī cùn

Literal translation: to beat the snake, one must strike seven inches below its head

Meaning: to solve a problem by posing a solution

春蛇秋蚓
chūn shé qiū yǐn

Literal translation: spring snake and autumn earthworm

Meaning: a metaphor for unsightly handwriting

人心不足蛇吞象
rén xīn bùzú shé tūn xiàng

Literal translation: a snake that swallows an elephant as his heart is not content

Meaning: someone who is excessively greedy

三蛇七鼠
sān shé qī shǔ

Literal translation: three snakes and seven rats

Meaning: a metaphor for many harmful things

草蛇灰线
cǎo shé huī xiàn

Literal translation: grass snake and grey line

Meaning: to leave vague clues that can be found

一年被蛇咬，十年怕井绳
yī nián bèi shé yǎo, shí nián pà jǐng shéng

Literal translation: being afraid of ropes for 10 years after being bitten by a snake for a year

Meaning: being fearful long-term due to prior unpleasant experience

强龙不压地头蛇
qiáng lóng bù yā dì tóu shé

Literal translation: a mighty dragon does not press a local snake

Meaning: difficult for powerful people to deal with local forces