28 words
| Word | Pinyin | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 上岸 | shàng àn | to go ashore |
| 倒背如流 | dào bèi rú liú | to know by heart (so well that you can recite it backwards) |
| 名列前茅 | míng liè qián máo | to rank among the best |
| 啃老 | kěn lǎo | (coll.) to live with and depend on one's parents even upon reaching adulthood |
| 梦寐以求 | mèng mèi yǐ qiú | to yearn for sth even in one's dreams (idiom) |
| 寒门 | hán mén | poor and humble family |
| 戏子 | xì zi | (derog.) opera singer |
| 打鸡血 | dǎ jī xuè | lit. to inject chicken blood |
| 泥泞 | ní nìng | muddy |
| 温故知新 | wēn gù zhī xīn | to review the old and know the new (idiom, from the Analects) |
| 痴心妄想 | chī xīn wàng xiǎng | to be carried away by one's wishful thinking (idiom) |
| 穷则思变 | qióng zé sī biàn | when you hit bottom, you have to come up with a new approach (idiom) |
| 背水一战 | bèi shuǐ yī zhàn | lit. fight with one's back to the river (idiom) |
| 食不果腹 | shí bù guǒ fù | lit. food not filling the stomach (idiom) |
| 抢破头 | qiǎng pò tóu | do whatever one can to |
| 寒门出贵子 | hán mén chū guì zǐ | it is possible to succeed even if you’re from a poor family |
| 小镇做题家 | xiǎo zhèn zuò tí jiā | small town expert test taker |
| 人上人 | rén shàng rén | people on people |
| 功夫不负有心人 | gōng fu bù fù yǒu xīn rén | time cannot defeat determination |
| 横眉冷对 | héng méi lěng duì | glaring and pointing angrily |
| 头筹 | tóu chóu | top spot |
| 死学 | sǐ xué | cramming |
| 抢坑 | qiǎng kēng | take your spot |
| 咬着牙 | yǎo zhe yá | grit one’s teeth |
| 挑灯夜读 | tiǎo dēng yè dú | burning the midnight oil |
| 杀出一条血路 | shā chū yī tiáo xuè lù | achieve something virtually impossible |
| 寒窗苦读 | hán chuāng kǔ dú | a hard-working student from a poor background |
| 养儿一百岁，长忧九十九 | yǎng ér yī bǎi suì , cháng yōu jiǔ shí jiǔ | a parent always worries about their children |