| 悬崖勒马 |
xuán yá lè mǎ |
lit. to rein in the horse at the edge of the precipice (idiom) / fig. to act in the nick of time |
| 悬 |
xuán |
to hang or suspend / to worry / public announcement / unresolved / baseless / without foundation |
| 悬崖 |
xuán yá |
precipice / overhanging cliff |
| 崖 |
yá |
precipice / cliff / Taiwan pr. [yai2] |
| 勒 |
lè |
(literary) bridle; halter; headstall / to rein in / to compel; to force / (literary) to carve; to engrave / (literary) to command; to lead (an army etc) / (physics) lux (abbr. for 勒克斯) |
| 勒 |
lēi |
to strap tightly / to bind |
| 勒马 |
lè mǎ |
to guide a horse with the reins / to rein in a horse |
| 马 |
Mǎ |
surname Ma / abbr. for Malaysia 马来西亚 |
| 马 |
mǎ |
horse / CL:匹 / horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess / knight in Western chess |