chengyu-CLI 0.1.0

A CLI tool to learn Chinese idioms with translations

🀄 Chengyu CLI

A command-line tool to learn Chinese idioms (成语) with translations powered by DeepL.

Every time you run chengyu, you get a random idiom with its pinyin and explanation in your preferred language.

Installation

pip install chengyu

Setup

On first run, you will be guided through a quick setup:

chengyu

If you choose any language other than Chinese, you will need a free DeepL API key. Get one at: https://www.deepl.com/pro-api (choose the Free plan)

Usage

chengyu                    # Show next idiom in your default language
chengyu japanese           # Override language for this run only
chengyu --change french    # Change your default language
chengyu --add-key          # Add or update your DeepL API key
chengyu --setup            # Redo the initial setup
chengyu --help             # Show help

Supported Languages

Chinese, English, Japanese, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Dutch, Polish

How It Works

• Idioms are stored locally — no internet needed to fetch them
• Chinese output requires no API key
• All other languages are translated via the DeepL API
• The next idiom is preloaded in the background so display is instant

Credits

Idiom data sourced from chinese-xinhua (MIT License)