Chinese idiom 成语 1
火上浇油
huǒ shàng jiāo yóu
"火上浇油" literally means to add fuel to the fire. You can use it to describe when you do or say something that makes a miserable situation even worse or makes a situation or conflict intensify.
For example:
1.
别把这事告诉她,你只会火上浇油。
bié bǎ zhè shì gào sù tā , nǐ zhǐ huì huǒ shàng jiāo yóu .
Don't tell her that ─ you'll only make things worse.
2.
你应制止他们的争论,不要火上浇油。
nǐ yìng zhì zhǐ tā men de zhēng lùn , bú yào huǒ shàng jiāo yóu .
You should stop their quarrel. Don't add fuel to the fire.
3.
如果老板来的时候很生气,你就先别告诉他那些客户投诉,否则你就是火上浇油。
rú guǒ lǎo bǎn lái de shí hòu hěn shēng qì , nǐ jiù xiān bié gào sù tā nèi xiē kè hù tóu sù , fǒu zé nǐ jiù shì huǒ shàng jiāo yóu .
If the boss is angry when he comes in, don't tell him about all the customer complaints. You'll just be adding fuel to the fire.