Chinese Proverbs

This is a collection of Chinese proverbs (諺語 yànyŭ) and idioms (成語 chéngyŭ), given in and sorted by their pinyin transcription. Chinese proverbs and four-plus character idioms are developed from the formulaic or social dialect/saying/expression (歇後語 in pinyin: xièhòuyŭ) and historical story in Chinese.


* 滴(dī)水(shǔi)之(zhī)恩(ēn)當(dāng)以(yǐ)湧(yǒng)泉(quán)相(xiāng)報(bào)
o Literally: A drop of water shall be returned with a burst of spring.
o Meaning: Even if it was just a little help from others, you should return the favor with all you can when others are in need.


* 福(fú)無(wú)重(chóng)至(zhì), 禍(huò)不(bú)單(dān)行(xíng)
o Literally: Fortune does not come twice. Misfortune does not come alone.
o Meaning: The emphasis is on "misfortune doesn't come alone". It's often used as an opener or exclamation, when people talk about coincidental events of misfortune.


* 冰(bīng)凍(dòng)三(sān)尺(chǐ)，非(fēi)一(yī)日(rì)之(zhī)寒(hán)(ice+freeze+three+units(~feet),not+one+day's(7th and 8th)+chill)
o Literally: A single day of sub-zero temperature is not enough to create three feet of ice.
o Moral: Great things cannot be accomplished in a short period of time.
o Compare: Rome was not built in a day (Roma non fu fatta in un giorno, Italian proverb).


* 空(kōng)穴(xué)來(lái)風(fēng)未(wèi)必(bì)無(wú)因(yīn)(empty+cave+come+wind+not+surely+not+cause)
o Literally: If the wind comes from an empty cave, it's not without a reason.
o Meaning: Things don't happen for no reason; everything has a cause.
o Compare: Where there's smoke, there's fire.


* 老(lǎo)驥(jì)伏(fú)枥(lì), 志(zhì)在(zài)千(qiān)里(lǐ)(old+thoroughbred+hidden+stable,determined+be+thousand+distance (unit))
o Literally: The old horse in the stable still yearns to run 1000 miles 1.
o Moral: Everybody, no matter the inexperience, yearns to achieve great deeds. Another one is "The older the ginger the hotter the spice".
o Note: "stable" and "li" rhyme in Mandarin

1 li: a Chinese unit of linear measure, corresponds to about 500 meters.


* 路(lù)遙(yáo)知(zhī)馬(mǎ)力(lì), 日(rì)久( jiǔ)見(jiàn)人(rén)心(xīn)
o Literally: Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long period of time, you get to know what's in a person's heart.
o Moral: Character can be revealed by time.
o Usage: This can be used positively to praise a true friend, or negatively to criticize friends who could not stand a test.


* 肉(ròu)包(bāo)子(zi)打(dǎ)狗(gǒu) (meat+bun(2nd and 3rd)+hit+dog)
o Literally: To hit a dog with a meat-bun.
o Interpretation: Punishment gives less incentive than a reward.
o Moral: Don't use the wrong method to approach a problem.
o Compare: You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.


* 世上无难事，只怕有心人 (pinyin: shì shàng wú nán shì, zhǐ pà yǒu xīn rén) (world+on+without+difficult+circumstances, only+fear+have+heart+people)
o Literally: You must persevere to accomplish seemingly impossible tasks.
o Moral: Everything can be done with enough perseverance.
o Compare: Where there's a will, there's a way.


* 树倒猢狲散 (pinyin: shù dǎo hú sūn sàn)
o Literally: When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.
o Usage: When a leader loses power, his followers become disorganized. This proverb is often used to describe fair-weather friends.


* 死馬當活馬醫(死马当活马医) (si ma dang huo ma yi)
o Literally: Try to save the dead horse as if it is still alive
o Meaning: Do the impossible, for it may truly be possible.


* 見風轉舵(见风转舵) (jian feng zhuang duo)
o Literally: See the wind, turn the rudder
o Meaning: Has no self - personality so they follow the most powerful one


* 富不過三代(富不过三代) (fu bu guo san dai)
o Literally: Wealth does not pass three generations.
o Meaning: It's rare that the wealth of a family can last for three generations (the 2nd may see the value of hard work, but the 3rd forgets it).
o Explanation: In business, the first generation works extremely hard, so that the second generation reaps the benefits. By the time the third generation arrives, the wealth is squandered.


* 三十年河東三十年河西(三十年河东三十年河西) (san shi nian he dong san shi nian he si)
o Literally: Thirty years the east bank, thirty years the west bank.
o Meaning: One's luck and one's destiny will change over time.


* 十年風水輪流轉(十年风水轮流转) (shi nian feng shui lun liu zhuang)
o Literally: Luck will change in 10 years.
o Meaning: Luck will turn around every ten years.


* 窮則變，變則通(穷则变，变则通) (qiong ze bian, bian ze tong)
o Literally: If you're poor, change and you'll succeed.
o Meaning: When out of means, seek change. Then opportunities will come.


* 一顆老鼠屎壞了一鍋粥(一颗老鼠屎坏了一锅粥) (yi ke lao shu shi huai le yi guo zhou)
o Literally: One mouse dropping ruins the whole pot of rice porridge.
o Equivalent English saying: One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.


* 防人之心不可無(防人之心不可无) (fang ren zhi xin bu ke wu)
o Literally: Careful with others is a must have.
o Meaning: Be cautious of people that may hurt you intentionally.


* 害人之心不可有 (hai ren zhi xin bu ke you)
o Literally: Do not harbour intentions to hurt others.
o Note: This is usually use after 防人之心不可無(防人之心不可无)(see above)


* 以古諷今(以古讽今) (yi gu fen jin)
o Literally: Joke about the present by referring to the past.
o Meaning: The past may be better than the present.


* 騎(qí)驢(lǘ)找(zhǎo)馬(mǎ) (ride+mule+look for+horse)
o Literally: Riding a mule while looking for a horse.
o Meaning: Settle for what you have while looking for something better.
o Note: Usually for job hunting


* 三個和尚沒水喝(三个和尚没水喝) (sān gè héshàng méi shuǐ hē)
o Literally: Three monks have no water to drink.
o Meaning: Too many cooks spoil the broth.


* 做一天和尚撞一天鐘 (zuò yītiān héshàng zhuàng yītiān zhōng)
o Literally: beat the bell one day as long as you are still a monk one day.
o Meaning: Do your duties as long as you are still in the role.


* 一厢情愿 (yi xiang qing yuan)
o Literally: Enthusiastic, but unable to.
o Meaning: The person wants to do it, but is unable to.
o Compare: The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.


* 剃頭攤子一頭熱(剃头摊子一头热) (ti tou tan zi yi tou re)
o Literally: Barber one side hot (old time, one side hot water...)
o Meaning: If only one partner is willing while the other isn't, it will not work.


* 水能載舟，亦能覆舟 (pinyin: shuǐ néng zài zhōu, yì néng fù zhōu)
o Literally: Not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also.
o Moral: Nature can help and harm you. The people(water) can raise someone(boat) to power, but can also take it away(sink).
o Equivalent English saying: The knife cuts both ways.


* 天下乌鸦一样黑 (pinyin: tiān xià wū yā yí yàng hēi)
o Literally: All crows in the world are black.
o Meanings: There are several possible interpretations:
1. A natural interpretation: Some rules, like those natural forces of the Universe, are unbendable, regardless how much you may want it to change.
2. A stereotypical interpretation: something or someone (bad) is no different from all the others (e.g., All government officials are corrupt, all lawyers are snakes, etc.).


* 星星之火可以燎原 (pinyin: xīng xīng zhī huǒ kě yǐ liáo yuán)
o Literally: A spark can start a fire that burns the entire prairie.
o Moral: Don't underestimate the potential destructive power that a seemingly minor problem can cause.
o Compare: A butterfly beating it wings in America can start a hurricane in China.


* 熊瞎子摘苞米，摘一个丢一个 (pinyin: xióng xiā zi zhāi bāo mǐ, zhāi yí gè diū yí gè)
o variant: 狗熊掰苞米 (pinyin: gǒu xióng ba bāo mǐ)
o Literally: Blind bear picks corn, picks one and drops one.
o Meaning: You will lose what you already have if you keep seeking for more.
o Note: (Story) A bear (a bear, in Chinese culture, frequently symbolizes someone with little common sense) was picking corn and sticking the corn in his armpit. As he puts the next corn cob into his armpit, opening his arm, he drops the one he already had.
o Compare: A bird in hand is worth two in the bush. (Benjamin Franklin - Poor Richard's Almanac)


* 也要马儿好，也要马儿不吃草 (pinyin: yě yào mǎ ér hǎo, yě yào mǎ ér bù chī cǎo) (also+want+horse+good, also+want+horse+not+eat+hay)
o Literally: Wants the horse to be good and at the same time want the horse not to eat hay.
o Moral: Nothing is perfect. (English equivalent).
o Example: Your boss wants you to work harder but doesn't want to pay you more.
o Usage: someone has an unrealistic expectation.
o Note: 'good' and 'hay' rhyme in Mandarin.


* 有志者，事竟成 (pinyin: yǒu zhì zhe, shì jìng chéng)
o Literally: If a person has ambition, things will be accomplished.
o Moral: Where there is a will, there is a way (English equivalent).


* 玉不琢不成器 (pinyin: yù bù zhuó bù chéng qì)
o Literally: Jade must be chiseled before it can be considered a gem.
o Moral: A person needs training and discipline to build character.


* 斩草不除根，春风吹又生 (pinyin: zhǎn cǎo bù chú gēn, chūn fēng chuī yòu shēng)
o Literally: If the roots are not removed during weeding, the weeds will grow again when the winds of Spring blows.
o Moral:

1)It is essential to finish a task thoroughly or the effort would be wasted
2) To solve any problems, the source of the problem must also be dealt with.

*
o Compare: A stitch in time saves nine (approximate English equivalent).
o Compare: If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing properly


* 知子莫若父 (pinyin: zhī zǐ mò rú fù)
o Literally: No one knows a son better than the father.
o Moral: Having spent decades with each other, family members know what type of persons each other are like. "Sons" and "fathers" also apply to the female equivalents.
o Usage: Character witness in a trial. Despite his/her denial, an honest parent can tell if their children are capable of heinous crimes, like murder.


* 不聞不若聞之，聞之不若見之，見之不若知之，知之不若行之；學至於行之而止矣(不闻不若闻之，闻之不若见之，见之不若知之，知之不若行之；学至于行之而止矣)。(pinyin: Bù wén bù ruò wén zhī, wén zhī bù ruò jiàn zhī, jiàn zhī bù ruò zhīzhī, zhīzhī bù ruò xíng zhī; xué zhìyú xíng zhī ér zhǐ yǐ.)
o Literally: I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand.
o Moral: You can only understand something by trying it yourself.
o Revised: Tell me and I [will] forget. Show me and I [will] remember. Involve me and I [will] understand.
o Also: You can't understand until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
+ Originally by Xun Zi.


* 虎父無犬子 (pinyin: hǔ fù wú quǎn zǐ)
o Literally: A tiger father has no canine sons.
o Moral: People who are closely related are similar
o English Equivalent: A chip off the old block.
o English Equivilant 2: An apple doesn't fall far from the tree.


* 人算不如天算 (pinyin: rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn)
o Literally: Man's schemes are inferior to those made by heaven.
o Figuratively: Man proposes and God disposes.
o Compare: The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry.


* 有錢能使鬼推磨 (pinyin: yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò)
o Literally: If you have money you can make the devil push your grind stone.
o Note: English equivalent:

Money talks.
Money makes the world go round.

*
o Meaning: Money can make life better.


* 八仙過海，各顯神通(八仙过海，各显神通) (pinyin: bā xiān guò hǎi gè xiǎn shén tōng)
o Literally: like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, each one displaying his/her special feats.
o Moral: Everyone has his/her own powers.(In terms of talents)


* 一言既出，駟馬難追(一言既出，驷马难追); (pinyin: yī yán jì chū, sì mǎ nán zhuī)
o Literally: When something has been said, a team of four horses cannot overtake it. (Horses cannot chase back the words you have said).
o 駟馬(驷马): Four horse-drawn wagon, fastest land transportation at ancient time
o Meaning: Once you have made a promise or said something, you cannot take it back.
o Moral: People have to be responsible for what they say. Only speak after careful thought; do not speak without thinking of the consequences.


* 八字没一撇 (pinyin: bā zì méi yì piě)
o Literally: The character "eight" (八) does not consist of one stroke.
o Figuratively: It takes two strokes to write the character "eight".
o Moral: A particular thing hasn't even taken shape.


* 不到黄河心不死 (pinyin: bù dào huáng hé xīn bù sǐ) (or 不见黄河不落淚)
o Literally: Not having arrived at the Yellow River, the heart is not dead.
o Figuratively: Feeling despair only when one arrives at the Yellow River.
o Colloquially: Used to describe someone who does not give up, even when they should.

(Example: 他三次考试，每次没有通過。他不到黄河心不死。["He has taken the test three times and each time failed.
He just doesn't know when to quit."])

*
o Moral: Only when there is no road left does one finally feel despair.
o Similarly: 不見棺材不掉淚, meaning no tears until one sees one's own coffin."


* 一將功成萬骨枯 (yí jiàng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū) (one+general+accomplishment+succeed+myriad+bones+dry up)
o Literally: Tens of thousands of bones will become ashes when one general achieves his fame.
o Meaning: A great person needs others to sacrifice themselves to build his success.
o Moral: Before admiring someone's achievement, remember to look at the negative effects that he has delivered.
o Compare: To make an omlette you have to break eggs.


* 十年樹木，百年樹人。(pinyin: shí nián shù mù, bǎi nián shù rén)
o Literally: Grow a tree for ten years; grow men for a hundred.
o Meaning: Nurturing and educating human talent is the key to prosperity.


* 一分耕耘，一分收穫(一分耕耘，一分收获)。(pinyin: Yī fēn gēngyún, yī fēn shōuhuò)
o Literally: If one does not plow, there will be no harvest.
o Meaning: No pain, no gain.


* 言多必失。(pinyin: Yán duō bì shī)
o Literally: If you say too much, you have to have made an error
o Meaning: He who talks too much errors often.


* 讀萬卷書不如行萬里路(读万卷书不如行万里路)。(pinyin: Dú wàn juǎn shū bùrú xíng wànlǐ lù)
o Literally: Reading ten thousands of books is not as useful as travelling ten thousand miles
o Meaning: Practical experience is more useful than theory.


* 今日事，今日畢(今日事，今日毕)。(pinyin: Jīnrì shì, jīnrì bì)
o Literally: Things of today, accomplished today.
o Meaning: Don't put off until tomorrow what can be finished today.


* 知己知彼，百戰不殆。(pinyin: Zhī jǐ zhī bǐ, bǎi zhàn bù dài)
o Literally: Know yourself and know your enemy, a hundred battles and you won't be drained.
o Meaning: If you know both yourself and your enemy, you can win a hundred battles without a single loss.


* 自助者天助。(pinyin: Zì zhù zhě tiān zhù)
o Literally: Those who help themselves, God will help.
o Meaning: God will help those who help themselves.


* 一不做二不休。(pinyin: Yī bù zuò èr bù xiū)
o Literally: One doesn't do, then the two don't rest.
o Meaning: If you start something, you have to finish it no matter what.


* 左右逢源。(pinyin: Zuǒ yòu féng yuán)
o Literally: Left and right can always cross the river source.
o Meaning: A resourceful man knows to avoid a disadvantageous situation.


* 愛莫能助(爱莫能助)。(pinyin: Ài mò néng zhù)
o Literally: Love to but can't help.
o Meaning: Willing to help but unable to do so.


* 不作虧心事，不怕鬼敲門(不做亏心事，不怕鬼敲門)。(pinyin: Bù zuò kuīxīn shì, bù pà guǐ qiāo)
o Literally: Don't do bad deeds, don't afraid of ghosts knocking.
o Meaning: a clear conscience is a good pillow.


* 破釜沉舟。(pinyin: Pò fǔ chén zhōu)
o Literally: Break the cauldrons, sink the boats.
o Meaning: Fight to the last stand.


* 長江後浪推前浪(长江后浪推前浪)。(pinyin: Chángjiāng hòulàng tuī qiánlàng)
o Literally: the Changjiang River waves behind drive the waves ahead.
o Meaning: Each new generation excels the last one.


* 人外有人。(pinyin: Rén wài yǒurén)
o Literally/Meaning: Behind every able man, there are always other able men.


* 父債子還(父债子还) 。(pinyin: Fù zhài zǐ huán)
o Literally: Father's debt, son to give back.
o Meaning: Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown.


* 授人以魚不如授人以漁(授人以鱼不如授人以渔)。(pinyin: Shòu rén yǐ yú bùrú shòu rén yǐ yú)
o Literally: Teach a man to take a fish is not equal to teach a man how to fish.
o Meaning: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.


* 天生我材必有用。(pinyin: Tiānshēng wǒ cái bì yǒuyòng)
o Literally: I'm heaven born, my ability certainly useful.
o Meaning: If heaven made him, earth can find some use for him.


愚者不問，問者不愚。(pinyin: Yúzhě bù wèn, wèn zhě bù yú)

The fool does not ask, he who asks is no fool

* "The absence of proof is not the proof of absence."
o Meaning: Just because there is no proof of something, this does not mean that it does not exist.

The above sentence is quoted in Michael Crichton's The Lost World (the book, not the movie) and probably (most certainly, actually) is not the source, but he might have quoted the source there.


早起的鳥兒有蟲吃。

* "Early bird gets the worm."

*
o Meaning: "Those who are quick seize opportunities."


天高皇帝遠。 〜〜〜〜〜

* "The mountains are high and the emperor is far away"--used as in carefree (lawless)


子曰：近者悦，遠者來。（論語）

* “Make happy those who are near, and those who are far will come.”
* Confucius: near De Yue, far from making. (The Analects of Confucius)
* It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness


好事多磨。(pinyin: Hǎo shì duō mó.)

* Literally: Good things much polishment.
* Meaning: Good things take time.