Chinese proverbs

These are a collection of Chinese proverbs (歇後語 in pinyin: xie4 hou4 yu3; 諺語 yan4 yu3) and idioms, given in (and sorted by) pinyin transcription. Formulaic saying/expression (成語 cheng2 yu3) is the Chinese equivalent of the Japanese four-character idiom.

Wide differences in pronunciation exist between the dialect-languages for the more or less uniform writing system in the Chinese languages. Some proverbs and idioms come from written documents, and thus would be accessible to most Chinese today. Many other expressions, however, develop around a rhyme or rhythm of intonation, and because the verbal distinction is tied to the regional dialect, such a proverb or idiom would not necessarily be understood or used outside of that region. But there are no clear geographical boundaries of dialect (particularly so today as the Chinese population becomes increasingly mobile), so it is difficult to sort the following proverbs by region.

Some proverbs are literary, that is, from a written source. (See the historical written language or the more modern written language.) Others originated among families, street vendors, and other commoners.

• 指桑罵槐
  • Pinyin: zhǐ sāng mà huái
  • Translation: Reviling a locust tree when fingering at a mulberry tree.
  • Meaning: Someone abuses A verbally, but he/she intends to criticize B, completely different from A, by doing so.

• 百世修来同船渡，千载修得共枕眠 (pinyin: bai3 shi4 xiu1 lai2 tong2 chuan2 du4, qian1 zai4 xiu1 de2 gong4 zheng3 mian2)
  • Literally: It takes hundreds of reincarnations to bring two persons to ride on the same boat; it takes a thousand eons to bring two persons to share the same pillow.
  • Moral: It is fate and yuanfen that brings two persons together, value an encounter and treasure a relationship.
  • Note: These two phrases do not rhyme, but have parallel grammatical structure, i.e, subject to subject, verb to verb, etc.
  • Usage: Sometimes used in marriage counselling to advise the couples having problems to resolve it, before making any hasty decisions.

• 冰封三尺，绝非一日之寒 (pinyin: bing1 feng1 shan3 chi3, jue2 fei1 yi2 ri4 zhi1 han2)
  • Literally: Three feet of ice does not result from one day of cold weather.
  • Moral: Trouble, for example, in a relationship, indicates a long history of problems.

• 此地无银三百两，隔壁阿二不曾偷 (ci3 di4 wu2 yin2 san1 bai3 liang3, ge2 bi4 a1 er4 bu4 ceng2 tou1)
  • Literally: There isn't a stash of three hundred taels of silver below this spot; your neighbor Ah-Er did not steal them
  • Moral: A nervous heart is prone to mistakes; overkill will worsen a situation rather than bettering it.
  • Note: The original story concerns a man who had hid several piles of silver beneath the earth with the only indication being that of a sign suggesting that no silver was buried here. Naturally, the silver was stolen overnight, and the man awoke next morning to find a dug-up pile of dirt and a sign explaining why his neighbor could not be the culprit.

• 大水冲了龙王庙 (pinyin: da4 shui3 zhong1 ne long2 wang2 miao4)
  • Literally: massive amount of water flooded the dragon-king temple
  • Moral: even those who work to prevent something (bad) can be hurt or damaged by it
  • Explanation: the dragon-king is a mystical creature that lives underwater and controls the natural bodies of water. People visit the dragon-king temple to placate him and prevent floods, thus this proverb is ironic situationally.

• 画蛇添足 (pinyin: hua4 she2 tian1 zu2)
  • Literally: Adding legs when painting a snake.
  • Moral: Don't overdo something.

• 空穴来风未必无因 (pinyin: kong1 xue4 lai2 feng2 wei4 bi4 wu2 yin1)
  • Literally: if wind comes from an empty cave, it's not without a reason.
  • Moral: Most seemingly strange events and actions have logical explanations.

• 老骥伏枥，志在千里 (pinyin: lao3 ji4 fu2 li4, zhi4 zai4 qian1 li3)
  • Literally: The old horse in the stable still wants to run 1000 li ¹.
  • Moral: Don't underestimate experienced people, old people still may have great ambitions and potential.
  • Note: 'stable' and 'li' rhyme in Mandarin

¹ li: a Chinese unit of linear measure, corresponds to about .5 kilometers

• 路遥知马力，日久见人心 (pinyin: lu4 yao2 zhi1 ma3 li4, ri4 jiu3 jian4 ren2 xin1)
  • Literally: Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long time, you learn about the character of your friend.
  • Usage: This can be used positively to praise a true friend; or negatively to criticize friends that could not stand a test.

• 人要面，树要皮 (pinyin: ren2 yao4 lian3 shu4 yiao4 pi2)
  • Literally: a person needs a face; a tree needs bark
  • Meaning: a person needs a clean reputation to survive.
  • Note: Face here is used metaphorically as the face (social custom).
  • Usage: when someone behaves dishonorably (once or repeatedly), it can be said directly to that person as admonishment (as parents to an child).

• 肉包子打狗，又去不回头 (pinyin: rou4 bao1 zi da3 gou3, you4 qu4 bu4 hui2 tou2)
  • Literally: hit a dog with a meat-bun, it does not return.
  • Interpretation: the dog is driven away, but the bun is also gone.
  • Moral: don't act rashly to preserve what you have, you lose some of it anyway
  • Usage: when something is loaned away and one doesn't expect to get it back, or something is given in some exchange, but nothing is expected in return.

• 世上无难事，只怕有心人 (pinyin: shi4 shang4 you3 nan2 shi4 zhi3 pa4 you3 xing1 ren2)
  • Literally: On this world there exists no such impossible tasks, they fear only those with perseverance.
  • Moral: No task in this world is impossible so long as there are willing hearts.

• 树倒猢狲散 (pinyin: shu4 dao3 hu2 sun1 san4)
  • Literally: when a tree falls, the monkeys scatter.
  • Usage: When a leader loses power, his followers become disorganized. This proverb is anti-anarchistic.

• 水能载舟亦能覆舟 (pinyin: shui3 neng2 zai4 zhou1, yi4 neng2 fu4 zhou1)
  • Literally: Not only can water float a craft, it can sink it also.
  • Moral: There are opposite aspects of any tool or power.
  • Note: This concept is related to yin-yang.

• 天下乌鸦一样黑 (pinyin: tian1 xia4 wu1 ya1 yi2 yang4 hei1)
  • Literally: All crows in the world are black.
  • 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: xing1 xing1 zhi1 huo3 ke3 yi3 liao2 yuan2)
  • Literally: a spark can start a fire that burns the entire prairie.
  • Moral: don't underestimate the potential destructive power that a seemingly minor problems can spread.

• 熊瞎子摘苞米，摘一个丢一个 (pinyin: xiong2 xia1 zi zhai1 bao1 mi3, zhai1 yi2 ge4 diu1 yi2 ge4)
  • Literally: blind bear picks corn, picks one and throws one
  • Meaning: Inability to appreciate what you have.

• 淹耳盗铃 (pinyin: yan3 er3 dao4 ling2)
  • Literally: drown all noises to the ear when pilfering a bell
  • Moral: Criminals will be haunted and be forsaken by their own guilt.
  • Note: this is an example of a four-character idiom.

• 也要马儿好，也要马儿不吃草 (pinyin: ye3 yao4 ma3 er2 hao3, ye3 yao4 ma3 er2 bu4 chi1 cao3)
  • Literally: want the horse to be the best, also want the horse not to eat any hay
  • Moral: You can't have your cake and eat it too (English equivalent)
  • Usage: someone has an unrealistic expectation.
  • Note: 'best' and 'hay' rhyme in Mandarin

• 有志者，事竟成 (pinyin: you3 zhi4 zhe, shi4 jing4 cheng2)
  • Literally: If a person has stamina, things will be accomplished
  • Moral: If you keep working, you will have success.

• 玉不琢不成器 (pinyin: yu4 bu4 zhuo2 bu4 chen2 qi4)
  • Literally: Jade requires chiselling before becoming a gem.
  • Moral: a person needs training and discipline to build character.

• 斩草不除根，春风吹又生 (pinyin: zhan3 cao3 bu4 chu2 gen1, chun1 feng1 chui1 you4 sheng1)
  • Literally: If the roots are not removed during weeding, the weeds return next spring.
  • Moral: It is essential to finish a task thoroughly or the effort would be wasted, or a stitch in time saves nine (approximate English equivalent).

• 知子莫若父 (pinyin: zhi1 zi3 mo3 ru2 fu4)
  • Literally: no one knows a son better than the father.
  • Moral: Having spent decades with each other, family members know what type of persons each others are. "Sons" and "fathers" also apply to the female equivalents.
  • 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.

• When I see I forget. When I hear I remember. When I do I understand.

See also: List of proverbs.