Chinese Proverbs
72 genuine Chinese proverbs, each matched with an English proverb that means the same thing. Some use the same image; many say it in a completely different way. Each comes with a word-for-word translation and its meaning.
- 有志者事竟成 (Yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) — Determination will help you find a solution. Literally: One who has the will succeeds in the end.
- 三个臭皮匠，顶个诸葛亮 (Sān gè chòu píjiàng, dǐng gè Zhūgě Liàng) — Collaboration and diverse perspectives lead to better solutions. Literally: Three humble cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang.
- 善有善报，恶有恶报 (Shàn yǒu shàn bào, è yǒu è bào) — Your actions will eventually return to affect you. Literally: Good is repaid with good, evil with evil.
- 这山望着那山高 (Zhè shān wàngzhe nà shān gāo) — What others have always seems better than what you have. Literally: From this mountain, that one looks higher.
- 熟能生巧 (Shú néng shēng qiǎo) — Repeated practice leads to mastery. Literally: Familiarity breeds skill.
- 物以类聚 (Wù yǐ lèi jù) — People with similar interests or characteristics tend to associate with each other. Literally: Things gather by kind.
- 百折不挠 (Bǎi zhé bù náo) — Perseverance is the key to mastery and resilience. Literally: Bent a hundred times, never yielding.
- 塞翁失马，焉知非福 (Sài wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú) — There is always something positive in every difficult situation. Literally: The old man lost his horse, but who knows it wasn't luck?.
- 三思而行 (Sān sī ér xíng) — Think carefully before acting. Literally: Think three times, then act.
- 人不可貌相 (Rén bù kě mào xiàng) — Appearances can be deceiving. Literally: People can't be judged by their looks.
- 有其父必有其子 (Yǒu qí fù bì yǒu qí zǐ) — Children often resemble their parents. Literally: Such a father, such a son.
- 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆 (Zhòng guā dé guā, zhòng dòu dé dòu) — Your actions determine your outcomes. Literally: Plant melons, get melons; plant beans, get beans.
- 无风不起浪 (Wú fēng bù qǐ làng) — Rumors or signs usually indicate some truth. Literally: Without wind there are no waves.
- 金玉其外，败絮其中 (Jīn yù qí wài, bài xù qí zhōng) — Appearances can be misleading. Literally: Gold and jade outside, rotten cotton inside.
- 饥不择食 (Jī bù zé shí) — When you need help, you accept what's offered. Literally: The hungry don't pick their food.
- 入乡随俗 (Rù xiāng suí sú) — Adapt to local customs when visiting a new place. Literally: Entering a village, follow its customs.
- 五十步笑百步 (Wǔshí bù xiào bǎi bù) — Don't criticize others if you have the same faults. Literally: Running fifty paces, laughing at one who ran a hundred.
- 百闻不如一见 (Bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn) — Visual information communicates more effectively than text. Literally: A hundred hearings aren't worth one look.
- 欲速则不达 (Yù sù zé bù dá) — Rushing leads to mistakes and wasted effort. Literally: Want speed and you won't arrive.
- 覆水难收 (Fù shuǐ nán shōu) — Don't worry about things that have already happened. Literally: Spilled water is hard to gather back.
- 趁热打铁 (Chèn rè dǎ tiě) — Act quickly when the opportunity presents itself. Literally: Strike the iron while it's hot.
- 同病相怜 (Tóng bìng xiāng lián) — Unhappy people seek others who are also suffering. Literally: Those with the same illness pity each other.
- 一个巴掌拍不响 (Yí gè bāzhang pāi bù xiǎng) — Both parties are responsible in a conflict. Literally: One palm alone can't clap.
- 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 (Bú rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ) — You must take risks to achieve rewards. Literally: If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get its cub?.
- 人非圣贤，孰能无过 (Rén fēi shèngxián, shú néng wú guò) — Making mistakes is natural; forgiving them is noble. Literally: People aren't sages; who can be without fault?.
- 拆东墙补西墙 (Chāi dōng qiáng bǔ xī qiáng) — Solve one problem by creating another. Literally: Tear down the east wall to patch the west wall.
- 鱼与熊掌不可兼得 (Yú yǔ xióngzhǎng bù kě jiān dé) — You can't enjoy two mutually exclusive things simultaneously. Literally: You can't have both the fish and the bear's paw.
- 贪多嚼不烂 (Tān duō jiáo bú làn) — Don't take on more than you can handle. Literally: Grab too much and you can't chew it.
- 情人眼里出西施 (Qíngrén yǎn lǐ chū Xīshī) — Perception of beauty is subjective and personal. Literally: In a lover's eyes, Xi Shi appears.
- 千里之堤，溃于蚁穴 (Qiān lǐ zhī dī, kuì yú yǐ xué) — A group's effectiveness is limited by its weakest member. Literally: A thousand-mile dyke collapses through an ant hole.
- 千里之行，始于足下 (Qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià) — Great accomplishments start with small beginnings. Literally: A thousand-mile journey starts beneath your feet.
- 以身作则 (Yǐ shēn zuò zé) — Live according to the principles you advocate. Literally: Make yourself the example.
- 事后诸葛亮 (Shìhòu Zhūgě Liàng) — Past decisions are always clearer in retrospect. Literally: A Zhuge Liang after the event.
- 骄兵必败 (Jiāo bīng bì bài) — Arrogance often precedes failure. Literally: An arrogant army is bound to lose.
- 天网恢恢，疏而不漏 (Tiān wǎng huīhuī, shū ér bú lòu) — Justice takes time but eventually arrives. Literally: Heaven's net is wide; loose, yet nothing slips through.
- 众口难调 (Zhòng kǒu nán tiáo) — It's impossible to satisfy every person all the time. Literally: Many mouths are hard to season for.
- 聊胜于无 (Liáo shèng yú wú) — Something is better than nothing. Literally: Slightly better than nothing.
- 本末倒置 (Běn mò dào zhì) — Do things in the correct order. Literally: Root and tip turned upside down.
- 众人拾柴火焰高 (Zhòngrén shí chái huǒyàn gāo) — Tasks are easier when shared among many people. Literally: When everyone gathers firewood, the flames rise high.
- 江山易改，本性难移 (Jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí) — People can't fundamentally change their nature. Literally: Rivers and mountains change easily; nature hardly.
- 祸不单行 (Huò bù dān xíng) — Troubles often come all at once. Literally: Disasters never travel alone.
- 殊途同归 (Shū tú tóng guī) — There are many ways to reach the same goal. Literally: Different paths, same destination.
- 小题大做 (Xiǎo tí dà zuò) — Don't exaggerate small problems. Literally: Make a big essay out of a small topic.
- 各人自扫门前雪，莫管他家瓦上霜 (Gè rén zì sǎo mén qián xuě, mò guǎn tā jiā wǎ shàng shuāng) — In crisis, everyone must look after their own interests. Literally: Each sweeps the snow from his own door, never mind the frost on others' roofs.
- 水滴石穿 (Shuǐ dī shí chuān) — Persistent small efforts accomplish what force alone cannot. Literally: Dripping water pierces stone.
- 近朱者赤，近墨者黑 (Jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi) — The company you keep reflects and shapes your own character. Literally: Near vermilion you turn red, near ink you turn black.
- 上梁不正下梁歪 (Shàng liáng bú zhèng xià liáng wāi) — Problems in an organization or society start at the top, with its leaders. Literally: If the upper beam is crooked, the lower one slants.
- 隔墙有耳 (Gé qiáng yǒu ěr) — Be careful what you say — you may be overheard in unexpected places. Literally: There are ears beyond the wall.
- 一言既出，驷马难追 (Yì yán jì chū, sì mǎ nán zhuī) — Choose your words carefully, for once said they cannot be unsaid. Literally: Once a word is out, a team of four horses can't catch it.
- 江山易改，本性难移 (Jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí) — Surface appearances can change, but a person's fundamental nature remains the same. Literally: Rivers and mountains change easily; nature hardly.
- 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 (Bú rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ) — Bold action and courage are rewarded; timidity leads to missed opportunities. Literally: If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get its cub?.
- 有志者事竟成 (Yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) — With true determination and commitment, any obstacle can be overcome. Literally: One who has the will succeeds in the end.
- 悖入悖出 (Bèi rù bèi chū) — Money obtained through dishonesty ultimately fails to generate lasting wealth or security. Literally: Wrongly in, wrongly out.
- 祸不单行 (Huò bù dān xíng) — Troubles compound—when one disaster strikes, others typically follow in succession. Literally: Disasters never travel alone.
- 朽木不可雕 (Xiǔ mù bù kě diāo) — Inferior materials cannot be transformed into superior products through effort alone. Literally: Rotten wood can't be carved.
- 吃一堑，长一智 (Chī yí qiàn, zhǎng yí zhì) — Hardship teaches wisdom even when it never fills your pockets. Literally: Fall into a ditch, gain in wit.
- 自作自受 (Zì zuò zì shòu) — Your choices about how you arrange your life will directly determine the comfort or discomfort you experience living it. Literally: You did it yourself, you bear it yourself.
- 空中楼阁 (Kōngzhōng lóugé) — Imagination costs nothing, but translating dreams into reality requires effort and resources. Literally: A pavilion in the air.
- 众口难调 (Zhòng kǒu nán tiáo) — Rising early cannot satisfy conflicting demands; some desires are inherently incompatible. Literally: Many mouths are hard to season for.
- 眼不见，心不烦 (Yǎn bú jiàn, xīn bù fán) — Ignorance of misfortune shields us from suffering its emotional weight. Literally: What the eye doesn't see doesn't trouble the heart.
- 浑水摸鱼 (Hún shuǐ mō yú) — Exploiting chaos and confusion allows cunning people to gain unfair advantages over others. Literally: Groping for fish in muddy water.
- 宁为鸡口，无为牛后 (Nìng wéi jī kǒu, wú wéi niú hòu) — Leading a humble domain grants more authority and respect than serving in an exalted position. Literally: Better a rooster's beak than an ox's rear.
- 有志者事竟成 (Yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng) — Determination and mental resolve can overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable through sheer commitment. Literally: One who has the will succeeds in the end.
- 大器晚成 (Dà qì wǎn chéng) — Unpromising beginnings don't determine a creature's potential; proper care and time can transform rough youth into valuable maturity. Literally: Great vessels take long to finish.
- 祸从口出 (Huò cóng kǒu chū) — A physical misstep heals quickly, but careless words cause lasting damage to relationships and reputation. Literally: Disaster comes out of the mouth.
- 千里之堤，溃于蚁穴 (Qiān lǐ zhī dī, kuì yú yǐ xué) — Small negligences compound catastrophically; ignoring minor problems cascades into complete failure. Literally: A thousand-mile dyke collapses through an ant hole.
- 习惯成自然 (Xíguàn chéng zìrán) — Habits ingrained through repetition become as automatic and instinctive as inborn traits. Literally: Habit becomes nature.
- 礼尚往来 (Lǐ shàng wǎng lái) — Reciprocal kindness creates a cycle where helping others motivates them to help you in return. Literally: Courtesy calls for reciprocity.
- 过犹不及 (Guò yóu bù jí) — Unlimited freedom without restraint breeds chaos; boundaries enable flourishing. Literally: Going too far is as bad as falling short.
- 物以类聚 (Wù yǐ lèi jù) — People naturally gravitate toward and trust those who share their values, interests, or circumstances. Literally: Things gather by kind.
- 爱屋及乌 (Ài wū jí wū) — Accept someone's flaws and attachments if you truly value them as a person. Literally: Love the house and you love the crows on its roof.
- 千里姻缘一线牵 (Qiān lǐ yīnyuán yí xiàn qiān) — Destined partners find each other through forces beyond human control, suggesting compatibility transcends deliberate planning. Literally: A thread ties a match a thousand miles apart.
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