Chinese Proverbs


The proverbs are in alphabetical order; use up and down arrow keys to choose a letter in text-only browsers. Use your mouse to click otherwise.


|A| |B| |C| |D| |E| |F| |G| |H| |I| |J| |K| |L| |M| |N| |O| |P| |Q| |R| |S| |T| |U| |V| |W| |X| |Y| |Z|

A
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Add legs to the snake after you have finished drawing it.
(An annotation is available here.)

An ant may well destroy a whole dam.
(An annotation is available here.)

B
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A book holds a house of gold.
(An annotation is available here.)

Butcher the donkey after it finished his job on the mill.
(An annotation is available here.)

C
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A crane standing amidst a flock of chickens.
(An annotation is available here.)

A camel standing amidst a flock of sheep.
(An annotation is available here.)

Crows everywhere are equally black.
(An annotation is available here.)

D
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A dish of carrot hastily cooked may still has soil uncleaned off the vegetable.
(An annotation is available here.)

Dismantle the bridge shortly after crossing it.
(An annotation is available here.)

Distant water won't help to put out a fire close at hand.
(An annotation is available here.)

Distant water won't quench your immediate thirst.
(An annotation is available here.)

Do not want others to know what you have done? Better not have done it anyways.

Donkey's lips do not fit onto a horse's mouth.
(An annotation is available here.)

A dog won't forsake his master because of his poverty; a son never deserts his mother for her homely appearance.

Dream different dreams while on the same bed.
(An annotation is available here.)

E
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Even a hare will bite when it is cornered.

F
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Fail to steal the chicken while it ate up your bait grain.
(An annotation is available here.)

A fall into a ditch makes you wiser.
(An annotation is available here.)

Fight a wolf with a flex stalk.
(An annotation is available here.)

A flea on the top of a bald head.
(An annotation is available here.)

Flowing water never goes bad; our door hubs never gather termites.
(An annotation is available here.)

A frog in a well shaft seeing the sky.
(An annotation is available here.)

Flies never visit an egg that has no crack.
(An annotation is available here.)

G
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A good fortune may forbode a bad luck, which may in turn disguise a good fortune.
(An annotation is available here.)

H
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Have a mouth as sharp as a dagger but a heart as soft as tofu.
(An annotation is available here.)

Have one's ears pierced only before the wedding ceremony starts.
(An annotation is available here.)

A horse cannot gain weight if not fed with extra fodder during the night; a man cannot become wealthy without earnings apart from his regular salaries.

How can you expect to find ivory in a dog's mouth?
(An annotation is available here.)

How can you put out a fire set on a cart-load of firewood with only a cup of water?
(An annotation is available here.)

I
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If you do not study hard when young you'll end up bewailing your failures as you grow up.

If a son is uneducated, his dad is to blame.

If you have never done anything evil, you should not be worrying about devils to knock at your door.
(A cross reference is vailable here.)

An inch of time is an inch of gold but you can't buy that inch of time with an inch of gold.
(An annotation is available here.)

It is easy to dodge a spear that comes in front of you but hard to keep harms away from an arrow shot from behind.
(A cross reference is vailable here.)

J
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A Jade stone is useless before it is processed; a man is good-for-nothing until he is educated.
(An annotation is available here.)

K
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Kill a chicken before a monkey.
(An annotation is available here.)

Kill one to warn a hundred.
(An annotation is available here.)

L
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Like ants eating a bone.
(An annotation is available here.)

Looking for the ass on its very back.
(An annotation is available here.)

Lift a stone only to drop on your own feet.
(An American equivalent is available here.)

The longer the night lasts, the more our dreams will be.
(An annotation is available here.)

M
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Mend the pen only after the sheep are all gone.
(An annotation is available here.)

N
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No wind, no waves.
(English counterpart can be checked here.)

O
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Of all the strategems, to know when to quit is the best.
(Literary translation of the original is available here.)

Once bitten by a snake, he/she is scared all his/her life at the mere sight of a rope.
(Literary translation of the original is available here.)

Once on a tiger's back, it is hard to alight.
(An annotation is available here.)

One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of being choked.
(An annotation is available here.)

One monk shoulders water by himself; two can still share the labor among them. When it comes to three, they have to go thirsty.
(An annotation is available here.)

Only when all contribute their firewood can they build up a strong fire.
(An annotation is available here.)

An overcrowded chicken farm produce fewer eggs.
(An annotation is available here.)

P
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Pick up a sesame seed but lose sight of a watermelon.
(An annotation is available here.)

Play a harp before a cow.
(An English equivalent is available here.)

Paper can't wrap up a fire.
(An annotation is available here.)

Q
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R
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Reshape one's foot to try to fit into a new shoe.
(An annotation is available here.)

Regular feet can't be affected by irregular shoes.
(An annotation is available here.)

S
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Shed no tears until seeing the coffin.
(An annotation is available here.)

A smile will gain you ten more years of life.

A sly rabbit will have three openings to its den.
(An annotation is available here.)

Some prefer carrot while others like cabbage.
(An annotation is available here.)

Steal a bell with one's ears covered.
(An annotation is available here.)

T
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Three humble shoemakers brainstorming will make a great statesman.
(A word for word translation of the original is available here.)

There are always ears on the other side of the wall.
(An annotation is available here.)

There is no silver here: three hundred taels.
(An annotation is available here.)

A tiger never returns to his prey he did not finish off.
(An annotation is available here.)

U
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V
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Vicious as a tigeress can be, she never eats her own cubs.
(An annotation is available here.)

W
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Waiting for a rabbit to hit upon a tree and be killed in order to catch it.
(An annotation is available here.)

We are not so much concerned if you are slow as when you come to a halt.

A weasel comes to say "Happy New Year" to the chickens.
(An annotation is available here.)

When you are poor, neighbors close by will not come; once you become rich, you'll be surprised by visits from (alleged) relatives afar.

Without rice, even the cleverest housewife cannot cook.
(Annotation is available here)

X
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Y
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You can't catch a cub without going into the tiger's den.
(An annotation is available here.)

You think you lost your horse? Who knows, he may bring a whole herd back to you someday.
(Literary translation of the original and its annotation is available here.)

You won't help shoots grow by pulling them up higher.
(An annotation is available here.)

You can't expect both ends of a sugar cane are as sweet.
(An annotation is available here.)

Your fingers can't be of the same length.
(An annotation is available here.)

Z
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Annotations and Connotations

Wealth or Peace; Grievances or Safety
With too much wealth, you'll always fear being robbed. Making too many enemies will put you in danger wherever you go.
Between a Superior and a Host.
Let your superior think that you are the "quiet water" that runs deep while seize the opportunity when you are invited to publize yourself.
Green Mountain and Firewood
The proverb is often used in face of setbacks as a consolation: unless the main force is lost, there is always a chance of staging a come-back.
Add Legs to Snake
Do something that is totally unnecessary and spoil what you already have done.Go back
Ant and Dam
If a small problem is overlooked, it could develop into a big disaster as ant can multiple making tunnels in the dam to allow water soak in and consequently bring it to a collapse.Go back
Book and Gold
It is a motto adults use to encourage youngsters to study. If you study hard, you'll have a good job and a chance to make good money.Go back
Dog and Mice
Despite the fact that dogs do catch mice, people still believe that is the business of cats'. Therefore, this proverb refers to someone who is too inquisitive and cares about things that are none of his business.Go back
Donkey's Lips On Horse's Mouth
It refers to something totally irrelavent. Go back
Different Dreams on the Same Bed
It is a reality that even the closest people, husband and wife, will dream different dreams. That means, people are never alike in their minds. The connotation is that you got to be wary of even the people you trust the most.Go back
Fight Wolf with Flex Stalk
Each party is fearful of the other: the wolf thought the stalk could be a fatal weapon while the person fears the consequence of his trick seen through by the wolf. Are you ever caught in a situation like this?Go back
Crane, Camel, and Flea
A crane is too obvious when it stands among a flock of chickens and looks very awkward. It is also true with a camel amidst a flock of sheep and a flea when it stands on top of a hairless head. They all carry a pejoritary tone: the thing that outstands others is something awkward if not necessarily bad.Back to "Crane" or Back to "Flea"?
Crows Are Universally Black
It is a metaphorical statement of "Bad people are bad no matter where you find them because human nature never changes".Go back
Ivory Expected in Dog's Mouth
True, that is an impossibility. The connotation is you can not expect people of evil intent to utter anything good. By the way, in the Chinese culture, dogs are almost always negative in allusions.Go back
Vicious Tigeress Won't Hurt Cubs
Those parents who hurt their children are worse than beasts of prey.Go back
A Fall Makes You Wiser
People learn from their mistakes.Go back
Lose Chicken and Bait
Kind of like "Shoot Your Own Feet". Starting out to hurt others but ending up in being hurt. Go back
Flies Love Cracked Eggs
Cracked eggs that yield odours are as vulnerable to flies as problem children to gangs or bad company.Go back
Flowing Water Never Stale
It means that people got to renew their knowledge not to stay behind. The English "Rolling stone gathers no moss" has a different meaning.Go back
Good Fortune or Bad Luck?
Do not overjoy over good fortune and saddened over a bad luck. There are always the unforeseeable turns for the better or worse.Go back
Frog and the Sky
There is an argument between a bird who stopped to drank at a well and a frog therein. They were arguing about how the sky looked like. Regarding where they were, they each had a different view. The frog's vision was of course very limited. Therefore, this proverb refers to somebody who has a very narrow-minded and insulated view of what they see or what they think.Go back
Mouth of a Dagger and Heart of Tofu
It says of a person who is sharp mouthed but tender-hearted.
Pierce Ears At Wedding
It is a criticism of procrastination. Like a bride who waited till the last munite to get things done that should have been done earlier. It also has the connation that it might be too late to wait till the last munite. Go back
Hard to Dodge a Shot from Behind
It is easier to guard against the obvious. Go back
Frog and the Sky
There is an argument between a bird who stopped to drank at a well and a frog therein. They were arguing about how the sky looked like. Regarding where they were, they each had a different view. The frog's vision was of course very limited. Therefore, this proverb refers to somebody who has a very narrow-minded and insulated view of what they see or what they think.Go back
Mouth of a Dagger and Heart of Tofu
It says of a person who is sharp mouthed but tender-hearted.
Pierce Ears At Wedding
It is a criticism of procrastination. Like a bride who waited till the last munite to get things done that should have been done earlier. It also has the connation that it might be too late to wait till the last munite. Go back
An Inch of Gold for an Inch of Time
Disregard the different use of unit words describing nouns in different cultures. This proverb tells the truth that time is more valuable than money. Money spent or lost can be earned; time lost is lost for good. No money can buy it back. The motto is that we got to make good use of our time.Go back
Useless Jade and Uneducated Man
It is an emphasis on the need of education.Go back
Hasty Dish of Carrot Unclean
When hurry through a job it is impossible to attend to the minute details.Go back
Dismantle Bridge and Kill Donkey
Isn't that ungrateful and mean? There are people who after taking advantage of you turn their back to you. Back to "bridge"Back to "butcher"
Water vs Fire and Thirst
In an emergency, regular help from afar can not be reached: expedient measures in the case are very much warrented.Go back
Hard to Alight from Tiger's Back
Once you take on a thorny task, you'll find it hard to get rid of it.Go back
Fast for Fear of Choking
You can't refuse to do the thing you need to just because there is a slight chance to fail.Go back
More Dreams In Longer Night
The longer we stay in a disadvantagous position, the more risks we'll take.Go back
Three Monks Go Thirsty
It is a scenario where lack of individual initiative could breed dependent upon each other so that the more people the lesser things are done. Go back
Contribute Firewood to Build Strong Fire
Another way of saying "United and we can stand strong."Go back
Crowded Chicken Farm Fewer Eggs
Scientifically, it may not be true. But the connotation of this proverb is that when too many people try to do one thing, it proves less efficient.Go back
Sesame Seed vs Watermelon
Concentrate on small matters to the expense of more important ones.Go back
Play Harp to Cow
Similar to "Cast pearls to a swine."Go back
Paper Can't Wrap Fire
How true: it will burn it self out as truth will eventually reveals itself despite coverups.Go back
Regular Feet vs Irregular Shoes
Same as "If you have not done anything evil, you should not worry too much": the good/regular always overwhelms the bad/irregular though in real life it is not necessarily so. Back to "If"or Back to "regular"?
Reshape Foot to Fit Shoe
The logic should be the other way round. Yet, in life there are people who try to sacrifice the big for the small, the important for the trivial.Go back
No Tears Before Seeing Coffin
Will not give up an inevitably losing battle until the last minute. It is a burlesque of the stubborness and stupidity of people who would not stop until it is too late.Go back
Carrot or Cabbage
"One man's meat is another's poison". People's preferences differ.Go back
A Rabbit Has Three Openings to Home
To succeed you got to have several alternatives.Go back
Snake or Rope
A word by word translation of the original is "Bitten by a snake this year, he'll be scared of well ropes in the next ten." In days when people had to draw water from wells instead of getting it from the tab, ropes, which bear resemblance in appearance to snakes, were a dispensible utility. The proverb decries those who are discouraged by their first failure and are afraid of trying again.Go back
Shoemaker and Statesman
The literary translation of the original is "Three smelly leather shoemakers put together can be counted as a Zhuge Liang", who was one of the greatest statesman as well as a military strategist in ancient Chinese history.Go back
Ears on the Other Side of Wall
Be wary of eavedropping anywhere anytimeGo back
Steal a Bell with Ears Covered
A bell is supposed to be ringing when moved and alert the owner. The theft here thought if he covered up his own ears, no one esle in the world will hear it either. That is stupid. Sure. This proverb is just to mock someone who takes it for granted that if he thinks others do not know what he is doing and they would surely do not know it.Go back
Chicken and Monkey; One and Hundred
To warn the many by punishing a few.Go back
Ants Eat Bone
A metaphor describing a situation where people trying an overwhelmingly big task by doing bit by bit with persiverence. Go back
Looking for Ass on Ass's Back
Haven't you had the experience of looking for your glasses when they actually on your nose? It happens.Go back
Gun/Stone and the Foot
Isn't it similar to "Shoot your gun at your own foot"?Go back
Mend Pen After Sheep Flee
Some say it is too late. Some say, well, if you learn a lesson, it is not necessarily late: no more sheep will flee. It is better than if you leave the pen broken at all. Therefore people use the proverb to either purpose.Go back
No Wind, No Waves
How about "There is no fire without smoke."? The assumption here is that rumors may have some grounds.Go back
Best Strategem?
The literary translation of the original is "Of the thirty-six strategems, running away is the best." "The Thirty-Six Strategems" are believed to have covered almost all the military strategic thinking Sun Zi, another greatest military strategist in ancient Chinese history, expounded in his thirteen chapter momograp, which has been regarded as the bible of the military in Chinese history and has now been seen very useful in business in Asia as well.Go back
No Silver but Three Hundred Taels?
Sounds paradoxical? True. Once upon a time, there were a couple, who got three hundred taels of silver, a big sum of currency. Worried that their money would be stolen, they decided to bury them in a jar behind their house. For fear that they might forget where they hid them, they put up a sign saying "There is no money here: three hundred taels". The result, of course, is only too appearant. This proverb is to tease those who say or do things blatantly self-contradictary and consequently become an object of redicule.Go back
Tiger Won't Come Back to His Left-Overs
For fear that he may have exposed his trace, he will not take the risk of being caught in making the same trip a second time. A clever thief would not show up in the same spot soon again. Go back
Catch a Cub in Its Den
Risky as it is, if you are afraid of taking chances, there is no way you can succeed.Go back
Wait for Rabbit to Die to Catch It
What is the chance? You must act instead of waiting to get things done.Go back
No Rice, No Wife to Cook
It may not be true to American housewives who seldom cook rice. But rice is staple food in South China where the proverb may have originated. Without the right material, no matter how good you are, you may not accomplish the task.Go back
Weasal Say Hi to Chickens
Be wary of his malicious intentions.Go back
One Horse Lost May Be a Herd of Them Gained
The story goes that an old man lost his horse. As he was remorsing, the animal returned bringing at his heels a herd more. It is thus regarded as a 'Blessing in disguise".Go back
Plucking Up a Crop to Help It Grow
You have to let things go in its natural course. Being too anxious to help an event to develop will result in the contrary to your intent.Go back

Firewood and Cup of Water
It is useless to apply minor remedies to a major problem.Go back
The Ends of a Sugar Cane
You have to balance it out: In order to get something, you have to sacrifice something else.Go back
Length of Ten Fingers
That is true. And that is true with life: we can't expect everything or everybody is perfect.Go back


Haiwang.Yuan@wku.edu,
http://www.wku.edu/~yuanh/proverb.html
Updated July 24, 1997

Compiled by Haiwang Yuan, Copyright Reserved.
Used here by permission.