Ancient Chinese Proverbs: The Oldest Wisdom
Sayings drawn from documented classical texts — the Daodejing, the Analects, the Art of War, the Zhuangzi, and other works of ancient Chinese philosophy. Each proverb includes its original source, era, and the named philosopher or text it comes from. For modern folk sayings, see our funny proverbs collection.
The Eras of Ancient Chinese Wisdom
Confucius (孔子), Laozi (老子), Sunzi (孙子). The foundational period for Chinese philosophy.
Mencius, Zhuangzi, Han Feizi, Liezi. The "Hundred Schools of Thought" — China's philosophical golden age.
Compilation of classics. Huainanzi, Zhan Guo Ce, Records of the Grand Historian.
Classical poetry and Chan Buddhism. The era of Li Bai, Du Fu, and Wang Wei.
The great vernacular novels: Journey to the West, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin.
Vernacular sayings, often without named authors. See our funny proverbs.
30+ Ancient Chinese Proverbs
千里之行，始于足下
Qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià
"A journey of a thousand li begins beneath your feet"
己所不欲，勿施于人
Jǐ suǒ bù yù, wù shī yú rén
"What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others"
三人行，必有我师
Sān rén xíng, bì yǒu wǒ shī
"When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher"
温故而知新
Wēn gù ér zhī xīn
"Review the old and understand the new"
见贤思齐焉，见不贤而内自省也
Jiàn xián sī qí yān, jiàn bù xián ér nèi zì xǐng yě
"When you see a worthy person, think of emulating them; when you see an unworthy person, examine yourself inwardly"
海纳百川，有容乃大
Hǎi nà bǎi chuān, yǒu róng nǎi dà
"The ocean accepts a hundred rivers; having capacity, it becomes great"
上善若水
Shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
"The highest good is like water"
虚怀若谷
Xū huái ruò gǔ
"An empty heart like a valley"
愚公移山
Yú gōng yí shān
"The foolish old man moves the mountains"
杞人忧天
Qǐ rén yōu tiān
"The man of Qi worries about the sky"
守株待兔
Shǒu zhū dài tù
"Stand by a tree stump waiting for hares"
刻舟求剑
Kè zhōu qiú jiàn
"Carve a mark on the boat to seek the sword"
知己知彼，百战不殆
Zhī jǐ zhī bǐ, bǎi zhàn bù dài
"Know yourself and know your enemy; in a hundred battles you will never be in danger"
狐假虎威
Hú jiǎ hǔ wēi
"The fox exploits the tiger's ferocity"
塞翁失马，焉知非福
Sài wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú
"When the old man from the frontier lost his horse, how could he know it was not a blessing?"
画蛇添足
Huà shé tiān zú
"To draw a snake and add feet to it"
坐井观天
Zuò jǐng guān tiān
"Sitting in a well, looking at the sky"
升米恩，斗米仇
Shēng mǐ ēn, dǒu mǐ chóu
"A liter of rice creates gratitude; a bushel of rice creates enmity"
画龙点睛
Huà lóng diǎn jīng
"Paint the dragon and dot its eyes"
叶公好龙
Yè gōng hào lóng
"Lord Ye loves dragons"
姜太公钓鱼——愿者上钩
Jiāng Tàigōng diào yú — yuàn zhě shàng gōu
"Jiang Taigong fishes — let the willing ones get hooked"
周瑜打黄盖——一个愿打，一个愿挨
Zhōu Yú dǎ Huáng Gài — yī gè yuàn dǎ, yī gè yuàn āi
"Zhou Yu beats Huang Gai — one is willing to beat, the other is willing to be beaten"
猪八戒照镜子——里外不是人
Zhū Bājiè zhào jìng zi — lǐ wài bù shì rén
"Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror — neither inside nor outside is a person"
昙花一现
Tánhuā yī xiàn
"The queen of the night flower appears once"
桃李满天下
Táo lǐ mǎn tiān xià
"Peaches and plums fill the world"
人生得一知己足矣，斯世当以同怀视之
Rénshēng dé yī zhījǐ zú yǐ, sī shì dāng yǐ tóng huái shì zhī
"In life, obtaining one true soulmate is sufficient; in this world, we should view each other with shared hearts"
愿得一心人，白头不相离
Yuàn dé yī xīn rén, bái tóu bù xiāng lí
"Longing for a soulmate to grow old with"
君子之交淡如水，小人之交甘若醴
Jūnzǐ zhī jiāo dàn rú shuǐ, xiǎorén zhī jiāo gān ruò lǐ
"The friendship of gentlemen is as plain as water; the friendship of petty people is as sweet as wine"
FAQ About Ancient Chinese Proverbs
What are the oldest Chinese proverbs?
The oldest Chinese proverbs come from the Spring and Autumn period (771–476 BC) and Warring States period (475–221 BC). The most ancient documented sources include the Analects of Confucius (~5th century BC), the Daodejing of Laozi (~6th century BC), the Art of War by Sunzi (~5th century BC), and the Zhuangzi (~4th century BC).
What is the difference between ancient Chinese proverbs and modern Chinese sayings?
Ancient Chinese proverbs (古典谚语) come from documented classical texts — the Analects, Daodejing, Zhuangzi, Han Feizi, and similar sources. They are usually 2,000+ years old, often have a specific named author, and tend to use literary Chinese (文言文). Modern Chinese sayings (现代俗语) are folk sayings that evolved in vernacular speech, often without a single author or textual source.
Are ancient Chinese proverbs still used today?
Yes — many ancient Chinese proverbs are still used daily in modern Mandarin. Sayings like 千里之行，始于足下 (a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step), 画蛇添足 (drawing a snake and adding feet), and 守株待兔 (waiting by a stump for a hare) appear constantly in modern Chinese news, business, literature, and casual conversation.
Which ancient Chinese philosophers created the most proverbs?
Confucius (孔子) and his disciples created the most-quoted body of wisdom in the Analects. Laozi (老子) gave us the Daodejing. Zhuangzi (庄子) contributed many parables. Han Feizi (韩非子) gave us Legalist fables like 守株待兔. Sunzi (孙子) created much of the strategic vocabulary still used in business today. Liezi (列子) contributed several famous fables including 愚公移山 and 杞人忧天.