Chinese Proverbs About Life & Wisdom — Page 10

Tuì yī bù hǎi kuò tiān kōng, rěn yī shí fēng píng làng jìng

"Step back and the ocean opens wide; endure for a moment and the winds calm, waves settle"

Jiān qiáng zhě sǐ zhī tú

"The stiff and rigid are disciples of death"

Yáng tāng zhǐ fèi, bùrú fǔ dǐ chōu xīn

"Stirring the soup to stop it from boiling is not as effective as removing the firewood from under the pot"

Shān zhōng yǒu zhí shù, shì shàng wú zhí rén

"In the mountains there are straight trees; in the world there are no straight people"

yán yú lǜ jǐ, kuān yǐ dài rén

"Be strict with yourself, but generous in how you treat others"

Xiān xià shǒu wéi qiáng

"The one who strikes first gains the advantage"

Chèn rè dǎ tiě

"Strike while the iron is hot"

Chū qí bù yì, gōng qí bù bèi

"Appear where the enemy does not expect; attack where they are unprepared"

Jí fēng zhī jìng cǎo, bǎn dàng shí chéng chén

"Strong winds reveal sturdy grass; turmoil identifies loyal ministers"

Shàng shàn ruò shuǐ

"The highest good is like water"

guā lǐ zhī xián

"Suspicion arising from being under a melon vine or plum tree"

Tóng gān gòng kǔ

"To share both the sweet and the bitter"

Bǎojiàn fēng cóng mólǐ chū, méihuā xiāng zì kǔhán lái

"The sword's edge emerges from grinding; the plum blossom's fragrance comes from bitter cold"

huì mò rú shēn

"to keep something strictly secret; to hush up a matter completely"

Chī kuī shì fú

"To suffer a loss is a blessing"

Zhàn zhe shuō huà bù yāo téng

"Standing and talking doesn't make your waist hurt"

Chāi dōng qiáng, bǔ xī qiáng

"Tear down the east wall to patch up the west wall"

Wàn wù fù yīn ér bào yáng, chōng qì yǐ wéi hé

"The ten thousand things carry yin and embrace yang; the vital energy blends them into harmony"

Shí nián hé dōng, shí nián hé xī

"Ten years on the east bank, ten years on the west bank"

Shù yù jìng ér fēng bù zhǐ

"The tree wants to stay quiet, but the wind won't stop blowing"

Tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún

"The heavens have unpredictable winds and clouds"

Jū ān sī wēi

"In times of peace, think of danger"

Sān sī ér hòu xíng

"Think three times before taking action"

Míng xiū zhàndào, àn dù Chéncāng

"Openly repair the plank road, secretly cross at Chencang"

Sānshíliù jì, zǒu wéi shàng jì

"Among the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing is the best one"

Sān shí nián hé dōng, sān shí nián hé xī

"Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west—the winds of fortune shift with time"

Qiān lǐ zhī xíng, shǐ yú zú xià

"A journey of a thousand li begins beneath your feet"

Qiān lǐ zhī dī, kuì yú yǐ xué

"A thousand-mile embankment collapses from an ant's hole"

Sān gè chòu pí jiàng, dǐng gè Zhūgě Liàng

"Three cobblers with their wits combined equal one Zhuge Liang"

Tái shàng sān fēn zhōng, tái xià shí nián gōng

"Three minutes on stage, ten years of work off stage"

Zhāo sān mù sì

"Three in the morning, four in the evening"

Sān jù huà bù lí běn háng

"People cannot help talking about their profession"

Yī wèn sān bù zhī

"Asked one question, ignorant of three things"

Sān rén xíng, bì yǒu wǒ shī

"When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher"

Pāo zhuān yǐn yù

"Cast a brick to attract jade"

Hǔ fù wú quǎn zǐ

"A tiger father will not have dog sons"

Dǎ hǔ qīn xiōng dì, shàng zhèn fù zǐ bīng

"When hunting tigers, you need brothers; when going to battle, you need father and son"

Hǔ sǐ liú pí, rén sǐ liú míng

"When a tiger dies, it leaves its skin; when a person dies, they leave their name"

Líba zhā de jǐn, yěgǒu zuān bú jìn

"When the fence is tied tight, stray dogs cannot get in"

Guāng yīn sì jiàn

"Time flies like an arrow"

suì yuè bù ráo rén

"Time shows mercy to no one"

Guò ér néng gǎi, shàn mò dà yān

"To err and then change—there is no greater good than this"

Rén fēi shèng xián, shú néng wú guò

"People are not sages; who can be without faults?"

Yǐ yá huán yá, yǐ yǎn huán yǎn

"A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye"

Shì jīn zhī shí kě shì jīn, jīn kě shì rén

"A touchstone can test gold, and gold can test a person"

Lǎo wú lǎo, yǐ jí rén zhī lǎo; yòu wú yòu, yǐ jí rén zhī yòu

"Treat your own elders as elders, then extend this to others' elders; treat your own children as children, then extend this to others' children"

Yǔ rén wéi shàn

"Treat others with kindness and do good unto them"

Mù xiù yú lín, fēng bì cuī zhī

"The tree that stands tallest in the forest will be destroyed by the wind"

Huànnàn jiàn zhēnqíng

"Adversity reveals true feelings"

Zhēn jīn bù pà huǒ liàn

"True gold fears no fire"