Chinese Wisdom & Philosophy — Page 4

Shí bù yán, qǐn bù yǔ

"When eating, do not speak; when sleeping, do not talk"

Chī bù qióng, chuān bù qióng, suànji bù dào yī shì qióng

"Eating won't bankrupt you, clothing won't bankrupt you, but failing to plan will leave you poor for a lifetime"

Yǒu jiào wú lèi

"In teaching, there are no categories"

Bā xiān guò hǎi, gè xiǎn shén tōng

"When the Eight Immortals crossed the sea, each displayed their unique magical abilities"

Bā gān zi dǎ bù zháo

"Cannot be reached even with eight poles"

Zhǎng xiōng rú fù, lǎo sǎo bǐ mǔ

"An elder brother is like a father; an elder sister-in-law is like a mother"

Xū huái ruò gǔ

"An empty heart like a valley"

Kōng chéng jì

"The strategy of the empty city"

Rěn yīshí fēngpíng làngjìng, tuì yībù hǎikuò tiānkōng

"Endure a moment and the winds calm, the waves settle; retreat a step and the sea is wide, the sky is vast"

Rěn yīshí fēngpíng làngjìng

"Endure for a moment, and the wind will settle, the waves will calm"

Rù guó wèn jìn, rù xiāng wèn sú

"When entering a country, ask about its prohibitions; when entering a village, ask about its customs"

Rù zhī lán zhī shì, jiǔ ér bù wén qí xiāng

"Entering a room of orchids, after a long time one no longer smells their fragrance"

Rù xiāng suí sú

"When you enter a village, follow its customs"

Zhǐ xiàn yuān yāng bù xiàn xiān

"True love is worth more than immortality"

Tánhuā yī xiàn

"The queen of the night flower appears once"

Mó léng liǎng kě

"Rounded edges, either way works"

Qīngguān nán duàn jiāwùshì

"Even an incorruptible official cannot judge household affairs"

Dào yì yǒu dào

"Even thieves have their Dao / their way"

Zhì zhě qiān lǜ, bì yǒu yī shī; yú zhě qiān lǜ, bì yǒu yī dé

"The wise person, after a thousand considerations, will surely make one mistake; the fool, after a thousand considerations, will surely get one thing right"

Jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīng

"Every family has a scripture that is difficult to read"

Sānbǎi liùshí háng, hángháng chū zhuàngyuán

"Three hundred sixty trades; every trade produces a top scholar"

Shuí rén bèi hòu wú rén shuō, nǎ gè rén qián bù shuō rén

"Who is not talked about behind their back? Who does not talk about others to their face?"

Rén gè yǒu zhì, bù kě qiǎng qiú

"Each person has their own aspirations; one cannot force them"

Yè jīng yú qín huāng yú xī, xíng chéng yú sī huǐ yú suí

"Excellence comes from diligence and is ruined by play; accomplishment comes from reflection and is destroyed by casualness"

Yè jīng yú qín huāng yú xī

"Excellence comes from diligence; ruin comes from play"

Chú le láng jiù wú hǎo qīn

"Except for a brother-in-law, there is no good relative"

Qióng zé biàn, biàn zé tōng, tōng zé jiǔ

"When exhausted, change; when changed, flow opens; when flowing, it endures"

Bù pà yī wàn, zhǐ pà wàn yī

"Don't fear ten thousand — fear the one-in-ten-thousand"

Lè jí shēng bēi

"When joy reaches its extreme, sorrow follows"

Pǐ jí tài lái

"When Pi (standstill) reaches its extreme, Tai (peace) comes"

Huà hǔ huà pí nán huà gǔ, zhī rén zhī miàn bù zhī xīn

"Painting a tiger, you can paint its skin but not its bones; knowing a person, you know their face but not their heart"

Jiàn guài bù guài, qí guài zì bài

"When you see something strange, do not be surprised; the strange thing will defeat itself"

Shìshí shèng yú xióngbiàn

"Facts are superior to eloquent argument"

Huà hǔ bù chéng fǎn lèi quǎn

"Attempting to draw a tiger but ending up with something resembling a dog"

Shībài shì chénggōng zhī mǔ

"Failure is success's mother"

Zhōng yán nì ěr lì yú xíng

"Honest advice is hard to hear but good for your actions"

chī yī qiàn, zhǎng yī zhì

"Fall into a moat, grow in wisdom"

Rén pà chū míng zhū pà zhuàng

"People fear fame as pigs fear getting fat"

Jiā hé wàn shì xīng

"When the family is harmonious, all things prosper"

Jiā yǒu qiān kǒu, zhǔ shì yī rén

"A family may have a thousand members, but only one person leads"

Yǒu yuán qiān lǐ lái xiāng huì, wú yuán duì miàn bù xiāng féng

"Those with destiny will meet even if separated by a thousand li; those without destiny will not recognize each other even when face to face"

Fù cí zǐ xiào, xiōng yǒu dì gōng

"Father is kind, son is filial; elder brother is friendly, younger brother is respectful"

Wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù

"The pot calling the kettle black"

Tóu sān jiǎo nán tī

"The first three kicks are the hardest to execute"

Yú, wǒ suǒ yù yě; xióng zhǎng, yì wǒ suǒ yù yě. Èr zhě bù kě dé jiān, shě yú ér qǔ xióng zhǎng zhě yě

"Fish is what I want; bear's paw is also what I want. If I cannot have both, I will give up the fish and take the bear's paw"

Quán bù lí shǒu, qǔ bù lí kǒu

"The fist never leaves the hand; the song never leaves the mouth"

Shǎn shuò qí cí

"To speak evasively, dodging direct answers"

Qiáng nèi kāi huā qiáng wài xiāng

"Flowers bloom inside the wall, but their fragrance spreads outside"

Huā yǒu chóng kāi rì, rén wú zài nián shào

"Flowers have their day to bloom again; people never have their youth twice"

Yú gōng yí shān

"The foolish old man moves the mountains"