mín yǐ shí wéi tiān

💡 Ард түмэнд хоол хүнс хамгийн чухал, тэнгэр шиг эрхэм зүйл.

出处: Identically from the Book of Han, whose earlier version in the Records of the Grand Historian goes as follows

shuǐ huǒ wú qíng

Floods and fires know no mercy.

làng zǐ huí tóu jīn bù huàn

It is rare when someone who has gone astray turns over a new leaf, so we should accept that person with open arms when the person does reform.

直译: A wayward son who returns is more precious than gold.

出处: From the novel 覺世名言十二樓 by Li Yu (1611–1680)

wēn yán zài kǒu dà bàng zài shǒu

speak softly and carry a big stick

直译: gentle words in mouth, big stick on hand

出处: Calque of English speak softly and carry a big stick.

ài zhī shēn zé zhī qiè⚠ 拼音待校

tough love; to criticize or reproach out of love

shēng bù dài lái sǐ bù dài qù

used to advise people to refrain from being obsessed with material possessions

出处: Literally: You can't bring it with you from before birth, and you can't take with you after you're dead.

nán nǚ shòu shòu bù qīn

Men and women should not touch each other when giving or receiving an item.

出处: From Mencius: : Also from the Book of Rites

bǎi wú yī yòng shì shū shēng

Scholars (intellectuals) are good for nothing.

出处: From a line in 雜感, a poem written by Qing dynasty poet Huang Jingren.

zhēn jīn bù pà huǒ liàn

Someone of integrity, determination and/or ability can withstand all tests and trials; Something genuine or correct can withstand all tests

直译: True gold fears no fire

zhī zhī wéi zhī zhī bù zhī wéi bù zhī

You either know it or you don't (don't pretend to know it if you don't).

出处: From the Analects, Book 2 (《論語·爲政》)

zhī shi jiù shì lì liàng

knowledge is power

lǐ zhī yòng hé wéi guì

In carrying out the rules of propriety, ease of manner is to be prized.

出处: From the Analects, Book 1 (《論語·學而》)

cōng míng fǎn bèi cōng míng wù

Cleverness may overreach itself; A wise man can be ruined by his own wisdom; Clever people may be victims of their own cleverness; Every man has a fool in his sleeve.

zì zhù zhě tiān zhù zhī

heaven helps those who help themselves

chuán dào qiáo tóu zì rán zhí

we'll cross that bridge when we come to it; everything will eventually be settled in the end

直译: When the boat gets to the bridgehead, it will naturally straighten itself out.

sè zì tóu shàng yī bǎ dāo

charming beauty makes men fall

直译: a 刀 (dāo, “knife”) lies at the top of the 色 (“feminine charm; beauty”) character

hǔ sǐ liú pí rén sǐ liú míng

a person should focus on the legacy they will have on others

直译: when a tiger dies, it leaves behind its pelt; when a person dies, they leave behind their name

yāo xiǎng fù xiān xiū lù

if you want to get rich, build a road

直译: want to get rich, first build/repair road

yán duō bì shī

the more one says, the easier it is to make a mistake

jì huà gǎn bù shàng biàn huà

man plans and God laughs

jìn shuǐ lóu tái xiān dé yuè

proximity or closeness to someone or something grants an advantage or priority in gaining certain benefits

yuǎn qīn bù rú jìn lín

💡 Хол байгаа төрлөөс ойр байгаа хөрш дээр.

出处: Probably from an opera from the Yuan dynasty: : Compare English better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off (Proverbs 27:10b KJV).

jīn qián zhì shàng

money is supreme; money reigns supreme

cháng tòng bù rú duǎn tòng

It is better to suffer short-term pain so that one will not have to suffer long-term pain; it is better to just get it over with, rather than prolong the agony.

直译: Long[-term] pain is not as good as short[-term] pain.

xū yào shì fā míng zhī mǔ

necessity is the mother of invention

qīng chū yú lán ér qīng yú lán

the student has surpassed his or her teacher

直译: the color blue is made out of indigo, but is more vivid than indigo

出处: From Xunzi

jìng shuǐ liú shēn

still waters run deep

è sǐ shì xiǎo shī jié shì dà

death by starvation is a small matter, but losing one's chastity is a great matter; integrity needs to be upheld even to the point of death

出处: Quoted from the Song neo-Confucian philosopher Cheng Yi.

mǎ lù rú hǔ kǒu

Roads are as dangerous as a tiger's mouth; Follow traffic rules and cross the road safely

直译: Roads are like a tiger's mouth

yī gè bā zhang pāi bù xiǎng

it takes two to tango

直译: one hand clapping makes no sound

出处: Ultimately from Hanfeizi, Volume XXVIII

yī tú shèng qiān yán

a picture is worth a thousand words

zhàng fū yǒu lèi bù qīng tán

synonym of 男兒有淚不輕彈 /男儿有泪不轻弹 (nán'ér yǒu lèi bù qīng tán, “A real man does not cry at the drop of a hat just because life is not going his way.”)

sān jūn wèi dòng liáng cǎo xiān xíng

synonym of 三軍未發，糧草先行 /三军未发，粮草先行 (sānjūnwèifā, liángcǎoxiānxíng)

sān jūn wèi fā liáng cǎo xiān xíng

one has to make preparations being doing something

直译: the rations move first before three armies are dispatched

bù tīng lǎo rén yán chī kuī zài yǎn qián

ignore your elders at your peril

直译: if one doesn't listen to elders' words, losses come before his or her eyes