yuǎn shuǐ jiù bù liǎo jìn huǒ

alternative form of 遠水不救近火 /远水不救近火 (yuǎn shuǐ bù jiù jìn huǒ, “a slow remedy cannot resolve an emergency”)

zhòng shǎng zhī xià bì yǒu yǒng fū

someone will always step forward if they think they will be rewarded; money talks

直译: under a (promise of a) big reward, there will be a man of bravery

fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú

💡 Хүнээс болгоомжлох сэтгэлээ хэзээ ч бүү алд.

出处: Literally: One must not lack a heart that is on guard.

gé háng rú gé shān

different trades are worlds apart; to someone outside the profession, it is a closed book

qīng chū yú lán ér shèng yú lán

synonym of 青出於藍，而青於藍 /青出于蓝，而青于蓝 (qīng chū yú lán, ér qīng yú lán)

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

yù fáng shèng yú zhì liáo

prevention is better than cure

yù fáng zhòng yú zhì liáo

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

piàn de liǎo yī shí piàn bù liǎo yī shì

you can fool people once but you cannot fool them forever

gāo chù bù shèng hán

it's lonely at the top

直译: One can't withstand the cold when in high places.

出处: From "Shuidiao Getou—Mid-Autumn of Bingchen" (《水調歌頭·丙辰中秋》) by Su Shi.

huáng hé bǎi hài wéi fù yī tào

The Yellow River causes extensive harm with its floods and only benefits the Hetao region

yī mìng èr yùn sān fēng shuǐ sì jī yīn dé wǔ dú shū

the main factors determining one's life are, in decreasing order of importance, destiny, luck, feng shui, doing good deeds and education

出处: First attested in the Qing dynasty novel Ernü Yingxiong Zhuan.

yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn

time is priceless; money cannot buy you time

直译: An inch of time is as long as an inch of gold in length, but an inch of time cannot be purchased with an inch of gold.

yī jiàng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū

A general's feat is achieved through the sacrifice of the lives of countless soldiers

直译: A single general achieves fame on the rotting bones of ten thousand.

出处: From the poem 己亥歲二首（其一） by Cao Song (c. 830–902)

yī cháo tiān zǐ yī cháo chén

When a leader falls from power, his/her subordinates may fall from power too.

直译: One reign of emperor, one reign of ministers

yī zhī cǎo yī diǎn lù

As long as one is still breathing, one has a chance to live.; There is always a way out.

出处: Literally, “For every blade of grass, there is a drop of dew.”

yī dī jīng shí dī xuè

A drop of semen is equal to ten drops of blood; Semen is extremely precious and ejaculation leads to a loss of vitality

yī zhāo cuò mǎn pán jù shì kōng

synonym of 一著不慎，滿盤皆輸 /一着不慎，满盘皆输 (“one careless move and the whole game is lost”)

yī zuì jiě qiān chóu

One time getting drunk will cure a thousand worries.

sān nián zhī sāng

One should mourn one's parents for three years when they die

直译: Three years of mourning

出处: From the Analects, Book 17 (《論語·陽貨》)

shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi

if leadership sets a bad example, their subordinates will follow suit

直译: If the top beam is not straight, the lower beams will be crooked

bù yǐ chéng bài lùn yīng xióng

A person should not be deemed a hero merely on the basis of the success or failure of their endeavors.

bù sè bù liú bù zhǐ bù xíng

There is no flowing without damming and no motion without rest.

出处: From the "Origin of Dao" by Han Yu.

bù dāng jiā bù zhī chái mǐ guì

managing a family is not easy, and requires responsibility

直译: if one does not keep the house, one does not know how expensive firewood and rice are

bù zhī zhě bù zuì

One who errs unknowingly need not be held responsible.

直译: the ignorant person is not guilty

bù zhī zhě wú zuì

One who errs unknowingly need not be held responsible.

直译: One who does not know is not guilty.

chǒu xí fu zǒng děi jiàn gōng pó

One cannot avoid an embarrassing or unpleasant situation forever. One must face an embarrassing or unpleasant situation sooner or later.

直译: Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law eventually.

chǒu xí fu zǎo wǎn yě děi jiàn gōng pó

alternative form of 醜媳婦總得見公婆 /丑媳妇总得见公婆 (chǒu xífu zǒngděi jiàn gōngpó, “One cannot avoid an embarrassing or unpleasant situation forever. One must face an embarrassing or unpleasant situation sooner or later.”)

直译: Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her parents-in-law eventually.

yán shī chū gāo tú

A strict teacher produces outstanding students

wéi shàn bù yù rén zhī

Those who do good deeds, should not do so out of a desire for others to know about it.

jiǔ chū shí sān guī

When borrowing $10 from a pawnbroker or usurer, one receives only $9 but will have to repay $13.

shū dào yòng shí fāng hèn shǎo

It is only when it comes time to apply knowledge that you regret not acquiring enough of it.

rén wèi cái sǐ niǎo wèi shí wáng

men would die in pursuit of wealth just like how birds would die in pursuit for food; human beings would sacrifice even their lives in pursuit of wealth

rén zhī huàn zài hào wéi rén shī

it is bad to give unsolicited counsel or lectures

出处: From Mencius

rén shàn dé rén qī mǎ shàn dé rén qí

nice guys finish last

rén pà chū míng zhū pà zhuàng

fame portends trouble for men just as fattening does for pigs

tā shān zhī shí kě yǐ gōng yù

advice from others may help remedy one's own shortcomings

直译: Stones from another hill can be used to polish my jade

出处: From the Classic of Poetry, poem 184 (《詩經·小雅·鶴鳴》)

zuò yī tiān hé shang zhuàng yī tiān zhōng

alternative form of 當一天和尚撞一天鐘 /当一天和尚撞一天钟 (“to do the least that is expected; to do the absolute minimum; to not put oneself out”)

直译: to toll the bell for as long as one is a monk

zuò yī tiān hé shàng zhuàng yī tiān zhōng⚠ 拼音待校

💡 Ажилдаа сэтгэлгүй, нэг өдрийг л өнгөрөөж, наад захын юмаа л хийх.

直译: as a monk for today, toll today's bell

guāng yīn sì jiàn

Time flies like an arrow.

出处: From Wei Zhuang's poem 《關河道中》