bù dǎ bù chéng qì

spare the rod and spoil the child; a proverb justifying corporal punishment by parents on children

bù jīng yī shì bù zhǎng yī zhì

one can't know about something unless one experiences it; wisdom comes from experience

chǒu rén duō zuò guài

Ugly people tend to dress up weirdly or do weird things (to get attention).; People without enough abilities tend to show off.

jǔ tóu sān chǐ yǒu shén míng

The gods are watching, so don't think you can get away with anything.

直译: There are gods three feet above your head

shū zhōng zì yǒu yán rú yù

If you study hard, you will be successful, and a beautiful woman will want to marry you.

直译: A book holds a face as smooth as jade.

rén zhī jiāng sǐ qí yán yě shàn

A person's words are kind when death is near.

出处: From the Analects, Book 8 (《論語·泰伯》)

rén dìng shèng tiān

Man's determination will triumph over nature.

rén xīn gé dù pí

someone else's heart is difficult to know

rén pà chū míng zhū pà féi

fame portends trouble for men just as fattening does for pigs

rén kào yī zhuāng fó kào jīn zhuāng

clothes maketh the man; fine feathers make fine birds

直译: a man relies on his clothes, the statue of Buddha relies on its gold

zuò yī háng yuàn yī háng

no matter the work, there will be something to take issue with; the grass is always greener on the other side jobwise

直译: work a profession, complain about the same profession

shǎ rén yǒu shǎ fú

there is fortune for a simple person.

直译: an idiot has an idiot's luck

xiān fā zhì rén hòu fā zhì yú rén

Act first and subdue your enemy, or else you will be subdued by your enemy.

qí shēn bù zhèng, suī lìng bù cóng⚠ 拼音待校

If the leader is not righteous, his subordinates would not follow his orders.

出处: From the Analects, Book 13 (《論語·子路》)

bīng dòng sān chǐ fēi yī rì zhī hán

Rome wasn't built in a day.

直译: three feet of ice is not the result of one cold day

出处: A similar expression is found in Lunheng by Wang Chong

láo xīn zhě zhì rén láo lì zhě zhì yú rén

Those who labour with their minds govern others; those who labour with their strength are governed by others.

出处: From Mencius

qín yǒu gōng xì wú yì

diligence has its reward while play has no benefit

出处: From the Three Character Classic

qiān jīn nán mǎi shào nián qióng

Living with hardship and poverty in one's early youth is a precious experience

gǔ jīn duō shǎo shì dōu fù xiào tán zhōng

It is better to keep an open mind with respect to right and wrong or success and failure when evaluating historical developments.

出处: * From the last line of the opening poem of Romance of the Three Kingdoms *: Literally: How many things from past and present have they laughed and talked about with each other?

chī rén jiā de zuǐ ruǎn, ná rén jiā de shǒu ruǎn⚠ 拼音待校

One may be bound to others because of the things they give you.

出处: Literally, “the mouth that feeds from others is soft; the hand that takes from others is soft [as well]”. In other words: “When eating dinner given by others, one should have a soft mouth; when taking bribes, one should have a soft hand.”

tóng háng rú dí guó

people of the same trade or occupation are always pitted against each other

tuán jié jiù shì lì liàng

unity is strength; unity makes strength

zài jiā kào fù mǔ chū wài kào péng you

at home, rely on your parents; away from home, rely on your friends

qiáng dǎo zhòng rén tuī

Everyone will seize the opportunity to attack a person once they lose power or influence

直译: Everyone gives a shove to a falling wall.

xià chóng bù kě yǔ bīng

One cannot engage in meaningful discussions with people with only superficial knowledge or narrow experience

直译: Summer insects cannot speak of ice.

出处: From Zhuangzi

tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún

short for 天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福／天有不测风云，人有旦夕祸福 (tiān yǒu bùcè fēngyún, rén yǒu dànxī huòfú, “Disasters and misfortunes are unpredictable”)

tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún rén yǒu dàn xī huò fú

disasters and misfortunes are unpredictable; one's fortune is as unpredictable as the weather

fū qī běn shì tóng lín niǎo dà nán lín tóu gè zì fēi

synonym of 夫妻本是同林鳥 /夫妻本是同林鸟 (fūqī běn shì tóng lín niǎo)

hǎo hàn bù chī yǎn qián kuī

A wise man does not fight when the odds are against him; A wise man knows when to retreat.

直译: A real man does not eat a loss that is right in front of his eyes.

hài rén zhī xīn bù kě yǒu fáng rén zhī xīn bù kě wú

one should not try to harm others, but you should also be prudent and guard against those who harm you

jiā chǒu bù kě wài yáng

what happens in the family stays in the family; don't wash your dirty linen in public

直译: family scandals cannot be spread to the outside

jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīng

💡 Айл болгон өөрийн гэсэн зовлон бэрхшээлтэй байдаг.

直译: every family has a text which is difficult to read

xiǎo bié shèng xīn hūn

absence makes the heart grow fonder (said of married couples)

xiǎo xīn shǐ dé wàn nián chuán

better safe than sorry

直译: If you are careful, you can steer your ship safely for a myriad years

jǐ lì lì rén jǐ dá dá rén

live and let live

直译: Just as you would like to establish yourself in the world, so allow others to establish themselves. Just as you seek to understand things, so allow others the same opportunity.

出处: From the Analects, Book 6 (《論語·雍也》)

cháng zài hé biān zǒu, nǎ néng bù shī xié⚠ 拼音待校

Constant exposure to an environment will also corrupt oneself.

直译: If one often walks by the river, how can one's shoes never get wet?

píng shí bù shāo xiāng lín shí bào fó jiǎo

to not make adequate preparations beforehand and do something hurriedly only at the last minute

直译: to not burn incense regularly, but only clasp the Buddha's feet when something happens

píng shēng bù zuò kuī xīn shì bàn yè qiāo mén yě bù jīng

if one were not guilty, they have nothing to hide

直译: if one has not committed something of guilt in their entire life, they will not be afraid when someone is knocking on their doors in the middle of the night

chuáng tóu chǎo jià chuáng wěi hé

to quarrel with each other at the head of the bed and compromise at the end of it; to fight getting into bed and make up before falling asleep; to quickly make up after a quarrel; (sometimes specifically) to end an intense argument with make-up sex