níng zài rén qián quán bù huì mò zài rén qián huì bù quán

it is better not to be in public at all than to be imperfect in public

nìng jiào wǒ fù tiān xià rén xiū jiào tiān xià rén fù wǒ

I would rather that everyone were betrayed by me, instead of me being betrayed by everyone.

出处: From the Romance of the Three Kingdoms [circa 14th century AD].

nìng qī bái xū gōng mò qī shào nián qióng

Do not look down on a young person for being poor

出处: Originally Cantonese. First attested in the vernacular novel 廿載繁華夢 by Huang Shizhong (黃世仲／黄世仲) from Panyu, Guangdong.

níng míng ér sǐ bù mò ér shēng

to rather speak up for justice and die than live in silence

wū lòu piān féng lián yè yǔ

When it rains, it pours.

直译: When the roof is leaking, that's when you'll get several continuous nights of rain.

wū lòu piān féng lián yīn yǔ

When it rains, it pours.

直译: When the roof is leaking, that's when you'll get several continuous nights of rain.

qiǎo fù nán wéi wú mǐ zhī chuī

you can’t make bricks without straw

直译: the cleverest housewife cannot cook without rice

qiǎo yán lìng sè xiǎn yǐ rén

He who utters sweet talk and pretentious words does not have much benevolence.

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

chā zhī háo lí miù yǐ qiān lǐ

small discrepancies lead to great errors

chā ruò háo lí miù yǐ qiān lǐ

small discrepancies lead to great errors

出处: From the Book of Rites, which apparently paraphrases the Classic of Changes: *

jǐ suǒ bù yù wù shī yú rén

Do not do unto others what you would not like others to do unto yourself.

出处: * From the Analects, Book 12 (《論語·顏淵》): * From the Analects, Book 15 (《論語·衞靈公》)

miào xiǎo yāo fēng dà chí qiǎn wáng bā duō

There are comparatively more bad people in a small community

kāi gōng méi yǒu huí tóu jiàn

there's no turning back after you make an important decision

直译: The arrow that left the bow never returns

dé dào duō zhù shī dào guǎ zhù

a just cause attracts abundant support while an unjust cause finds little support

出处: From Mencius (《孟子·公孫丑下》)

dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén

sometimes it's better to forgive someone than to persist on looking further into the mistake made by the said person

zhōng yán nì ěr

sincere advice may be unpleasant to the ear (but it is beneficial)

出处: From Shiji

yú zhě qiān lǜ, yì yǒu yī dé⚠ 拼音待校

even the foolish ones can sometimes have good ideas after making deep and careful consideration; even a blind squirrel can find a nut once in a while

cí mǔ duō bài ér

a benevolent mother who spoils her children will have bad children

chéng zé wéi wáng bài zé wéi kòu

synonym of 成者為王，敗者為寇 /成者为王，败者为寇 (chéng zhě wéi wáng, bài zhě wéi kòu, “Legitimacy belongs to the victor; might makes right; Used to mean a person is judged solely on whether they succeeded or failed”)

直译: The victor becomes king, the defeated an outlaw.

chéng wáng bài kòu

synonym of 成者為王，敗者為寇 /成者为王，败者为寇 (chéng zhě wéi wáng, bài zhě wéi kòu)

chéng zhě wéi wáng bài zhě wéi kòu

Legitimacy belongs to the victor; might makes right; Used to mean a person is judged solely on whether they succeeded or failed

直译: The victor becomes king, the defeated an outlaw.

出处: Based on a line in The Orphan of Zhao (translation by West & Idema, 2015)

chéng zhě wáng hóu bài zhě kòu

alternative form of 成者為王，敗者為寇 /成者为王，败者为寇 (chéng zhě wéi wáng, bài zhě wéi kòu)

yáng tāng zhǐ fèi bù rú qù xīn

It is better to solve the root problem, rather than treating the symptoms.

直译: Lifting the soup to stop it from boiling is less effective than taking away the firewood.

quán bù lí shǒu qū bù lí kǒu

Only through diligent practice can one become proficient in the skill or art.

ái de guò chū yī ái bù guò shí wǔ

to be able to escape the consequences for now, but unable to avoid them forever

直译: able to get through the 1st, unable to get through the 15th

ái guò shé yǎo jiàn zhe shàn yú jiù pǎo

once bitten, twice shy

直译: having suffered a snakebite, one runs after seeing an Asian swamp eel

āi jīn sì jīn āi yù sì yù āi zhe mù jiàng xué lā jù

One can be positively or negatively influenced by the people surrounding oneself.

直译: like gold when next to gold, like jade when next to jade, learning to work a two-man saw when next to a carpenter

shòu rén yǐ yú bù rú shòu rén yǐ yú

give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

直译: giving a person fish is not as good as teaching a person to fish

出处: 魚 (OC *ŋa, “fish”) and 漁 (OC *ŋa, “fishing”) have been homophonic since Old Chinese, both derived from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-ŋja (“fish”). Compare English give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, which may be the origin of this proverb.

bān qǐ shí tou zá zì jǐ de jiǎo

synonym of 搬石頭砸自己的腳 /搬石头砸自己的脚 (bān shítou zá zìjǐ de jiǎo)

直译: to move a stone and stub one's toe

qín zéi xiān qín wáng

synonym of 擒賊擒王 /擒贼擒王 (qínzéiqínwáng)

fàng xià tú dāo lì dì chéng fó

One can quickly become a good person if one repents and mends one's ways

jiù rén yī mìng shèng zào qī jí fú tú

saving a life is of boundless beneficence

直译: saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda

出处: Based on ultimately a line in 《佛說罵意經》 (“The Buddha Speaks of Thoughts about Scolding Sūtra”), as translated by An Shigao: *

zhǎn cǎo bù chú gēn chūn fēng chuī yòu shēng

One should tackle the root of a problem and solve the problem completely. Otherwise, the problem will resurge.

直译: When cutting down weeds, you must get at the roots. Otherwise, the weeds will return with the spring breeze.

wú shì xiàn yīn qín fēi jiān jí dào

one who offers unsolicited hospitality must be harboring evil intentions

wú xīn chā liǔ liǔ chéng yìn

to do something which unintentionally returns positive results

直译: unwittingly plant a willow tree which later provides shade

wú yú xiā yě hǎo

it is alright to settle for something less; it is better to have something than have nothing

直译: If there is no fish, shrimp is also good

shí qióng jié nǎi xiàn

only at perilous times will one's integrity be tested and manifested

出处: From The Song of Righteousness by 文天祥 (Wen Tianxiang)

shí jiān néng zhì yù yī qiè chuāng shāng

time heals all wounds

xīng xīng zhī huǒ kě yǐ liáo yuán

an insignificant cause can have a massive effect

直译: a single spark can start a prairie fire

出处: Directly from a letter by the Ming statesman Zhang Juzheng written in 1576: : Ultimately from The Book of the Later Han: : Later popularized through a letter from Mao Zedong to Lin Biao on 5 January 1930 (see 星星之火，可以燎原 on the Chinese Wikipedia.Wikipedia ᶻʰ).