kāi yèchēㄎㄞ ㄧㄝˋ ㄔㄜ
to burn the midnight oil, literally “drive the night car”
Late-night work or study sessions.
zǒu hòuménㄗㄡˇ ㄏㄡˋ ㄇㄣˊ
to get in by pulling strings, literally “go through the back door”
Connections beat the queue.
pèng dīngziㄆㄥˋ ㄉㄧㄥ ㄗ˙
to meet with a rebuff, literally “bump into a nail”
You asked; they said no, hard.
chǎo yóuyúㄔㄠˇ ㄧㄡˊ ㄩˊ
to be fired; to fire someone, literally “stir-fried squid”
Curling squid = rolled-up bedding: pack up.
pāi mǎpìㄆㄞ ㄇㄚˇ ㄆㄧˋ
to flatter; to suck up, literally “pat the horse’s rump”
Old horse-traders praised stock this way.
chuī niúpíㄔㄨㄟ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄆㄧˊ
to brag; to talk big, literally “blow up the cowhide”
Inflated claims, no raft.
磨洋工
mó yánggōngㄇㄛˊ ㄧㄤˊ ㄍㄨㄥ
to loaf on the job, literally “dawdle through foreign work”
Slow on purpose, paid by the hour.
pō lěngshuǐㄆㄛ ㄌㄥˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
to dampen enthusiasm, literally “splash cold water”
On your idea, your parade, your plans.
shuǎ huāzhāoㄕㄨㄚˇ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄓㄠ
to play tricks; be slippery, literally “flash fancy moves”
Style that dodges the honest way.
mài guānziㄇㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄗ˙
to keep people in suspense, literally “sell the crucial bit”
Storytellers withheld the climax for tips.
tiě fànwǎnㄊㄧㄝˇ ㄈㄢˋ ㄨㄢˇ
a secure lifelong job, literally “an iron rice bowl”
The state-job ideal; contrast 泥饭碗.
露马脚 露馬腳
lòu mǎjiǎoㄌㄡˋ ㄇㄚˇ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
to give oneself away, literally “let the horse’s hoof show”
The costume was too short.
qiāo zhúgàngㄑㄧㄠ ㄓㄨˊ ㄍㄤˋ
to fleece; to extort, literally “knock the bamboo pole”
Overcharge whoever can’t say no.
ěrbiānfēngㄦˇ ㄅㄧㄢ ㄈㄥ
advice that goes ignored, literally “wind past the ear”
In one ear, out the other.
墙头草 牆頭草
qiángtóucǎoㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄘㄠˇ
a fence-sitter; a weathercock, literally “grass on the wall top”
Bends whichever way the wind blows.
lǎo yóutiáoㄌㄠˇ ㄧㄡˊ ㄊㄧㄠˊ
a slick old hand, literally “an old fried dough stick”
Over-fried: slippery, hard to hold.
半瓶醋
bàn píng cùㄅㄢˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄘㄨˋ
a dabbler; a smatterer, literally “half a bottle of vinegar”
Sloshes loudly, holds little.
mǎ hòu pàoㄇㄚˇ ㄏㄡˋ ㄆㄠˋ
a belated, useless move, literally “cannon behind the horse”
Chinese chess: too late to matter.
chuān xiǎoxiéㄔㄨㄢ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄝˊ
to be made to suffer quietly, literally “wear tight little shoes”
The boss’s discreet revenge.
wā qiángjiǎoㄨㄚ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
to undermine; to poach, literally “dig at the wall’s foot”
The house stays until it doesn’t.
chū yángxiàngㄔㄨ ㄧㄤˊ ㄒㄧㄤˋ
to make a fool of oneself, literally “produce a foreign spectacle”
Public embarrassment, live.
滚雪球 滾雪球
gǔn xuěqiúㄍㄨㄣˇ ㄒㄩㄝˇ ㄑㄧㄡˊ
to snowball; to grow fast, literally “roll a snowball”
Small start, momentum does the rest.
打水漂
dǎ shuǐpiāoㄉㄚˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄆㄧㄠ
to waste money for nothing, literally “skim stones on water”
Gone after two skips.
kāi lǜdēngㄎㄞ ㄌㄩˋ ㄉㄥ
to give the go-ahead, literally “switch on the green light”
Official permission granted.
chāi táiㄔㄞ ㄊㄞˊ
to undermine; to pull the rug, literally “dismantle the stage”
Done to performers and colleagues alike.
chēng yāoㄔㄥ ㄧㄠ
to back someone up, literally “prop up the waist”
You speak; your patron stands behind.
放鸽子 放鴿子
fàng gēziㄈㄤˋ ㄍㄜ ㄗ˙
to stand someone up, literally “release the dove”
The date that never lands.
拖后腿 拖後腿
tuō hòutuǐㄊㄨㄛ ㄏㄡˋ ㄊㄨㄟˇ
to hold somebody back, literally “drag the hind leg”
The teammate slowing the whole run.
bēi hēiguōㄅㄟ ㄏㄟ ㄍㄨㄛ
to take the blame unfairly, literally “carry the black pot”
Soot sticks to the carrier.
吃闭门羹 吃閉門羹
chī bìméngēngㄔ ㄅㄧˋ ㄇㄣˊ ㄍㄥ
to be refused entry, literally “eat closed-door soup”
The host’s only dish: no.
hē xīběifēngㄏㄜ ㄒㄧ ㄅㄟˇ ㄈㄥ
to go hungry, literally “drink the northwest wind”
Winter wind fills no bowl.
装洋蒜 裝洋蒜
zhuāng yángsuànㄓㄨㄤ ㄧㄤˊ ㄙㄨㄢˋ
to play dumb, literally “act the foreign garlic”
You know exactly what they mean.
gāo màoziㄍㄠ ㄇㄠˋ ㄗ˙
empty flattery, literally “a tall hat”
Wear it proudly; it’s still just a hat.
dà guōfànㄉㄚˋ ㄍㄨㄛ ㄈㄢˋ
equal shares regardless of work, literally “big-pot rice”
The canteen of unmotivated equality.
chàng fǎndiàoㄔㄤˋ ㄈㄢˇ ㄉㄧㄠˋ
to contradict on purpose, literally “sing the opposite tune”
The habitual no-voice.
翘尾巴 翹尾巴
qiào wěibaㄑㄧㄠˋ ㄨㄟˇ ㄅㄚ˙
to get cocky, literally “stick the tail up”
One win and it rises.
没门儿 沒門兒
méi ménrㄇㄟˊ ㄇㄣˊ ㄦˊ
no way; out of the question, literally “no door at all”
Beijing-flavored refusal.
huò xīníㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄒㄧ ㄋㄧˊ
to gloss over; to paper over, literally “mix thin mud”
Mediation that fixes nothing.
chū fēngtouㄔㄨ ㄈㄥ ㄊㄡ˙
to seek the limelight, literally “come out at the wind’s head”
The spotlight magnet.
碰一鼻子灰
pèng yībízi huīㄆㄥˋ ㄧ ㄅㄧˊ ㄗ˙ ㄏㄨㄟ
to meet with a flat snub, literally “bump a noseful of ash”
You knocked; the ash answered.
còu rènaoㄘㄡˋ ㄖㄜˋ ㄋㄠˋ
to join the fun; tag along, literally “add to the hustle”
Going because everyone’s going.
拉倒吧
lādǎo baㄌㄚ ㄉㄠˇ ㄅㄚ˙
forget it; give it up, literally “pull it down already”
The argument is over, drop it.
zǒu wānlùㄗㄡˇ ㄨㄢ ㄌㄨˋ
to take a needless detour, literally “walk the winding road”
Mistakes that cost time, not direction.
xià gōngfuㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄈㄨ˙
to put in serious effort, literally “lay down the kung fu”
Where skill actually comes from.
露馅儿 露餡兒
lòu xiànrㄌㄡˋ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄦˊ
to give oneself away; slip up, literally “the filling shows”
The dumpling’s secret escapes.
说风凉话 說風涼話
shuō fēngliánghuàㄕㄨㄛ ㄈㄥ ㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
to make snide remarks, literally “speak cool-breeze words”
Sideline commentary, zero help.
吃哑巴亏 吃啞巴虧
chī yǎbakuīㄔ ㄧㄚˇ ㄅㄚ˙ ㄎㄨㄟ
to suffer a silent loss, literally “swallow the mute’s loss”
You were wronged but can’t say so.
串门儿 串門兒
chuàn ménrㄔㄨㄢˋ ㄇㄣˊ ㄦˊ
to drop by for a chat, literally “string through the door”
The casual visit, no appointment.
捅娄子 捅婁子
tǒng lóuziㄊㄨㄥˇ ㄌㄡˊ ㄗ˙
to stir up trouble, literally “poke the basket”
One jab and the trouble spills out.
抠门儿 摳門兒
kōu ménrㄎㄡ ㄇㄣˊ ㄦˊ
stingy; tight-fisted, literally “scratch at the gate”
Won’t spend even to open the door.
bǎi jiàziㄅㄞˇ ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄗ˙
to put on airs, literally “set out the shelf”
Status on display, dignity not included.
睁一只眼闭一只眼 睜一隻眼閉一隻眼
zhēng yìzhīyǎn bì yìzhīyǎnㄓㄥ ㄧ ㄓ ㄧㄢˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄧ ㄓ ㄧㄢˇ
to turn a blind eye, literally “open one eye, close one eye”
The supervisor’s quiet permission.
dǎ tuìtánggǔㄉㄚˇ ㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄊㄤˊ ㄍㄨˇ
to back out; to get cold feet, literally “beat the retreat drum”
The yamen drum that ended a session: leaving the field.
kāi xiǎochāiㄎㄞ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄔㄞ
to slack off; to drift off, literally “make a small errand”
Also the military term for deserting.
pāi bǎnㄆㄞ ㄅㄢˇ
to make the final decision, literally “clap the clappers”
The auctioneer’s clap closes the deal.
yǒu liǎng xiàziㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄗ˙
to be quite capable, literally “have two moves”
Praise for real skill, not just talk.
bāng dàomángㄅㄤ ㄉㄠˋ ㄇㄤˊ
to help in a way that hurts, literally “help the wrong way round”
The “help” that leaves more work behind.
揭老底
jiē lǎodǐㄐㄧㄝ ㄌㄠˇ ㄉㄧˇ
to dig up someone’s past, literally “lift the old bottom”
Out come the embarrassing years.
开小灶 開小灶
kāi xiǎozàoㄎㄞ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄗㄠˋ
to give special coaching, literally “open a small stove”
Extra lessons, off the common menu.
bào fójiǎoㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
to cram at the last minute, literally “clutch the Buddha’s feet”
From 平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚.
pèng yùnqiㄆㄥˋ ㄩㄣˋ ㄑㄧ˙
to try one’s luck, literally “bump into luck”
No plan, just a go at it.
dǎ yuánchǎngㄉㄚˇ ㄩㄢˊ ㄔㄤˇ
to smooth things over, literally “round the arena”
The mediator’s art, mid-argument.
炒冷饭 炒冷飯
chǎo lěngfànㄔㄠˇ ㄌㄥˇ ㄈㄢˋ
to rehash old material, literally “fry cold rice”
Served again, none the fresher.
dǎ zhékòuㄉㄚˇ ㄓㄜˊ ㄎㄡˋ
to fall short; to discount, literally “knock off a percentage”
A promise delivered at less than face value.
liú yìshǒuㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄧ ㄕㄡˇ
to hold something back, literally “keep one hand”
The master who teaches all but the last trick.
lòu yìshǒuㄌㄡˋ ㄧ ㄕㄡˇ
to show off a skill, literally “let one hand show”
The invitation before a good cook starts.
yìwōfēngㄧ ㄨㄛ ㄈㄥ
like a swarm; all at once, literally “one nest of bees”
A crowd moving with one mind.
chàng gāodiàoㄔㄤˋ ㄍㄠ ㄉㄧㄠˋ
to talk big; to mouth ideals, literally “sing a high tune”
Splendid words, no plan attached.
tái jiàoziㄊㄞˊ ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄗ˙
to flatter and boost someone, literally “carry the sedan chair”
The entourage that lifts the boss.
qiāo biāngǔㄑㄧㄠ ㄅㄧㄢ ㄍㄨˇ
to drum up support indirectly, literally “beat the side drum”
Not the lead, but the push that helps.
dǎ zhǒng liǎn chōng pàngziㄉㄚˇ ㄓㄨㄥˇ ㄌㄧㄢˇ ㄔㄨㄥ ㄆㄤˋ ㄗ˙
to pretend to be better off than one is, literally “slap your face swollen to look plump”
Pride spending money the wallet cannot back.
一个鼻孔出气 一個鼻孔出氣
yí gè bíkǒng chū qìㄧ ㄍㄜˋ ㄅㄧˊ ㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄔㄨ ㄑㄧˋ
to be in cahoots; to sing the same tune, literally “breathe through one nostril”
Two people, one opinion, always.
踢皮球
tī píqiúㄊㄧ ㄆㄧˊ ㄑㄧㄡˊ
to pass the buck, literally “kick the ball around”
The department that answers is never the one asked.
zǒu guòchǎngㄗㄡˇ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄔㄤˇ
to go through the motions, literally “walk across the stage”
A formality performed for the record.
huàn tāng bù huàn yàoㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄊㄤ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄧㄠˋ
same old thing in a new guise, literally “change the soup, not the medicine”
A rebrand with nothing rebuilt.
guà yángtóu mài gǒuròuㄍㄨㄚˋ ㄧㄤˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄇㄞˋ ㄍㄡˇ ㄖㄡˋ
to bait and switch; false advertising, literally “hang a sheep’s head, sell dog meat”
The sign promises one thing, the shop sells another.
雷声大雨点小 雷聲大雨點小
léi shēng dà yǔ diǎn xiǎoㄌㄟˊ ㄕㄥ ㄉㄚˋ ㄩˇ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄒㄧㄠˇ
much talk, little action, literally “loud thunder, small raindrops”
The announcement versus the delivery.
三分钟热度 三分鐘熱度
sān fēnzhōng rèdùㄙㄢ ㄈㄣ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄖㄜˋ ㄉㄨˋ
short-lived enthusiasm, literally “three minutes of heat”
New hobby every month, none past week two.
chī lǎoběnㄔ ㄌㄠˇ ㄅㄣˇ
to live off past gains, literally “eat one’s old capital”
Coasting on yesterday’s achievements.
dǎ guānqiāngㄉㄚˇ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄑㄧㄤ
to talk in bureaucratic jargon, literally “speak the official accent”
Words that promise nothing and commit to less.
拍胸脯
pāi xiōngpúㄆㄞ ㄒㄩㄥ ㄆㄨˊ
to vouch for something confidently, literally “pat one’s chest”
The promise made before checking the facts.
dǎ yóujīㄉㄚˇ ㄧㄡˊ ㄐㄧ
to move around constantly; to live hand-to-mouth, literally “wage guerrilla war”
Odd jobs, shifting rooms, no fixed base.
dǎ qiánzhànㄉㄚˇ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄓㄢˋ
to go ahead to make arrangements, literally “fight the forward post”
The advance party before the group arrives.
dǎ tóuzhènㄉㄚˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄓㄣˋ
to take the lead; to spearhead, literally “fight in the front rank”
First to volunteer, first into the fray.
fàng chángxiàn diào dàyúㄈㄤˋ ㄔㄤˊ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄩˊ
to play a long game for a big prize, literally “cast a long line to catch a big fish”
Patience over quick returns.
放烟雾弹 放煙霧彈
fàng yānwùdànㄈㄤˋ ㄧㄢ ㄨˋ ㄉㄢˋ
to throw up a smokescreen, literally “fire a smoke bomb”
Misdirection while the real move happens.
fàng kōngpàoㄈㄤˋ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄆㄠˋ
to make empty promises; to fire blanks, literally “fire a blank shell”
Loud, and hits nothing.
唱独角戏 唱獨角戲
chàng dújiǎoxìㄔㄤˋ ㄉㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧˋ
to do everything alone; to go it solo, literally “sing a one-man opera”
A team project with one performer.
chàng duìtáixìㄔㄤˋ ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄊㄞˊ ㄒㄧˋ
to put on a rival show; to compete openly, literally “sing a rival stage’s opera”
Two factions, two podiums.
打太极 打太極
dǎ tàijíㄉㄚˇ ㄊㄞˋ ㄐㄧˊ
to be evasive; to deflect with talk, literally “practise tai chi”
The answer that moves like slow hands.
dǎ mǎhuyǎnㄉㄚˇ ㄇㄚˇ ㄏㄨ˙ ㄧㄢˇ
to fudge; to play dumb to evade, literally “play the careless eye”
The receipt that never quite gets shown.
dǎ bào bù píngㄉㄚˇ ㄅㄠˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄆㄧㄥˊ
to speak up for the wronged, literally “strike at injustice”
The bystander who takes the victim’s side.
抱粗腿
bào cūtuǐㄅㄠˋ ㄘㄨ ㄊㄨㄟˇ
to latch onto the powerful, literally “hug a thick leg”
Flattery aimed at whoever is strong.
chāo jìnlùㄔㄠ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄌㄨˋ
to take a shortcut, literally “cut to the near road”
Also figurative: skipping the proper steps.
开倒车 開倒車
kāi dàochēㄎㄞ ㄉㄠˋ ㄔㄜ
to turn back the clock; to regress, literally “drive in reverse”
A policy or habit going backwards.
泼脏水 潑髒水
pō zāngshuǐㄆㄛ ㄗㄤ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
to smear someone’s name, literally “splash dirty water”
The rival who attacks the reputation, not the work.
zuān kòngziㄗㄨㄢ ㄎㄨㄥˋ ㄗ˙
to exploit a loophole, literally “slip through the gap”
The rules are fine; the gaps are the problem.
有两把刷子 有兩把刷子
yǒu liǎng bǎ shuāziㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄅㄚˇ ㄕㄨㄚ ㄗ˙
to be quite capable; to know one’s stuff, literally “have two brushes”
Respect earned on the job, not the résumé.
哑巴吃黄连，有苦说不出 啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出
yǎba chī huánglián, yǒu kǔ shuō bù chūㄧㄚˇ ㄅㄚ˙ ㄔ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄎㄨˇ ㄕㄨㄛ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨ
a mute eating bitter herbs: suffering you can't voice, literally “mute eats coptis, has bitterness can't speak”
黄连 is legendarily bitter Chinese medicine. The mute knows the taste but can't say it: suffering in silence.
泥菩萨过河，自身难保 泥菩薩過河，自身難保
ní púsà guò hé, zìshēn nánbǎoㄋㄧˊ ㄆㄨˊ ㄙㄚˋ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄗˋ ㄕㄣ ㄋㄢˊ ㄅㄠˇ
a clay Buddha crossing the river: can't even save itself, literally “clay bodhisattva crosses river”
The clay statue dissolves in water. Used when someone's in too much trouble to help anyone else.
肉包子打狗，有去无回 肉包子打狗，有去無回
ròubāozi dǎ gǒu, yǒu qù wú huíㄖㄡˋ ㄅㄠ ㄗ˙ ㄉㄚˇ ㄍㄡˇ ㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄩˋ ㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄟˊ
throwing a meat bun at a dog: gone forever, literally “meat bun hits dog, gone never returns”
The bun gets eaten, not returned. For money lent to the untrustworthy.
竹篮打水，一场空 竹籃打水，一場空
zhúlán dǎ shuǐ, yī chǎng kōngㄓㄨˊ ㄌㄢˊ ㄉㄚˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄧ ㄔㄤˇ ㄎㄨㄥ
fetching water in a bamboo basket: all for nothing, literally “bamboo basket draws water, all empty”
The holes leak everything. The definitive 'pointless effort' saying.
外甥打灯笼，照旧 外甥打燈籠，照舊
wàisheng dǎ dēnglóng, zhàojiùㄨㄞˋ ㄕㄥ˙ ㄉㄚˇ ㄉㄥ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄓㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ
the nephew holds a lantern: as usual (for uncle), literally “nephew bears lantern, lights uncle/as before”
Pun: 照舅 lights-the-uncle sounds like 照旧 as-usual. For things that never change.
十五个吊桶打水，七上八下 十五個吊桶打水，七上八下
shíwǔ ge diàotǒng dǎshuǐ, qī shàng bā xiàㄕˊ ㄨˇ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄨㄥˇ ㄉㄚˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄑㄧ ㄕㄤˋ ㄅㄚ ㄒㄧㄚˋ
fifteen buckets at the well: seven up, eight down, literally “15 buckets drawing water, 7 up 8 down”
The definitive anxious-heart saying: heart fluttering like buckets splashing. Also pure idiom now.
芝麻开花，节节高 芝麻開花，節節高
zhīma kāihuā, jiéjié gāoㄓ ㄇㄚ˙ ㄎㄞ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄍㄠ
sesame blooming: rising joint by joint, literally “sesame flowers, node by node higher”
Sesame blooms upward segment by segment: steady improvement. Blessing for careers and grades.
小葱拌豆腐，一清二白 小蔥拌豆腐，一清二白
xiǎocōng bàn dòufu, yīqīng èrbáiㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄘㄨㄥ ㄅㄢˋ ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨ˙ ㄧ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄦˋ ㄅㄞˊ
scallions on tofu: green and white, crystal clear, literally “scallion tofu salad, one green two white”
Pun on 青 green / 清 clear: innocent and transparent, or plainly obvious.
千里搭长棚，没有不散的筵席 千里搭長棚，沒有不散的筵席
qiānlǐ dā chángpéng, méiyǒu bùsàn de yánxíㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄉㄚ ㄔㄤˊ ㄆㄥˊ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄙㄢˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄧㄢˊ ㄒㄧˊ
a banquet tent a thousand miles long: every feast ends, literally “thousand-mile banquet tent, no feast unending”
From Dream of the Red Chamber. The bittersweet goodbye saying: all good things end.
聋子的耳朵，摆设 聾子的耳朵，擺設
lóngzi de ěrduo, bǎishèㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄗ˙ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄦˇ ㄉㄨㄛ˙ ㄅㄞˇ ㄕㄜˋ
a deaf man's ears: just decoration, literally “deaf ears, an ornament”
For useless things that look functional: the rule nobody follows, the button that does nothing.
大水冲了龙王庙，一家人不认识一家人 大水衝了龍王廟，一家人不認識一家人
dàshuǐ chōng le Lóngwángmiào, yījiārén bù rènshi yījiārénㄉㄚˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄔㄨㄥ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄌㄨㄥˊ ㄨㄤˊ ㄇㄧㄠˋ ㄧ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄣˋ ㄕ˙ ㄧ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄖㄣˊ
the flood smashed the Dragon King's temple: family not recognizing family, literally “flood hits Dragon King's shrine”
Even the water god's own temple floods: friendly fire, insiders harming insiders.
王婆卖瓜，自卖自夸 王婆賣瓜，自賣自誇
Wángpó mài guā, zìmài zìkuāㄨㄤˊ ㄆㄛˊ ㄇㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄚ ㄗˋ ㄇㄞˋ ㄗˋ ㄎㄨㄚ
Granny Wang selling melons: praising her own goods, literally “Wang Po sells melons, praises own stock”
Self-promotion, gently mocking. Every seller's disclaimer: 王婆卖瓜.
打破砂锅，问到底 打破砂鍋，問到底
dǎpò shāguō, wèndàodǐㄉㄚˇ ㄆㄛˋ ㄕㄚ ㄍㄨㄛ ㄨㄣˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄉㄧˇ
smashing the clay pot: asking to the bottom, literally “break the pot, crack reaches bottom”
Pun: 璺 crack through = 问 ask. Relentless questioning, in the good sense.
秀才遇到兵，有理说不清 秀才遇到兵，有理說不清
xiùcai yùdào bīng, yǒulǐ shuō bù qīngㄒㄧㄡˋ ㄘㄞ˙ ㄩˋ ㄉㄠˋ ㄅㄧㄥ ㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄧˇ ㄕㄨㄛ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄥ
the scholar meets the soldier: reason loses to force, literally “scholar meets soldier, can't explain reason”
Logic is useless against muscle. For every argument you couldn't win because the other side doesn't do arguments.
丈二和尚，摸不着头脑 丈二和尚，摸不著頭腦
zhàng'èr héshang, mōbuzháo tóunǎoㄓㄤˋ ㄦˋ ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄤ˙ ㄇㄛ ㄅㄨ˙ ㄓㄠˊ ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄠˇ
a ten-foot monk: can't reach his head (completely baffled), literally “zhang-two monk, can't touch his brain”
Too tall to figure out. Completely confused, can't make heads or tails.
泥做的菩萨，见不得水 泥做的菩薩，見不得水
ní zuò de púsà, jiànbudé shuǐㄋㄧˊ ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄆㄨˊ ㄙㄚˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄨ˙ ㄉㄜˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
a clay bodhisattva: can't face water, literally “clay Buddha fears water”
Something fragile that dissolves under scrutiny or pressure.
茶壶里煮饺子，倒不出来 茶壺裡煮餃子，倒不出來
cháhú lǐ zhǔ jiǎozi, dǎo bù chūláiㄔㄚˊ ㄏㄨˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄓㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄠˇ ㄗ˙ ㄉㄠˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨ ㄌㄞˊ
boiling dumplings in a teapot: can't pour them out, literally “dumplings in teapot, can't pour out”
Knowledge stuck inside, can't articulate it. For experts who can't teach.
扁担没扎，两头失塌 扁擔沒扎，兩頭失塌
biǎndan méi zā, liǎngtóu shītāㄅㄧㄢˇ ㄉㄢ˙ ㄇㄟˊ ㄗㄚ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄕ ㄊㄚ
an untied carrying pole: both ends fall, literally “unfastened pole, both ends collapse”
Trying to secure two things at once and losing both.
冰糖煮黄连，同甘共苦 冰糖煮黃連，同甘共苦
bīngtáng zhǔ huánglián, tónggān gòngkǔㄅㄧㄥ ㄊㄤˊ ㄓㄨˇ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄍㄢ ㄍㄨㄥˋ ㄎㄨˇ
rock sugar boiled with bitter herbs: sharing sweet and bitter, literally “ice sugar with coptis, together sweet together bitter”
The partner/friendship idiom in food form.
半斤对八两，彼此彼此 半斤對八兩，彼此彼此
bànjīn duì bāliǎng, bǐcǐ bǐcǐㄅㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄉㄨㄟˋ ㄅㄚ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄅㄧˇ ㄘˇ ㄅㄧˇ ㄘˇ
half a jin versus eight liang: same same, literally “half-jin vs eight-liang”
Old units: 16 liang to a jin, so half a jin IS eight liang. Equivalent, neither better.
鸡蛋碰石头，不自量力 雞蛋碰石頭，不自量力
jīdàn pèng shítou, bùzì liànglìㄐㄧ ㄉㄢˋ ㄆㄥˋ ㄕˊ ㄊㄡ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗˋ ㄌㄧㄤˋ ㄌㄧˋ
an egg hitting a rock: overestimating itself, literally “egg strikes stone”
Charging at something hopelessly stronger.
马尾拴豆腐，提不起来 馬尾拴豆腐，提不起來
mǎwěi shuān dòufu, tí bù qǐláiㄇㄚˇ ㄨㄟˇ ㄕㄨㄢ ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨ˙ ㄊㄧˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄑㄧˇ ㄌㄞˊ
tofu tied with a horsehair: can't lift it, literally “horse-tail binds tofu, can't lift”
Can't be brought up, can't be propped up. For hopeless people and dead topics.
绣花枕头，一包草 繡花枕頭，一包草
xiùhuā zhěntou, yībāo cǎoㄒㄧㄡˋ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄓㄣˇ ㄊㄡ˙ ㄧ ㄅㄠ ㄘㄠˇ
an embroidered pillow: stuffed with straw, literally “embroidered pillow, a bag of straw”
Pretty outside, stuffing inside. The original 'all looks no substance'.
小和尚念经，有口无心 小和尚唸經，有口無心
xiǎo héshang niànjīng, yǒukǒu wúxīnㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄤ˙ ㄋㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄧㄡˇ ㄎㄡˇ ㄨˊ ㄒㄧㄣ
a novice monk chanting: mouth without mind, literally “little monk recites, mouth yes heart no”
Reciting without believing or understanding. Rote memorization.
小葱拌豆腐，青白分明 小蔥拌豆腐，青白分明
xiǎocōng bàn dòufu, qīngbái fēnmíngㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄘㄨㄥ ㄅㄢˋ ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨ˙ ㄑㄧㄥ ㄅㄞˊ ㄈㄣ ㄇㄧㄥˊ
scallion tofu: spotless, above board (green and white sharply parted), literally “scallion tofu, green white distinct”
Variant emphasizing the clear distinction, blameless conduct.
老两口结婚，老来俏 老兩口結婚，老來俏
lǎo liǎngkǒu jiéhūn, lǎo lái qiàoㄌㄠˇ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄎㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄏㄨㄣ ㄌㄠˇ ㄌㄞˊ ㄑㄧㄠˋ
two old folks marrying: charm in old age, literally “old couple weds, elderly charm”
Sweet and slightly cheeky: seniors finding romance.
大姑娘上轿，头一回 大姑娘上轎，頭一回
dàgūniang shàng jiào, tóu yī huíㄉㄚˋ ㄍㄨ ㄋㄧㄤ˙ ㄕㄤˋ ㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄊㄡˊ ㄧ ㄏㄨㄟˊ
a bride mounting the sedan: first time, literally “big girl boards sedan, first round”
The traditional wedding sedan: everyone's first ride is nervous and new.
六月天穿棉袄，不是时候 六月天穿棉襖，不是時候
liùyuètiān chuān mián'ǎo, bùshì shíhouㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄇㄧㄢˊ ㄠˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄕˊ ㄏㄡ˙
cotton jacket in June: wrong season, literally “June wearing padded jacket”
Timing is wrong, completely off. The 'not now' saying.
鸡蛋里挑骨头，无中生有 雞蛋裡挑骨頭，無中生有
jīdàn lǐ tiāo gǔtou, wúzhōng shēngyǒuㄐㄧ ㄉㄢˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄊㄧㄠ ㄍㄨˇ ㄊㄡ˙ ㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄕㄥ ㄧㄡˇ
picking bones from an egg: finding fault in nothing, literally “egg picks bones, makes something from nothing”
Manufacturing problems that don't exist. Nitpicking at its finest.
八月的桂花，遍地香
bāyuè de guìhuā, biàndì xiāngㄅㄚ ㄩㄝˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄍㄨㄟˋ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄤ
August osmanthus: fragrance everywhere, literally “August osmanthus, everywhere fragrant”
Good reputation spreading far and wide.
冰糖加红糖，甜上加甜 冰糖加紅糖，甜上加甜
bīngtáng jiā hóngtáng, tián shàng jiā tiánㄅㄧㄥ ㄊㄤˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄏㄨㄥˊ ㄊㄤˊ ㄊㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄊㄧㄢˊ
rock sugar plus brown sugar: sweetness upon sweetness, literally “ice sugar + brown sugar, sweet on sweet”
For doubled blessings and stacked good news.
钢丝穿豆腐，提不得 鋼絲穿豆腐，提不得
gāngsī chuān dòufu, tíbudéㄍㄤ ㄙ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨ˙ ㄊㄧˊ ㄅㄨ˙ ㄉㄜˊ
steel wire through tofu: can't be raised, literally “wire through tofu, can't lift”
The soft can't bear hard handling: fragile plans, fragile egos.
狗拿耗子，多管闲事 狗拿耗子，多管閒事
gǒu ná hàozi, duōguǎn xiánshìㄍㄡˇ ㄋㄚˊ ㄏㄠˋ ㄗ˙ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄍㄨㄢˇ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄕˋ
a dog catching mice: minding business that isn't yours, literally “dog grabs rat”
Catching mice is the cat's job. The classic rebuke for meddlers.
猫哭老鼠，假慈悲 貓哭老鼠，假慈悲
māo kū lǎoshǔ, jiǎcíbēiㄇㄠ ㄎㄨ ㄌㄠˇ ㄕㄨˇ ㄐㄧㄚˇ ㄘˊ ㄅㄟ
the cat weeping for the mouse: fake compassion, literally “cat cries for rat”
Crocodile tears, Chinese edition. For insincere sympathy from the one who caused the harm.
黄鼠狼给鸡拜年，没安好心 黃鼠狼給雞拜年，沒安好心
huángshǔláng gěi jī bàinián, méi ān hǎoxīnㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄕㄨˇ ㄌㄤˊ ㄍㄟˇ ㄐㄧ ㄅㄞˋ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄇㄟˊ ㄢ ㄏㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄣ
the weasel paying New Year respects to the chicken: hiding bad intentions, literally “weasel greets chicken for New Year”
Unsolicited kindness from a known predator. When the hostile coworker suddenly buys you coffee.
孔夫子搬家，尽是输 孔夫子搬家，盡是輸
Kǒngfūzǐ bānjiā, jìn shì shūㄎㄨㄥˇ ㄈㄨ ㄗˇ ㄅㄢ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄕˋ ㄕㄨ
Confucius moves house: all losses (books), literally “Confucius relocates, all books/loses”
Pun: 书 books sounds like 输 lose. A house full of books = nothing but losses. For a losing streak.
飞机上挂暖壶，高水平 飛機上掛暖壺，高水平
fēijī shàng guà nuǎnhú, gāo shuǐpíngㄈㄟ ㄐㄧ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄨㄚˋ ㄋㄨㄢˇ ㄏㄨˊ ㄍㄠ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄆㄧㄥˊ
a thermos hanging on a plane: high level (altitude), literally “plane hangs thermos, high water-bottle”
Pun: 水瓶 water bottle = 水平 level, up high = high level. For impressive skill, sarcastically or sincerely.
擀面杖吹火，一窍不通 擀麵杖吹火，一竅不通
gǎnmiànzhàng chuīhuǒ, yīqiào bùtōngㄍㄢˇ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄓㄤˋ ㄔㄨㄟ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄧ ㄑㄧㄠˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥ
blowing through a rolling pin: not a single hole, literally “rolling pin blows fire, no aperture”
The pin is solid wood: pun on 窍 hole/aperture meaning understanding. Totally clueless.
电线杆上绑鸡毛，好大的掸子 電線杆上綁雞毛，好大的撣子
diànxiàngān shàng bǎng jīmáo, hào dà de dǎnziㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄢ ㄕㄤˋ ㄅㄤˇ ㄐㄧ ㄇㄠˊ ㄏㄠˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄉㄢˇ ㄗ˙
chicken feathers on a pole: what a big feather duster (audacity), literally “pole bound with feathers, what a duster”
Pun: 掸子 duster = 胆子 gall. '好大的掸子' = what audacity.
门缝里看人，把人看扁了 門縫裡看人，把人看扁了
ménfèng lǐ kàn rén, bǎ rén kànbiǎnleㄇㄣˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄎㄢˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄅㄚˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄎㄢˋ ㄅㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄜ˙
looking at someone through a door crack: seeing them flattened, literally “crack-watching flattens the person”
Underestimating someone, literally flattening them. The comeback word for 'you underestimated me'.
和尚打伞，无法无天 和尚打傘，無法無天
héshang dǎsǎn, wúfǎ wútiānㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄤ˙ ㄉㄚˇ ㄙㄢˇ ㄨˊ ㄈㄚˇ ㄨˊ ㄊㄧㄢ
a monk with an umbrella: no hair/law, no sky/heaven, literally “monk holds umbrella, no hair no sky”
Double pun: 发 hair=法 law, umbrella blocks sky/heaven. Lawless.
骑驴看唱本，走着瞧 騎驢看唱本，走著瞧
qí lǘ kàn chàngběn, zǒuzhe qiáoㄑㄧˊ ㄌㄩˊ ㄎㄢˋ ㄔㄤˋ ㄅㄣˇ ㄗㄡˇ ㄓㄜ˙ ㄑㄧㄠˊ
reading a songbook on a donkey: see as we go, literally “ride donkey read songbook, watch while walking”
We'll see who wins. The cool-headed taunt.
水仙不开花，装蒜 水仙不開花，裝蒜
shuǐxiān bù kāihuā, zhuāngsuànㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄞ ㄏㄨㄚ ㄓㄨㄤ ㄙㄨㄢˋ
a narcissus not blooming: posing as garlic, literally “daffodil unbloomed, garlic-mimicking”
A daffodil bulb looks like garlic: faking, pretending not to understand.
和尚的房子，庙 和尚的房子，廟
héshang de fángzi, miàoㄏㄜˊ ㄕㄤ˙ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄈㄤˊ ㄗ˙ ㄇㄧㄠˋ
a monk's house: temple (妙 wonderful), literally “monk's house, temple”
Pun: 庙 temple = 妙 wonderful/clever. 'This is a monk's house' = 'wonderful'.
炊事员行军，背黑锅 炊事員行軍，背黑鍋
chuīshìyuán xíngjūn, bēi hēiguōㄔㄨㄟ ㄕˋ ㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄅㄟ ㄏㄟ ㄍㄨㄛ
the cook on the march: carrying the black pot (taking the blame), literally “cook marches, bears black wok”
Pun: the field cook literally carries the pot, but 背黑锅 means taking the fall.
擀面杖吹火，不通窍 擀麵杖吹火，不通竅
gǎnmiànzhàng chuīhuǒ, bù tōngqiàoㄍㄢˇ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄓㄤˋ ㄔㄨㄟ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄊㄨㄥ ㄑㄧㄠˋ
blowing through a rolling pin: no vent, literally “rolling pin no aperture”
The solid pin can't pass air: the clueless version, related to 一窍不通.
猪八戒照镜子，里外不是人 豬八戒照鏡子，裡外不是人
Zhū Bājiè zhào jìngzi, lǐwài bùshì rénㄓㄨ ㄅㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄓㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄗ˙ ㄌㄧˇ ㄨㄞˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄖㄣˊ
Pigsy looking in a mirror: not a person inside or out, literally “Zhu Bajie mirrors, wrong on both sides”
From Journey to the West's pig-demon: criticized by both parties in a dispute. Being blamed by everyone.
猪八戒吃人参果，全不知滋味 豬八戒吃人參果，全不知滋味
Zhū Bājiè chī rénshēnguǒ, quán bù zhī zīwèiㄓㄨ ㄅㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄔ ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄣ ㄍㄨㄛˇ ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄗ ㄨㄟˋ
Pigsy eating the ginseng fruit: gulped it without tasting, literally “Zhu Bajie eats ginseng fruit, knows no flavor”
From the novel: he swallows the priceless fruit whole. For wasting something precious through haste or ignorance.
孙悟空的脸，说变就变 孫悟空的臉，說變就變
Sūn Wùkōng de liǎn, shuō biàn jiù biànㄙㄨㄣ ㄨˋ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄌㄧㄢˇ ㄕㄨㄛ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ
the Monkey King's face: changes in an instant, literally “Sun Wukong's face transforms on command”
Wukong's 72 transformations. For weather, moods, and bosses' opinions.
孙猴子的脸，六月的天 孫猴子的臉，六月的天
Sūn hóuzi de liǎn, liùyuè de tiānㄙㄨㄣ ㄏㄡˊ ㄗ˙ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄌㄧㄢˇ ㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄊㄧㄢ
monkey face, June sky: changeable, literally “monkey's face, June weather”
The doubled version: both halves mean 'changes without warning'. June storms arrive unannounced.
周瑜打黄盖，一个愿打一个愿挨 周瑜打黃蓋，一個願打一個願挨
Zhōu Yú dǎ Huáng Gài, yīge yuàn dǎ yīge yuàn áiㄓㄡ ㄩˊ ㄉㄚˇ ㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄍㄞˋ ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄩㄢˋ ㄉㄚˇ ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄩㄢˋ ㄞˊ
Zhou Yu beats Huang Gai: one willing to hit, one willing to take it, literally “Zhou Yu strikes Huang Gai”
The staged beating from Three Kingdoms: consensual harm for a greater scheme. For mutually-willing asymmetric deals.
姜太公钓鱼，愿者上钩 姜太公釣魚，願者上鉤
Jiāng Tàigōng diàoyú, yuànzhě shànggōuㄐㄧㄤ ㄊㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄩˊ ㄩㄢˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄍㄡ
Jiang Taigong fishes: the willing bite, literally “Taigong angles, willing ones take the hook”
The sage fished with a straight hook above the water: those who wanted to come, came. For bait-free recruitment and obvious traps.
刘备借荆州，有借无还 劉備借荊州，有借無還
Liú Bèi jiè Jīngzhōu, yǒu jiè wú huánㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄅㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄐㄧㄥ ㄓㄡ ㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄨˊ ㄏㄨㄢˊ
Liu Bei borrows Jingzhou: borrowed, never returned, literally “Liu Bei borrows Jingzhou: borrowed, never returned”
The famous strategic non-return from Three Kingdoms. For chronic borrowers.
关公面前耍大刀，不自量力 關公面前耍大刀，不自量力
Guāngōng miànqián shuǎ dàdāo, bùzì liànglìㄍㄨㄢ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄇㄧㄢˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄨㄚˇ ㄉㄚˋ ㄉㄠ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗˋ ㄌㄧㄤˋ ㄌㄧˋ
wielding a broadsword before Guan Yu: overestimating yourself, literally “show off the blade at the God of War's door”
Showing off your skill to the master of that skill. The humblebrag-checker.
狗咬吕洞宾，不识好人心 狗咬呂洞賓，不識好人心
gǒu yǎo Lǚ Dòngbīn, bù shí hǎorénxīnㄍㄡˇ ㄧㄠˇ ㄌㄩˇ ㄉㄨㄥˋ ㄅㄧㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˊ ㄏㄠˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ
a dog biting Lü Dongbin: not recognizing a good heart, literally “dog bites the immortal”
The immortal disguised himself and the dog bit him anyway: kindness repaid with teeth. For ingrates.
八仙过海，各显神通 八仙過海，各顯神通
bāxiān guòhǎi, gè xiǎn shéntōngㄅㄚ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄏㄞˇ ㄍㄜˋ ㄒㄧㄢˇ ㄕㄣˊ ㄊㄨㄥ
the Eight Immortals cross the sea: each shows their power, literally “eight immortals cross, each displays magic”
Different people solving the same problem their own way. Positive.
梁山泊的军师，无用 梁山泊的軍師，無用
Liángshānpō de jūnshī, wúyòngㄌㄧㄤˊ ㄕㄢ ㄆㄛ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄐㄩㄣ ㄕ ㄨˊ ㄩㄥˋ
the Water Margin strategist: Wu Yong (useless), literally “Liangshan's adviser, useless”
Pun: the strategist's name IS 吴用/无用 'useless'. Clever insult for failed advice.
张飞穿针，大眼瞪小眼 張飛穿針，大眼瞪小眼
Zhāng Fēi chuānzhēn, dàyǎn dèng xiǎoyǎnㄓㄤ ㄈㄟ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄓㄣ ㄉㄚˋ ㄧㄢˇ ㄉㄥˋ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄧㄢˇ
Zhang Fei threading a needle: big eye meets small eye, literally “Zhang Fei threads needle”
The fierce brute doing delicate work: both sides stare, nothing happens. Stalemate.
徐庶进曹营，一言不发 徐庶進曹營，一言不發
Xú Shù jìn Cáoyíng, yīyán bùfāㄒㄩˊ ㄕㄨˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄘㄠˊ ㄧㄥˊ ㄧ ㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄚ
Xu Shu entering Cao Cao's camp: not a word, literally “Xu Shu in Cao camp, silent”
The coerced advisor who refused to advise. Deliberate silence as protest.
刘备摔孩子，收买人心 劉備摔孩子，收買人心
Liú Bèi shuāi háizi, shōumǎi rénxīnㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄅㄟˋ ㄕㄨㄞ ㄏㄞˊ ㄗ˙ ㄕㄡ ㄇㄞˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ
Liu Bei throws his baby: buying loyalty, literally “Liu Bei hurls the child”
He 'tossed' his son to honor his general's rescue. A dramatic gesture calculated to win hearts.
诸葛亮借箭，满载而归 諸葛亮借箭，滿載而歸
Zhūgě Liàng jiè jiàn, mǎnzài érguīㄓㄨ ㄍㄜˇ ㄌㄧㄤˋ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄇㄢˇ ㄗㄞˋ ㄦˊ ㄍㄨㄟ
Zhuge Liang borrowing arrows: returning fully loaded, literally “Zhuge borrows arrows, returns full”
He sent empty boats into fog and collected 100k enemy arrows. Resourceful extraction.
曹操吃砒霜，心狠手辣
Cáo Cāo chī pīshuāng, xīnhěn shǒulàㄘㄠˊ ㄘㄠ ㄔ ㄆㄧ ㄕㄨㄤ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄏㄣˇ ㄕㄡˇ ㄌㄚˋ
Cao Cao taking arsenic: ruthless and vicious, literally “Cao Cao eats arsenic”
Ruthlessness so thorough it poisons itself. Period-drama villain register.
关公走麦城，一蹶不振 關公走麥城，一蹶不振
Guāngōng zǒu Màichéng, yījué bù zhènㄍㄨㄢ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄗㄡˇ ㄇㄞˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄧ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓㄣˋ
Guan Yu at Maicheng: never recovered, literally “Guan Yu walks Maicheng”
The hero's last defeat and capture. One fall from which there was no rise.
韩信点兵，多多益善 韓信點兵，多多益善
Hán Xìn diǎnbīng, duōduō yìshànㄏㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄣˋ ㄉㄧㄢˇ ㄅㄧㄥ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄧˋ ㄕㄢˋ
Han Xin counts troops: the more the better, literally “Han Xin musters, more is better”
The general's confidence: 'I command best with numbers.' For when more is genuinely welcome.
铁拐李的葫芦，不知卖什么药 鐵柺李的葫蘆，不知賣什麼藥
Tiěguǎilǐ de húlu, bù zhī mài shénme yàoㄊㄧㄝˇ ㄍㄨㄞˇ ㄌㄧˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄏㄨˊ ㄌㄨ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄇㄞˋ ㄕㄣˊ ㄇㄜ˙ ㄧㄠˋ
Iron-Crutch Li's gourd: unknown medicine inside, literally “Iron-Crutch Li's gourd, what medicine does he sell”
The immortal's mysterious gourd of cures: what scheme is this?
猪八戒啃猪蹄，忘了自己姓啥 豬八戒啃豬蹄，忘了自己姓啥
Zhū Bājiè kěn zhūtí, wàng le zìjǐ xìng sháㄓㄨ ㄅㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄎㄣˇ ㄓㄨ ㄊㄧˊ ㄨㄤˋ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄗˋ ㄐㄧˇ ㄒㄧㄥˋ ㄕㄚˊ
Pigsy eating pig trotters: forgot his own name, literally “Zhu Bajie gnaws pig hoof, forgot his surname”
Cannibal-adjacent self-forgetting: losing yourself in something.
孙悟空翻筋斗，十万八千里 孫悟空翻筋斗，十萬八千里
Sūn Wùkōng fān jīndǒu, shíwàn bāqiān lǐㄙㄨㄣ ㄨˋ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄈㄢ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄉㄡˇ ㄕˊ ㄨㄢˋ ㄅㄚ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ
the Monkey King's somersault: 108,000 miles, literally “Sun Wukong flips, 108000 li”
One flip covers the whole pilgrimage distance: a huge leap, or describing a huge gap.
孙猴子跳不出如来佛的手心 孫猴子跳不出如來佛的手心
Sūn hóuzi tiào bù chū Rúláifó de shǒuxīnㄙㄨㄣ ㄏㄡˊ ㄗ˙ ㄊㄧㄠˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄨ ㄖㄨˊ ㄌㄞˊ ㄈㄛˊ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄕㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄣ
the monkey can't leap out of Buddha's palm, literally “Sun can't escape Buddha's palm”
However skilled, someone's always bigger. The ultimate 'there's always a bigger fish'.
猪八戒照哈哈镜，越看越丑 豬八戒照哈哈鏡，越看越醜
Zhū Bājiè zhào hāhājìng, yuè kàn yuè chǒuㄓㄨ ㄅㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˋ ㄓㄠˋ ㄏㄚ ㄏㄚ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄎㄢˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄔㄡˇ
Pigsy in a funhouse mirror: uglier the more you look, literally “Zhu Bajie funhouse mirror, uglier on looking”
Some things don't improve with inspection.
武大郎开店，高的不要 武大郎開店，高的不要
Wǔ Dàláng kāidiàn, gāo de bùyàoㄨˇ ㄉㄚˋ ㄌㄤˊ ㄎㄞ ㄉㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄠ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄠˋ
Wu Dalang opens a shop: won't hire the tall, literally “Wu Dalang's shop, tall ones rejected”
The famously short character hires shorter staff: insecure leadership won't hire talent. Pointed satire.
张飞穿针，粗中有细 張飛穿針，粗中有細
Zhāng Fēi chuānzhēn, cū zhōng yǒu xìㄓㄤ ㄈㄟ ㄔㄨㄢ ㄓㄣ ㄘㄨ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄧㄡˇ ㄒㄧˋ
Zhang Fei threading a needle: rough exterior, fine detail, literally “Zhang Fei threads needle, coarse has fine”
The blustering brute can do delicate work: hidden sensitivity.
刘备请诸葛亮，三顾茅庐 劉備請諸葛亮，三顧茅廬
Liú Bèi qǐng Zhūgě Liàng, sāngù máolúㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄅㄟˋ ㄑㄧㄥˇ ㄓㄨ ㄍㄜˇ ㄌㄧㄤˋ ㄙㄢ ㄍㄨˋ ㄇㄠˊ ㄌㄨˊ
Liu Bei seeking Zhuge Liang: three hut visits, literally “Liu Bei visits, three hut calls”
Repeated sincere requests finally earn the genius's help. Persistence rewarded.
诸葛亮摆空城计，沉着应战 諸葛亮擺空城計，沉著應戰
Zhūgě Liàng bǎi kōngchéngjì, chénzhuó yìngzhànㄓㄨ ㄍㄜˇ ㄌㄧㄤˋ ㄅㄞˇ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄔㄥˊ ㄐㄧˋ ㄔㄣˊ ㄓㄨㄛˊ ㄧㄥˋ ㄓㄢˋ
Zhuge Liang's empty fort: calm under siege, literally “empty city ruse, composed response”
Bluffing with confidence when resources are gone: supreme sangfroid.
曹操败走华容道，绝处逢生 曹操敗走華容道，絕處逢生
Cáo Cāo bàizǒu Huáróngdào, juéchù féngshēngㄘㄠˊ ㄘㄠ ㄅㄞˋ ㄗㄡˇ ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄖㄨㄥˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄐㄩㄝˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄈㄥˊ ㄕㄥ
Cao Cao fleeing through Huarong Pass: life from a desperate spot, literally “Cao Cao defeated, escape from dead end”
The defeat that still found a way out: salvation in despair.
螃蟹过街，横行霸道 螃蟹過街，橫行霸道
pángxiè guòjiē, héngxíng bàdàoㄆㄤˊ ㄒㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄏㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄅㄚˋ ㄉㄠˋ
a crab crossing the street: walking sideways, throwing weight around, literally “crab crosses street, walks sideways tyrannically”
The crab's literal sideways walk becomes the word for bullying swagger.
兔子尾巴，长不了 兔子尾巴，長不了
tùzi wěiba, chángbùliǎoㄊㄨˋ ㄗ˙ ㄨㄟˇ ㄅㄚ˙ ㄔㄤˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ
a rabbit's tail: can't grow long, literally “rabbit's tail, can't be long”
The doom-prophecy for bad situations and worse regimes: this won't last.
热锅上的蚂蚁，团团转 熱鍋上的螞蟻，團團轉
règuō shàng de mǎyǐ, tuántuán zhuànㄖㄜˋ ㄍㄨㄛ ㄕㄤˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄇㄚˇ ㄧˇ ㄊㄨㄢˊ ㄊㄨㄢˊ ㄓㄨㄢˋ
ants on a hot pan: running in circles, literally “ants on hot wok”
Panic without direction: frantic useless motion.
老虎屁股，摸不得
lǎohǔ pìgu, mōbùdéㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨˇ ㄆㄧˋ ㄍㄨ˙ ㄇㄛ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄜˊ
the tiger's rump: cannot be touched, literally “tiger's behind, untouchable”
For people who explode at the slightest criticism.
老虎头上拍苍蝇，找死 老虎頭上拍蒼蠅，找死
lǎohǔ tóu shàng pāi cāngying, zhǎosǐㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄆㄞ ㄘㄤ ㄧㄥ˙ ㄓㄠˇ ㄙˇ
swatting flies on a tiger's head: courting death, literally “swat flies on tiger's head”
Provoking someone powerful for no reason at all.
飞蛾扑火，自取灭亡 飛蛾撲火，自取滅亡
fēi'é pūhuǒ, zìqǔ mièwángㄈㄟ ㄜˊ ㄆㄨ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄗˋ ㄑㄩˇ ㄇㄧㄝˋ ㄨㄤˊ
a moth into flame: seeking its own destruction, literally “moth dives at fire”
For self-destructive pursuit of what's obviously dangerous.
老鼠钻风箱，两头受气 老鼠鑽風箱，兩頭受氣
lǎoshǔ zuān fēngxiāng, liǎngtóu shòuqìㄌㄠˇ ㄕㄨˇ ㄗㄨㄢ ㄈㄥ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄌㄧㄤˇ ㄊㄡˊ ㄕㄡˋ ㄑㄧˋ
a mouse in a bellows: squeezed from both sides, literally “mouse in bellows, catching air both ends”
Stuck between two pressures: the classic middle-management plight.
gǒu jí tiào qiángㄍㄡˇ ㄐㄧˊ ㄊㄧㄠˋ ㄑㄧㄤˊ
a cornered dog jumps the wall, literally “dog anxious jumps wall”
A desperate person does desperate things. Technically a chengyu, born from the xiehouyu register.
兔子拉车，连蹦带跳 兔子拉車，連蹦帶跳
tùzi lāchē, lián bèng dài tiàoㄊㄨˋ ㄗ˙ ㄌㄚ ㄔㄜ ㄌㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄥˋ ㄉㄞˋ ㄊㄧㄠˋ
a rabbit pulling a cart: bouncing and hopping, literally “rabbit pulls cart, hop and jump”
Joyfully chaotic, or precariously erratic.
猴子掰玉米，掰一个丢一个 猴子掰玉米，掰一個丟一個
hóuzi bāi yùmǐ, bāi yīge diū yīgeㄏㄡˊ ㄗ˙ ㄅㄞ ㄩˋ ㄇㄧˇ ㄅㄞ ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄉㄧㄡ ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙
a monkey picking corn: grabs one, drops one, literally “monkey breaks corn, picks one drops one”
The famous fable: acquiring new while losing old, ending with nothing.
秋天的蚂蚱，蹦跶不了几天 秋天的螞蚱，蹦躂不了幾天
qiūtiān de màzha, bèngda bùliǎo jǐtiānㄑㄧㄡ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄇㄚˋ ㄓㄚ˙ ㄅㄥˋ ㄉㄚ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄐㄧˇ ㄊㄧㄢ
an autumn grasshopper: few hops left, literally “fall grasshopper, can't hop long”
Winter's coming for this pest: doom incoming for the troublemaker.
老虎嘴里拔牙，胆大包天 老虎嘴裡拔牙，膽大包天
lǎohǔ zuǐ lǐ bá yá, dǎndà bāotiānㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨˇ ㄗㄨㄟˇ ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄚˊ ㄧㄚˊ ㄉㄢˇ ㄉㄚˋ ㄅㄠ ㄊㄧㄢ
pulling a tooth from a tiger's mouth: enormous audacity, literally “extract tooth in tiger mouth”
Bravery or stupidity at maximum risk.
苍蝇不叮无缝的蛋 蒼蠅不叮無縫的蛋
cāngying bù dīng wúfèng de dànㄘㄤ ㄧㄥ˙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄧㄥ ㄨˊ ㄈㄥˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄉㄢˋ
flies don't sting a seamless egg, literally “flies avoid intact eggs”
Scandal requires vulnerability: the victim-blaming proverb, used both wisely and unfairly.
六月里的斑鸠，不知春秋 六月裡的斑鳩，不知春秋
liùyuè lǐ de bānjiū, bù zhī chūnqiūㄌㄧㄡˋ ㄩㄝˋ ㄌㄧˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄅㄢ ㄐㄧㄡ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄔㄨㄣ ㄑㄧㄡ
a turtledove in June: knows no season, literally “June turtledove, unaware of spring autumn”
Lives in one season, ignorant of the bigger picture.
老鼠过街，人人喊打 老鼠過街，人人喊打
lǎoshǔ guòjiē, rénrén hǎndǎㄌㄠˇ ㄕㄨˇ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄝ ㄖㄣˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄏㄢˇ ㄉㄚˇ
a rat crossing the street: everyone shouts to kill it, literally “rat crosses street, all cry beat it”
The classic 'public enemy' proverb: universally despised.
mín yǐ shí wéi tiānㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄕˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄊㄧㄢ
for the people, food is heaven, literally “people take food as sky”
Food is the first priority: Chinese civilization's founding principle, and why 'have you eaten' is a greeting.
饭后百步走，活到九十九 飯後百步走，活到九十九
fànhòu bǎi bù zǒu, huó dào jiǔshíjiǔㄈㄢˋ ㄏㄡˋ ㄅㄞˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄡˇ ㄏㄨㄛˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄕˊ ㄐㄧㄡˇ
a hundred steps after meals, live to ninety-nine, literally “after meal hundred steps walk, live to 99”
The classic health saying: walking after dinner keeps you alive.
笑一笑，十年少
xiào yī xiào, shínián shàoㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄧ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄕˊ ㄋㄧㄢˊ ㄕㄠˋ
a laugh takes ten years off, literally “laugh a laugh, ten years younger”
Laughter literally rejuvenates: smile and you're younger.
早睡早起身体好 早睡早起身體好
zǎoshuì zǎoqǐ shēntǐ hǎoㄗㄠˇ ㄕㄨㄟˋ ㄗㄠˇ ㄑㄧˇ ㄕㄣ ㄊㄧˇ ㄏㄠˇ
early to bed, early to rise, good health, literally “early sleep early rise body good”
The grandmother's universal health advice.
家和万事兴 家和萬事興
jiā hé wànshì xīngㄐㄧㄚ ㄏㄜˊ ㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄒㄧㄥ
family harmony makes everything prosper, literally “home harmony ten-thousand things flourish”
The domestic principle: a harmonious household succeeds at everything.
百善孝为先 百善孝為先
bǎi shàn xiào wéi xiānㄅㄞˇ ㄕㄢˋ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄒㄧㄢ
of a hundred virtues, filial piety is first, literally “hundred goods piety is first”
The Confucian foundation: honoring parents outranks every other virtue.
yǎng'ér fánglǎoㄧㄤˇ ㄦˊ ㄈㄤˊ ㄌㄠˇ
raise sons to secure old age, literally “raise son guard old”
The traditional pension plan: children care for you when you're old. Now under strain.
不孝有三，无后为大 不孝有三，無後為大
bùxiào yǒu sān, wú hòu wéi dàㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄠˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄙㄢ ㄨˊ ㄏㄡˋ ㄨㄟˊ ㄉㄚˋ
of three unfilial acts, no heir is worst, literally “unfilial has three, no heir is biggest”
Mencius's infamous clause: failing to produce an heir is the ultimate impiety. The pressure behind 催婚.
父母在，不远游 父母在，不遠遊
fùmǔ zài, bù yuǎn yóuㄈㄨˋ ㄇㄨˇ ㄗㄞˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄩㄢˇ ㄧㄡˊ
while parents live, don't wander far, literally “parents alive, not far roam”
Confucius's travel rule, with the caveat 游必有方: if you must go, tell them where.
树欲静而风不止，子欲养而亲不待 樹欲靜而風不止，子欲養而親不待
shù yù jìng ér fēng bù zhǐ, zǐ yù yǎng ér qīn bù dàiㄕㄨˋ ㄩˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄦˊ ㄈㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓˇ ㄗˇ ㄩˋ ㄧㄤˇ ㄦˊ ㄑㄧㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄞˋ
the tree wants stillness but the wind won't stop; the child wants to care but the parents are gone, literally “tree wants calm wind won't stop, child wants provide parent won't wait”
The grief proverb: don't wait to be filial.
家家有本难念的经 家家有本難唸的經
jiājiā yǒu běn nánniàn de jīngㄐㄧㄚ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄣˇ ㄋㄢˊ ㄋㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄐㄧㄥ
every family has a hard scripture to chant, literally “every home has hard-read scripture”
Everyone's private struggles: no family is easy.
清官难断家务事 清官難斷家務事
qīngguān nán duàn jiāwùshìㄑㄧㄥ ㄍㄨㄢ ㄋㄢˊ ㄉㄨㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄨˋ ㄕˋ
even a fair judge can't settle family disputes, literally “clear official hard decide family matter”
Domestic quarrels defeat reason.
jiāchǒu bù kě wàiyángㄐㄧㄚ ㄔㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄨㄞˋ ㄧㄤˊ
family shame stays inside, literally “family ugly not can outside spread”
Keep family problems private: don't air dirty laundry.
儿不嫌母丑，狗不嫌家贫 兒不嫌母醜，狗不嫌家貧
ér bù xián mǔ chǒu, gǒu bù xián jiā pínㄦˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄇㄨˇ ㄔㄡˇ ㄍㄡˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄢˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄆㄧㄣˊ
a child doesn't scorn an ugly mother, a dog doesn't scorn a poor home, literally “child not scorn mother ugly, dog not scorn home poor”
Love is blind to faults and poverty: loyalty.
金窝银窝不如自己的狗窝 金窩銀窩不如自己的狗窩
jīnwō yínwō bùrú zìjǐ de gǒuwōㄐㄧㄣ ㄨㄛ ㄧㄣˊ ㄨㄛ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄗˋ ㄐㄧˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄍㄡˇ ㄨㄛ
golden den or silver den, neither beats your own doghouse, literally “gold nest silver nest not as own dog den”
Home is home: humble but yours.
luòyè guīgēnㄌㄨㄛˋ ㄧㄝˋ ㄍㄨㄟ ㄍㄣ
fallen leaves return to roots, literally “fall leaf return root”
Everyone returns home eventually: the migrant's endgame.
yǐnshuǐ sīyuánㄧㄣˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄙ ㄩㄢˊ
drinking water, think of the source, literally “drink water think source”
Gratitude for where you came from.
喝水不忘挖井人
hēshuǐ bù wàng wājǐngrénㄏㄜ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄨㄤˋ ㄨㄚ ㄐㄧㄥˇ ㄖㄣˊ
drink water, don't forget the well-digger, literally “drink water not forget dig-well person”
Remember who made your comfort possible.
前人栽树，后人乘凉 前人栽樹，後人乘涼
qiánrén zāishù, hòurén chéngliángㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄗㄞ ㄕㄨˋ ㄏㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄤˊ
forebears plant the tree, descendants enjoy the shade, literally “front people plant tree, rear people enjoy cool”
Generational credit: we benefit from what ancestors built.
儿行千里母担忧 兒行千里母擔憂
ér xíng qiānlǐ mǔ dānyōuㄦˊ ㄒㄧㄥˊ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄌㄧˇ ㄇㄨˇ ㄉㄢ ㄧㄡ
a child travels a thousand li, the mother worries, literally “child travels thousand li, mother worries”
Distance doesn't stop a mother's concern.
每逢佳节倍思亲 每逢佳節倍思親
měi féng jiājié bèi sīqīnㄇㄟˇ ㄈㄥˊ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄐㄧㄝˊ ㄅㄟˋ ㄙ ㄑㄧㄣ
on festival days, miss family double, literally “every meet festival double miss kin”
Wang Wei's line: holidays sharpen homesickness.
远亲不如近邻 遠親不如近鄰
yuǎnqīn bùrú jìnlínㄩㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄣ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
a close neighbor beats a distant relative, literally “far kin not equal near neighbor”
The person next door helps faster than family far away. Community over blood when it counts.
病从口入，祸从口出 病從口入，禍從口出
bìng cóng kǒu rù, huò cóng kǒu chūㄅㄧㄥˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄎㄡˇ ㄖㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄘㄨㄥˊ ㄎㄡˇ ㄔㄨ
illness enters by the mouth, disaster exits by the mouth, literally “sickness enters mouth, trouble exits mouth”
Both ends of the mouth trap: what you eat and what you say.
yán duō bì shīㄧㄢˊ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄅㄧˋ ㄕ
talk too much and you'll slip, literally “speech much must lose”
The more you say, the more chances to err. Keep it brief.
种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆
zhòng guā dé guā, zhòng dòu dé dòuㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄍㄨㄚ ㄉㄜˊ ㄍㄨㄚ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄉㄡˋ ㄉㄜˊ ㄉㄡˋ
you reap what you sow, literally “plant melon get melon, plant bean get bean”
Cause and effect in agriculture: you harvest what you plant.
近朱者赤，近墨者黑
jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēiㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓㄨ ㄓㄜˇ ㄔˋ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄇㄛˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄏㄟ
near vermilion you turn red, near ink you turn black, literally “near cinnabar becomes red, near ink becomes black”
Your company colors you: pick friends carefully.
物以类聚，人以群分 物以類聚，人以群分
wù yǐ lèi jù, rén yǐ qún fēnㄨˋ ㄧˇ ㄌㄟˋ ㄐㄩˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧˇ ㄑㄩㄣˊ ㄈㄣ
birds of a feather flock together, literally “things by type gather, people by group divide”
Like attracts like: judge a person by their friends.
滴水之恩，当涌泉相报 滴水之恩，當湧泉相報
dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbàoㄉㄧ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄓ ㄣ ㄉㄤ ㄩㄥˇ ㄑㄩㄢˊ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄅㄠˋ
a drop of kindness deserves a gushing spring, literally “drip water favor, should spring repay”
Repay small kindnesses vastly. Generosity multiplies.
路遥知马力，日久见人心 路遙知馬力，日久見人心
lùyáo zhī mǎlì, rìjiǔ jiàn rénxīnㄌㄨˋ ㄧㄠˊ ㄓ ㄇㄚˇ ㄌㄧˋ ㄖˋ ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ
distance tests the horse's strength, time reveals the heart, literally “road far knows horse power, day long sees human heart”
Only time reveals true character.
患难见真情 患難見真情
huànnàn jiàn zhēnqíngㄏㄨㄢˋ ㄋㄢˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄓㄣ ㄑㄧㄥˊ
true feelings show in hard times, literally “trouble sees true feeling”
Crisis reveals who actually cares.
君子之交淡如水
jūnzǐ zhī jiāo dàn rú shuǐㄐㄩㄣ ㄗˇ ㄓ ㄐㄧㄠ ㄉㄢˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
a gentleman's friendship is bland as water, literally “gentleman's friendship plain like water”
Real friendship needs no sweetness: it sustains without drama.
jiǔ féng zhījǐ qiānbēi shǎoㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄈㄥˊ ㄓ ㄐㄧˇ ㄑㄧㄢ ㄅㄟ ㄕㄠˇ
with a true friend, a thousand cups are few, literally “wine meets soulmate, thousand cups few”
The drinking proverb: real friends make wine inexhaustible.
海内存知己，天涯若比邻 海內存知己，天涯若比鄰
hǎinèi cún zhījǐ, tiānyá ruò bǐlínㄏㄞˇ ㄋㄟˋ ㄘㄨㄣˊ ㄓ ㄐㄧˇ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄧㄚˊ ㄖㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄧˇ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
a true friend in the world makes far seem near, literally “within seas keeps soulmate, horizon like next door”
Wang Bo's farewell: real friendship defeats distance.
人往高处走，水往低处流 人往高處走，水往低處流
rén wǎng gāochù zǒu, shuǐ wǎng dīchù liúㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄤˇ ㄍㄠ ㄔㄨˋ ㄗㄡˇ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄨㄤˇ ㄉㄧ ㄔㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄡˊ
people climb upward, water flows down, literally “people to high go, water to low flows”
Ambition is natural law: everyone aims higher.
枪打出头鸟 槍打出頭鳥
qiāng dǎ chūtóu niǎoㄑㄧㄤ ㄉㄚˇ ㄔㄨ ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄧㄠˇ
the gun shoots the bird that sticks out, literally “gun hits head-out bird”
The conformity warning: stand out and get shot down.
出头的椽子先烂 出頭的椽子先爛
chūtóu de chuánzi xiān lànㄔㄨ ㄊㄡˊ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄔㄨㄢˊ ㄗ˙ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄌㄢˋ
the protruding rafter rots first, literally “sticking-out rafter first rots”
Same warning as the bird: what sticks out takes the weather.
shù dà zhāo fēngㄕㄨˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄓㄠ ㄈㄥ
big trees catch wind, literally “tree big invites wind”
Fame and size attract trouble: being conspicuous brings risk.
木秀于林，风必摧之 木秀於林，風必摧之
mù xiù yú lín, fēng bì cuī zhīㄇㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄡˋ ㄩˊ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄈㄥ ㄅㄧˋ ㄘㄨㄟ ㄓ
the tree that stands out gets destroyed by wind, literally “tree excels in forest, wind must destroy”
Excellence invites destruction: the elite's cautionary tale.
沉默是金
chénmò shì jīnㄔㄣˊ ㄇㄛˋ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄣ
silence is golden, literally “silence is gold”
Knowing when not to speak is worth money.
三人成虎
sānrén chénghǔㄙㄢ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄏㄨˇ
three people spread a rumor and it becomes a tiger, literally “three people make tiger”
Repetition makes lies real: enough people saying it makes it true.
众口铄金 眾口鑠金
zhòngkǒu shuòjīnㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄎㄡˇ ㄕㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄣ
many mouths can melt metal, literally “crowd mouths smelt gold”
Public opinion is overwhelming: the crowd's voice destroys reputations.
rényán kěwèiㄖㄣˊ ㄧㄢˊ ㄎㄜˇ ㄨㄟˋ
gossip is fearsome, literally “human talk is frightening”
What people say can kill: rumor's destructive power.
yīge bāzhang pāi bù xiǎngㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄅㄚ ㄓㄤ˙ ㄆㄞ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤˇ
one palm can't clap, literally “one palm slaps no sound”
It takes two to fight, and two to tango.
qiǎofù nánwéi wúmǐ zhī chuīㄑㄧㄠˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄋㄢˊ ㄨㄟˊ ㄨˊ ㄇㄧˇ ㄓ ㄔㄨㄟ
even the clever wife can't cook without rice, literally “skillful wife hard-makes rice-less meal”
No materials, no miracle: resources limit talent.
山中无老虎，猴子称大王 山中無老虎，猴子稱大王
shānzhōng wú lǎohǔ, hóuzi chēng dàwángㄕㄢ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄨˊ ㄌㄠˇ ㄏㄨˇ ㄏㄡˊ ㄗ˙ ㄔㄥ ㄉㄚˋ ㄨㄤˊ
without a tiger in the hills, the monkey plays king, literally “mountain has no tiger, monkey claims big king”
Mediocrity rules when excellence leaves: interim power.
zhè shān wàngzhe nà shān gāoㄓㄜˋ ㄕㄢ ㄨㄤˋ ㄓㄜ˙ ㄋㄚˋ ㄕㄢ ㄍㄠ
this mountain eyes that higher mountain, literally “this hill sees that hill higher”
The grass-is-greener proverb: always envying what you don't have.
吃着碗里看着锅里 吃著碗裡看著鍋裡
chīzhe wǎn lǐ kànzhe guō lǐㄔ ㄓㄜ˙ ㄨㄢˇ ㄌㄧˇ ㄎㄢˋ ㄓㄜ˙ ㄍㄨㄛ ㄌㄧˇ
eating from the bowl while eyeing the pot, literally “eating bowl's watching pot's”
Greedy for more while consuming what's yours: insatiable.
皇帝不急太监急 皇帝不急太監急
huángdì bù jí tàijiàn jíㄏㄨㄤˊ ㄉㄧˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄐㄧˊ
the emperor isn't anxious but the eunuchs are, literally “emperor not anxious, eunuchs anxious”
The interested party is calm while bystanders fret.
chūshēng niúdú bù pà hǔㄔㄨ ㄕㄥ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄨˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄆㄚˋ ㄏㄨˇ
a newborn calf doesn't fear the tiger, literally “newborn calf not fear tiger”
Youth's fearless ignorance: the brave don't know the danger.
fēng mǎ niú bù xiāngjíㄈㄥ ㄇㄚˇ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄐㄧˊ
wind, horse, ox: totally unrelated, literally “wind horse ox not related”
Completely different worlds, no connection.
杀鸡焉用牛刀 殺雞焉用牛刀
shā jī yān yòng niúdāoㄕㄚ ㄐㄧ ㄧㄢ ㄩㄥˋ ㄋㄧㄡˊ ㄉㄠ
why use an ox cleaver to kill a chicken, literally “kill chicken why use ox knife”
Don't over-resource a simple job.
一人得道，鸡犬升天 一人得道，雞犬升天
yīrén dédào, jīquǎn shēngtiānㄧ ㄖㄣˊ ㄉㄜˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄐㄧ ㄑㄩㄢˇ ㄕㄥ ㄊㄧㄢ
one man attains the Way, even his chickens and dogs rise to heaven, literally “one person gains way, chickens dogs ascend heaven”
When someone succeeds, their whole circle benefits (or piggybacks).
偷鸡不成蚀把米 偷雞不成蝕把米
tōu jī bùchéng shí bǎ mǐㄊㄡ ㄐㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄕˊ ㄅㄚˇ ㄇㄧˇ
failed to steal the chicken, lost the rice bait, literally “steal chicken fail lose rice”
Scheme backfired: lost the stake without the prize.
péi le fūrén yòu zhé bīngㄆㄟˊ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄈㄨ ㄖㄣˊ ㄧㄡˋ ㄓㄜˊ ㄅㄧㄥ
lost the lady and the army too, literally “lost wife and broke troops”
Zhou Yu's famous double loss: the scheme that cost twice.
嘴上无毛，办事不牢 嘴上無毛，辦事不牢
zuǐshàng wúmáo, bànshì bùláoㄗㄨㄟˇ ㄕㄤˋ ㄨˊ ㄇㄠˊ ㄅㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄠˊ
no hair on the lip, unreliable work, literally “mouth no hair, work not solid”
The prejudice against youth: beardless means unreliable (dated saying).
三个臭皮匠，赛过诸葛亮 三個臭皮匠，賽過諸葛亮
sānge chòu píjiàng, sài guò Zhūgě Liàngㄙㄢ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄔㄡˋ ㄆㄧˊ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄙㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄓㄨ ㄍㄜˇ ㄌㄧㄤˋ
three cobblers outsmart Zhuge Liang, literally “three stinky cobblers beat Zhuge Liang”
Collective wisdom beats lone genius: brainstorm wins.
众人拾柴火焰高 眾人拾柴火焰高
zhòngrén shíchái huǒyàn gāoㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄕˊ ㄔㄞˊ ㄏㄨㄛˇ ㄧㄢˋ ㄍㄠ
everyone gathering wood makes a bigger fire, literally “many people collect wood flame high”
Teamwork amplifies results.
人心齐，泰山移 人心齊，泰山移
rénxīn qí, Tàishān yíㄖㄣˊ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄑㄧˊ ㄊㄞˋ ㄕㄢ ㄧˊ
hearts united can move Mount Tai, literally “people hearts aligned, Mount Tai moves”
United purpose is unstoppable.
单丝不成线，独木不成林 單絲不成線，獨木不成林
dān sī bù chéng xiàn, dú mù bù chéng línㄉㄢ ㄙ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄉㄨˊ ㄇㄨˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
one thread isn't a cord, one tree isn't a forest, literally “single thread not cord, lone tree not forest”
Alone you achieve nothing.
一个篱笆三个桩，一个好汉三个帮 一個籬笆三個樁，一個好漢三個幫
yīge líba sānge zhuāng, yīge hǎohàn sānge bāngㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄌㄧˊ ㄅㄚ˙ ㄙㄢ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄓㄨㄤ ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄏㄠˇ ㄏㄢˋ ㄙㄢ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄅㄤ
a fence needs three stakes, a hero needs three helpers, literally “one fence three stakes, one hero three helps”
Nobody succeeds alone.
在家靠父母，出门靠朋友 在家靠父母，出門靠朋友
zàijiā kào fùmǔ, chūmén kào péngyouㄗㄞˋ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄎㄠˋ ㄈㄨˋ ㄇㄨˇ ㄔㄨ ㄇㄣˊ ㄎㄠˋ ㄆㄥˊ ㄧㄡ˙
at home rely on parents, outside rely on friends, literally “home rely parents, outside rely friends”
The social safety net: family in, friends out.
多一个朋友，多一条路 多一個朋友，多一條路
duō yīge péngyou, duō yītiáo lùㄉㄨㄛ ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄆㄥˊ ㄧㄡ˙ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄧ ㄊㄧㄠˊ ㄌㄨˋ
one more friend, one more road, literally “one more friend, one more path”
Every friend is a future opportunity.
冤家宜解不宜结 冤家宜解不宜結
yuānjiā yí jiě bùyí jiéㄩㄢ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄧˊ ㄐㄧㄝˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧˊ ㄐㄧㄝˊ
feuds should be untied not tightened, literally “enemies should loosen not knot”
Resolve grudges, don't deepen them.
dé ráorén chù qiě ráorénㄉㄜˊ ㄖㄠˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄨˋ ㄑㄧㄝˇ ㄖㄠˊ ㄖㄣˊ
when you can forgive, forgive, literally “get spare-people place, then spare people”
Mercy where possible: don't press your advantage.
退一步海阔天空 退一步海闊天空
tuì yībù hǎikuò tiānkōngㄊㄨㄟˋ ㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄞˇ ㄎㄨㄛˋ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄎㄨㄥ
step back and see vast sky and sea, literally “retreat one step, sea vast sky open”
Backing down opens everything: concession is power.
忍一时风平浪静 忍一時風平浪靜
rěn yīshí fēngpíng làngjìngㄖㄣˇ ㄧ ㄕˊ ㄈㄥ ㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄌㄤˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ
endure for a moment, calm seas, literally “endure one time, wind calm wave still”
Patience defuses the storm.
xiǎo bù rěn zé luàn dàmóuㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄣˇ ㄗㄜˊ ㄌㄨㄢˋ ㄉㄚˋ ㄇㄡˊ
can't bear small slights, spoil great plans, literally “small not endure then disorder big plan”
Patience in details preserves the big picture.
一方水土养一方人 一方水土養一方人
yīfāng shuǐtǔ yǎng yīfāng rénㄧ ㄈㄤ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄊㄨˇ ㄧㄤˇ ㄧ ㄈㄤ ㄖㄣˊ
each land nurtures its own people, literally “one side water-earth feeds one side people”
The terroir of humanity: regions shape character.
靠山吃山，靠水吃水
kàoshān chī shān, kàoshuǐ chī shuǐㄎㄠˋ ㄕㄢ ㄔ ㄕㄢ ㄎㄠˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄔ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
live off the mountain if you're by it, off water if you're by it, literally “rely mountain eat mountain, rely water eat water”
Use what you have: make a living from your resources.
贪小便宜吃大亏 貪小便宜吃大虧
tān xiǎopiányi chī dàkuīㄊㄢ ㄒㄧㄠˇ ㄆㄧㄢˊ ㄧ˙ ㄔ ㄉㄚˋ ㄎㄨㄟ
greedy for small gain, take a big loss, literally “covet small cheap eat big loss”
Penny-wise, pound-foolish.
一分价钱一分货 一分價錢一分貨
yī fēn jiàqián yī fēn huòㄧ ㄈㄣ ㄐㄧㄚˋ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄧ ㄈㄣ ㄏㄨㄛˋ
you get what you pay for, literally “one share price one share goods”
Quality tracks price: cheap is cheap for a reason.
便宜没好货 便宜沒好貨
piányi méi hǎohuòㄆㄧㄢˊ ㄧ˙ ㄇㄟˊ ㄏㄠˇ ㄏㄨㄛˋ
cheap means bad goods, literally “cheap no good goods”
The direct warning: low price, low quality.
huò bǐ sānjiāㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄧˇ ㄙㄢ ㄐㄧㄚ
compare goods at three shops, literally “goods compare three houses”
Shop around before buying.
tóngsǒu wú qīㄊㄨㄥˊ ㄙㄡˇ ㄨˊ ㄑㄧ
cheat neither child nor elder, literally “child elder not cheat”
Honest dealing for all ages: the merchant's creed.
老王卖瓜，自卖自夸 老王賣瓜，自賣自誇
Lǎo Wáng mài guā, zìmài zìkuāㄌㄠˇ ㄨㄤˊ ㄇㄞˋ ㄍㄨㄚ ㄗˋ ㄇㄞˋ ㄗˋ ㄎㄨㄚ
Old Wang selling melons praises his own, literally “Wang sells melons, praises own”
Self-promotion, jokingly acknowledged.
吃得苦中苦，方为人上人 吃得苦中苦，方為人上人
chī dé kǔ zhōng kǔ, fāng wéi rén shàng rénㄔ ㄉㄜˊ ㄎㄨˇ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄎㄨˇ ㄈㄤ ㄨㄟˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄤˋ ㄖㄣˊ
eat the bitterest bitterness to rise above others, literally “eat bitter within bitter, become person above person”
The grind maxim: only those who swallow the hardest suffering reach the top.
活到老，学到老 活到老，學到老
huó dào lǎo, xué dào lǎoㄏㄨㄛˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄌㄠˇ ㄒㄩㄝˊ ㄉㄠˋ ㄌㄠˇ
live until old, learn until old, literally “live to old learn to old”
Lifelong learning, the folk version.
wànshì kāitóu nánㄨㄢˋ ㄕˋ ㄎㄞ ㄊㄡˊ ㄋㄢˊ
everything is hard at the start, literally “ten-thousand things start hard”
Every beginning is the hardest part. Keep going.
失败是成功之母 失敗是成功之母
shībài shì chénggōng zhī mǔㄕ ㄅㄞˋ ㄕˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄍㄨㄥ ㄓ ㄇㄨˇ
failure is the mother of success, literally “failure is success's mother”
The schoolyard proverb every Chinese kid memorizes.
yǒuzhìzhě shì jìng chéngㄧㄡˇ ㄓˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄕˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ ㄔㄥˊ
where there's a will there's a way, literally “who has will, thing finally done”
Willpower finishes what talent starts.
世上无难事，只怕有心人 世上無難事，只怕有心人
shìshàng wú nánshì, zhǐ pà yǒuxīnrénㄕˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄨˊ ㄋㄢˊ ㄕˋ ㄓˇ ㄆㄚˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄖㄣˊ
nothing is impossible for a willing heart, literally “world has no hard thing, only fear hearted person”
The full form of 'nothing is difficult': determination conquers all.
笨鸟先飞 笨鳥先飛
bèn niǎo xiān fēiㄅㄣˋ ㄋㄧㄠˇ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄈㄟ
the slow bird flies first, literally “dumb bird flies first”
If you're less talented, start earlier: self-deprecating diligence.
勤能补拙 勤能補拙
qín néng bǔ zhuōㄑㄧㄣˊ ㄋㄥˊ ㄅㄨˇ ㄓㄨㄛ
diligence compensates for dullness, literally “diligence can mend clumsiness”
Hard work fixes what nature left out.
一分耕耘，一分收获 一分耕耘，一分收穫
yī fēn gēngyún, yī fēn shōuhuòㄧ ㄈㄣ ㄍㄥ ㄩㄣˊ ㄧ ㄈㄣ ㄕㄡ ㄏㄨㄛˋ
one part plowing, one part harvest, literally “one share tillage, one share harvest”
You get out what you put in, no shortcuts.
心急吃不了热豆腐 心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīnjí chī bù liǎo rè dòufuㄒㄧㄣ ㄐㄧˊ ㄔ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄧㄠˇ ㄖㄜˋ ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨ˙
an anxious heart can't eat hot tofu, literally “heart anxious can't eat hot tofu”
Patience or burn your mouth: haste wastes.
bànlù chūjiāㄅㄢˋ ㄌㄨˋ ㄔㄨ ㄐㄧㄚ
became a monk mid-way (changed careers late), literally “halfway left home”
Taking up a profession late in life, career changers.
临时抱佛脚 臨時抱佛腳
línshí bào fójiǎoㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄕˊ ㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
clutching Buddha's foot at the last minute, literally “last-minute hug Buddha foot”
Cramming before the exam: last-minute effort rarely works.
平时不烧香，临时抱佛脚 平時不燒香，臨時抱佛腳
píngshí bù shāoxiāng, línshí bào fójiǎoㄆㄧㄥˊ ㄕˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄠ ㄒㄧㄤ ㄌㄧㄣˊ ㄕˊ ㄅㄠˋ ㄈㄛˊ ㄐㄧㄠˇ
don't burn incense daily, clutch Buddha's foot in crisis, literally “normally no incense, crisis hugs Buddha foot”
The full saying: neglect maintenance, pay in panic.
人外有人，天外有天
rén wài yǒu rén, tiān wài yǒu tiānㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄞˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄖㄣˊ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄨㄞˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄊㄧㄢ
there's always someone better, literally “beyond person is person, beyond sky is sky”
Humility proverb: someone always outranks you.
强中自有强中手 強中自有強中手
qiáng zhōng zì yǒu qiáng zhōng shǒuㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄗˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄧㄤˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄕㄡˇ
among the strong there's always a stronger hand, literally “in strong itself has stronger hand”
No matter how good you are, someone's better.
一山更比一山高
yī shān gèng bǐ yī shān gāoㄧ ㄕㄢ ㄍㄥˋ ㄅㄧˇ ㄧ ㄕㄢ ㄍㄠ
each mountain surpasses the last, literally “one mountain more than one mountain high”
The endless ladder: no summit is final.
青出于蓝而胜于蓝 青出於藍而勝於藍
qīng chū yú lán ér shèng yú lánㄑㄧㄥ ㄔㄨ ㄩˊ ㄌㄢˊ ㄦˊ ㄕㄥˋ ㄩˊ ㄌㄢˊ
the student surpasses the master, literally “indigo from blue yet beats blue”
Indigo is extracted from blue plants but is deeper: students exceed teachers.
长江后浪推前浪 長江後浪推前浪
Chángjiāng hòulàng tuī qiánlàngㄔㄤˊ ㄐㄧㄤ ㄏㄡˋ ㄌㄤˋ ㄊㄨㄟ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄌㄤˋ
the Yangtze's back waves push the front, literally “Yangtze rear waves push front waves”
Generational replacement: the young overtake the old.
hòushēng kěwèiㄏㄡˋ ㄕㄥ ㄎㄜˇ ㄨㄟˋ
the younger generation is formidable, literally “later born is fearsome”
Respect the young: they'll surpass you.
姜还是老的辣 薑還是老的辣
jiāng háishi lǎo de làㄐㄧㄤ ㄏㄞˊ ㄕ˙ ㄌㄠˇ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄌㄚˋ
old ginger is spicier, literally “ginger still old one's spicy”
Experience wins: veterans are sharper.
老将出马，一个顶俩 老將出馬，一個頂倆
lǎojiàng chūmǎ, yīge dǐng liǎㄌㄠˇ ㄐㄧㄤˋ ㄔㄨ ㄇㄚˇ ㄧ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄉㄧㄥˇ ㄌㄧㄚˇ
the old general takes the field, one equals two, literally “old general rides out, one tops two”
Veteran skill doubles output.
要想富，先修路
yào xiǎng fù, xiān xiūlùㄧㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄤˇ ㄈㄨˋ ㄒㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄡ ㄌㄨˋ
want to get rich? build roads first, literally “want think wealth, first build road”
The development slogan: infrastructure precedes prosperity.
tān duō jiáo bù lànㄊㄢ ㄉㄨㄛ ㄐㄧㄠˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄌㄢˋ
bite off more than you can chew, literally “greedy much chew not broken”
Taking too much means digesting nothing.
yǒuqián néng shǐ guǐ tuīmòㄧㄡˇ ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄋㄥˊ ㄕˇ ㄍㄨㄟˇ ㄊㄨㄟ ㄇㄛˋ
money makes ghosts grind mills, literally “have money can make ghost push mill”
Money talks, even to demons: cash opens every door.
人为财死，鸟为食亡 人為財死，鳥為食亡
rén wèi cái sǐ, niǎo wèi shí wángㄖㄣˊ ㄨㄟˋ ㄘㄞˊ ㄙˇ ㄋㄧㄠˇ ㄨㄟˋ ㄕˊ ㄨㄤˊ
people die for wealth, birds die for food, literally “person for wealth dies, bird for food perishes”
The dark parallel: humans and animals share the fatal pursuit.
钱不是万能的 錢不是萬能的
qián bùshì wànnéng deㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕˋ ㄨㄢˋ ㄋㄥˊ ㄉㄜ˙
money isn't everything, literally “money not is all-capable”
The corrective: 但没有钱是万万不能的, the counterpoint that completes it.
机不可失，时不再来 機不可失，時不再來
jī bù kě shī, shí bù zài láiㄐㄧ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄕ ㄕˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄌㄞˊ
the chance doesn't wait, the moment won't return, literally “opportunity not can lose, time not again come”
Seize it now: no second chances.
过了这个村，没这个店 過了這個村，沒這個店
guò le zhège cūn, méi zhège diànㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄌㄜ˙ ㄓㄜˋ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄘㄨㄣ ㄇㄟˊ ㄓㄜˋ ㄍㄜ˙ ㄉㄧㄢˋ
past this village, no more inns, literally “past this village no this shop”
The offer expires: take it or lose it.
计划赶不上变化 計劃趕不上變化
jìhuà gǎn bù shàng biànhuàㄐㄧˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄍㄢˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄕㄤˋ ㄅㄧㄢˋ ㄏㄨㄚˋ
plans can't keep up with changes, literally “plan can't catch change”
The realist's proverb: things shift faster than you schedule.
谋事在人，成事在天 謀事在人，成事在天
móushì zài rén, chéngshì zài tiānㄇㄡˊ ㄕˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄕˋ ㄗㄞˋ ㄊㄧㄢ
man proposes, heaven disposes, literally “planning in man, succeeding in heaven”
Do your best; the outcome isn't yours.
尽人事，听天命 盡人事，聽天命
jìn rénshì, tīng tiānmìngㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄕˋ ㄊㄧㄥ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄇㄧㄥˋ
do your human best, accept heaven's decree, literally “exhaust human affairs, hear heaven mandate”
Effort yours, outcome fate's.
jírén zì yǒu tiānxiàngㄐㄧˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄗˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄤˋ
heaven protects the lucky, literally “lucky person self has heaven help”
Good people attract divine protection.
大难不死，必有后福 大難不死，必有後福
dànàn bùsǐ, bì yǒu hòufúㄉㄚˋ ㄋㄢˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄙˇ ㄅㄧˋ ㄧㄡˇ ㄏㄡˋ ㄈㄨˊ
survive great calamity, gain later fortune, literally “great disaster not die, must have later blessing”
Surviving the worst earns you luck.
福无双至，祸不单行 福無雙至，禍不單行
fú wú shuāng zhì, huò bù dān xíngㄈㄨˊ ㄨˊ ㄕㄨㄤ ㄓˋ ㄏㄨㄛˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄉㄢ ㄒㄧㄥˊ
blessings never pair, misfortunes never come alone, literally “fortune no double arrive, disaster not single walk”
Luck doesn't double but trouble does.
人生不如意事，十有八九
rénshēng bù rúyì shì, shí yǒu bājiǔㄖㄣˊ ㄕㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄧˋ ㄕˋ ㄕˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄅㄚ ㄐㄧㄡˇ
eight or nine of ten things in life disappoint, literally “life not as wished things, ten has eight nine”
Most of life doesn't go your way: acceptance is wisdom.
身在福中不知福
shēn zài fú zhōng bù zhī fúㄕㄣ ㄗㄞˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄓㄨㄥ ㄅㄨˋ ㄓ ㄈㄨˊ
in fortune's midst, not knowing fortune, literally “body in fortune within not know fortune”
Ungrateful for what you have: the classic parent scolding.
天上不会掉馅饼 天上不會掉餡餅
tiānshàng bù huì diào xiànbǐngㄊㄧㄢ ㄕㄤˋ ㄅㄨˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ ㄉㄧㄠˋ ㄒㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄧㄥˇ
pies don't fall from the sky, literally “sky not can drop pie”
No free lunch: skepticism of too-good offers.
天下没有免费的午餐 天下沒有免費的午餐
tiānxià méiyǒu miǎnfèi de wǔcānㄊㄧㄢ ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄇㄟˊ ㄧㄡˇ ㄇㄧㄢˇ ㄈㄟˋ ㄉㄜ˙ ㄨˇ ㄘㄢ
no free lunch, literally “under heaven no free lunch”
The borrowed proverb, now native: everything costs something.