Chinese proverbs - Wikiquote

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Chinese proverbs
From Wikiquote This theme article needs cleanup. Please review Wikiquote:Templates, especially the standard format of theme articles, to determine how to edit this article to conform to a higher standard of article quality. This page has been listed as needing cleanup since 2012-07-30. This is a collection of Chinese proverbs ( yny) and idioms ( chngy), given in and sorted by their pinyin transcription. Chinese proverbs and four-plus character idioms are developed from the formulaic or social dialect/saying/expression ( in pinyin: xihuy) and historical story in Chinese. Some proverbs are literary; that is, from a written source. (See the historical written language or the more modern written language.) Others originated among families, street vendors, and other commoners--all walks of life. '

Proverbs
All proverbs/ideoms are orderd by their pinyin transcription in the following order. 1. First character 1. Initial 2. Ending 3. Tone 4. Radical strokes 5. Total strokes 2. Next character folowing the same procedure (if previous is the same) 3. Least amount of character Initials: B Ch D F G H J K R S Sh T Y Z

B
(b) (wn) (b) (ru) (wn) (zh) (wn) (zh) (b) (ru) (jin) (zh) (jin) (zh) (b) (ru) (zh) (zh) (zh) (zh) (b) (ru) (xng) (zh) (xu) (zh) (y) (xng) (zh) (r) (zh) (y)
Transliteration (pinyin): B wn b ru wn zh, wn zh b ru jin zh, jin zh b ru zhzh, zhzh b ru xng zh; xu zhy xng zh r zh y. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Not hearing is not as good as hearing, hearing is not as good as seeing, seeing is not as good as mentally knowing, mentally knowing is not as good as acting; true learning continues up to the point that action comes forth Common: I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand. Moral: You can only understand something by trying it yourself. Revised: Tell me and I [will] forget. Show me and I [will] remember. Involve me and I [will]
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understand. Also: You can't understand until you walk a mile in someone else's shoes. From Xun Zi ( 8. 23.

Ch
(chng) (jing) (hu) (lng) (tu) (qin) (lng)
Transliteration (pinyin): Chngjing hulng tu qinlng Traditional: Simplified: Literally: the Changjiang River waves behind drive the waves ahead. Meaning: Each new generation excels the last one. . . 2008. p. 162. ISBN 7305052116.

D
(d) (wn) (jun) (sh) (b) (r) (xng) (wn) (l) (l)
Transliteration (pinyin): D wn jun sh br xng wnl l. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Reading ten thousand books is not as useful as traveling ten thousand miles Meaning: Practical experience is more useful than theory. 2010. . p. 27. ISBN 9860288844.

F
(fng) (rn) (zh) (xn) (b) (k) (w)
Transliteration (pinyin): Fng rn zh xn bk w. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Careful with others is a must have. Meaning: Be cautious of people that may hurt you intentionally. . . 1994. p. 93.

(fng) (xing) (zhun) (bin) (sh), (yu) (rn) (zh) (qing), (yu) (rn) (zo) (fng) (ch)
Transliteration (pinyin): Fng xing zhun bin sh, yu rn zh qing, yu rn zo fng ch. Traditional: ,, Simplified: ,, Literally: When the wind of change blows some build walls while others build windmills. English equivalent: When one door closes another opens. Meaning: When your life seems to be changing, it is better to adapt to the changes rather than be stubborn. Friedman (2009). : . .

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(f) (w) (chng) (zh), (hu) (b) (dn) (xng)

Transliteration (pinyin): F w zhng zh, hubdnxng. Traditional: , Simplified: , Literally: Fortune does not come twice. Misfortune does not come alone. Meaning: The emphasis is on "misfortune doesn't come alone". It's often used as an opener or exclamation, when people talk about coincidental events of misfortune. Farhoomand (2005). : . . p. 64. ISBN 1.

(f) (zhi) (z) (hun)

Transliteration (pinyin): F zhi z hun. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Father's debt, son to give back. Meaning: Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown. . . 2001. p. 154. ISBN 9579279551.

G H
(hi) (rn) (zh) (xn) (b) (k) (yu)
Transliteration (pinyin): Hi rn zh xn b k yu. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Do not harbour intentions to hurt others. Note: This is usually used before (see above) (dictionary). (The comercial press). 1994. p. 301. English translation: anything to harm anyone should not be

J
(jn) (r) (sh) (jn) (r) (b)
Transliteration (pinyin): Jnr sh, jnr b. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Things of today, accomplished today. Meaning: Don't put off until tomorrow what can be finished today. Bahasa Cina. Pelangi Publishing Group Bhd. p. 26. ISBN 9833531105.

K
(kng) (xu) (li) (fng) (wi) (b) (w) (yn)
Transliteration (pinyin): Kngxulifng, wib w yn Traditional:
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Simplified: , Literally: If the wind comes from an empty cave, it's not without a reason. Meaning: Things don't happen for no reason; everything has a cause. English Equivalent: Where there's smoke, there's fire. : (979-987) : . . 2003. p. 120. ISBN 9629960532.

L
Liangyao ku kou Translation: Good medicine tastes bitter. Meaning: We often don't heed good advice. English equivalent: Advice most needed is the least heeded. Po-Ching (2000). Chinese Lexicon. Taylor \& Francis. p. 127.

O
Translation: One bitten by a snake for a snap dreads a rope for a decade. English equivalent: A burnt child dreads the fire. Once bitten, twice shy. ,,,, & . Bahasa Cina (Pelangi Publishing Group Bhd ed.). p. 106. ISBN 9833532489.

R
(rn) (sun) (b) (r) (tin) (sun)
Transliteration (pinyin): Rn sun br tin sun Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Man's schemes are inferior to those made by heaven. Figuratively: Man proposes and God disposes. Compare: The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry. Along With Time. . p. 246. ISBN 9862217340.

(ru) (bo) (zi) (d) (gu)

Transliteration (pinyin): Ru bozi d gu. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: To hit a dog with a meat-bun. Interpretation: Punishment gives less incentive than a reward. Other possible interpretation: There might be a radically different and much more effective way to solve a problem. . . 2007. p. 135. ISBN 7810588834.

S
(sn) (g) (h) (shng) (mi) (shu) (h)
Transliteration (pinyin): Sn g hshng mi shu h. Traditional:
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Simplified: Literally: Three monks have no water to drink. Meaning: Too many cooks spoil the broth. . . 2005. p. 71. ISBN 1.

(s) (m) (dng) (hu) (m) (y)

Transliteration (pinyin): S m dng hu m y. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Try to save the dead horse as if it is still alive Meaning: Do the impossible, for it may truly be possible. . . 1994. p. 89.

Sh
(sh) (fu) (lng) (jn) (mn) (xi) (xng) (zi) (g) (rn)
Transliteration (pinyin): Sh fu lng jn mn, xi xng zi g rn. Traditional: Simplified: Meaning: Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself. English equivalent: You can lead the horse to the water, but you can't make it drink. :. . 2010. p. 130. ISBN 9862214619.

(shu) (rn) (y) (y) (b) (r) (shu) (rn) (y) (y)
Transliteration (pinyin): Shu rn y y br shu rn y y. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Teach a man to take a fish is not equal to teach a man how to fish. Meaning: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. . . 2003. p. VII. ISBN 7800736938.

(sh) (do) (h) (sn) (sn)

Transliteration (pinyin): Sh do hsn sn. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. English equivalent: Rats desert a sinking ship. Usage: When a leader loses power, his followers become disorganized. This proverb is often used to describe fair-weather friends.[1]

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(shu) (nng) (zi) (zhu) (y) (nng) (f) (zhu)

Transliteration (pinyin): Shu nng zi zhu, y nng f zhu. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Not only can water float a boat, it can sink it also. Moral: Nature can help and harm you. The people(water) can raise someone(boat) to power, but can also take it away(sink). Equivalent English saying: The knife cuts both ways. Gao (2007). ::. . p. 112. ISBN 9570521279.

T
(tin) (ga) (hung) (d) (yun)
Transliteration (pinyin): Tin go hungd yun Traditional: Simplified: Meaning: The sky is big and the emperor is far away.

Y
(Y) (fn) (gng) (yn) (y) (fn) (shu) (hu)
Transliteration (pinyin): Y fn gngyn, y fn shuhu. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: If one does not plow, there will be no harvest. Meaning: No pain, no gain. ()Chinese Enrichment Revision for Secondary 4A (Normal Acdemic). . p. 26. ISBN 9812558624.

(yu) (qin) (nng) (sh) (gu) (tu) (m)

Transliteration (pinyin): Yu qin nng sh gu tu m. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: If you have money you can make the devil push your grind stone. Note: English equivalent: Money talks. Money makes the world go round. Meaning: Money is power. . . 2010. p. 46. ISBN 9996580903.

Z
(z) (zh) (zh) (tin) (zh)
Transliteration (pinyin): Zzh zh tinzh. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Those who help themselves, God will help. Meaning: God will help those who help themselves.
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()(1 200 000. ). . 2008. p. 11. ISBN 7508612493.

(zo) (q) (de) (nio) (er) (yu) (chng) (ch)

Transliteration (pinyin): Zoq de nio er yu chng ch. Traditional: Simplified: Literally: Early bird gets the worm. Meaning: Pioneers will get much. ( ). CA \& SA Continual Assessment \& Semestral Assessment Papers for Primary 5 Chinese. . p. 19. ISBN 9812558888.

See also
Proverbs commonly attributed to be Chinese

References
1. Learn Chinese the Fun Way 1, p119, Federal Press, Singapore

External links
Chinese sayings and proverbs Large collection of Chinese Proverbs translated to English (http://www.chinese-sayings.com) Oneaday.org - One Chinese idiom a day (simplified and traditional characters) with pinyin transliteration and English translation (http://www.oneaday.org) Chinese Aesop - Chinese proverbs, parables, fables, idioms and stories with illustrations (http://chineseaesop.blogspot.com/) GoldenProverbs.com A collection of Chinese proverbs (http://www.goldenproverbs.com /tp_chinese.html) Chinese proverbs and sayings translated into English equivalents (http://rodrixar.blogspot.com /2010/04/chinese-proverbs.html) Famous Chinese Sayings - Old Chinese sayings and idioms with Pinyin and English (http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/learning-chinese/chinese-sayings.htm) .[[w:Insert Wikipedia pagename|]] Retrieved from "http://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Chinese_proverbs&oldid=1514613" Categories: Theme cleanup Proverbs

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