Chinese Proverbs
B C G H J N R s T W Y Z
B
1. běn xìng nán yí
本 性 难 移
Old habits die hard
2. bù rú hǔ xué yān dé hǔ zǐ
不如 虎穴 焉得 虎子
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
3. bú zuò kuī xīn shì ， yè bàn bú pà guǐ qiāo mén
不做 亏心事 ， 夜半 不怕 鬼 敲门
Do right and fear no man
C
1. chèn rè dá tiě
趁热 打铁
trike while the iron is hot
2. dāng jú zhě mí
当局 者 迷
You can't see the forest for the trees, but onlookers see the whole game
3. dào yì yǒu dào
盗亦 有 道
Even the bad guys have a conscience.
4. dà zhàng fu néng qū néng shēn
大丈夫 能屈 能伸
A man must learn to sail in all winds.
G
1. gè huā rù gè yǎn
各花 入 各眼
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2. gǒu zuǐ tǔ bù chū xiàng yá
狗嘴 吐 不出 象牙
Nice words won't come from a bad source
H
1. hǎo shì duō mó
好事 多 磨
The course of true love never runs smooth
2. huò bù dān xíng
祸 不 单行
Misery loves company
3. huā kāi kān zhé zhí xū zhé
花开 堪折 直 须 折
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may
4. hǔ fù rú zǐ
虎父 如 子
A chip off the old block
5. hūn yīn shì ài qíng de fén mù
婚姻 是 爱情 的 坟墓
Marriage is the death of romance
J
1. jiā jiā yǒu běn nán niàn de jīng
家家 有 本 难念 的 经
Each family has its own kind of hell.
2. jiāo Bing bì bài
骄兵 必败
Pride goes before a fall.
3. jiāng jūn nán miǎn zhèn shàng wáng
将军 难免 阵上 亡
Those who lived by the sword died by the sword
4. jīn yù qí wài ，bài xù qí zhōng
金玉 其 外， 败絮 其 中
All that glitters is not gold and beware of the skeleton in the closet
N
1. niú bù yín shuǐ ， bù néng àn niú tóu dī
牛 不 饮水 ， 不能 按 牛 头 低
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
2. nǚ rén xīn hái dǐ zhēn
女人心 海底 针
A woman's heart is as deep as the ocean
R
1. rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn
人算 不如 天算
Man proposes and God disposes.
2. rù xiāng suí sú
入乡 随俗
In Rome do as the Romans do
S
1. sài wēng shī mǎ
塞翁 失马
Certain bad luck is actually "a blessing in disguise."
2. sān gè hé shang dān shuǐ wú zhōu shí
三个 和尚 担水 无 粥食
Too many cooks spoil the broth
3. suì yuè bù ráo rén
岁月 不 饶 人
Time and tide waits for no man.
4. shù dà yǒu kū zhī ， zú dà yǒu qǐ ér
树大 有 枯枝， 族大 有 乞儿
There is a black sheep in every fold
T
1. tiān xià wú bú sàn zhī yán xí
天下 无 不散 之 筵席
All good things must come to an end
2. tiān xià wū yā yì bān hēi
天下 乌鸦 一般 黑
In the whole world, all crows are black.
3. tóng nián wú jì
童年 无忌
A child's words have no guile
W
1. wǔ shí bù xiào bǎi bù
五十步 笑 百步
The pot calls the kettle black.
2. wù yǐ lèi jù
物以类聚
Birds of a feather flocks together.
3. wú fēng bù qǐ làng
无风 不起 浪
There is no smoke without fire
Y
1. yǐ dú gōng dú
以毒攻毒
Fight fire with fire
2. yì zhāo bèi shé yǎo shí nián pà jiǎn sheng
一朝 被 蛇咬 十年 怕 剪绳
Once bitten, twice shy
3. yíjiāng gōng chéng wàn gǔ kū
一将 功成 万骨枯
What thousands must die so that Caesar may become great
4. yīng xióng suǒ jiàn luè tóng
英雄 所见 略同
Great minds think alike
5. yǐ shēn zuò zé
以身 作则
Example is better than precept
6. yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mó
有钱 能使 鬼 推磨
Money makes the world go around.
7. yòu yào mǎ ér hǎo yòu yào mǎ ér bù shí cǎo
又要 马儿 好 又要 马儿 不 食草
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
8. Yǒu shè zì rán xiāng
有 麝 自然 香
Good wine needs no bush
9. yí jiàn shuāng diāo
一箭 双雕
Kill two birds with one stone.
10. yè cháng mèng duō
夜长 梦多
The longer you wait, the more unexpected developments may occur
11. yù sù zé bù dá
欲速则不达
More haste, less speed
12. yù bù mó bù chéng qì ， rén bù xué bù chéng cái
玉 不磨 不 成器 ， 人 不学 不 成材
Jade must be carved and polished before it becomes an ornament, man must be educated before he can achieve great things
Z
1. zhǐ bāo bú zhù huǒ
纸 包 不住 火
Truth will out
2. zuì wēng zhī yì bú zài jiǔ
醉翁 之意 不在 酒
Kissing the baby for the nurse.
