A proverb is a short, pithy saying that expresses a traditionally held truth or piece of advice, based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. Nothing defines a culture as distinctly as its language, and the element of language that best encapsulates a society’s values and beliefs is its proverbs.
Some of the best Chinese proverbs are listed below.
- “’After you’ is good manners.” – Chinese proverb
- “A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.” – Chinese proverb
- “A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.” – Chinese proverb
- “A book holds a house of gold.” – Chinese proverb
- “A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.” – Chinese proverb
- “A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.” – Chinese proverb
- “A diamond with a flaw is better than a common stone that is perfect.” – Chinese proverb
- “A filthy mouth will not utter decent language.” – Chinese proverb
- “A fool judges people by the presents they give him.” – Chinese proverb
- “A friend to everybody is a friend to nobody.” – Chinese proverb
- “A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor a man perfected without trials.” – Chinese proverb
- “A good book is a good friend.” – Chinese proverb
- “A journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.” – Chinese proverb
- “A man should choose a friend who is better than himself. There are plenty of acquaintances in the world; but very few real friends.” – Chinese proverb
- “A man who chases two rabbits catches neither.” – Chinese proverb
- “A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.” – Chinese proverb
- “A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe.” – Chinese proverb
- “A wise man makes his own decisions. An ignorant man follows public opinion.” – Chinese proverb
- “All things are difficult before they are easy.” – Chinese proverb
- “Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese proverb
- “Be not disturbed at being misunderstood; be disturbed rather at not being understanding.”” – Chinese proverb
- “Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” – Chinese proverb
- “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Chinese proverb
- “Coming events cast their shadows before them.” – Chinese proverb
- “Distance tests a horse’s strength. Time reveals a person’s character.” – Chinese proverb
- “Do not afraid of moving slowly. Be afraid of standing still.” – Chinese proverb
- “Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.” – Chinese proverb
- “Do not impose others what yourself do not desire.” – Chinese proverb
- “Don’t fear the enemy that attacks you, but the fake friend that hugs you.” – Chinese proverb
- “Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.” – Chinese proverb
- “Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” – Chinese proverb
- “Giving your son a skill is better than giving him one thousand pieces of gold.” – Chinese proverb
- “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.” – Chinese proverb
- “He who depends on himself will attain the greatest happiness.” – Chinese proverb
- “He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left.” – Chinese proverb
- “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.” – Chinese proverb
- “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you don’t want anyone to know it, don’t do it” – Chinese proverb
- “If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you plan for one year, plant rice. If you plan for ten years, plant trees. If you plan for 100 years, educate mankind.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you stand straight, do not fear a crooked shadow.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you survived a storm, you won’t be bothered by the rain.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap. If you want happiness for a day — go fishing. If you want happiness for a month — get married. If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.” – Chinese proverb
- “If your mind is strong, all difficult things will become easy. If your mind is weak, all easy things will become difficult.” – Chinese proverb
- “If your strength is small, don’t carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don’t give advice.” – Chinese proverb
- “Insanity is doing the same thing in the same way and expecting a different outcome.” – Chinese proverb
- “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” – Chinese proverb
- “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Chinese proverb
- “love at first sight. It’s generally used for people, but you can also use it for other physical objects.” – Chinese proverb
- “Love is not about possession, it’s all about appreciation.” – Chinese proverb
- “Make happy those who are near, and those who are far will come.” – Chinese proverb
- “One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade.” – Chinese proverb
- “Opportunities don’t just happen, you create them.” – Chinese proverb
- “Opportunity knocks at the door only once.” – Chinese proverb
- “Outside noisy, inside empty.” – Chinese proverb
- “Parents who are afraid to put their foot down usually have children who step on their toes.” – Chinese proverb
- “Silence is a source of great strength.” – Chinese proverb
- “Teachers open the door but you must walk through it yourself.” – Chinese proverb
- “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involves me and I’ll understand.” – Chinese proverb
- “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” – Chinese proverb
- “The best fighter is never angry.” – Chinese proverb
- “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” – Chinese proverb
- “The glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall.” – Chinese proverb
- “The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Chinese proverb
- “The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Chinese proverb
- “The person who says something is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” – Chinese proverb
- “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.” – Chinese proverb
- “There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same.” – Chinese proverb
- “Time is money, and it is difficult for one to use money to get time.” – Chinese proverb
- “To believe in one’s dreams is to spend all of one’s life asleep.” – Chinese proverb
- “To forget one’s ancestor’s is to be a brook without a source, a tree without root.” – Chinese proverb
- “To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish.” – Chinese proverb
- “When anger arises, think of the consequences.” – Chinese proverb
- “When the winds of change blows, some people build walls and others build windmills.” – Chinese proverb
- “When you say one thing, the clever person understands three.” – Chinese proverb
- “With true friends… even water drunk together is sweet enough.” – Chinese proverb
- “Your teacher can open the door, but you must enter by yourself.” – Chinese proverb
