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. Many of the proverbs contain wisdom and advice for life challenges. Some you may have to think about – as the wit and wisdom in them are thought-provoking.
Some of the best Chinese proverbs are listed below.
- “‘After you’ is good manners.” – Chinese proverb
- “A bird can roost but on one branch, a mouse can drink not more than its fill from a river.” – 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 clear conscience never fears midnight knocking.” – Chinese proverb
- “A clever person turns great troubles into little ones, and little ones into none at all.” – Chinese proverb
- “A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood.” – Chinese proverb
- “A crisis is an opportunity riding the dangerous wind.” – Chinese proverb
- “A diamond with a flaw is better than a common stone that is perfect.” – Chinese proverb
- “A fall into a ditch makes you wiser.” – 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 hundred no’s are less agonizing than one insincere yes.” – Chinese proverb
- “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Chinese proverb
- “A little impatience will spoil great plans.” – 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 cannot tolerate small misfortunes can never accomplish great things.” – Chinese proverb
- “A man who chases two rabbits catches neither.” – Chinese proverb
- “A man without a smiling face must not open shop.” – Chinese proverb
- “A needle is not sharp at both ends.” – Chinese proverb
- “A person of high principles is one who can watch an entire chess game without making a comment.” – Chinese proverb
- “A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.” – Chinese proverb
- “A smile will gain you ten more years of life.” – Chinese proverb
- “A straight foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe.” – Chinese proverb
- “A wise man makes his own decisions, but an ignorant man mindlessly follows the crowd.” – 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
- “All things change, and we change with them.” – Chinese proverb
- “An inch of time is an inch of gold but you can’t buy that inch of time with an inch of gold.” – 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
- “Before preparing to improve the world, first look around your own home three times.” – Chinese proverb
- “Behave toward everyone as if receiving a guest.” – Chinese proverb
- “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.” – Chinese proverb
- “Better the cottage where one is merry than the palace where one weeps.” – 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
- “Distant water does not put out a nearby fire.” – Chinese proverb
- “Do everything at the right time, and one day will seem like three.” – Chinese proverb
- “Do not afraid of moving slowly. Be afraid of standing still.” – Chinese proverb
- “Do not believe that you will reach your destination without leaving the shore.” – 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
- “Do not want others to know what you have done? Better not have done it anyways.” – Chinese proverb
- “Don’t fear the enemy that attacks you, but the fake friend that hugs you.” – Chinese proverb
- “Even a hare will bite when it is cornered.” – Chinese proverb
- “Experience is a comb which nature gives us when we are bald.” – Chinese proverb
- “Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.” – Chinese proverb
- “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” – Chinese proverb
- “Genius can be recognized by its childish simplicity.” – Chinese proverb
- “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” – 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
- “Govern a family as you would cook a small fish – very gently.” – Chinese proverb
- “Guessing is cheap, but guessing wrong can be expensive.” – Chinese proverb
- “Habits are cobwebs at first; cables at last.” – 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 cheats the earth will be cheated by the earth.” – 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 who thinks too much about every step he takes will always stay on one leg.” – 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
- “I was angered, for I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet.” – 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 bow at all, bow low.” – 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 you want to avoid being cheated, ask for prices at three different stores.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you want to find out about the road ahead, then ask about it from those coming back.” – Chinese proverb
- “If you want your children to have a peaceful life, let them suffer a little hunger and a little coldness.” – 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
- “In a group of many words, there is bound to be a mistake somewhere in them.” – Chinese proverb
- “Insanity is doing the same thing in the same way and expecting a different outcome.” – Chinese proverb
- “It is easy to open a store – the hard part is keeping it open.” – Chinese proverb
- “It is not the knowing that is difficult, but the doing.” – Chinese proverb
- “It’s better to be without a book than to believe a book entirely.” – Chinese proverb
- “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” – Chinese proverb
- “Learning is a weightless treasure you can always carry easily.” – Chinese proverb
- “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Chinese proverb
- “Listening well is as powerful as talking well, and is also as essential to true conversation.” – 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
- “Married couples tell each other a thousand things without speech.” – Chinese proverb
- “Men trip not on mountains they trip on molehills.” – Chinese proverb
- “No matter how tall the mountain is, it cannot block the sun.” – Chinese proverb
- “One beam, no matter how big, cannot support an entire house on its own.” – Chinese proverb
- “One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade.” – Chinese proverb
- “Only one who can swallow an insult is a man.” – 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
- “Patience is a bitter plant, but its fruit is sweet.” – Chinese proverb
- “Ripe fruit falls by itself – but it doesn’t fall in your mouth.” – Chinese proverb
- “Silence is a source of great strength.” – Chinese proverb
- “Small men think they are small; great men never know they are great.” – Chinese proverb
- “Solve one problem, and you keep a hundred others away.” – Chinese proverb
- “Talk does not cook rice.” – Chinese proverb
- “Teachers open the door but you must walk through it yourself.” – Chinese proverb
- “Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.” – Chinese proverb
- “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involves me and I’ll understand.” – Chinese proverb
- “Tenacity and adversity are old foes.” – 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 today.” – 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 more acquaintances you have, the less you know them.” – Chinese proverb
- “The people who talk the best are not the only ones who can tell you the most interesting things.” – Chinese proverb
- “The person who is his own master cannot tolerate another boss.” – 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
- “There are two kinds of perfect people: those who are dead, and those who have not been born yet.” – Chinese proverb
- “Think about your own faults during the first half of the night, and the faults of others during the second half.” – Chinese proverb
- “Time is money, and it is difficult for one to use money to get time.” – Chinese proverb
- “To be totally at leisure for one day is to be immortal for one day.” – 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 know another is not to know the person’s face, but to know the person’s heart.” – Chinese proverb
- “To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish.” – Chinese proverb
- “Two good talkers are not worth one good listener.” – Chinese proverb
- “Want a thing long enough and you don’t.” – 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
