Recommended Reading
- ‘500 Common Chinese Proverbs and Colloquial Expressions‘ by Liwei Jiao, Benjamin Stone
- ‘The Little Book of Chinese Proverbs‘ by Jonathan Clements
- ‘Chinese Proverbs‘ by Ruthanne Lum, Hu Yong Yi, K.L. Kiu
- ‘Chinese Illustrated Dictionary‘ by McGraw-Hill
Chinese Proverbs and Inspirational Quotes
One step at a time is good walking.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Proverbs, Planning, Walking
When you cease to strive to understand, then you will know without understanding.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Knowledge
It is better to be entirely without a book than to believe it entirely.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Book
The flowers in your garden don’t smell as sweet as those in the wild, but they last much longer.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Garden
That man who knows too many trades… his family starves.
—Chinese Proverb
Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Miscellaneous, Proverbs, Progress, Resilience, Patience, Growth
To attract good fortune, spend a new coin on an old friend, share an old pleasure with a new friend, and lift up the heart of a true friend by writing his name on the wings of a dragon.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Fortune
Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Learning, Proverbs
Heaven has a road, but no one travels it; Hell has no gate but men will dig to get there.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Heaven
Before you beat the dog, find out the name of his master.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Animals
The best cure for drunkenness is whilst sober to observe a drunken person.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Drunkenness
Who thinks an inch, but talks a yard, needs a kick in the foot.
—Chinese Proverb
If your strength is small, don’t carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don’t give advice.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Advice
A curious woman is capable of turning around the rainbow just to see what is on the other side.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Rain
The roast duck can fly no more.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Flying
Rivers and mountains may change; human nature, never.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Change
To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Proverbs
Take a second look… It costs you nothing.
—Chinese Proverb
He who hurries can not walk with dignity.
—Chinese Proverb
A man without a smiling face must not open a shop.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Smiling, Attitude
The palest ink is better than the best memory.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Memories, Memory
When eating bamboo sprouts, remember the man who planted them.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Gratitude, Proverbs, Memory
Peace and tranquility are a thousand gold pieces.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Peace
He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Health
Garden flowers larger, field flowers stronger.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Garden
He who travels a lot becomes wise; he who is wise stays home.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Home
To open a shop is easy, to keep it open is an art
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Business
The dog in the kennel barks at his fleas; the dog that hunts does not feel them.
—Chinese Proverb
Always leave a little room for a mistake.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Mistakes
It is easy to govern a kingdom but difficult to rule one’s family.
—Chinese Proverb
Topics: Kings