China Proverbs (50)

千里之行，始于足下

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Great undertakings are accomplished by starting with a single small action.

学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆

“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

Study and reflection must go together to gain true understanding.

己所不欲，勿施于人

“Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself.”

Treat others with the same consideration you would wish for yourself.

塞翁失马，焉知非福

“When the old frontiersman lost his horse, who could know it was not a blessing?”

Apparent misfortune may turn out to be good luck, and vice versa.

知己知彼，百战不殆

“Know yourself and know your enemy, and in a hundred battles you will never be in peril.”

Thorough knowledge of both sides ensures success in any conflict.

三人行，必有我师焉

“Among any three people walking together, one can surely be my teacher.”

There is something to learn from everyone around you.

温故而知新

“Reviewing the old, one learns the new.”

Revisiting past knowledge yields fresh understanding.

水滴石穿

“Dripping water wears through stone.”

Persistent, small efforts can accomplish great things over time.

不入虎穴，焉得虎子

“Without entering the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cubs?”

Great rewards require taking real risks.

授人以鱼不如授人以渔

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Teaching a skill is more valuable than giving a one-time solution.

有志者事竟成

“Where there is a will, there is a way.”

A person with firm determination will eventually accomplish their goal.

失败乃成功之母

“Failure is the mother of success.”

Mistakes and setbacks teach the lessons that make later success possible.

活到老，学到老

“Live to old age, learn to old age.”

Learning should continue throughout one's entire life, without end.

一分耕耘，一分收获

“One part toil, one part harvest.”

The reward you receive is proportional to the effort you put in.

病从口入，祸从口出

“Illness enters through the mouth; disaster exits through the mouth.”

Careless eating brings sickness, and careless speech brings trouble.

冰冻三尺，非一日之寒

“Three feet of ice does not form in a single day's cold.”

Major outcomes, good or bad, build up gradually from long accumulation.

光阴似箭，日月如梭

“Time flies like an arrow; days and months shuttle like a loom.”

Time passes with remarkable speed, so it should not be wasted.

少壮不努力，老大徒伤悲

“If the young do not exert themselves, the old will grieve in vain.”

Wasted youth leads to regret in old age, so effort should come early.

万事开头难

“All things are hardest at the beginning.”

Starting a new task is usually the most difficult part of it.

画蛇添足

“Drawing a snake and adding feet to it.”

Adding unnecessary embellishment to something already complete only ruins it.

亡羊补牢，未为晚也

“It is not too late to mend the pen after a sheep has been lost.”

It is never too late to fix a mistake and prevent further loss.

守株待兔

“Guarding a tree stump, waiting for a rabbit to run into it.”

Relying on a lucky accident instead of real effort is foolish and unproductive.

拔苗助长

“Pulling up seedlings to help them grow.”

Forcing progress before its time only causes harm; growth cannot be rushed.

刻舟求剑

“Notching the boat to seek the sword that fell overboard.”

Clinging to a fixed method while circumstances have changed leads to failure.

井底之蛙

“A frog at the bottom of a well believes the sky is only as large as the well's mouth.”

Limited experience breeds a narrow, mistaken view of the wider world.

卧薪尝胆

“Sleeping on brushwood and tasting gall.”

Deliberately enduring hardship to keep alive the resolve for a future goal.

破釜沉舟

“Break the cauldrons and sink the boats.”

Committing fully to a course of action by removing any possibility of retreat.

铁杵磨成针

“Grinding an iron rod into a needle.”

With enough patience and persistence, even the hardest task can be completed.

掩耳盗铃

“Covering one's own ears while stealing a bell.”

Deceiving oneself while imagining that others are fooled too.

对牛弹琴

“Playing the lute to a cow.”

Explaining something refined to someone unable to appreciate it wastes the effort.

一箭双雕

“One arrow, two eagles.”

A single well-aimed action can achieve two goals at once.

愚公移山

“The Foolish Old Man who moved the mountains.”

Unwavering determination can overcome even the most immense obstacles.

近朱者赤，近墨者黑

“Near vermilion, one turns red; near ink, one turns black.”

A person's character is shaped by the company and environment they keep.

三思而后行

“Think three times before you act.”

Careful, repeated reflection should come before any important action.

人无远虑，必有近忧

“He who gives no thought to distant troubles will soon find worry close at hand.”

Failing to plan for the future invites trouble in the present.

千军易得，一将难求

“A thousand soldiers are easy to find; one good general is hard to find.”

Capable leadership is far rarer and more valuable than ordinary manpower.

鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已

“Bend the back to the task until one's dying day.”

Devoting oneself completely to duty, without rest, until the end of life.

磨刀不误砍柴工

“Sharpening the axe does not delay the work of cutting wood.”

Time spent preparing properly is never wasted; it makes the real work easier.

良药苦口利于病，忠言逆耳利于行

“Good medicine tastes bitter but heals the sickness; loyal advice sounds harsh but benefits conduct.”

Unpleasant truths and honest criticism are often the most valuable to hear.

前事不忘，后事之师

“Not forgetting past events is a guide for the future.”

Remembering past experience, especially mistakes, helps guide future decisions.

千里之堤，溃于蚁穴

“A thousand-li dike can collapse because of an ant's hole.”

A tiny, neglected flaw can eventually cause an enormous disaster.

逆水行舟，不进则退

“A boat rowing against the current must advance, or it will be swept back.”

In difficult conditions, standing still is the same as falling behind.

万丈高楼平地起

“A towering building rises from level ground.”

Every great achievement must begin from humble, ordinary foundations.

众人拾柴火焰高

“When everyone gathers firewood, the flame burns high.”

Collective effort produces far greater results than anyone can achieve alone.

滴水之恩，涌泉相报

“A drop of kindness received should be repaid with a gushing spring.”

Even small favors deserve to be repaid many times over with gratitude.

有缘千里来相会

“Fate brings people together from a thousand miles away.”

Meaningful connections between people are the work of fate, however far apart they begin.

天下无难事，只怕有心人

“Nothing under heaven is difficult for one who sets their heart on it.”

Genuine determination can overcome almost any obstacle.

路遥知马力，日久见人心

“Over a long road, one knows a horse's strength; over time, one sees a person's heart.”

True character and worth are revealed only through time and hardship.

人非圣贤，孰能无过

“No one is a sage; who can be entirely without fault?”

Everyone makes mistakes, so errors should be met with understanding.

己欲立而立人，己欲达而达人

“Wishing to establish himself, one seeks also to establish others; wishing to succeed, one seeks also to help others succeed.”

True personal success is bound up with helping others also succeed.