Christmas Island's Chinese & Cocos Malay Heritage

千里之行,始于足下

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

Great undertakings start with small, concrete first actions.

人无远虑,必有近忧

“If a person does not plan far ahead, trouble will find them close at hand.”

Failing to think ahead invites problems sooner rather than later.

一分耕耘,一分收获

“One part labor, one part harvest.”

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

授人以鱼不如授人以渔

“Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach a person to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.”

Teaching someone a skill benefits them far longer than giving temporary help.

天下无难事,只怕有心人

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

Determination and will can overcome almost any obstacle.

水滴石穿

“Dripping water wears through stone.”

Persistent, patient effort can eventually achieve what force cannot.

三人行,必有我师焉

“Among any three people walking together, one is sure to be my teacher.”

Everyone we meet has something valuable to teach us if we stay humble.

己所不欲,勿施于人

“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”

Treat others the way you would want to be treated yourself.

塞翁失马,焉知非福

“When the old man at the frontier lost his horse, how could anyone know it was not a blessing?”

What looks like misfortune today may turn out to be a blessing later.

冰冻三尺,非一日之寒

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

Significant problems or achievements build up gradually over time, not overnight.

良药苦口

“Good medicine tastes bitter to the mouth.”

Advice that is hard to hear is often the most helpful.

病从口入,祸从口出

“Illness enters through the mouth, and disaster exits through the mouth.”

Careless eating harms the body, and careless speech creates trouble.

前车之鉴

“The overturned cart ahead is a warning to the carts behind.”

Learn from the mistakes of those who came before you.

熟能生巧

“Practiced skill gives rise to cleverness.”

Repeated practice naturally leads to mastery and ease.

亡羊补牢,未为晚也

“It is not too late to mend the pen after the sheep are lost.”

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

一日之计在于晨

“The whole day's plan is set in the morning.”

Good preparation early in the day shapes success for the rest of it.

知己知彼,百战不殆

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

Deep understanding of both yourself and your challenges leads to consistent success.

不入虎穴,焉得虎子

“If you do not enter the tiger's den, how can you obtain the tiger's cub?”

Great rewards require the courage to take real risks.

患难见真情

“True feeling is revealed in times of hardship.”

A person's real character and loyalty show most clearly during difficulty.

滴水之恩,涌泉相报

“Repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring.”

Even a small favor deserves to be repaid many times over with gratitude.

家和万事兴

“When a family lives in harmony, everything it undertakes will flourish.”

A peaceful, united household is the foundation for success in all things.

有志者事竟成

“Where there is a will, the deed will eventually be done.”

Strong determination will eventually accomplish what it sets out to do.

少壮不努力,老大徒伤悲

“If the young do not work hard, the old will grieve in vain.”

Wasted youth leads to regret later in life, so effort should come early.

满招损,谦受益

“Pride invites loss; humility receives benefit.”

Arrogance leads to downfall, while modesty brings lasting reward.

玉不琢,不成器

“Jade that is not carved cannot become a fine vessel.”

Natural talent must be shaped through effort and discipline to reach its potential.

Bagai aur dengan tebing.

“Like bamboo and the riverbank.”

Two parties depend on and support each other, each strengthening the other.

Sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit.

“Little by little, in time it becomes a hill.”

Small, consistent efforts accumulate into something substantial over time.

Berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing.

“Heavy loads are carried together, light loads are carried together.”

Burdens and joys alike are shared fairly among those working together.

Alah bisa, tegal biasa.

“What is hard is overcome by becoming used to it.”

Repeated practice turns even the hardest task into something manageable.

Air tenang jangan disangka tiada buaya.

“Do not assume calm water holds no crocodiles.”

A quiet, gentle appearance can conceal real danger or hidden depth.

Hendak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih.

“When willing, a thousand ways can be found; when unwilling, a thousand excuses appear.”

True willingness finds solutions, while reluctance only finds reasons to avoid action.

Kalau tidak dipecahkan ruyung, manakan dapat sagunya.

“If the hard husk is not split open, how can the sago inside ever be reached?”

Real reward comes only after enduring the effort needed to obtain it.

Bagai kacang lupakan kulit.

“Like a peanut that has forgotten its own shell.”

Describes someone who forgets their humble origins after achieving success.

Ke bukit sama didaki, ke lurah sama dituruni.

“Climb the hill together, descend the valley together.”

True companions share both the hard climb and the easy descent of life together.

Ikut hati mati, ikut rasa binasa.

“Follow the heart blindly and you perish; follow raw feeling and you are ruined.”

Acting purely on emotion without reason or restraint leads to ruin.

Bagai anjing dengan kucing.

“Like a dog and a cat.”

Describes two people or parties who quarrel constantly and cannot get along.

Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga.

“However skilled the squirrel is at leaping, in the end it still falls to the ground.”

Even the most skilled or careful person eventually makes a mistake.

Tak kenal maka tak cinta.

“Not knowing means not loving.”

Understanding and closeness must come before genuine affection can grow.

Bagai pinang dibelah dua.

“Like an areca nut split into two halves.”

Describes two people, often a couple, who resemble each other closely or are perfectly matched.

Bagai katak di bawah tempurung.

“Like a frog living under a coconut shell.”

Describes someone with a narrow view of the world, unaware of what lies beyond their small experience.

种瓜得瓜,种豆得豆

“Plant melons and you reap melons; plant beans and you reap beans.”

The outcomes you receive in life match the actions and effort you put in.

路遥知马力,日久见人心

“A long road tests a horse's strength; a long time reveals a person's heart.”

True character and real value only become clear after enough time has passed.

近朱者赤,近墨者黑

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

The company you keep gradually shapes the person you become.

机不可失,时不再来

“An opportunity must not be missed, for the moment never returns.”

Seize a good chance when it appears, because it may never come again.

凡事预则立,不预则废

“In all things, preparation leads to success; without it, failure follows.”

Careful preparation beforehand decides whether an effort succeeds or fails.

Malu bertanya sesat jalan.

“Too shy to ask, and you will lose your way.”

Being too embarrassed to ask questions leads to confusion and avoidable mistakes.

Bersatu teguh, bercerai roboh.

“United we stand firm; divided we collapse.”

A community holds strong together but falls apart when it splits.

Genggam bara api, biar sampai jadi arang.

“Grasp the burning ember until it turns to charcoal.”

Endure hardship with steady determination until the goal is finally reached.

Sesal dahulu pendapatan, sesal kemudian tidak berguna.

“Regret beforehand is a gain; regret afterward is useless.”

Thinking carefully before acting is far more valuable than regretting a mistake afterward.

Ada ubi ada batas, ada hari boleh balas.

“There is a yam, there is a boundary; there will be a day to repay.”

Good deeds and ill deeds alike will eventually be repaid in their own time.