Traditional Macau Wisdom

一分耕耘，一分收穫

“One part planting, one part harvest.”

Effort brings proportional reward; nothing worthwhile comes without work.

路遙知馬力，日久見人心

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

True character and worth are only revealed after enough time has passed.

家和萬事興

“When the family is in harmony, all things prosper.”

Unity and peace within the family are the foundation for success in everything else.

病從口入，禍從口出

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

Careless eating brings sickness, and careless speech brings disaster.

冰凍三尺，非一日之寒

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

Major problems build up gradually over time, never overnight.

不入虎穴，焉得虎子

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

Great rewards require the courage to take great risks.

有志者事竟成

“Where there is a will, the task will be accomplished.”

Determination and persistence carry a person through to eventual success.

少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲

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

Wasted youth leads to regret that cannot be undone in old age.

塞翁失馬，焉知非福

“When the old man at the frontier lost his horse, how could one know it was not fortune?”

Apparent misfortune may, in time, reveal itself as a hidden blessing.

滴水穿石

“Dripping water pierces the stone.”

Small, steady effort applied over time can accomplish what force alone cannot.

一寸光陰一寸金

“An inch of time is an inch of gold.”

Time is as precious as gold and must never be wasted.

磨刀不誤砍柴工

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

Proper preparation is never wasted time, even when it seems to slow you down.

種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆

“Plant melons and reap melons, plant beans and reap beans.”

You receive the results of exactly what you have sown.

人心齊，泰山移

“When people's hearts are united, even Mount Tai can be moved.”

Unity among people can overcome even the greatest obstacles.

良藥苦口利於病

“Good medicine tastes bitter but heals the illness.”

Honest, unpleasant advice is often what benefits a person the most.

三人成虎

“Three men speaking of a tiger will make people believe it exists.”

A rumor repeated often enough by enough people is eventually believed as truth.

亡羊補牢，未為遲也

“Mending the pen after the sheep is lost is still not too late.”

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

一言既出，駟馬難追

“Once a word leaves the mouth, even a team of four horses cannot chase it back.”

A spoken promise cannot be taken back, so words must be chosen carefully.

十年樹木，百年樹人

“Ten years to grow a tree, a hundred years to cultivate a person.”

Raising and educating people well takes far longer than growing anything else.

天下無不散之筵席

“There is no banquet under heaven that does not eventually end.”

Every gathering and every good era eventually comes to a close.

又要威，又要戴頭盔

“Wanting to look impressive while also wearing a safety helmet.”

Wanting both glory and safety at once, when the two usually cannot go together.

相見好，同住難

“It is pleasant to meet, but difficult to live together.”

Relationships are often easier at a distance than in daily close contact.

食得鹹魚抵得渴

“If you choose to eat salty fish, you must be prepared to bear the thirst.”

Accept the consequences of the choices you freely make.

一樣米養百樣人

“The same rice feeds a hundred different kinds of people.”

People raised in similar conditions can still turn out very differently from one another.

有麝自然香

“If you truly have musk, its fragrance will naturally spread.”

Genuine talent or virtue does not need advertising; it will be recognized in time.

蘇州過後冇艇搭

“After Suzhou, there is no boat to catch.”

An opportunity missed at the right moment will not come around again.

Água mole em pedra dura, tanto bate até que fura.

“Soft water strikes hard stone until it bores a hole through it.”

Gentle, steady persistence eventually overcomes even the hardest resistance.

Quem tudo quer, tudo perde.

“He who wants everything loses everything.”

Greed for more than one's share often ends in losing what one already has.

Devagar se vai ao longe.

“Slowly, one goes far.”

A steady, unhurried pace carries a person further than reckless speed.

Mais vale um pássaro na mão do que dois a voar.

“A bird in the hand is worth more than two flying.”

A smaller certain gain is worth more than a larger uncertain one.

Antes tarde do que nunca.

“Better late than never.”

Doing something after a delay is still better than never doing it at all.

Quem não arrisca, não petisca.

“He who does not risk, does not snack.”

Without taking some risk, a person gains nothing worthwhile.

Cada macaco no seu galho.

“Each monkey on its own branch.”

Everyone should stay within their own place, role, or area of expertise.

Grão a grão, enche a galinha o papo.

“Grain by grain, the hen fills its crop.”

Small, steady contributions accumulate into something substantial over time.

千里之行，始於足下

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

Any great undertaking, however distant its goal, must start with a small first action.

授人以魚不如授人以漁

“Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish.”

Teaching someone a lasting skill helps them far more than giving them a one-time gift.

知己知彼，百戰不殆

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

Careful understanding of both your own strengths and your opponent's is the foundation of success.

近朱者赤，近墨者黑

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

The company and environment a person keeps gradually shapes their character.

前人種樹，後人乘涼

“Ancestors plant the trees; descendants enjoy the shade.”

The efforts of earlier generations create benefits that later generations inherit and enjoy.

好馬不吃回頭草

“A good horse does not graze on the grass behind it.”

A person of principle keeps moving forward and does not return to what they have already left behind.

留得青山在，不怕沒柴燒

“As long as the green mountains remain, there is no need to fear having no firewood.”

As long as your core health or resources survive a setback, recovery and future success remain possible.

玉不琢，不成器

“Unpolished jade does not become a fine vessel.”

Natural talent must be shaped through discipline and effort before it becomes truly useful.

Filho de peixe sabe nadar.

“A fish's child knows how to swim.”

Children naturally inherit the traits, tendencies, and skills of their parents.

Casa de ferreiro, espeto de pau.

“In the blacksmith's house, the skewer is made of wood.”

People skilled in a trade often neglect to apply that very skill within their own home.

Quem canta seus males espanta.

“He who sings scares his troubles away.”

A cheerful spirit, expressed through song, helps a person endure hardship.

Mais vale prevenir do que remediar.

“Better to prevent than to remedy.”

Taking precautions beforehand is wiser than trying to fix damage after it has already happened.

Nem tudo que reluz é ouro.

“Not all that glitters is gold.”

Appearances can be deceiving; something attractive on the surface is not always genuinely valuable.

Quem espera sempre alcança.

“He who waits always attains.”

Patience is ultimately rewarded; good things come to those who wait.

A união faz a força.

“Union makes strength.”

People working together achieve a strength that none of them could reach alone.

Água parada cria bicho.

“Standing water breeds vermin.”

Stagnation and inactivity invite decay and trouble; it is healthier to stay active.