50 great Chinese Proverbs (and their meaning)

For several decades now, the West has a great fascination for China and its culture.

Since the other half of the world turned its gaze there, we have embraced and permeated our own culture with its disciplines, traditions, and reflections.

For this reason, Chinese proverbs are even already well known and have become part of the culture and common sense of Western countries. And it is that they contain such wisdom that they are not wasted when we want to transmit great life lessons.

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50 great Chinese Proverbs to ponder

The proverbs of each culture contain teachings that have been transmitted from generation to generation. Of course, China and its millenary history is no exception, it has among its popular culture an endless number of proverbs that you should know.

We have compiled 50 great Chinese Proverbs that speak of different aspects of life. Surely you will find in several or in all a reflection that can be of great help in various moments and situations.

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1. Before being a dragon, you have to suffer like an ant.

Before you get high, you have to go through the misfortunes of starting from the bottom.

2. Look for a light instead of eternally cursing the darkness.

Faced with problems, you don't have to complain, you have to look for solutions.

3. Believing in dreams is spending your whole life asleep.

We must not base our plans on groundless dreams.

4. When you drink water, remember the source.

You always have to be grateful.

5. The cleanest and purest water falls from the blackest clouds.

From the most complex situations, teachings are obtained that purify the soul.

6. Water that is too pure has no fish.

You don't have to be a perfectionist, it's not good either.

7. Love is not begged, it deserves.

We all deserve to be loved and we shouldn't beg for love.

8. The man who does not know how to smile should not open the store.

If we are not fit for something, it is better not to do it.

9. Jade needs to be carved to be a gem.

Anything worthwhile requires work and dedication.

10. Who is afraid of suffering, already suffers about fear.

We must not fear, because that paralyzes life and projects.

11. Silence is a great source of strength.

You have to learn to appreciate silence.

12. Time is like the flow of a river: it does not return.

Time is one of the most valuable things we have and we must take care of it.

13. It is easy to dodge the spear, but not the hidden dagger.

Be on the lookout for malicious people hiding.

14. Better a cabin in which to be happy, than a palace in which to cry.

The best thing is to seek happiness over material things.

15. Who knows when to fight and when not to fight will win.

Battles are won with intelligence and not just by fighting.

16. You have to climb the mountain as an old man to arrive as a young man.

The path must be traveled with caution and prudence to arrive safely.

17. Judging is a way to hide their own weaknesses.

Judging speaks more badly of us than of who we judge.

18. Distance tests the strength of a horse. Time reveals the character of a person.

Having to wait is something that is very difficult for many people.

19. The innocence of a mouse can move an elephant.

Actions that seem small can trigger big things.

20. Opportunity knocks on the door only once.

You always have to take advantage of opportunities.

21. The first time is a grace, the second time is a rule.

A Chinese proverb to explain what happens when we act in a similar way more than once.

22. Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are.

A great proverb to help us find ourselves.

23. Blessings never come even, and woes never come alone.

It is said that when something good happens you have to enjoy it because something good will not happen again in Some time, however, when something bad happens, you have to prepare because misfortunes never come alone.

24. The beautiful roads do not lead far.

Do not get carried away by mirages.

25. Parents who are afraid to set foot on the ground usually have children who stand on tiptoe.

What parents fear they transmit to their children.

26. Make those who are near happy and those who are far will come.

Do not think about those who are far away, better make those who are with you happy.

27. Talking a lot and getting nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish.

Equally absurd in both cases.

28. Dig the well before you get thirsty.

You have to work for what is to come and not for what is already here.

29. It is easier to vary the course of a river than the character of a man.

When a man is stubborn we should not try to change him, because we waste our time.

30. Pick a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.

If we dedicate ourselves to what we like, we will never see it as a job.

31. Time is like the flow of a river: it does not return.

Time must be treasured and valued.

32. The wise man does not say what he knows, and the fool does not know what he says.

Wise people are prudent, foolish people the opposite.

33. He who studies ten years in the dark will be universally known as he wants.

He was referring to the students who were locked up in the monasteries for ten years and who when they left were recognized for their skills and wisdom.

34. He who is not diligent when he is young, when he is old will lament in vain.

It is necessary to be cautious and judicious from the youth so as not to regret it later.

35. The strongest and busiest tree lives on what it has underneath.

To get high you have to have your feet planted on the ground.

36. Love is not about possession, it is about appreciation.

True love is not possessive, it only contemplates the growth of the other.

37. Enjoy only the pleasures of the moment.

You have to enjoy the present.

38. Give me a fish and eat for a day. Teach me to fish and eat for life.

You do not have to give immediate solutions, you have to teach how to work for long-term and lasting results.

39. When three march together, there must be one who is in charge.

Someone is always required to take the lead.

40. Whoever was bitten by a snake one day, fears a rope coiled for more than ten years.

Unpleasant events leave us marked for a long time.

41. Correct your mistakes, if you have made them, and beware of them if you have not made any.

We must accept mistakes and correct them and stay away from the possibility of committing them.

42. Love your neighbors, but don't get rid of the fence.

You have to trust others, but not too much.

43. The sparrow, despite his smallness, has all the guts of him.

Anyone regardless of size, and especially how small, has what it takes to live.

44. With the strong wind the resistance of the grass is recognized.

Difficult or complex situations are those that show us strong people.

45. Cat scalded from cold water flees.

When someone is distrustful, they distrust everything.

46. The glory is not in never falling down, but in getting back up every time you fall.

The important thing is to get up in the face of defeats.

47. The tongue resists because it is soft; teeth break because they are hard.

You have to be flexible to survive better in this life.

48. Spring is the key season of the year.

In the spring it is sown, for this reason is that what is done at this time is key for the rest of the year.

49. Whoever commits many injustices seeks his own ruin.

The worst thing we can do is commit injustices.

50. Victory shows what a person can do; his response in defeat shows his worth.

People's true selves come to the fore in moments of defeat.