If you’re looking for words of encouragement to help you stay on track, these Chinese proverbs are exactly what you didn’t need.
Chinese proverbs are phrases of popular origin repeated in a traditional way and are based on a moral thought, advice or teaching as well as being related to Chinese history.
I have long been fascinated and intrigued by the limitless wisdom that is encapsulated in Chinese proverbs. Although they are very simple in their messages, they are worth reading several times because they present a new facet of understanding when you allow yourself to absorb them.
You have probably seen them all over the web, in images, in motivational phrases, etc. Most of them date back hundreds of years.
Chinese proverbs to learn from their wisdom
This is the collection of the best Chinese proverbs:
1. “Different locks must be opened with different keys.”
2. “A blind horse always scares itself.”
3. “You cannot prevent the bird of sadness from flying over your head, but you can prevent it from nesting in your hair.”
4. “A single conversation with a wise man is worth as much as a month of studying books.”
5. “It is easier to vary the course of a river than the character of a man.”
6. “A gem is not polished without rubbing, nor can a man be perfected without testing.”
7. “Don’t be afraid to grow slowly, be afraid to just get stuck.”
8. “Give me a fish and eat for a day. Teach me to fish and eat for life.”
9. “Who knows when to fight and when not to fight will win.”
10. “If your mind is strong, all difficult things become easy; if your mind is weak, all easy things become difficult.”
11. “The best closed door is the one that can be left open.”
12. “Opportunity knocks at the door only once.”
13. “Tell me and I will forget, show me and I might remember, involve me and I will understand.”
14. “All rivers go to the sea, but the sea does not overflow.”
15. “Time is money, but it is difficult to use money to get more time.”
16. “When the winds of change blow, there are those who build walls, but there are also those who build mills.”
17. “A bird sings not because it has an answer. He sings because he has a song.”
18. “A flawed diamond is better than an ordinary stone that appears to be perfect.”
19. “A good book is a good friend.”
20. “A right foot is not afraid of a crooked shoe.”
21. “It is better to light a candle than to curse in the dark.”
22. “Do not confine your children to your own learning, because they were born in another time.”
23. “Giving your son a skill is better than giving him a thousand pieces of gold.”
24. “Ask the experienced man, not the educated man.”
25. “If you make plans for a year, plant rice. If you make plans for 10 years, plant trees. If you make plans for a hundred years, educate the people.”
26. “If your force is small, don’t carry heavy loads. If your words are worthless, don’t give advice.”
27. “Love is not about possession, it is about appreciation.”
28. “Before being a dragon, you have to suffer like an ant.”
29. “Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are.”
30. “The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying small stones.”
31. “Believing in dreams is spending your whole life asleep.”
32. “You have to climb the mountain as an old man to arrive as a young man.”
33. “A little fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.”
34. “Whoever gives way widens the path.”
35. “For those who do not know where they want to go, all roads are good.”
36. “A wise man makes his own decisions. An ignorant man follows public opinion.”
37. “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
38. “Do not impose on others what you do not want.”
39. “He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.”
40. “If you are patient in a moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sadness.”
41. “From the blackest clouds falls a clean and fertile water.”
42. “Don’t put the pot on the fire if the deer is still running in the woods.”
43. “Make those who are near happy and those who are far will come.”
44. “Parents who are afraid to set foot on the ground usually have children who stand on their toes.”
46. “Water that is too pure has no fish.”
47. “Forgetting your ancestors is like being a stream without a source, a tree without roots.”
48. “When you drink water, remember the source.”
49. “It is easy to dodge the spear, but not the hidden dagger.”
50. “A fool judges people by the gifts they give him.”
51. “A man should choose a friend who is better than himself.” There are many acquaintances in the world; but very few real friends.”
52. “Love is not begged, it deserves.”
53. “The coming events cast their shadows before them.”
54. “Do not fear the enemy that attacks you, but the false friend that embraces you.”
55. “Love your neighbors, but don’t get rid of the fence.”
56. “Dig the well before you get thirsty.”
57. “If you survived a storm, you won’t be bothered by the rain.”
58. “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.”
59. One generation plants the trees, and another gets the shade.”
60. “Silence is a source of great strength.”
61. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best moment is now.”
62. “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you succeed.”
63. “Talk a lot and get nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish.”
64. “Your teacher can open the door but you must enter alone.”
65. “A book is like a garden carried in your pocket.”
66. “He who fears suffering already suffers fear.”
67. “A man who chases two rabbits catches neither.”
68. “Correct your mistakes, if you have made them, and beware of them if you have not made any.”
69. “The distance tests the strength of a horse. Time reveals a person’s character.”
70. “When three march together there must be one who commands.”
71. “The strongest and most leafy tree lives on what is below it.”
72. “If you don’t want anyone to know, don’t.”
73. “If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap. If you want to be happy for a day, go fishing. If you want to be happy for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want to be happy for life, help other people.”
74. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
75. “Jade needs to be carved to be a gem.”
Did you enjoy these wise Chinese proverbs?
The fact that the cultures of the countries vary does not mean that we cannot learn from each other. The Chinese have centuries of wisdom gained from great figures like Confucius or Sun Yat-sen.
Thank you for viewing this collection of the best Chinese proverbs. Do not forget to share them on social networks.