Popular Chinese Proverbs and Idioms

We say a lot about ourselves in the words we use to describe thoughts and behavior in various circumstances. Proverbs and idioms provide insight into social culture. This column introduces our readers to some of the most widely used colloquial sayings, both pithy and witty, that appear in Chinese daily conversation and writing. Many originate from centuries-old classic novels and poems; others spring from popular folklore. And some of them are very similar to common sayings in English.
We say a lot about ourselves in the words we use to describe thoughts and behavior in various circumstances. Proverbs and idioms provide insight into social culture. This column introduces our readers to some of the most widely used colloquial sayings, both pithy and witty, that appear in Chinese daily conversation and writing. Many originate from centuries-old classic novels and poems; others spring from popular folklore. And some of them are very similar to common sayings in English.
The sword dance as a guise to mount an assassination attempt - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

The sword dance as a guise to mount an assassination attempt

Treachery may lurk in the most outwardly benign, harmless situations.
Ulterior motives: The drinker's heart is not in the cup - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

Ulterior motives: The drinker's heart is not in the cup

The moral is don’t take anyone or anything at face value.
Woe be unto those who don't plan ahead - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

Woe be unto those who don't plan ahead

Morning and springtime are deemed best for mapping out courses of action.
An inch in time as the clock ticks - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

An inch in time as the clock ticks

You can make up for lost fortune, but you can’t make up for lost time.
The drawbacks of distant relatives and distant water - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

The drawbacks of distant relatives and distant water

Close neighbors are more invaluable than faraway kin.
Some good advice on how to maintain a long-lasting friendship - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

Some good advice on how to maintain a long-lasting friendship

Don’t let disputes over money matters drive a wedge; be nonintrusive.
Bitter medicine and blunt advice: the roses and the thorns - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

Bitter medicine and blunt advice: the roses and the thorns

Not every resolution in life comes easy. We sometimes have to endure some unpleasant truths to find our way.
Treating the head or the feet but failing to help the patient - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

Treating the head or the feet but failing to help the patient

“Band-aid solutions” are superficial and temporary, and don’t address underlying problems.
Three are 'too many' for water-carrying - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

Three are 'too many' for water-carrying

Buddhist lessons in laziness and shirking responsibility.
The monk's umbrella: a pun on the lawless nature of some people - Art & Culture in China
Art & Culture

The monk's umbrella: a pun on the lawless nature of some people

Ancient wisdom often finds contemporary parallels.
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