Chinese Proverbs

Concise and sometimes humorous; these bits of wisdom offer us a keen insight into the Chinese way of thinking. Often a simple sentence provides us with an acute sense of logic.

Teachers open the door; you enter by yourself.
A wise man teaches not by what he says, but by what he does.
He who asks, is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask, remains a fool forever.
Medicine is for saving lives, but in the hands of quacks, can kill people.
Never admire a man by his strength; judge him in how he uses it.
He who rides the rickshaw is a man----like those who carry it.
Although a tree is a thousand Chang in height, its leaves still fall to the ground.
If you suspect a man, don't employ him; if you employ him, don't suspect him.
One cannot refuse to eat just because there is a chance of being choked.
Looking for fish; don't climb a tree.
Fish see the worm, not the hook.
Water floats a ship; water sinks a ship.
Don't judge the horse by his saddle.
To understand your parent's love, bear your own children.
When riches fill your home, you will not be able to keep the thieves away.
To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.
When you want to test the depths of a stream, don't use both feet.
Words said in anger settle no dispute.
Think twice, then say nothing.
One rat dropping spoils a pot of rice.
Keep your broken arm inside your sleeve.
Before you beat the dog, learn his master's name.
When you fall, pick yourself up.
When you fall, pick up something.
When strict with oneself, one rarely fails.
Dig your well before you are thirsty.
Deviate an inch, lose a thousand miles.
When you do a favor and expect a reward, it is not a favor.
A whale in shallow water amuses the shrimps.
Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.
A clear conscience never fears midnight knocking.
Even a hare will bite when it is cornered.
It is not the creed that makes the man. It is the man that justifies the creed.
The mind is like a fertile garden. It will grow anything you wish to plant.
You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair.
One should not torture himself over a single mistake. Making a mistake & not correcting it, that is a real mistake.
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without one.
It wasn't the mountain that wore down the climber. It was the pebble in his boot.