20 Famous and wise Chinese proverbs ( 谚语 yanyu), sayings and quotes: Chinese, pinyin, English translation and Standing still – Jewel (lyrics)

1 A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.

鸟儿唱歌不是因为它们有了答案，而是因为它们有歌要唱。
niǎor chànggē bú shì yīnwèi tāmen yǒule dáàn ，érshì yīnwèi tāmen yǒu gē yào chàng 。

鸟(bird)儿(suffix, no meaning)唱(sing)歌(song)不(not)是(is/be)因为(because)它们(they)有(have)了(past tense marker)答案(answer)，而是(but)因为(because)它们(they)有(have)歌(song)要(want to)唱(sing)。

2 A book holds a house of gold.

书中自有黄金屋。
shū zhōng zì yǒu huángjīn wū 。

书(book)中(within)自(itself)有(have)黄金(gold)屋(house)

3 A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.

书是随身携带的花园。
shū shì suíshēn xiédài de huāyuán 。

书(book)是(is)随身(to (carry) on one’s person)携带(carry/bring)的(connecting particle)花园(garden)。

4 A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.

赠人玫瑰，手有余香。
zèng rén méiguī ，shǒu yǒuyú xiāng 。

赠(give)人(person/people)玫瑰(roses)，手(hand)有(have)余(lingering)香(fragrance)。

5 A filthy mouth will not utter decent language.

狗嘴里吐不出象牙。
gǒu zuǐlǐ tǔ bù chū xiàngyá 。

狗(dog)嘴(mouth)里(within)吐不出(not able to utter out/ spit out)象牙(ivory / elephant tusk )。

6 A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections.

宁做有瑕玉，不做无暇石。
nìng zuò yǒu xiá yù ，bú zuò wúxiá shí 。

宁(rather to)做(be)有(have)瑕(flaw)玉(jade)，不(not)做(to be)无(none)暇(flaw)石(stone)。

7 A gem will be polished without carving and polishing, nor a man perfected without trials.

玉不琢、不成器。
yù bù zhuó 、bùchéng qì 。

玉(jade)不(not)琢(cut/refine)、不(not)成(become)器(device / tool / utensil )。

8 Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

不怕慢,就怕停。
bú pà màn ,jiù pà tíng 。

不(not)怕(afraid)慢(slowness),就(just)怕(fear/afraid)停(stop)。

9 Deep doubts, deep wisdom; small doubts, little wisdom.

疑惑深，智慧深；疑惑浅，智慧浅。
yíhuò shēn ，zhìhuì shēn ；yíhuò jiān ，zhìhuì jiān 。

疑惑(doubt)深(deep)，智慧(wisdom)深(deep)；疑惑(doubt)浅(shallow)，智慧(wisdom)浅(shallow)。

10 When you drink the water, remember the spring.

饮水思源。
yǐn shuǐ sī yuán 。

饮(drink)水(water)思(think of)源(source of water)。

11 A thousand cups of wine do not suffice when true friends meet, but half a sentence is too much when there is no meeting of minds.

酒逢知己千杯少，话不投机半句多。
jiǔ féng zhījǐ qiān bēi shǎo ，huà bù tóu jī bàn jù duō 。

酒(wine)逢(meet)知己(person who knows myself)千(thousand)杯(sup)少(few)，话(word)不(not)投机(congenial/agreeable)半(half)句(sentence)多(many)。

12 If heaven made him, earth can find some use for him.

天生我材必有用。
tiān shēng wǒ cái bì yǒu yòng 。

天(haven)生(give birth to)我(my)材(ability)必(must)有(have)用(usage)。

13 Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

授人以鱼不如授人以渔。
shòu rén yǐ yú bùrú shòu rén yǐ yú 。

授(give)人(people)以(with)鱼(fish)不如(rather)授(give)人(person/people)以(with)渔(fishing)。

14 Dig the well before you are thirsty.

未雨绸缪。
wèi yǔ chóumóu 。

未(not yet)雨(rain)绸缪(bind around with silk (idiom, from Book of Songs 詩經｜诗经); fig. to plan ahead)。

15 Each generation will reap what the former generation has sown.
To enjoy the benefits of the hard work of one’s predecessors.

前人栽树，后人乘凉。
qián rén zāi shù,hòu rén chéng liáng 。

前(former)人(people)栽(plant)树(trees)，后(later)人(people)乘凉(to cool off in the shade)。

16 Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil.

善有善报，恶有恶报。
shàn yǒu shàn bào,è yǒu è bào 。

善(goodness)有(have)善(good)报(repay)，恶(badness)有(have)恶(bad)报(retribution)。

17 If you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it.

若要人不知，除非己莫为。
ruò yào rén bù zhī,chú fēi jǐ mò wéi 。

若(if)要(want)人(people)不(not)知(know)，除非(unless)己(oneself)莫(not)为(do)。

18 Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.

师傅领进门，修行在个人。
shīfu lǐng jìn mén ，xiūxíng zài gèrén 。

师傅(master/ teacher)领(bring)进(enter)门(door)，修行(cultivate/

religious practice (Buddhism) )在(depend on)个人(self)。

19 Studying is like rowing upstream: no advance is to drop back.

学如逆水行舟，不进则退。
xué rú nì shuǐ xíng zhōu ，bú bú jìn zé tuì 。

学(study)如(is like)逆(against)水(water)行(row)舟(boat)，不(not)进(advance)则( conjunction used to express contrast with a previous sentence or clause/then)退(retreat)。

20 If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.

忍得一时之氣，免得百日之忧。
rěn dé yīì zhī qì，miǎn de bǎi rì zhī yōu。

忍(tolerate)得(particle)一(one)时(time)之(connecting particle)氣(anger)，免(save)得(particle)百(hundred)日(day)之(connecting particle)忧(sorrow)。

The proverb, Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still ( 不怕慢,就怕停 bú pà màn, jiù pà tíng ), made me recall this song.

Standing still – Jewel (lyrics)