Chinese Proverbs for Everything

Nowadays, we often look to celebrities for lifestyle advice. But, in Blogger Evan’s opinion, we should take a moment to recognize the wisdom ancient Chinese proverbs hold.

By Evan Spry

With over 4,000 years of civilized history, China and its philosophers have birthed their fair share of proverbs, or short sayings with deeper meanings behind them. There is an ancient Chinese proverb for almost any situation. However, Chinese proverbs can be broken down and organized into four main phrases or sayings. Firstly, there are the chengyu (accepted phrases), then the yanyu (familiar phrases), then the suyu (popular sayings), and finally the xiehouyu (two-part allegorical sayings). The chengyu proverbs are typical idiomatic expressions, mostly consisting of four Chinese characters. The chengyu are usually the shortest of the proverbs. The yanyu proverbs were focused around family and familial ties, which was very culturally important to the Chinese. Similarly, the suyu proverbs were based around family. Finally, the last form of Chinese proverb was the xiehouyu, which was vivid with images and dramatic results. Here are some of my favorite proverbs that cover a range of subjects. (people.wku.edu)

Happiness/Sadness

“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a month, get married. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.”

“Defeat isn’t bitter if you don’t swallow it.”

Money

“Wealth is but dung, useful only when spread.” – Confucious

“To buy a quarrel, lend money to a friend.”

Time

“O man, you who do not live a hundred years, why fret a thousand minutes?”

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is today.”

Teamwork

“Behind an able man, there are always other able men.”

“Only when all contribute their firewood can they build up a strong fire.”

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In conclusion, as famous as Chinese proverbs are, I really don’t think they get the recognition in the Western world they quite deserve. All of these sayings are so true and relatable to our current environment. This also teaches us a lot about the time that they were written and how similar long-ago issues are to ours today. I don’t remember learning very much about Chinese proverbs in history classes, and I think that’s a shame because I really didn’t realize how applicable these quotes from 500 B.C.E were. I recommend researching ancient proverbs yourself because some of them can really make you laugh and others can really open your eyes.

Motto Editor: Sara Habibipour