Difference between revisions 1403060 and 1487524 on enwiki

[[fr:Proverbes chinois]]

These are the humble beginnings of a collection of [[China|Chinese]] [[Proverb|proverbs]] (�後� in [[pinyin]]: su2 yan4xie4 hou4 yu3; 諺語 yan4 yu3) and idioms, given in (and sorted by) [[pinyin]] transcription. Formulaic saying/expression (成語 cheng2 yu3) is the Chinese equivalent of the Japanese [[four-character idiom]].  

(contracted; show full)

==[[Mandarin Chinese |Mandarin]] proverbs==

The following proverbs are sorted alphabetically by their [[pinyin]].  If you know the literary source, please add it!  Also add other pronunciations if you know them.

:百世修来同船渡，千载修得共枕眠 (pinyin: b
aien3 shi4 xiu1 lai2 tong2 chuan2 du4, qian1 zai4 xiu1 de2 gong4 zheng3 mian2)
:* Literally: It takes hundreds of [[reincarnation]]s to bring two persons to ride on the same [[boat]]; it takes a thousand eons to bring two persons to share the same pillow. 
:* Moral: It is fate and [[yuanfen]] that brings two persons together, value an encounter and treasure a relationship.
:* Note: These two phrases do not rhyme, but have parallel [[grammatical]] structure, i.e, [[subject]] to subject, [[verb]] to verb, etc.
:* Usage: Sometimes used in marriage counselling to advise the couples having problems to resolve it, before making any hasty decisions.

:冰封三尺，绝非一日之寒 (pinyin: bing1 feng1 shan3 chi3, jue2 fei1 yi2 ri4 zhi1 han2)
:* Literally: Three [[foot (unit of length)|feet]] of [[ice]] does not result from one day of cold [[weather]]. 
:* Moral: Trouble, for example, in a relationship, indicates a long history of problems. 

:此地无银三百两，隔壁阿二不曾偷 (ci3 di4 wu2 yin2 san1 bai3 liang3, ge2 bi4 a1 er4 bu4 ceng2 tou1)
:* Literally: There isn't a stash of three hundred ''liang'' <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Chinese unit]]] of [[silver]] below this spot; your neighbor Ah-er did not steal them
:* Moral: A nervous heart is prone to mistakes; overkill will worsen a situation rather than bettering it.
:* Note: The original story concerns a man who had hid several piles of silver beneath the earth with the only indication being that of a sign suggesting that no silver was buried here. Naturally, the silver was stolen overnight, and the man awoke next morning to find a dug-up pile of dirt and a sign explaining why his neighbor could not be the culprit.

:&#22823;&#27700;&#20914;&#20102;&#40857;&#29579;&#24217; (pinyin: da4 shui3 zhong1 ne long2 wang2 miao4)
:* Literally: massive amount of [[water]] [[flood]]ed the [[dragon]]-[[king]] [[temple]]
:* Moral: even those who work to prevent something (bad) can be hurt or damaged by itMisunderstandings may bring about adverse and unforseen consequences.
:* Explanation: the dragon-king is a mystical creature that lives underwater and controls the natural bodies of water.  People visit the dragon-king temple to placate him and prevent floods, thus this proverb is [[ironic]]temple being destroyed by the very forces which he controls is a situationally [[irony]].

:&#30011;&#34503;&#28155;&#36275; (pinyin: hua4 she2 tian1 zu2) 
:* Literally: Adding legs when painting a snake.
:* Moral: Don't ruin your work by an unnecessary addition.

:&#31354;&#31348;&#26469;&#39118;&#26410;&#24517;&#26080;&#22240; (pinyin: kong1 xue4 lai2 feng2 wei4 bi4 wu2 yin1) 
:* Literally: if [[wind]] comes from an empty [[cave]], it's not without a reason.
:* Moral: Most seemingly strange events and actions have [[logic]]al explanations.

:&#32769;&#39589;&#20239;&#26533;&#65292;&#24535;&#22312;&#21315;&#37324; (pinyin: lao3 ji4 fu2 li4, zhi4 zai4 qian1 li3) 
:* Literally: The old [[horse]] in the stable still wants to run 1000 <i>li</i> <sup>1</sup>.
:* Moral: Don't underestimate those with experienced, people, old people still may havef great age may possess great ambitions and potential.
:* Note: 'stable' and 'li' rhyme in Mandarin
:: <sup>1</sup> ''li'': a Chinese unit of linear measure, which corresponds to about .5a half kilometers

:&#36335;&#36965;&#30693;&#39532;&#21147;&#65292;&#26085;&#20037;&#35265;&#20154;&#24515; (pinyin: lu4 yao2 zhi1 ma3 li4, ri4 jiu3 jian4 ren2 xin1)
:* Literally: Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your [[horse]]; over a long time, you learn about the true character of your [[friend]].
:* Usage: This can be used positively to praise a true friend; or negatively to criticize friends that could not stand a test.

:&#20154;&#35201;&#38754;&#65292;&#26641;&#35201;&#30382; (pinyin: ren2 yao4 lian3, shu4 yiao4 pi2)
:* Literally: a person needs a [[face]]; a tree needs bark
:* Meaning: a person needs a clean reputation to survive. 
:* Note: Face here is used [[metaphor]]ically as the [[face (social custom)]].
:* Usage: when someone behaves dishonorably (once or repeatedly), it can be said directly to that person as admonishment (as parents to an child).

:&#32905;&#21253;&#23376;&#25171;&#29399;&#65292;&#2144;&#19968;&#21435;&#19981;&#22238;&#22836; (pinyin: rou4 bao1 zi da3 gou3, you4i2 qu4 bu4 hui2 tou2)
:* Literally: hit a dog with a meat-  bun, it does not return.
:* Interpretation: the dog is driven away, but the bun is also gone.
:* Moral: don't act rashly to preserve what you have, you lose some of it anyway
:* Usage: when something is loaned away and one doesn't expect to get it back, or something is given in some exchange, but nothing is expected in return.

(contracted; show full)
See also:
* [[English proverbs]]
* [[German proverbs]]
* [[French proverbs]]
* [[Spanish proverbs]]
* [[Polish proverbs]]
* [[Japanese proverbs]]