Top 101 Chinese Proverbs

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China is one of the oldest civilizations. As such they have a lot of wisdom throughout their history. With that in mind, check out the top 101 Chinese proverbs.

#101 – 90. Chinese Proverbs

101. Rotten wood cannot be carved.

100. Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.

99. Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it.

98. A journey of a thousand miles begin with a single step.

97. With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.

96. A bird does not sing because he has the answer to something, he sings because he has a song.

95. If you plan for one year, plant rice. If you plan for ten years, plant trees. If you plan for 100 years, educate mankind.

94. Don’t listen to what they say. Go see.

93. The One step in the wrong direction will cause you a thousand years of regret.

92. A diamond with a flaw is preferable to a common stone with none.

91. If you plan for one year, plant rice. If you plan for ten years, plant trees, If you  plan for 100 years, educate mankind.

90. Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.

#89 – 80. Chinese Proverbs

89. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

88. Even for a tree of 10000 feet, it’s leaves return to the root when they fall.

87. A man who chases two rabbits catches neither.

86. A bad word worshipped will echo a hundred miles.

85. If there is light in the soul, There will be beauty in the person. If there is beauty in the person, There will be harmony in the house. If there is harmony in the house, There will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world.

84. Do not afraid of moving slowly. Be afraid of standing still.

83. When anger arises, think of the consequences.

82. He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.

81. Even a hare will bite when it is cornered. 

80. Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself.

#79 – 70. Chinese Proverbs

79. Every child born has innate goodness.

78. The best fighter is never angry.

77. Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. involve me, I understand.

76. He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.

75. An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet.

74. We count our miseries carefully, and accept our blessings without much thought.

73. Make happy those who are near, and those who are far will come.

72. Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputations, can never effect a reform.

71. If you survived a storm, you won’t be bothered by the rain.

70. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

#69 – 60. Chinese Proverbs

69. Don’t fear the enemy that attacks you, but the fake friend that hugs you.

68. If you always give, you will always have.

67. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

66. Your teacher can open the door, but you must enter by yourself.

65. To understand your parents love you must raise children yourself.

64. A watched flower never blooms, while a carelessly planted willow grows into shade.

63. A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.

62. Those who know when they have enough are rich.

61. Man’s schemes are inferior to those made by heaven.

60. Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.

#59 – 50. Chinese Proverbs

59. A wise man makes his own decisions. An ignorant man follows public opinion.

58. You discover who you are by acting naturally.

57. A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.

56. The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

55. Fall seven times, stand up eight.

54. Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.

53. The glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall.

52. The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.

51. An iron rod can be ground down to become a needle.

50. The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.

#49 – 40. Chinese Proverbs

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

48. Often one finds one’s destiny just where one hides to avoid it.

47. True knowledge is when one knows the limitations of one’s knowledge.

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

45. Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

44. If your face is ugly, you can’t blame the mirror.

43. The miracle is not to fly in the air, or to walk on the water, but to walk on the earth.

42. To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.

41. If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for something.

40. When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.

#39 – 30. Chinese Proverbs

39. To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.

38. Your teacher can open the door but you must enter by yourself.

37. The palest ink is better than the best memory.

36. He who sacrifices his conscience to ambition burns a picture to obtain the ashes.

35. Those whose palm-kernels were cracked for them by a benevolent spirit should not forget to be humble.

34. If you must play, decide on three things at the start: the rules of he game, the stakes, and the quitting time.

33. Keep your broken arm inside your sleeve.

32. When the moon is shining the cripple becomes hungry for a walk.

31. He who asks is a fool for 5 minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.

30. If your mind is strong, all difficult things will become easy; if your mind is weak, all easy things will become difficult.

#29 – 20. Chinese Proverbs

29. Words are sounds of the heart.

28. Silence is a source of great strength.

27. Dig the well before you are thirsty.

26. All things are difficult before they are easy.

25. Opportunities don’t just happen, you create them.

24. Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involves me and I’ll understand.

23. When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.

22. Sometimes you lose a forest through the trees.

21. The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.

20. To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish.

#19 – 10. Chinese Proverbs

19. Distance tests a horse’s strength. Time reveals a person’s character.

18. If your mind is strong, all difficult things will become easy. If your mind is weak, all easy things will become difficult.

17. When a man says yes, his chi says yes also.

16. Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, all must be tasted.

15. The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them. 

14. Control your emotions or they will control you.

13. When you say one thing, the clever person understands three.

12. Outside noisy, inside empty.

11. Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.

10. Giving your son a skill is better than giving him one thousand pieces of gold.

#9 – 1. Chinese Proverbs

9. Be not afraid of growing slowly; Be afraid only of standing still.

8. He who rides a tiger is afraid to dismount.

7. When the winds of change blows, some people build walls and others build windmills.

6. A chick that will grow into a cock can be spotted the very day it hatches.

5. When a finger points at the moon, the imbecile looks at the finger.

4. He who returns from a journey is not the same as he who left.

3. The faintest ink is more powerful than the strongest memory.

2. A man grows most tired while standing still.

1.Tension is who you think you should be, relaxation is who you are.

Ideas for the top 101 Chinese proverbs come from the following sources.^[1]Gecko and Fly – 35 Ancient Chinese Proverb and Quotes on Love, Life, Wisdom, Knowledge and Success^[2]Awaken the Greatness Within – 40 Inspirational Chinese Proverb On Life & Success^[3]History of Painters – Chinese Proverb, Old Sayings and Customary Wisdom