China’s ancient and medieval dynasties produced countless proverbs that shaped philosophy, politics, and daily life. These sayings, drawn from scholars, officials, and storytellers, reflect a world of strategy, resilience, and wisdom. Whether warning against arrogance, praising patience, or offering insights into fate and fortune, these proverbs reveal the values that guided Chinese society for centuries. Here are 25 powerful sayings from ancient and medieval China—timeless lessons that still hold meaning today.
1. As the saying goes, if one wants to be successful, he cannot be at ease and comfortable; if one wants leisure and comfort, he cannot be successful.
2. Bad news travels much faster than good news.
3. The less you pursue, the better you do.
4. The more one can tolerate, the less likely one will have disasters.
5. It is good to be poor staying at home.
6. Although you need it in great urgency, others may not be willing to lend you a helping hand.
7. If the mink is insufficient, then use a dog’s tail to supplement.
9. If you plan for one year, you’d better plant grains. If you plan for ten years, you’d better plant trees.
10. Timely hoeing keeps the land moist.
11. The offspring of high officials are often incompetent.
12. When one rooster dies, the other crows.
13. Avarice blinds the eye of judgement.
14. Public opinions could make metals melt.
15. If one can not pretend to be deaf and dumb, they will not be a good parent-in-law.
16. A rolling ball will halt in a small hole.
17. Just as long sleeves enhance a good dancer, so great wealth makes it easier to do business or get ahead.
18. Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of a cow.
19. One’s mouth is not for speaking, but for eating.
20. To change people’s manners and alter their customs, nothing works better than music.
21. When one climbs a mountain, he will not fall down; when he walks up a small hill, he could fall easily.
22. To follow goodness is to rise; to follow evil is to fall.
23. A man is not guilty but will be sentenced as guilty because of the jade he possesses.
24. Beasts hate nets, and people hate their rulers.
25. I would rather be a dog during the peaceful period than a man during the turmoil.
You can find these proverbs and more in A Brief History of the Chinese Language, by Xi Xiang – it is an eight-volume work looking at the evolution of the Chinese lanaguage from the ancient to modern periods.
Top Image: Detail from a 7th-century painting of a scholar – Wikimedia Commons
China’s ancient and medieval dynasties produced countless proverbs that shaped philosophy, politics, and daily life. These sayings, drawn from scholars, officials, and storytellers, reflect a world of strategy, resilience, and wisdom. Whether warning against arrogance, praising patience, or offering insights into fate and fortune, these proverbs reveal the values that guided Chinese society for centuries. Here are 25 powerful sayings from ancient and medieval China—timeless lessons that still hold meaning today.
1. As the saying goes, if one wants to be successful, he cannot be at ease and comfortable; if one wants leisure and comfort, he cannot be successful.
2. Bad news travels much faster than good news.
3. The less you pursue, the better you do.
4. The more one can tolerate, the less likely one will have disasters.
5. It is good to be poor staying at home.
6. Although you need it in great urgency, others may not be willing to lend you a helping hand.
7. If the mink is insufficient, then use a dog’s tail to supplement.
8. Villains feel lucky, yet gentlemen feel shameful.
9. If you plan for one year, you’d better plant grains. If you plan for ten years, you’d better plant trees.
10. Timely hoeing keeps the land moist.
11. The offspring of high officials are often incompetent.
12. When one rooster dies, the other crows.
13. Avarice blinds the eye of judgement.
14. Public opinions could make metals melt.
15. If one can not pretend to be deaf and dumb, they will not be a good parent-in-law.
16. A rolling ball will halt in a small hole.
17. Just as long sleeves enhance a good dancer, so great wealth makes it easier to do business or get ahead.
18. Better be the head of a chicken than the tail of a cow.
19. One’s mouth is not for speaking, but for eating.
20. To change people’s manners and alter their customs, nothing works better than music.
21. When one climbs a mountain, he will not fall down; when he walks up a small hill, he could fall easily.
22. To follow goodness is to rise; to follow evil is to fall.
23. A man is not guilty but will be sentenced as guilty because of the jade he possesses.
24. Beasts hate nets, and people hate their rulers.
25. I would rather be a dog during the peaceful period than a man during the turmoil.
You can find these proverbs and more in A Brief History of the Chinese Language, by Xi Xiang – it is an eight-volume work looking at the evolution of the Chinese lanaguage from the ancient to modern periods.
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