This English version was translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The Chinese text is authoritative.
Of all the languages in the world, Chinese has been in use the longest, and so it has left behind the richest store of maxims and aphorisms. These maxims are broad and deep in meaning, concise and comprehensive; reciting them often is a good way to learn Chinese.
1. The lamb kneels to suckle in gratitude; the crow feeds its mother in return out of devotion. — Zengguang Xianwen
Meaning: the lamb kneels to receive its mother’s milk as an act of gratitude, and the young crow carries food in its beak to feed its mother out of devotion; all the more should sons and daughters know to be filial to their parents.
2. Do not do evil because it is small; do not neglect good because it is small. — Records of the Three Kingdoms
Meaning: whatever the matter, do not do a bad thing just because it is small and inconspicuous; on the contrary, do not neglect some small good deed that benefits others just because it seems of little significance.
3. Seeing good, act as if you might not reach it; seeing what is not good, act as if testing boiling water. — the Analects
Meaning: on seeing a good person, fear that you will be too late to learn from him; on seeing a good deed, fear that if you delay you will not be able to do it. On seeing wicked people and bad deeds, behave as if touching scalding water: leave at once and keep far away.
4. Be strict with yourself and lenient in blaming others, and you will keep resentment far away. — the Analects
Meaning: taking on the heavy work and willingly bearing the main responsibility for mistakes is “being strict with oneself”; being understanding and tolerant toward others is “being lenient in blaming others.” In this way there will be no mutual resentment.
5. The noble person helps others achieve what is good and does not help them achieve what is bad. The petty person does the opposite. — the Analects
Meaning: the noble person always proceeds from kindness or from the wish to benefit others, wholeheartedly helping others realize their good intentions and proper wishes; he does not look at the world with cold eyes, nor delight in chaos, nor add fuel to the fire when others meet with failure, error or suffering. The petty person does the opposite, always “helping others achieve what is bad and not what is good.”
6. When you see a worthy person, think of becoming his equal; when you see an unworthy person, examine yourself within. — the Analects
Meaning: when you see someone who surpasses you in some respect, humbly ask for guidance, study diligently and find ways to catch up and reach the same level; when you see someone with some shortcoming or deficiency, calmly reflect on whether you too have such a shortcoming.
7. Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself. — the Analects
Meaning: what you yourself do not want (pain, disaster, misfortune…), do not force upon others.
8. When it comes to benevolence, do not yield even to your teacher. — the Analects
Meaning: when you meet a good deed that ought to be done, do not hesitate; even if your teacher is beside you, you should hasten to do it. This later developed into the idiom 当仁不让 (“not to shirk what one ought to do”).
9. The noble person wishes to be slow in speech and quick in action. — the Analects
Meaning: the noble person does not talk big, but acts quickly and deftly.
10. When two people are of one heart, their sharpness can cut through metal; words spoken from one heart are fragrant as orchids. — the Book of Changes (Zhou Yi)
Meaning: the strength of people who cooperate with one heart is enough to break hard metal; when people of one heart and one virtue express a common view, it is highly persuasive, and people accept it easily, as if smelling the fragrance of orchids.
11. The noble person keeps his tools about him and waits for the right time to act. — the Book of Changes (Zhou Yi)
Meaning: even if the noble person has outstanding talent and superb skills, he does not show them off everywhere, but displays his talent or skill when the moment requires it.
12. Complacency brings loss; modesty brings benefit. — the Book of Documents
Meaning: being complacent about what one has already achieved will bring loss and disaster; being modest and always aware of one’s own shortcomings brings benefit.)
13. Is it not the mark of a noble person to feel no resentment when others do not understand him? — the Analects
Meaning: if I have made some achievement and others do not understand it, I will never feel angry or wronged. Is this not also a sign of the bearing of a noble person?
14. Words must be trustworthy; actions must be resolute. — the Analects
Meaning: what you have said, you must keep your word on; what you have decided to do, you must carry through resolutely and boldly.
15. No guessing, no absolutism, no obstinacy, no egotism. — the Analects
Meaning: go by the facts and do not speculate groundlessly; do not be arbitrary or wilful in dealing with matters, act when action is feasible; be flexible, not rigid, in conduct; do not make “I” the centre of everything or be opinionated, but pool wisdom and effort with those around you to complete the task together.
16. When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher; I choose their good points and follow them, and their bad points I correct in myself. — the Analects
Meaning: when three people are together, there must be someone among them worth learning from in some respect, and he can be my teacher. I take his strengths to learn from, and his shortcomings and deficiencies I take as a warning, correcting them if I have them.
17. The noble person seeks it in himself; the petty person seeks it in others. — the Analects
Meaning: the noble person always blames himself, looking for shortcomings and problems in himself. The petty person often turns his gaze on others, looking for others’ shortcomings and deficiencies.
18. The noble person is open and at ease; the petty person is always anxious and worried. — the Analects
Meaning: the noble person is open-hearted, frank and clean in his thinking, and his appearance and movements look relaxed and settled. The petty person has too many desires in his heart and a heavy mental burden, so he often frets and worries, and his appearance and movements look uneasy, as if he could neither sit still nor stand steady.
19. Do not complain against heaven, do not blame others. — the Analects
Meaning: when meeting setbacks and failure, never look for excuses in outside circumstances and never push responsibility onto others. This later developed into the idiom 怨天尤人 (“to blame heaven and others”).
20. Do not vent your anger on others; do not make the same mistake twice. — the Analects
Meaning: when you make a mistake, do not take your anger out on others, and do not make the same mistake a second time.
21. Lack of forbearance in small matters upsets great plans. — the Analects
Meaning: when there is something you should not do, holding firm and not doing it even though you very much want to is called “forbearance” (忍). If you cannot bear small matters and lack forbearance, it will affect the overall situation and ruin great undertakings.
22. The petty person always glosses over his faults. — the Analects
Meaning: the petty person is sure to cover up his own mistakes.
23. To err and not correct it — that is truly to err. — the Analects
Meaning: having a fault and not correcting it — that is a real fault.
24. The noble person attends to the root; when the root is established, the Dao arises. — the Analects
Meaning: the noble person devotes himself to the fundamentals; once the fundamentals are established, the Dao naturally arises.
25. The noble person is ashamed when his words exceed his deeds. — the Analects
Meaning: the noble person regards saying much and doing little as shameful.
26. Think three times before you act. — the Analects
Meaning: before doing anything, one must consider it over and over.
27. He who does many unrighteous deeds will bring about his own ruin. — the Zuo Zhuan
Meaning: if one does too many bad things, one will in the end bring about one’s own destruction.
28. Who is without fault? To err and be able to correct it — there is no greater good. — the Zuo Zhuan
Meaning: everyone may make mistakes; if one makes a mistake, as long as one corrects it, one is still the best of people.
29. Do not let one flaw obscure great virtue. — the Zuo Zhuan
Meaning: in judging a person, one must not erase his merits because of a small fault.
30. If others can do it in one try, I will do it in a hundred; if others can do it in ten, I will do it in a thousand. — the Doctrine of the Mean
Meaning: what others master in one attempt, I will certainly master if I spend a hundred attempts on it; what others can grasp in ten tries, I will certainly grasp if I study it a thousand times.
31. To know shame is close to courage. — the Doctrine of the Mean
Meaning: knowing what behaviour is shameful is a fine expression of courage.
32. Those who retreat fifty paces laugh at those who retreat a hundred. — the Mencius
Meaning: being smugly pleased with oneself in the belief that one’s mistakes are smaller and one’s shortcomings fewer than other people’s.
33. For the noble person nothing is greater than doing good together with others. — the Mencius
Meaning: the greatest strength of the noble person is treating others with a noble, benevolent and righteous heart.
34. Everyone can become a Yao or a Shun. — the Mencius
Meaning: as long as one is willing to strive, everyone can become a great sage like Yao and Shun.
35. A dyke a thousand zhang long may collapse through an ant’s hole; a house a hundred chi high may burn from smoke through a crack in the chimney. — the Han Feizi
Meaning: a great dyke a thousand li long may collapse and burst because ants have been burrowing in it; a tall building a hundred chi high may burn down because sparks escaping from a crack in the chimney start a fire.
36. Those who speak are not at fault; those who hear may take it as a warning. — the Preface to the Book of Songs
Meaning: those who offer criticism are not guilty of any wrong. When you hear others’ criticism, reflect carefully on yourself; if you are wrong, correct it, and if not, take it as advice from others.
37. Good medicine is bitter to the mouth but good for the illness; loyal advice grates on the ear but is good for one’s conduct. — the Family Sayings of Confucius
Meaning: good medicine tastes bitter but helps cure illness; sincere advice and admonition is unpleasant to hear but benefits one’s conduct.
38. One kind word warms three winters; cruel words wound like cold in the sixth month. — Ming-dynasty proverb
Meaning: a kind and helpful word can make the hearer feel warm even in the bitter cold of three winters; conversely, harsh and malicious words wound others’ feelings and self-respect and make them feel cold even in the great heat of the sixth month.
39. Of the thousands of classics, filial piety and brotherly love come first. — Zengguang Xianwen
Meaning: of the principles taught by countless classics, being filial to one’s parents and loving to one’s brothers is what one should achieve first.
40. Good and evil are of one’s own doing; misfortune and blessing are of one’s own bringing. — Zengguang Xianwen
Meaning: good deeds and bad deeds are done by oneself, and disaster and happiness are likewise brought on entirely by one’s own words and deeds.
41. Learning without thinking leads to confusion; thinking without learning is perilous. — the Analects
Meaning: only studying without thinking will not lead to feeling lost; only daydreaming without studying will lead to weariness without gain.
42. To know what you know and to know what you do not know — that is knowledge. — the Analects
Meaning: if you know, say you know; if you do not know, say you do not know, without pretence — that is the wise course.
43. Mastery of a craft comes from diligence and is ruined by play; conduct is perfected by thought and spoiled by carelessness. — Han Yu
Meaning: success in one’s career or studies lies in striving hard and pressing forward diligently. Being too fond of play and relaxing one’s standards leads to accomplishing nothing; in conducting oneself and one’s affairs one must think carefully, and only thorough consideration leads to achievement. Wilfulness, sloppiness and casualness only lead to failure.
44. Reading has three requirements: the mind must be on it, the eyes must be on it, the mouth must be on it. — Zhu Xi
Meaning: think with your mind, look carefully with your eyes, read aloud a great deal with your mouth; only when all three are fully achieved is it true reading.
45. Learn without tiring, teach without weariness. — the Analects
Meaning: study hard without ever feeling satisfied, and teach others without feeling weary.
46. Without accumulating half-steps, one cannot reach a thousand li; without gathering small streams, one cannot form rivers and seas. — the Xunzi
Meaning: if you do not accumulate half-steps and steps, you cannot travel a thousand li; if you do not gather trickles together, you cannot form rivers and seas.
47. To see a thousand li further, climb one more storey. — Wang Zhihuan
Meaning: if you want to see more distant and broader scenery, you must climb one more storey. If you want to learn more and deeper knowledge, you must work harder than before.
48. However strong you are, there is always someone stronger; do not boast before others. — Stories to Caution the World
Meaning: even though you are strong, there are surely people stronger than you, so do not be arrogant and complacent before others or boast about yourself.
49. Jade uncut does not become a vessel; a person who does not study does not know the Way. — the Book of Rites, “Record on Learning”
Meaning: jade that has not been carved cannot become a useful jade article; a person who has not studied does not understand the principles of things.
50. With black hair one does not know to study early; with white hair one regrets reading too late. — “Exhortation to Learning”
Meaning: when young one does not know to make good use of time and study diligently, and by the time one is old and wants to study, it is too late.
51. Those who know their shortcomings love to learn; those ashamed to ask their inferiors are complacent. — Lin Bu, Record of Examining the Heart
Meaning: knowing one’s own shortcomings and studying hard is the mark of a wise person; one who does not like to ask questions and is arrogant and complacent is shameful.
52. Learning must never cease. — the Xunzi
Meaning: learning must not be stopped.
53. To learn and at due times to practise what one has learned — is that not a pleasure? — the Analects
Meaning: reviewing knowledge one has learned at the appropriate time, so that one gains a new understanding of it — is that not a joyful thing?
54. One who reviews the old and comes to know the new may become a teacher. — the Analects
Meaning: learning new knowledge while often reviewing what one has already learned, constantly studying and reviewing — one’s learning and cultivation will surely improve quickly, and such a person can become a teacher.
55. Read ten thousand volumes, and your brush will move as if inspired by the gods. — Du Fu
Meaning: if you read a great deal, when you write, flowers will bloom from your brush, as if with divine help.
56. If one does not strive when young and strong, one will grieve in vain when old. — Han Yuefu, “A Long Song”
Meaning: if you do not study hard when young, when old you can only regret and sigh.
57. Read a book a hundred times and its meaning will reveal itself. — Records of the Three Kingdoms
Meaning: a book must be read over and over many times; only then can you understand what it says.
58. Learning that is not digested is not learning. — Yang Wanli
Meaning: learning knowledge without being able to apply it flexibly cannot be called learning.
59. Love learning and be single-minded. — the Zuo Zhuan
Meaning: love learning, and do not be half-hearted.
60. Learn as if you could never catch up, and still fear losing what you have.
Meaning: when learning, fear that you cannot keep up; once you have caught up, fear losing it again.
61. A person who does not learn is like one standing with his face to a wall. — the Book of Documents
Meaning: a person who does not learn is like someone standing facing a wall, unable to see anything.
62. Clever and fond of asking — only then can one become talented. — the Xunzi
Meaning: even a clever person must study diligently and love asking questions in order to become a person of talent.
63. The breadth of learning lies in not tiring; not tiring lies in a firm resolve. — Ge Hong
Meaning: erudition lies in never tiring of study, and never tiring of study lies in having a firm goal.
64. To learn without understanding the Way is the same as not learning; to know without being able to act is the same as not knowing. — Huang Xi
Meaning: if in learning one cannot grasp any principles from it, that is no different from not learning; if one has learned principles but cannot apply them, it is still as if one had not learned them.
65. Observe widely and take in what is essential; accumulate richly and release sparingly. — Su Shi
Meaning: read widely, learn much about people and events past and present, Chinese and foreign, and firmly remember the good parts; having accumulated a large store of knowledge and material, when you need it you can select and use it freely and appropriately.
66. An error the breadth of a hair leads one a thousand li astray. — Lu Jiuyuan
Meaning: in doing anything, one must do it carefully and well at the start; if it is off by even a hair’s breadth, you will find the result is far off the mark.
67. The prime of life does not come twice; a day cannot have two mornings. — Tao Yuanming
Meaning: once the beautiful years of youth have passed they will not come again, and a day cannot have two mornings — cherish your time!
68. Words without refinement do not travel far. — the Zuo Zhuan
Meaning: if the content or subject of a piece of writing is good but it is not well expressed, few people will appreciate it, and it will be hard for it to be handed down through the ages.
69. In learning, one must neither belittle oneself nor think too highly of oneself. — Gu Yanwu
Meaning: in learning, do not feel inferior before vast and profound knowledge, nor become arrogant and complacent because you have learned a little.
70. Love of learning is close to wisdom, earnest practice is close to benevolence, knowing shame is close to courage. — the Doctrine of the Mean
Meaning: being diligent and fond of learning is close to wisdom; doing everything with effort is close to benevolence; understanding right and wrong, good and evil is an expression of courage.
71. Only when you need to use books do you regret having read too few; only by going through something do you know how hard it is. — Chen Tingzhuo
Meaning: it is always when you come to apply knowledge that you feel you have far too little; and you do not know how hard many things are unless you have experienced them yourself.
72. The clumsy bird that flies first reaches the woods early; the slow person who studies diligently becomes talented early. — Maxims to Awaken the World
Meaning: a slow-flying bird that takes off early will reach the woods earlier than the other birds; a person who is not so clever, as long as he is diligent and hard-working, can become a person of talent earlier than others.
73. On the mountain of books, diligence is the path; on the boundless sea of learning, hard work is the boat. — Zengguang Xianwen
Meaning: diligence is a short cut to the peak of knowledge, and only by not fearing hardship can one roam freely on the ocean of knowledge.
74. Learning is like rowing a boat upstream: if you do not advance, you fall back. — Zengguang Xianwen
Meaning: learning requires constant progress and constant effort, like a small boat sailing against the current: if it does not strive forward, it can only go backward.
75. My life has a limit, but knowledge has no limit. — the Zhuangzi
Meaning: my life is finite, but human knowledge is infinite.
76. The rise and fall of the realm is the responsibility of every common man. — Gu Yanwu
Meaning: every person bears a great responsibility for the prosperity or decline of the country.
77. Born in adversity, one dies in ease and comfort. — Mencius
Meaning: adversity tempers a person’s will and makes him stronger. Conversely, being constantly content with enjoyment makes a person lose the drive to improve and gradually fall behind.
78. Though my rank is lowly, I dare not forget my country. — Lu You, “Writing My Thoughts on Rising from Illness”
Meaning: although my position is humble, I have never forgotten my responsibility to care about the country and the people.
79. Since ancient times, who has not died? Let me leave a loyal heart to shine in the annals of history. — Wen Tianxiang, “Crossing the Lingding Sea”
Meaning: since ancient times no one has escaped death, so let a heart of patriotic loyalty be left in the historical records!
80. Be the first to worry about the world’s worries and the last to enjoy the world’s joys. — Fan Zhongyan, “Record of Yueyang Tower”
Meaning: when sharing the country’s burdens, be earlier and more urgent than others; when enjoying happiness and joy, let others go first and come last oneself.
81. From youth I thought of serving my country, not of being made a marquis. — Cen Shen of the Tang, “Seeing Off Someone Going to Anxi”
Meaning: from childhood I thought of serving the motherland, not of being enfeoffed as a marquis or becoming an official.
82. For what benefits the country, do not shrink even from death. — Lü Kun of the Ming, Groaning Words, Volume One
Meaning: things that benefit the country should be done bravely, without shrinking even at the risk of death.
83. An inch of mountains and rivers is an inch of gold. — saying of Zuo Qigong of the Jin dynasty
Meaning: every inch of the motherland’s mountains and rivers is more precious than an inch of gold, and must never be given away to outsiders.
84. If you wish to secure your family, you must first secure the country. — Wu Zetian
Meaning: if you want to build a happy little family of your own, you must first make the country stable and prosperous.
85. Giving one’s life to meet the nation’s crisis, regarding death as a return home. — Cao Zhi of the Three Kingdoms, “The White Horse”
Meaning: when the country is in danger, one should dare to step forward and regard death as going home.
86. The sound of wind, the sound of rain, the sound of reading — every sound enters the ear; family affairs, state affairs, the affairs of the world — every affair is of concern.
— Gu Xiancheng of the Ming
Meaning: the sound of wind, the sound of rain and the ringing sound of reading aloud all enter our ears; so a scholar should care about family affairs, state affairs and the affairs of the world, all manner of things, and must not just study books mechanically.
87. In life be a hero among men; in death be a hero among ghosts. — Li Qingzhao, “Summer Quatrain”
Meaning: be a hero while alive, and be a hero after death too.
88. Love what benefits the country; hate what harms the country. — The Annals of Master Yan
Meaning: do with enthusiasm what benefits the country, and detest and keep away from what harms it.
89. The true purpose of study is the common people. — Lu of the Song
Meaning: the purpose of study should be to serve society and the public after mastering knowledge, not to gain promotion and wealth for oneself.
90. When times are dire, integrity is revealed, and each is recorded in the annals. — Wen Tianxiang of the Song
Meaning: many loyal ministers and righteous men in history revealed their integrity when the country was in danger, and one after another their names have been recorded in history.
91. Alas, my father and mother, who toiled so hard to bear me. — the Book of Songs
Meaning: when I think of my parents, how my heart aches for them as their child! They bore me and raised me — how much hard labour they spent!
92. The heart that serves the country does not cease until death. — Su Shi of the Song
Meaning: the resolve to serve the motherland will not change until death.
93. To worry for the country and forget one’s family, to give one’s life to relieve its crisis — this is the aspiration of a loyal minister. — Cao Zhi of the Three Kingdoms, “Memorial Seeking to Prove Myself”
Meaning: worrying about the affairs of the country and forgetting one’s small family, sacrificing one’s life to save the country from danger — this is the aspiration of loyal ministers.
94. A true man in the world should sweep clean the whole realm; why trouble with a single room? — saying of Chen Fan of the Han
Meaning: a person of ambition living in the world should dare to fight against all kinds of conduct harmful to the country; how can he be content merely with handling the small affairs of his own little family?
95. The friendship of noble people is plain as water; the friendship of petty people is sweet as new wine. — the Zhuangzi
Meaning: the friendship between noble people is plain and pure like water, and such friendship lasts; the friendship between petty people is thick and rich like sweet wine, but does not last long.
96. Treat the elders of others as you treat your own elders; treat the young of others as you treat your own young. — the Mencius
Meaning: respect and love the elders of others as you respect and love your own elders; care for the children of others as you care for your own children.
97. To be insulted and not fight back is a disgrace. — the Gongsun Longzi
Meaning: when justice is insulted and bullied and one does not step forward, that is a disgraceful thing.
98. Everyone in the world knows that taking is gaining, but none knows that giving is gaining. — Book of the Later Han
Meaning: people all think that only obtaining things from others is gain, not knowing that giving to others is also a kind of gain.
99. Everyone must die once, but a death may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a goose feather. — Sima Qian of the Han
Meaning: no one can escape death in the end, but deaths differ in value: to die (for the righteous cause of the people is weightier than Mount Tai, while the death of those who are selfish and harm others to benefit themselves is lighter than a goose feather.
100. Heaven moves vigorously; the noble person accordingly strives unceasingly to strengthen himself. — the Book of Changes (Zhou Yi)
