小和尚念经，有口无心 – xiao3he2shang4nian4jing1,you3kou3wu2xin1

Literal meaning = small/little monk reads scriptures, have mouth not heart.

This is a proverb about a monk who reads the scriptures, claims to be a monk etc but in his heart doesn’t really believe or practice i.e. a hypocrite.

This proverb can be used to describe someone who is forced to study for example.  Many children go to University or college because their parents force them but they don’t want to be there.  Or it could be used to describe people who claim to be Christians (or any faith for that matter) but get drunk, lie, commit fornication etc.

Pretty much any situation where what comes out of peoples mouth isn’t really what they feel think or believe.  Perhaps it also carries the connotation of someone who feels a little bit of pressure from parents, society or whatever to conform or say what they say but inside they don’t agree or believe.

身在曹营心在汉 – shen1 zai4 cao2 ying2 xin1 zai4 han4

Literal translation = body – at – Cao (name) – camp – heart – at – Han (name)

Idiomatic translation = Your body is in the camp of Cao but your heart is in Han’s camp.

This is a very nice Ancient Chinese Proverb.  If you can use it correctly it will really touch the hearts of Chinese people and they will be highly impressed with your Chinese.

Cao was a famous war general and appears in the famous book The Three Kingdoms.  I haven’t read the book myself but I know the other famous general in there is Zhu Ge Liang and I assume there is one named “Han” as well.

I am not sure if there is a specific story about a certain soldier whom this idiom applies to or not, but it basically comes the history of Caocao and his wars at the time of the The 3 Kindgoms.

The usage and meaning of this is quite specific.  I used to think it just meant someone who is there in body but not in spirit (perhaps day dreaming) but the real meaning is about where someone’s loyalty lies.

For example, a company is bought out by a bigger company and maybe fires the managers and a new manager comes in.  You still have the same job but now you have a new boss, however you still love the old boss and have devotion to him or her.  So although your body is working for the new company and new management, you miss the old company and management and still have loyalty to them even begrudgingly continuing your job.

Therefore, there aren’t many opportunities to use this idiom as it’s meaning is quite specific.

塞翁失马焉知非福 – sai4 weng1 shi1 ma3 yan1 zhi1 fei1 fu2

Literal translation – saiweng (persons name) – lose – horse – how – know – not – blessing

This basically can be translated as “a blessing in disguise” or even “a curse in disguise” ie the opposite.

It comes from a story about an old man named “Saiweng”.  He lost his horse and his friends came to comfort him but he was optimistic saying that it could be a good thing.  He turned out to be correct when sometime later the horse returned bringing with it another better horse.  His friends again came to him this time joyful but Saiweng wasn’t so sure this was a good thing.  Turned out his son broke his leg while riding this new horse.  Once again his friends came to comfort him over his son’s injury but Saiweng once again didn’t necessarily view it as a bad thing right away.  Rightly so as the broken leg prevented his son from being conscripted into the army and therefore saved his life.

This proverb is generally used to comfort someone if they have fallen sick or had some sort of catastrophe.  It could also theoretically be used in the opposite way for someone who has had something very good happen to them but I highly doubt it is ever used in this sense, as who ever wants to rain on someone’s parade and spoil the moment ?

So although it can be used to warn people that the apparent good fortune may be bad luck waiting to happen, it is more commonly used to try to cheer up someone who is troubled over some misfortune that has befallen them.

道不同不相为谋 – dao4bu4tong2bu4xiang1wei2mou2

Literal meaning of each character – road/path – not – same – not – mutually – for/do/accomplish – idea/plan/scheme

One dictionary defines this Ancient Chinese Proverb as “people with different principles will not make common cause”

My understanding of this proverb is to do with people’s outlooks on life and life goals.  I most often use this proverb when talking about marriage.  If 2 people don’t have the same or similar goals in life they aren’t compatible for marriage.  It doesn’t necessarily mean one person is better than the other, they just simply aren’t compatible.

This might be something one could use in order to break up with a boyfriend or girlfriend in a nice way.  I have never tried it myself, but it would be a logical usage.  It’s a nice way to say “we aren’t compatible”, only if what you are saying is true of course.  You would have to be on a different “path” then your soon to be ex-partner.

Basically any situation where you have different goals or different life paths, so working or being together will not accomplish anything of mutual benefit, in fact it may make life harder and therefore it’s better to part.

巧妇难为无米之炊 – qiao3fu4nan2wei2wu2mi3zhi1chui1

Literal translation – skilled wife difficult to without rice make good meal.

Even the most skilled of wives/women is unable to make a good meal without rice

This Chinese Proverb is used to describe situations where the materials given are not sufficient for the job.  It means you cannot blame the person for the result or outcome when it was impossible to have a good outcome regardless of who handled the task.

Even the best cook in the world can’t make dinner if he doesn’t have any food.  If the quality of the food is inferior the taste will be too.  One cannot build a decent house without the right materials and one cannot do their job well if the boss is too cheap to buy decent tools.

I think you can use your imagination as to when and how to use this proverb as it pretty much speaks for itself.  However it does give us a glimpse into the Chinese culture and how rice is such an important part of their culture.  I would think “rice” is likely used in many idioms and proverbs.

师傅领进门修行在个人 – shi1fu ling3 jin4men2 xiu1xing2 zai4 ge4ren2

Word for word translation :

teacher/master – lead/guide – enter door – practice/put into motion – at/in – individual

Basic meaning : A teacher or master can lead you to the door but it is you yourself that must take the action to go through the door.

I think our English idiom “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink” is a pretty good equivalent.  Being an English teacher for Chinese students, this must be my favorite ancient Chinese proverb.  I used to try to translate our “horse” idiom and then explain what it meant in an effort to make sure the students are aware that simply sitting in the chair during their once/twice a week class ISN’T going to improve their English.  Effort is required on their part if they really want to improve.

How happy I was to discover that they have a Proverb that describes this exact phenomenon !  This way they have absolutely no excuse when they fail their exams.

We provide the tools, but it’s up to them individually to use those tools and practice and review etc.  They can’t blame the teacher when they are just down right lazy!

三人行必有我师焉 – san1 ren2 xing2 bi4 you3 wo3 shi1 yan1

Literal translation :

3 – people – walking – must – have – me – teacher – thus

If 3 people are walking together at least one of them is good enough to be my teacher (in some subject)

I like this Proverb because it basically says that nobody has the monopoly on knowledge.  This is one of those Ancient Chinese Proverbs that is supposed to keep you humble I guess.

I often use it in my English class to remind the students to be quiet when other students are speaking.  Chinese students seem to have a problem of being quiet when other students are talking/practicing English in class.  For us westerners it’s incredibly rude, but for them it’s completely normal.  I guess when they are speaking and no one else is listening they don’t care ?  Anyways I use this Ancient Chinese Proverb in an effort to get them to listen to their fellow students speaking English because they can always learn from fellow students.  It isn’t only me that can help them with their English but they can also help each other.

Any situation where people can all learn from one another and help each other increase in knowledge in some way this Proverb can be used.

I believe it was said by Confucious, or Kongzi, but I can’t be certain.  Feel free to correct me with a comment below.

不要在一棵树上吊死 – bu2yao4 zai4 yi1 ke1 shu4 shang4 diao4si3

Literal translation : don’t at one (measure word) tree on hang oneself

Actual translation : Don’t hang yourself on one tree

Meaning : this proverb can be used when someone is overly upset over losing a boyfriend or girlfriend.  In this proverb the “tree” is the person you are mourning over.  This wouldn’t be too appropriate to use with the death of a boyfriend or girlfriend but merely the breaking up.  In English we might say something like “there are plenty of fish in the sea” in an effort to comfort our friend.  This is when someone is under the impression that there is no one else out there for them, so they are essentially “hanging themself upon 1 tree” when in reality the forest has many trees.

This expression could also be used if someone has lost their job.  No need to feel like there are no other jobs out there (trees).  Don’t get hung up with grief on the job you lost, pick yourself up and move on.