万事开头难。 (Wànshì kāitóu nán. “everything start difficult”) All things are difficult at the start.
机不可失，时不再来。 (Jī bùkě shī, shí búzài lái. “Opportunity can't lose, time not again come”) Don't miss opportunities: time doesn't come round again.
先到先得。 (Xiān dào xiān dé. “first arrive first get”) The first to arrive is the first to succeed.
I.e. "the early bird catches the worm."
水滴石穿，绳锯木断。 (Shuǐ dī shí chuān, shéng jù mù duàn. 'water drop stone pierce, rope saw wood sever') Water drops pierce stone; rope saws cut wood. Patience and persistence can break through anything, no matter how great the difficulty. Similar to Ovid's "Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence."
善有善报，恶有恶报。 (shàn yǒu shàn bào,è yǒu è bào 。) Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil.
若要人不知，除非己莫为。 (ruò yào rén bù zhī,chú fēi jǐ mò wéi 。) If you don’t want anyone to know, don’t do it.
不作不死。 (Bù zuò bù sǐ. 'Not do not die.') If you don't do stupid things you won't end up in tragedy. *This Chinese web saying is recorded in the Urban Dictionary. It's like: "Don't poke the bear."
种瓜得瓜, 种豆得豆。 (Zhòngguā dé guā, zhòngdòu dé dòu. 'sow melons reap melons; sow beans reap beans') You reap what you sow.
塞翁失马，焉知非福。 (Sài Wēng shī mǎ, yān zhī fēi fú.) *'Sai Weng [legendary old man's name] lost horse, how know not blessing'. Blessings come in disguise.
难得糊涂。 (Nándé hútu. 'hard get confusion') Ignorance is bliss.
路遥知马力，日久见人心。 (Lùyáo zhī mǎlì, rìjiǔ jiàn rénxīn. 'road distant know horse strength, days old see man heart') As distance tests a horse's strength, time reveals a person's character.
书是随时携带的花园。 (Shū shì suíshí xiédài de huāyuán. 'book is at-all-times carried garden') A book is a pocket garden.
活到老，学到老。 (Huó dào lǎo, xué dào lǎo. 'live till old, study till old.) Live till you're old, and study till you're old.
良药苦口。 (Liángyào kǔ kǒu 'good medicine bitter mouth') Good medicine tastes bitter.
Meaning: frank criticism is hard to swallow.
If you are patient in one moment of anger, you will escape a hundred days of sorrow.
忍得一时之氣，免得百日之忧。
rěn dé yīì zhī qì，miǎn de bǎi rì zhī yōu。
人心齐，泰山移。 (Rénxīn qí, Tàishān yí. 'people heart together, Mount Tai move') When people work with one heart, they can even move Mount Tai.
一见钟情。 (Yíjiàn zhōngqíng. 'one look fall-in-love') Love at first sight.
执子之手，与子偕老。 (Zhí zǐ zhī shǒu, yǔ zǐ xiélǎo. 'grasp your hand, with you grow-old-together) Hold hands with you, grow old with you.
*this expresses lifelong commitment in love.
爱屋及乌。 (Ai wū jí wū. 'love house and crow') Love the house and its crow.
Meaning: Love encompasses everything connected with somebody: "Love me, love my dog."
近水知鱼性, 近山识鸟音。 (Jìn shuǐ zhī yúxìng; jìn shān shí niǎoyīn. 'near water know fish shape, near mountain know bird sound') To know a fish go to the water; to know a bird's song go to the mountains. *This verse from 'Expanding Virtue Literature' (增广贤文) teaches that to know someone you should go to his or her home.
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