Tag Archives: Chinese proverb

‘You can’t put each foot into 2 separate canoes/boats for long without falling into the water’

Text: ‘You can’t put each foot into 2 separate canoes/boats for long without falling into the water’ (Loosely Translated from Chinese)

Context: The subject’s mother, an immigrant who was born and raised in China through her 20s, used to tell her this, especially when the subject was a young adult carving out her place in the world.

“The point being you must focus on pursuing one path/interest instead of trying to do too many things at once and not doing anything well. (Or dating too many people at once!) That’s why she said it all the time because it was applicable to so many situations.” – SK

Analysis: Based on the subject’s description, this proverb seems to be used as a reminder that one ought to stay focused on what is most important to them. Those who say it are expounding the virtue that the pursuit of excellence requires a singular dedication and that trying to “balance” multiple paths will prevent success. As the subject indicated, it was widely applicable and widely used. This suggests to me that it represents a very prevalent idea about the pursuit of success in Chinese culture.

This saying is like the antithesis to the popular English proverb “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” which cautions Westerners against the dangers of over-commitment. This saying is very popular in the Western world and reveals a lot about how we aspire to live our lives, especially when it comes to chasing success.Perhaps these differences in common proverbs and their associated virtues indicate a divide around how different cultures view this path to success; Chinese culture prioritizes singular dedication to one’s goals and Western culture prioritizes flexibility in options.

Chinese proverb

“锲而舍之，朽木不折；锲而不舍，金石可镂。”

Translation – “If you stop carving, even rotten wood can’t be broken; never give up, and even metal and stone can be engraved.”

Encountered by informant – a Chinese speaker – innumerable times growing up, especially in regards to schoolwork.

This proverb is a frequent fixture of Chinese speakers’ conversation. It is often invoked in a similar manner to “where there’s a will, there’s a way,” highlighting the necessity of perseverance and persistent effort in various endeavors.

The Lazy Donkey

Age: 20

Text:

“The lazy donkey has to shit and piss before it goes to the mill.”

Context:

The informant would hear this from their mother when they were younger, but still hears it today as well. They grew up in China, and thus the above phrase is simply a translation from Chinese.

Analysis:

I interpret this phrase to mean doing aimless things in order to delay going to or doing work/what needs to be done. To back this up further, the informant told me that one time their mother said this to them when they went to get a drink of water and go to the bathroom right before their piano lesson–they were trying to delay going to their lesson, and thus their mother scolded them. I noticed that the phrase talks about the lazy donkey. No one wants to be seen as lazy, so this would incentivize them to work harder and efficiently. Furthermore, Chinese culture(and East Asian cultures in general) places a huge significance on diligence and rigor; having a strong work ethic is incredibly important, as it is seen as a reflection of one’s character. Additionally, Chinese social norms today find its foundations in Confucian principles, particularly in the principle of community and the collective good. If you are a lazy donkey, you are actively choosing to be a burden to your community.

* I would like to note that although I, the author of this post, was not born in China, as a first-generation Asian American with immigrant parents, I have grown up in an environment that placed heavy importance in the values mentioned above, and am familiar with this culture.

五十步笑百步 (Wu Shi Bu Xiao Bai Bu)

Those who retreated 50 steps mock those who retreated 100 steps.

Occupation: Student 

Date: 02/11/2025 

Primary Language: English

Language: Mandarin

Description

Okay. I got closer so I actually got it. Yeah, I have the one that’s um, The change tax is like, um, so that’s like the one who runs 50 steps away from the enemy laughs at the one who runs 100 steps away. It’s kind of poking fun at people who like kind of fell but they’re making fun of other people who fell. Even though, like, on like surface level, they’re both like running away from something. Yeah. Um it’s really interesting to me because it was often used my in my family. Because I have a younger sister, which… sometimes when we both get clowned on by my parents, she will laugh at me even though like she also did do something wrong. It’s also… I don’t remember a specific history behind it, but it’s definitely used, like, in war times or like, like tease on soliders who run away from your enemies. 

Subject Opinion: 

Subject: It happens unintentionally so often that, just the saying, it…surprisingly could be applied to a lot of situations. 

Analysis: 

This ancient Chinese proverb states that those who mock others’ shortcomings often have the same shortcomings themselves, criticizing the irony and hypocrisy in human behavior. The proverb’s wartime context opens up a much larger consideration of folklore born in turbulent eras during which common folk are often exposed to war, famine, etc. Similar to a large portion of Chinese wisdom, this proverb places us in a military context that, on the literal level, only applies to soldiers. But the fact that the proverb is widely known reflects the reverence and attention common folk paid to soldiers at the time, giving folk speech that stem from that realm a particular zest and intrigue. It is also interesting that the subject referenced her own family and how it’s used to point out hypocrisy in mundane matters. Though the proverb does not directly communicate a piece of advice, it encourages against the behavior described by letting the receiver come to their conclusions after witnessing the irony of the situation, making it an incredibly durable and effective proverb. 

Folk Speech: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

Text (Proverb): “Fool me once, shame on you. fool me twice, shame on me.”

Context: Being a life-long learner means seeing the good in mistakes. I’ve gotten comfortable with the fact that progress is made through our own failure or the failure of others. This is an old Chinese proverb that I have heard many times while growing up with my immigrant parents. They would say this out of anger when people treat them poorly for not being able to speak English. This mistreatment led them to learn English so that they could stand up for themselves in society. I think this proverb speaks to the natural naivety of humans, as there are many things in life that are out of control. At the same time, it also speaks to our primal ability to take control through critical thinking, drawing from personal experience to prevent what was previously unknown.

Analysis: The proverb chosen is a very driven and direct proverb that is used to set the mindset of the sayer to never let themselves get too comfortable with people after being fooled/ let down. As for the Informant, I can see that this proverb originates in their childhood as they would hear it growing up from their parents, possibly being the cause of why they remember it so clearly. As for how the proverb was interpreted, the proverb goes further than just a note to self, it is related to the nature of humans and how one must adapt to the situations they face, making the proverb a reminder to never get too comfortable nor too unaware.