Chinese proverbs about love

Some Chinese sayings concerning the allure and perils of love.

香消玉损

Xiāng xiāo yù sǔn [xiang xiao yu sun]

fragrant vanish jade broken

Fragrance is dissipated; jade is broken

Spoken of on the death of a beautiful young woman

Whom the Gods love die young

落叶归根

Luò yè guī gèn [luo ye gui gen]

fall leaf return root

Fallen leaves return to the root

Returning to place of birth

There's no place like home

树高千丈叶落归根

Shù gāo qiān zhàng yè luò guī gēn [shu gao qian zhang ye luo gui gen]

tree tall 1000 length leaf fall return root

A tree may grow high, but its leaves always fall on its roots

People living far away will eventually comes back home

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

一日三秋

Yī rì sān qiū [yi ri san qiu]

one day three years

One day seems like three years

To miss somebody very much

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

酒肉朋友

Jiǔ ròu péng yǒu [jiu rou peng you]

wine meat friends

Friends only for the food and drink

Cupboard love

Fair weather friends

生活有爱幸福,为爱生活愚蠢

Shēng huó yǒu ài xìngfú, wèi ài shēng huó yú chǔn [sheng huo you ai xingfu, wei ai sheng huo yu chun]

produce live have love good fortune, pride love produce live foolish

A life of love is happy; a life for love is foolish

Love is not the most important thing

藕断丝连

Oǔ duàn sī lián [ou duan si lian]

lotus root break silken thread links

Although the lotus root may be cut, its fibered threads are still connected

Friendship survives adversity

百闻不如一见

Bǎi wén bù rú yí jiàn [bai wen bu ru yi jian]

hundred hear not like one see

Hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once

Delighted to meet you in person at last

爱屋及乌

Ài wū jí wū [ai wu ji wu]

love house reach crow

Strong love that encompasses all, including the crow sitting on the roof

In love with everything in the world

Love is blind

笑一笑,十年少

Xiào yī xiào, shí nián shào [xiao yi xiao, shi nian shao]

smile a smile, 10 year less

Just one smile makes you ten years younger

Happiness is the best cosmetic

儿行千里母担忧

Ér xíng qiān lǐ mǔ dān yōu [er xing qian li mu dan you]

child travel 1000 mile mother undertake worry

When children travel far away the mother worries

Mothers will always worry about their children

秀色可餐

Xiù sè kě cān [xiu se ke can]

beautiful appearance can eat

A lovely sight to feast the eyes on

A beautiful woman

A feast for the eyes

指桑骂槐

Zhǐ sāng mà huái [zhi sang ma huai]

finger mulberry blame locust tree

Pointing to the mulberry tree when the locust tree is to blame

Deliberately deflecting criticism to someone or something else - often to protect friends or family

情人眼里出西施

Qíng ren yǎn lǐ chū xī shī [qing ren yan li chu xi shi]

lover eye inside produce Xi Shi

The lover's eye sees the legendary beauty of Xi Shi in his plain mistress

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Love is blind

爱不释手

Ài bù shì shǒu [ai bu shi shou]

love not let go hand

Locked in love's clutches

心若死灰

Xīn ruò sǐ huī [xin ruo si hui]

heart like dead ash

Heart reduced to ashes

Desperately unhappy

天作之合

Tiān zuò zhī hé [tian zuo zhi he]

heaven make someone close

Heaven made intimacy

Blissful affection

Marriage made in heaven

度日如年

Dù rì rú nián [du ri ru nian]

pass day as year

Each day passes as a year

Time seems to pass very slowly

Time drags on

皮之不存毛将焉附

Pí zhī bù cún maó jiāng yān fù [pi zhi bu cun mao jiang yan fu]

skin no exist hair support how add

If the skin is missing hair can not grow

Everything needs its proper environment for nurture

A house is not a home

Buddhism , Mount Emei, Sichuan, elephant

Golden palace at the top of Mount Emei, Sichaun with the world's highest status of Pǔxián Púsà 普賢菩薩.

月到中秋分外明, 每逢佳节倍思亲

Yuè dào zhōng qiū fèn wài míng, měi féng jiā jié bèi sī qīn [yue dao zhong qiu fen wai ming, mei feng jia jie bei si qin]

moon arrive mid-autumn divide outside bright every occurrence fetival joyous times think parent

The moon is brightest at the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the feeling of homesickness will be strongest during the festival

Longing to see family from far away

There's no place like home

雪里送炭

Xuě lǐ sòng tàn [xue li song tan]

snow neighbourhood deliver charcoal

Send charcoal in a snow storm

To offer assistance when it is needed

A friend in need is a friend indeed

一见钟情

Yī jiàn zhōng qíng [yi jian zhong qing]

once see deep affection

Upon first seeing fall madly in love

To fall in love at first sight

千金买笑

Qiān jīn mǎi xiào [qian jin mai xiao]

thousand gold buy smile

A smile costing a thousand ounces of gold

A target that is very hard to attain. Spending lavishly to attract a young woman

离乡背井

Lí xiāng bèi jǐng [li xiang bei jing]

leave village behind well

Leave one's own village

A stranger away from home

Our proverbs come with lots of information. The modern Chinese characters are followed by the proverb in pinyin. Next, there is a crude character by character transliteration into English, followed by a more accurate English translation. If this is a Chinese proverb alluding to history the meaning may still not be clear in English, so the general meaning follows. Finally some proverbs have fairly direct English equivalents, if so the English proverb is included at the end.

Our translations are in need of improvement, so please let us know your suggestions.