Chinese proverbs about love
Some Chinese sayings concerning the allure and perils of love.
指桑骂槐
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
一见钟情
once see deep affection
Upon first seeing fall madly in love
To fall in love at first sight
月到中秋分外明, 每逢佳节倍思亲
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
香消玉损
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
笑一笑,十年少
smile a smile, 10 year less
Just one smile makes you ten years younger
Happiness is the best cosmetic
离乡背井
leave village behind well
Leave one's own village
A stranger away from home
百闻不如一见
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
天作之合
heaven make someone close
Heaven made intimacy
Blissful affection
Marriage made in heaven
秀色可餐
beautiful appearance can eat
A lovely sight to feast the eyes on
A beautiful woman
A feast for the eyes
一日三秋
one day three years
One day seems like three years
To miss somebody very much
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
雪里送炭
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
爱不释手
love not let go hand
Locked in love's clutches
心若死灰
heart like dead ash
Heart reduced to ashes
Desperately unhappy
度日如年
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
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
爱屋及乌
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
酒肉朋友
wine meat friends
Friends only for the food and drink
Cupboard love
Fair weather friends
千金买笑
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
情人眼里出西施
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
生活有爱幸福,为爱生活愚蠢
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
儿行千里母担忧
child travel 1000 mile mother undertake worry
When children travel far away the mother worries
Mothers will always worry about their children
落叶归根
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
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
藕断丝连
lotus root break silken thread links
Although the lotus root may be cut, its fibered threads are still connected
Friendship survives adversity
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.
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