chinese proverb Archives - Ninchanese https://ninchanese.com/blog/tag/chinese-proverb/ Learn Chinese with an adorable and effective method Sat, 17 Sep 2016 15:00:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://ninchanese.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/cropped-funandgamified-2-32x32.png chinese proverb Archives - Ninchanese https://ninchanese.com/blog/tag/chinese-proverb/ 32 32 Chinese idiom: 时来运转 Get your lucky break https://ninchanese.com/blog/2016/09/17/chinese-quote-%e6%97%b6%e6%9d%a5%e8%bf%90%e8%bd%ac-get-your-lucky-break/ Sat, 17 Sep 2016 14:55:52 +0000 https://ninchanese.com/?p=9910 It’s quoturday! Time to explore a new Chinese idiom: 时来运转. This week’s Chinese proverb is very motivational and inspiring. So when you’re feeling down, and thinking that life has something against you, come back to this page! You’ll feel better, promise. Ready to explore this Chinese quote? Let’s go! Literally: the time comes, fortune turns. Let’s

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]]> It’s quoturday! Time to explore a new Chinese idiom: 时来运转. This week’s Chinese proverb is very motivational and inspiring. So when you’re feeling down, and thinking that life has something against you, come back to this page! You’ll feel better, promise. Ready to explore this Chinese quote? Let’s go!

Chinese quote: 时来运转 - to have a lucky break. Times flows, fortunes change

时来运转 (時來運轉) shí lái yùn zhuǎn

Literally: the time comes, fortune turns.

Let’s break this Chinese quote down:

  • 时 shí means time
  • 来 lái means to come
  • 运 yùn means luck, as in “祝你好运！I wish you good luck!”
  • 转 zhuǎn means to turn

In other words:

Watch Out! This Chinese quote means : things will change for the better.

时来运转 is a very inspiring Chinese quote

Sometimes you feel the world is against you and you just can’t get a break. Uncool things keep happening to you day after day and you should want to hide in your bed until it all stops.

Looks like the Chinese know better. They know that no matter what life throws at you, you’ve got to keep being a trooper. Don’t give up. Just stay strong and keep forging ahead. The wheel of life keeps turning, and one day your fortune will change. You will get your lucky break. Just give it time.

Isn’t that a good way to look at things? Don’t you think it’ll help you go forward when things get rough? Keep trucking ahead, and your luck will change.

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]]> Cat sayings: 6 purrfect quotes in Chinese https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/04/22/cat-sayings-in-chinese/ https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/04/22/cat-sayings-in-chinese/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2015 09:45:35 +0000 http://ninchanese.com/?p=3004 Chinese people often like to use animal analogies when talking. This is called “animal culture”: some animals are given a certain symbolism and used in a metaphorical way to express human feelings. So, in many Chinese idioms or slang words, you’re likely to find animal metaphors used.. In Chinese, particularly, there are a lot of expressions and

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]]> Chinese people often like to use animal analogies when talking. This is called “animal culture”: some animals are given a certain symbolism and used in a metaphorical way to express human feelings. So, in many Chinese idioms or slang words, you’re likely to find animal metaphors used.. In Chinese, particularly, there are a lot of expressions and sayings where cats are involved. As you know, at Ninchanese, we’re big 喵星人 (miāo xīngrén – cat lovers), so today we’re showing you 6 catastic cat quotes in Chinese. Meow!

Cat sayings in Chinese to use with your cat-loving friends

Two cat expressions you’re puuuurfectly familiar with

You’ve probably heard of the first two expressions before. They also exist in English and are used the same way as in English. All you need to do is learn how to say them in Chinese and you’ll be good to go.

Cat saying #1: Curiosity and cats don’t match

好奇心杀死猫

hào qí xīn shā sǐ māo.

Curiosity killed the cat.

Julián Cantarelli's curious kitten

一只好奇的小猫。A curious cat – Photo by Juliàn Cantarelli

You all probably know “Curiosity killed the cat”:  this cat quote is used to warn of dangerous situations. Here at Ninchanese, we try very hard not to think about what happened to the first cat who was too curious and from whom this quote derives…and choose to focus on a more positive note: Wikipedia notes “A less frequently-seen rejoinder to “curiosity killed the cat” is “but satisfaction brought it back””and we kind of like that idea!”

For example you can say:

别做这个，好奇心害死猫！
bié zuò zhè ge, hào qí xīn shā sǐ māo!
Don’t do it, curiosity killed the cat!

Cat saying #2: Cats live multiple lives

猫有九条命

māo yǒu jiǔ tiáo mìng.

A cat has nine lives!

Cat meme with a cute cat saying you can't be calm with only one life let

The Chinese, as do many cultures, believe that a cat has multiple lives. They also opt for 9 lives, just like we do in English (and in a number of other places). Lucky cats!  In Chinese, this expression is used to symbolize someone who has a stronger vitality than others.

For example you can say:

For exemple :
别担心他，猫还有九条命呢。
bié dān xīn tā, māo haí yǒu jiǔ tiáo mìng ne!
Don’t worry about him, even the cat has nine lives! 


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Four cat sayings you’ll be pawzzled with

The following cat expressions and sayings are unique to Chinese, as far as we know. Cats are given interesting roles in Chinese sayings, we’ll tell you that!

Cat saying #3:  Cats as women

猫性女子

māo xìng nǚ zǐ

A woman with the character of a cat

Photo credit: Fanny Latour-Lambert

Photo credit: Fanny Latour-Lambert

Chinese people often like to compare cats and women. Here’s why.

A cat can be very gentle, but it also has a strong sense of self-esteem. For example, if a baby kitten does something wrong, you need to comfort it, not scold it. For, if you hit it, it will remember that (and blame you) forever.

In Chinese, some woman are considered as cats: we/they have varied personalities and are seen as gentle, elegant but also sly, elusive creatures with a high level of self-esteem. That could also describe a cat, don’t you think? The Chinese like to liken the two anyways.

This is why one can say:

她是典型的猫性女子。

tā shì diǎn xíng de māo xìng nǚ zǐ

She is a typical cat-like women.

Here, 女子 is a formal, literary word. Despite that, the Chinese often use this sentence to describe some women. Believe it or not, this expression is fairly neutral. 

Cat saying #4: Cats as men and fish as women

猫改不了偷腥

māo gǎi bù liǎo tōu xīng.

A cat cannot stop stealing fish.

Cat sniffing a fish

Photo credit: Serena (Flickr)

Eating fish is most likely inscribed in a cat’s DNA: it’s pretty sure that all the cats in this world like the smell of fish. Well, expect for Nincha, who doesn’t like fish. But that’s another story. So, for most cats, fish are a fatal attraction, and they can’t resist the sight of fresh fish.

The Chinese tend to think some men are the same, and won’t ever be satisfied with one girl, be she his girlfriend or his wife. This cat quote is therefore used to refer to those men who are married or have a girl friend, but are still ready and open to seducing others.

So, the next time you see a man act like this, you can say this:

这个男人猫改不了偷腥。

Zhè gè nán rén māo gǎi bù liǎo tōu xīng.

This man is trying to seduce other girls again. 

Cat saying # 5: of cats and rats

不论白猫黑猫,抓到老鼠就是好猫

bù guǎn hēi māo bái māo
 bái māo hēi māo, zhuā dào lǎo shǔ de jiù shì hǎo māo.

No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat, a cat that can catch rats is a good cat.

Escher-like black and white cats

This is a very popular saying in China because it is linked to a special era: the 70s and to Deng Xiaoping, who frequently used this proverb to emphasize the importance of participating to bring about social change.

The idea behind this saying is: the truth can only be tested in practice, we should try before jumping to any conclusions.

For exemple, one would say:

尽管做，不论白猫黑猫,抓到老鼠就是好猫!

Jǐnguǎn zuò, bùlùn bái māo hēi māo, zhuā dào lǎoshǔ jiùshì hǎo māo

Just do it, practice makes perfect!

Cat proverb #6: of cats and rats (2)

猫哭老鼠

māokūlǎoshǔ

A cat is crying for a rat.

A cat crying for a rat in Chinese means crying crocodile tears

Cats and rats don’t match? Source – Kantsuu.com

Everyone knows that cats eat rats so how can a cat be sad for a rat? Impossible, right? Especially considering the lousy trick the rats pulled on cats in the zodiac race to fame…So this Chinese cat proverb means the same as “crocodile tears” in English. It is used to describe fake compassion or sympathy.

Here's how you can use it:

别被他骗了，他这是猫哭老鼠假慈悲。

Bié beì tā piàn le, tā zhè shì māo kū lǎo shǔ jiǎ cí beī.

Don’t be duped by him, he is pretending to be sad like a cat cries for a rat.

So there you have, 6 Chinese expressions that are about cats! It’s funny how different cultures share some of the same cat sayings and beliefs about cats, don’t you think? Use these Chinese cat quotes in your daily life to impress your cat loving friends and remember: enjoy the fun the cats bring you!

 

Yanjie and 

The Nincha Team

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]]> https://ninchanese.com/blog/2015/04/22/cat-sayings-in-chinese/feed/ 4 Chinese proverb: Go the mountain and meet the tiger. https://ninchanese.com/blog/2012/10/09/chinese-proverb-tiger-mountain/ Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:09:00 +0000 http://ec2-54-193-109-251.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com/?p=663 There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes: 上得山多终遇虎 (pinyin: shàng de děi shān duō zhōng yù hǔ). This means “If you go to the mountain often enough, you will meet the tiger.” But what does that mean? Is it good? Bad? Neither? A Chinese proverb can go both ways One way of interpreting this saying is

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]]> There’s an old Chinese proverb that goes:

上得山多终遇虎

(pinyin: shàng de děi shān duō zhōng yù hǔ).

This means “If you go to the mountain often enough, you will meet the tiger.” But what does that mean? Is it good? Bad? Neither?

A Chinese proverb can go both ways

One way of interpreting this saying is believing meeting the tiger is a bad thing.

The tiger is after all in China considered to be the king of the forest; a very mighty beast indeed!

But this guy‘s interpretation is more interesting – and way more positive for the tiger: “If you [don’t] practice [regularly], you probably won’t get the breakthrough you’re looking for. You’ll have to practice a lot more to get to meet that tiger. So if you really want that breakthrough, keep on going up that mountain. It’ll appear one day.”

We have to agree: practice is essential in learning any language, Chinese especially.

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