Chinese proverbs

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Relationships of phrases - 熟語 關係 圖

Left : Suyu 俗語  /  俗语
Middle : Yanyu 諺語  /  谚语
Bottom left : Xiehouyu 歇後語  /  歇后语
Right : Chengyu 成語  /  成语

Red arrow : oral - Blue arrow : written

The Chinese proverbs reflect traditional life and form the quintessential life experience of the Chinese people.

The proverbial phrases ( Chinese  熟語  /  熟语 , Pinyin shúyǔ ) are generally Chengyu ( 成語  /  成语 , chéngyǔ ), so phrases in a fixed form, usually of four characters consisting and Yanyu ( 諺語  /  谚语 , yànyǔ ), the actual proverbs , distinguished. The boundaries overlap and are not always clearly delineated.

Status

China is known for its "proverb culture " ( 成語 文化  /  成语 文化 , chéngyǔ wénhuà ). Expressing oneself appropriately based on a classic work shows education. In classical rhetoric, quotations from well-known personalities were considered the most important stylistic device. The frequent quoting of proverbs still shows good style today.

A Chinese German studies student reports on the different importance that proverbs have in Germany and China:

We had to learn a lot of German proverbs during our German studies because we believe that proverbs in German are just as important as these sayings or cheng-yu in China. But then a German lecturer came to our university. We had to write interpretations of German literature with her. And we were completely confused when, after returning the first interpretations, she informed us that it was not customary in Germany to adorn scientific papers with proverbs. "

This fact can be traced back to the fact that in Germany one's own contribution through the interpretation in one's own words is the focus and something is supposed to be expressed individually and directly in Western culture and language habits. In China, on the other hand, more emphasis is traditionally placed on correctly reproducing and quoting others as a confirmation of understanding and performance, which can also be understood as appreciation. This reflects both linguistically and culturally the difference in thinking and acting in both cultures, rooted in the figurative writing , and illustrates the habit in the Chinese language of expressing things poetically in images. This fact is historically based in Confucianism and linguistically reinforced by the long tradition of classical rhetoric in Chinese culture , where learning from others and appreciating them as virtuous, indirect expression and behavior in Chinese society is considered educated, civilized and polite.

Chengyu

The best known are the Chéngyǔ ( 成語  /  成语  - "to become a proverb"), four-part idioms that often have a literary background. Chengyu are abbreviations of long utterances. Often times the background stories have been forgotten while the idiom has remained. In rare cases, some Chéngyǔ deviate from the norm and are three or five-membered, i. H. they have three or five characters per link. (see 百闻不如一见 , Bǎiwén bùrú yíjiàn )

Examples of Chengyu

愛屋及烏。  /  爱屋及乌。
Àiwū-jíwū.
(~ Love for someone also includes the raven on their house roof. ~ Anyone who loves someone loves everything about them. ~ Anyone who loves me also loves my dog.)
塞 翁 失 馬 , 焉知 非 福。  /  塞 翁 失 马 , 焉知 非 福。
Sàiwēng-shīmǎ, yānzhī-fēifú
(~ Wasn't it lucky that his horse ran away from the old man at the border? ~ Today's misfortune does not necessarily mean another misfortune in the future.)
百聞不如一見。  /  百闻不如一见。
Bǎiwén bùrú yíjiàn
(~ Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.)
不 登高 山 , 不 顯 平地。  /  不 登高 山 , 不 显 平地。
Bùdēng-gāoshān, bùxiǎn-píngdì.
(~ Those who do not climb the high mountains do not recognize the plains. / Only when one climbs the high mountains do the plains become visible. ~ Only from a high rise can one judge the low.)
君子一言 , 駟馬 難 追。  /  君子一言 , 驷马 难 追。
Jūnzǐ-yìyán, sìmǎ-nánzhuī.
(~ The word of a nobleman can hardly overtake even a team of four (Quadriga) . ~ One man, one word.)
謀事 在 人 , 成事 在 天。  /  谋事 在 人 , 成事 在 天。
Móushì-zàirén, chéngshì-zàitiān.
(~ Planning things is up to man. Finishing things successfully is up to heaven. ~ Man thinks, God guides.)
入境 問 俗。  /  入境 问 俗。
Rùjìng-wènsú.
(~ If you come to a foreign country, you ask about its customs. ~ Other countries, other customs; When in Rome like the Romans do - St. Ambrose )
入 國 問 禁, 入鄉隨俗。  /  入 国 问 禁, 入乡随俗。
Rùguó-wènjìn, rùxiāng-suísú.
(~ If you come to a foreign country, you ask about its prohibitions, if you come to a foreign village (community), you follow (follow) its customs and traditions. ~ Different countries, different customs; different families, different customs ; When in Rome like the Romans do; Si fueris Romae, Romano vivito more; si fueris alibi, vivito sicut ibi - St. Ambrosius )

Yanyu

Yànyǔ ( 諺語  /  谚语 ) are proverbs that have become a common good. With their direct statements, they are - unlike the highly stylized Chengyu, who require a certain level of education - also understood by the common people.

百世 修 來 同 船 ​​渡 , 千載 修 得 共枕 眠。  /  百世 修 来 同 船 渡 , 千载 修 得 共枕 眠。
Bǎi shì xiū lái tóngchuán dù, qiānzǎi xiū de gòng zhěn mián.
(~ It takes a hundred rebirths for two people to translate in the same boat, it takes a thousand generations for two to share the same pillow.)
冰封 三尺 , 絕非 一日 之 寒。  /  冰封 三尺 , 绝非 一日 之 寒。
Bīng fēng sān chǐ, jué fēi yí rì zhī hán.
(~ An icing of three feet is certainly not the result of the cold one day. ~ Good things take time. However, this saying has a negative meaning in China and is rather translated as “Bad conditions indicate long neglect.”)
家家 都有 一 本 難 念 的 經。  /  家家 都有 一 本 难 念 的 经。
Jiājiā dōu yǒu yìběn nán niànde jīng.
(~ Every family has a bond of its history that is difficult to tell; Every family has its own internal constraints - It means that an outsider without insight does not recognize and cannot understand difficulties and internal reasons of a community.)
路遥 知 馬力 , 日久 見 人心。  /  路遥 知 马力 , 日久 见 人心。
Lù yáo zhī mǎ lì, rì jiǔ jiàn rén xīn.
(~ If the road is long, you can see the strength of a horse; if the day is long, you can see the character of a person.)
人 要 面 , 樹 要 皮。  /  人 要 面 , 树 要 皮。
Rén yào miàn, shù yào pí.
(~ People need a face, trees need a bark; saving face is understandable.)
水能 载 舟 亦能 覆舟。  /  水能 载 舟 亦能 覆舟。
Shuǐ néng zài zhōu yì néng fù zhōu.
(~ Water can carry the boat and can sink the boat.)
天下烏鴉一般黑。  /  天下乌鸦一般黑。
Tiānxià wūyā yìbān hēi.
(~ All ravens under the sky are generally black.)
玉不琢不成器。
Yù bù zhuó bù chéng qì.
(~ Jade that is not processed does not turn into a vessel; early writhes, which wants to become a tick.)
知子莫若父。
Zhī zǐ mò ruò fù.
(~ Nobody knows the son as well as the father.)
人 怕 出名 豬 怕 壯。  /  人 怕 出名 猪 怕 壮。
Rén pà chū míng, zhū pà zhuàng.
(~ A person is afraid of becoming famous, a pig is afraid of getting fat.)

Nongyan

The peasant proverbs Nóngyán ( 農 言  /  农 言 ) form an independent group . It is about omens that have to do with agriculture and proverbs that concern the time of sowing and harvesting. In German-speaking countries, they most closely correspond to the peasant rules .

春 争 日 , 夏 争 时。
Chūn zhēng rì, xià zhēng shí.
~ Every day counts in spring and every hour in summer.
春雨 贵 如 油。
Chūnyǔ guì rú yóu.
~ Spring rain is as precious as oil.

Xiehouyu

A special type are the implied proverbs Xiēhòuyǔ ( 歇后语  /  歇后语  - "expressions with an unspoken ending").

Xiehouyu are a special form of Chinese idioms. They are mainly found in the spoken language. These are two-part phrases that usually consist of a pictorial A part and an idiomatic B part - which is sometimes left unspoken. The pictures from Part A mainly describe things from everyday life in China, but also historical people and events. The idioms from Part B fall into the area of ​​colloquial Chinese.

八哥 〔兒〕 的 嘴巴 —— 隨 人 說。  /  八哥 〔儿〕 的 嘴巴 —— 随 人 说。
bāgē (r) de zuǐba —— suí rén shuō
~ Beak of a hooded maine (hooded star) —— repeats what others say; always agree to so. say what the other wants to hear; talk to someone by their mouths, be a turnaround, have no opinion or point of view of their own
八仙過海 —— 各 顯 其 能。  /  八仙过海 —— 各 显 其 能。
bāxiān guò hǎi —— gè xiǎn qí néng
~ The Eight Genii cross the sea - each shows what he can do; everyone does his best; everyone does what he can [best].
The eight genii - also called "eight immortals " ( 八仙 , bāxiān  - "eight Daoist immortals") - are part of Taoist mythology . Legend has it that each of them had a special prop. These magic weapons came u. a. then deployed when the geniuses wanted to cross the sea to get to the Western Paradise ( 西天 , xītiān ) on the birthday of the Royal Mother of the West ( 西 王母 , xīwángmǔ ) : everyone made use of their supernatural abilities and displayed their special skills Look
狗咬 耗子 —— 多 管閒事。  /  狗咬 耗子 —— 多 管闲事。
gǒu yǎo hàozi —— duō guǎn xiánshì
~ A dog snaps at mice - takes care of things that are none of their business (catching mice is known to be a cat thing), and sticks its nose in other people's affairs
泥 菩薩 過 江 —— 自身 難保。  /  泥 菩萨 过 江 —— 自身 难保。
ní púsà guòjiāng —— zìshēn – nánbǎo
~ The clay Buddha crosses the river —— cannot protect himself (let alone others)
Buddha statues formed from clay or carved from wood are considered to be talismans. If such a figure made of unfired clay were to cross a river and thus be exposed to the water for a long time, it would soon dissolve. Such a clay Buddha, who can hardly sustain himself (zìshēn) (nán bǎo), would also hardly be of help to others as a talisman. This phrase is used to comfort oneself in difficulties; or one uses it, by comparing oneself with the clay Buddha, as an excuse to politely get rid of someone seeking help.
肉包子打狗 —— 有去無回。  /  肉包子打狗 —— 有去无回。
ròubāozi dǎ gǒu —— yǒu qù wú huí
~ Throw a meat patty at a dog —— You won't see that again! to be able to write off / tick off something - fly with the "Never Come Back Airline"
Ròu bāozi are steamed dumplings with a meat filling; a treat that no dog will miss. Mocking remark about people who fail to repay their debts.
紙老虎 —— 嚇 不住 人。  /  纸老虎 —— 吓 不住 人。
zhǐlǎohǔ —— xià buzhù rén
~ Paper tiger —— cannot scare anyone
被 子裡 放屁 —— 能文能武。  /  被 子里 放屁 —— 能文能武。
bèi zi lǐ fàng pì —— néng wén néng wǔ
~ Farting under the blanket - skilled in words and weapons
"能文能武" ( néngwén-néngwǔ ) is an expression of praise for a versatile educated person who can handle the pen but also with weapons well, ie a person who is mentally “civil” as well as physically “martial” arts Home is. The humor and context to the first part result from the ambiguity: The same -sounding "能 聞 能 捂" ( néngwén-néngwǔ ) means "although covered, you can smell".

Individual evidence

  1. Margrith A. Lin-Huber: Learning to understand the Chinese . ISBN 3-456-83630-9
  2. 歇后语 “被 窝里 放屁” 下 一句 是 什么 , from 谭 对 对 in Baidu Zhidao, September 14, 2018

literature

  • Elke Spielmanns-Rome: Chinese sagas (xiēhòuyǔ 歇后语) in lexicographic sources . Dissertation. Bonn 2014 (Online: http://hss.ulb.uni-bonn.de/2014/3688/3688.htm )
  • Wan-Hsuan Yao-Weyrauch: The role of women in the German and Chinese proverb . Diss.phil. Bochum 1989
  • Wan-Hsuan Yao-Weyrauch: Women do not count as people - Chinese proverbs about the female gender . Heuchelheim 2006

Collections of proverbs

  • Patrick Doan: Calembours et subjections de la langue chinoise. Xiēhòuyǔ xuǎnjí . Paris 2003
  • Hong Hu. Chinese idioms made easy (汉语 熟语 学习 书 册). Chinabooks, 2011. ISBN 978-3-905816-35-8
  • Li Lanqin and Wang Xin: Stories of Chinese Proverbs (中国 成语 故事). China Book Trading, 2009. 236 pages. ISBN 978-7-119-06018-7
  • Erh-li Pao, Ying Cheng: Dictionary of Chinese Sayings: Chinese-German; Modern Chinese tetragrams . Berlin 1982
  • John S. Rohsenow: Chinese-English Dictionary of Enigmatic Folk Similes (Xiēhòuyǔ) . Tucson 1991
  • Elke Spielmanns-Rome and Wolfgang Kubin (eds.): Dictionary of Chinese sag words (Xiehouyu). Based on a manuscript by Barbara Chang . Hamburg: Buske, 2009. 623 pages. ISBN 978-3-87548-548-6
  • Chia-chun Sun: As the saying goes: an annotated anthology of Chinese and equivalent English sayings and expressions, and an introduction to Xiēhòuyǔ (Chinese wit) . New York 1981
  • Xu Zhenmin (许震民) and a .: Chinese-German lexicon of proverbial sayings (汉 德 成语 词典). Beijing: Commercial Press, 1981. 343 pages. ISBN 978-7-100-00098-7
  • Xu Zhenmin (许震民): The idiomatic lexicon Chinese-German (汉 德 熟语 词典). Beijing: China International Book Trading Corporation, 2010. German-Chinese, 1,026 pages. ISBN 978-3-905816-38-9

Web links