Word: 不如 (bùrú)

万言万中，不如一默

wàn yán wàn zhòng, bùrú yí mò

ten thousand words, ten thousand hits, are not as good as one silence

上海有什么不如北京的方面吗？

Shànghǎi yǒu shénme bùrú Běijīng de fāngmiàn ma?

Are there any aspects of Shanghai that are not as good as those of Beijing?

不如一起去看电影吧。

Bùrú yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng ba.

Would you like to go see a movie with me?

不如休息一下吧？

Bùrú xiūxi yíxià ba?

What do you say to taking a rest?

不如我们走着去书店吧？

Bùrú wǒmen zǒuzhe qù shūdiàn ba?

Why don't we go to the bookstore on foot?

两鸟在林，不如一鸟在手

liǎng niǎo zài lín, bùrú yì niǎo zàishǒu

two birds in the forest are not as good as one bird in the hand

人亲不如土亲

rén qīn bùrú tǔ qīn

relatives are not as close as one's native soil

人生不读书，活着不如猪

rénshēng bù dúshū, huózhe bùrú zhū

if a person doesn't study in life, living is worse than being a pig

他与其牺牲生命，不如出卖组织。

Tā yǔqí xīshēng shēngmìng, bùrú chūmài zǔzhī.

He would rather betray his organization than lose his life.

会说的不如会听的

huì shuō de bùrú huì tīng de

A good talker is no match for a good listener

作业这么多，不如一鼓作气写完。

Zuòyè zhème duō, bùrú yìgǔzuòqì xiě wán.

With so much homework, you may as well finish it in one burst.

作福不如避罪

zuò Fú bùrú bìzuì

seeking blessings is not as good as avoiding crime

你不如跟我一起来。

Nǐ bùrú gēn wǒ yì qǐlai.

You may as well come with me.

养生不如放生

yǎngshēng bùrú fàngshēng

keeping creatures is not as good as setting them free

出处不如聚处

chūchǔ bùrú jù chù

the place of origin is not as good as the place of gathering

出外一里,不如家里

chūwài yì lǐ,bùrú jiālǐ

one li away from home is still not as good as home

力敌不如智取

lì dí bùrú zhìqǔ

matching strength is not as good as winning by wit

十事半通，不如一事精通

shí shì bàntōng, bùrú yíshì jīngtōng

half-knowing ten things is worse than mastering one

千虚不如一实

qiān xū bùrú yì shí

a thousand empty things are not as good as one real thing

县官不如现管

xiànguān bùrú xiàn guǎn

the county magistrate is not as good as the one in charge right now

口服千句,不如心应一声

kǒufú qiān jù,bùrú xīn yìng yìshēng

a thousand verbal assents are not worth one answer from the heart

吃药不如自调理

chīyào bùrú zì tiáolǐ

taking medicine is not as good as looking after yourself

听说十遍，不如亲眼一见

tīngshuō shí biàn, bùrú qīnyǎn yí jiàn

hearing it ten times is not as good as seeing it once with your own eyes

和蠢人争论，不如去捡大粪

hé chǔnrén zhēnglùn, bùrú qù jiǎn dàfèn

rather than arguing with a fool, you'd do better to go and collect dung

咱们不如去喝杯咖啡？

Zánmen bùrú qù hē bēi kāfēi?

Wouldn't it be better if we went and got a coffee?

善说不如善做，善始不如善终

shàn shuō bùrú shàn zuò, shàn shǐ bùrú shànzhōng

being good at talking is not as good as being good at doing; a good start is not as good as a good finish

坐而言不如起而行。

Zuò éryán bùrú qǐ ér xíng.

Actions speak louder than words.

外乡酒不如家乡水

wàixiāng jiǔ bùrú jiāxiāng shuǐ

wine from another place is no match for water from home

多得不如现得

duō dé bùrú xiàn dé

getting more later is not as good as getting it now

多求不如省费

duō qiú bùrú shěng fèi

asking many is not as good as saving expense

多用兵不如巧用计

duō yòngbīng bùrú qiǎo yòngjì

using many troops is not as good as using clever tactics

多虚不如少实，广种不如狭收

duō xū bùrú shǎo shí, guǎng zhòng bùrú xiá shōu

much show is worse than a little substance; sowing wide is worse than reaping from a small plot

她在数学上不如他。

Tā zài shùxué shàng bùrú tā.

She is inferior to him in math.

好合不如好散

hǎo hé bùrú hǎo sàn

a good coming together is not as good as a good parting

好头不如好尾

hǎo tóu bùrú hǎo wěi

a good head isn't as good as a good tail

好手不敌双拳，双拳不如四手

hǎoshǒu bù dí shuāng quán, shuāng quán bùrú sì shǒu

a good hand can't beat two fists; two fists are no match for four hands

好死不如赖活

hǎo sǐ bùrú làihuó

a good death is not as good as a poor life

好记性不如烂笔头儿

hǎo jìxing bùrú làn bǐtour

a good memory is not as good as a worn-out pen tip

好账不如无

hǎo zhàng bùrú wú

a good debt is not as good as none

娇养不如历艰

jiāoyǎng bùrú lì jiān

pampering is not as good as going through hardship

屋宽不如心宽

wū kuān bùrú xīn kuān

a wide house is not as good as a wide heart

巧言不如直道

qiǎoyán bùrú zhí dào

clever words are not as good as plain speaking

床头千贯,不如日进分文

chuángtóu qiān guàn,bùrú rì jìn fēnwén

a thousand strings of coins by the bed is worse than a little coming in every day

当官不为民作主，不如回家卖红薯

dāngguān bú wèi mín zuòzhǔ, bùrú huíjiā mài hóngshǔ

if an official won't decide for the people, better go home and sell sweet potatoes

心记不如墨记

xīn jì bùrú mò jì

remembering with the heart is not as good as remembering with ink

我们不如唱那首英语歌吧！

Wǒmen bùrú chàng nà shǒu Yīngyǔ gē ba!

I think we'd better sing that English song!

我做得不如以前好了。

Wǒ zuò de bùrú yǐqián hǎole.

I don't do that as well as I used to.

我现在吃肉的次数不如以前多了。

Wǒ xiànzài chī ròu de cìshù bùrú yǐqián duō le.

I don't eat meat as much as I used to.

找人不如遇人

zhǎo rén bùrú yù rén

looking for someone is not as good as running into them

投亲不如住店

tóuqīn bùrú zhùdiàn

staying with relatives is not as good as staying at an inn

拔了毛的凤凰不如鸡

bále Máo de fènghuáng bùrú jī

a plucked phoenix is worse than a chicken

数量不如质量。

Shùliàng bùrú zhìliàng.

Quality is more important than quantity.

杀生不如放生

shāshēng bùrú fàngshēng

taking life is not as good as releasing life

栽刺不如栽花

zāi cì bùrú zāihuā

planting thorns is worse than planting flowers

熟读王叔和，不如临症多

shúdú Wáng shū hé, bùrú línzhèng duō

reading Wang Shuhe thoroughly is not as good as seeing many patients

猛虎不如群狐

měnghǔ bùrú qún hú

a fierce tiger is no match for a pack of foxes

王小二过年，一年不如一年

wángxiǎo'èrguònián, yì nián bùrú yì nián

Wang Xiao'er celebrates New Year: each year worse than the last

男人无刚，不如粗糠

nánrén wú gāng, bùrú cūkāng

a man without firmness is worse than coarse chaff

百战百胜，不如不战

bǎizhànbǎishèng, bùrú bú zhàn

a hundred battles and a hundred wins is not as good as no battle

省事不如省官

shěngshì bùrú shěng guān

cutting down on affairs is not as good as cutting down on officials

眼过千遍,不如手过一遍

yǎn guò qiān biàn,bùrú shǒu guò yíbiàn

eyes passing over it a thousand times is not as good as the hands doing it once

砍的不如旋的圆

kǎn de bùrú xuàn de yuán

what is hacked is not as round as what is turned

离家一里，不如屋里

líjiā yì lǐ, bùrú wūlǐ

one li away from home is not as good as being inside the house

老人的听觉不如以前好了。

Lǎorén de tīngjué bùrú yǐqián hǎole.

The old man's hearing isn't as good as it used to be.

耳听千遍，不如手过一遍

ěr tīng qiān biàn, bùrú shǒu guò yíbiàn

hearing a thousand times is not as good as going through it once by hand

耳闻不如目睹，目睹不如身受

ěrwénbùrúmùdǔ, mùdǔ bùrú shēnshòu

hearing is not as good as seeing, and seeing is not as good as experiencing

肥田不如瘦水

féitián bùrú shòu shuǐ

fertile fields are not as good as lean water

良田不如良佃

liángtián bùrú liáng tián

good fields are not as good as a good tenant farmer

衣不如新，人不如旧

yī bùrú xīn, rén bùrú jiù

for clothes, nothing beats new; for people, nothing beats old

观景不如听景

guān jǐng bùrú tīng jǐng

seeing the view is not as good as hearing about the view

话多不如话少，话少不如话好。

Huà duō bùrú huà shǎo, huà shǎo bùrú huà hǎo.

It's better to speak less than to speak too much, and it's better to speak well than to speak too little.

说千道万，不如一干

shuōqiāndàowàn, bùrú yì gān

say a thousand things, say ten thousand, it's better to do it once

说她美不如说她可爱。

Shuō tā měi bùrú shuō tā kě'ài.

She is more pretty than beautiful.

金窝银窝，不如自家的草窝

jīn wō yín wō, bùrú zìjiā de cǎowō

a golden nest or silver nest is not as good as your own straw nest

锅里添水不如釜底抽薪

guō li tiān shuǐ bùrú fǔdǐchōuxīn

adding water to the pot is not as good as pulling firewood from under the cauldron

麻袋草袋，一袋不如一袋

mádài cǎo dài, yí dài bùrú yí dài

Hemp sack and straw sack: each sack is worse than the last