Word: 之 (zhī)

世界之大，无奇不有

shìjiè zhī dà, wúqíbùyǒu

the world is so big that there is no oddity it lacks

为了长远之计，我们决定搬家。

Wèile chángyuǎn zhī jì, wǒmen juédìng bānjiā.

For the sake of the long-term plan, we decided to move.

乌有反哺之义，羊有跪乳之恩

Wū yǒu fǎnbǔ zhī yì, yáng yǒu guìrǔ zhī ēn

crows have the duty of feeding back; lambs have the grace of kneeling to suckle

人有善愿，天必从之

rén yǒu shàn yuàn, tiān bì cóng zhī

if a person has a good wish, Heaven will surely grant it

人有见面之情

rén yǒu jiànmiàn zhī qíng

people have the feeling of meeting face to face

人有隔夜之智

rén yǒu géyè zhī zhì

people have the wisdom of overnight

他乡虽好，终非久留之地

tā xiāng suī hǎo, zhōng fēi jiǔliú zhī dì

though a foreign land is fine, it is not a place to stay long

他以君子之道生活。

Tā yǐ jūnzǐ zhī dào shēnghuó.

He lived a moral life.

他们之间隔着很远的距离。

Tāmen zhī jiàngé zhe hěn yuǎn de jùlí.

They are separated by a great distance.

他们认为他是太阳之子。

Tāmen rènwéi tā shì tàiyang zhī zǐ.

They thought he was the son of the Sun.

他终于到了绝望之井。

Tā zhōngyú dàole juéwàng zhī jǐng.

At last, he arrived at the Well of Despair.

以我之见，我无话可说。

Yǐ wǒ zhī jiàn, wǒ wúhuàkěshuō.

As for me, I have nothing to say.

佛门虽大，难度无缘之人

Fómén suī dà, nándù wúyuán zhī rén

though the Buddhist gate is wide, it is hard to save those without affinity

你能感受到不同之处吗？

Nǐ néng gǎnshòu dào bùtóng zhī chù ma?

Can you feel the difference?

偏怜之子不保业，难得之妇不主家

piānlián zhī zǐ bù bǎo yè, nándé zhī fù bù zhǔ jiā

a favoured son won't keep the family estate; a doted-on wife won't run the household

养不教,父之过

yǎng bú jiào,fù zhī guò

to feed without teaching is the father's fault

匹夫无故获千金，必有非常之祸

pǐfū wúgù huò qiānjīn, bì yǒu fēicháng zhī huò

if a common man gets a thousand gold for no reason, there must be an extraordinary disaster

受人之托，必当终人之事

shòu rén zhī tuō, bì dāng zhōng rén zhī shì

entrusted by someone, you must see their matter through

受人滴水之恩，必当涌泉相报

shòu rén dīshuǐ zhī ēn, bì dāng yǒngquánxiāngbào

for a drop of water received, repay with a gushing spring

口是祸之门,舌为斩身刀

kǒu shì huò zhī mén,shé wéi zhǎn shēn dāo

the mouth is the gate of disaster; the tongue is the blade that cuts the body

君子不吃无名之食

jūnzǐ bùchī wúmíng zhī shí

a gentleman doesn't eat nameless food

君子不夺人之所好

jūnzǐ bù duó rén zhī suǒ hào

a gentleman doesn't take what others love

君子爱财，取之有道

jūnzǐ àicái, qǔ zhī yǒu dào

a gentleman loves wealth, but gets it in the proper way

大海的浮萍也有相逢之日

dàhǎi de fúpíng yě yǒu xiāngféng zhī rì

even duckweed on the sea has a day of meeting again

天不生无用之人，地不长无用之草

tiān bù shēng wúyòng zhī rén, dì bù zhǎng wúyòng zhī cǎo

heaven bears no useless person, earth grows no useless grass

天地之大，无奇不有

tiāndì zhī dà, wúqíbùyǒu

the world is vast, there's nothing strange that doesn't exist

她的心流露着感激之情。

Tā de xīn liúlùzhe gǎnjī zhī qíng.

Her heart flowed with gratitude.

她的歌声让很多观众为之倾倒。

Tā de gēshēng ràng hěn duō guānzhòng wèi zhī qīngdǎo.

Her singing won the admiration of many in the audience.

学习之路如此漫长。

Xuéxí zhī lù rúcǐ màncháng.

The road to mastery is oh so long.

孩子是宝中之宝。

Háizi shì bǎo zhōng zhī bǎo.

There is no treasure more precious than a child.

害人之心不可有，防人之心不可无

hàirén zhī xīn bùkě yǒu, fáng rén zhī xīn bùkě wú

the heart to harm others must not exist; the heart to guard against others must not be absent

对生命要有敬畏之心，你说呢？

Duì shēngmìng yào yǒu jìngwèi zhī xīn, nǐ shuō ne?

One should have a sense of reverence for life, don't you think?

屋漏在上，知之在下

wūlòu zài shàng, zhī zhī zài xià

the roof leaks above, those below know it

希望我们会喜欢我们的中国之旅。

Xīwàng wǒmen huì xǐhuan wǒmen de Zhōngguó zhī lǚ.

Hopefully, we'll enjoy our China trip.

广东与广西之间隔着什么？

Guǎngdōng yǔ Guǎngxī zhī jiàngé zhe shénme?

What separates Guangdong from Guangxi?

恻隐之心，人皆有之

cèyǐnzhīxīn, rén jiē yǒu zhī

the heart of compassion: everyone has it

成立之难如登天，覆败之易如燎毛

chénglì zhī nánrúdēngtiān, fùbài zhī yì rú liǎo Máo

Establishing is as hard as climbing to heaven; collapse is as easy as singeing hair

我们没有任何共同之处。

Wǒmen méiyǒu rènhé gòngtóng zhī chù.

We have nothing in common.

我同他们没有过共同之处。

Wǒ tóng tāmen méiyǒuguo gòngtóng zhī chù.

I had nothing in common with them.

我和她没有共同之处。

Wǒ hé tā méiyǒu gòngtóng zhī chù.

I have nothing in common with her.

我很喜欢北斗之拳！

Wǒ hěn xǐhuan Běidǒu zhī quán!

I love Fist of the North Star!

投之以桃，报之以李

tóu zhī yǐ táo, bào zhī yǐ Lǐ

give me a peach and I repay with a plum

教子之法，莫叫离父；教女之法，莫叫离母

jiàozǐ zhī fǎ, mò jiào lí fù; jiào nǚ zhī fǎ, mò jiào lí mǔ

the way to teach a son: don't let him leave his father; the way to teach a daughter: don't let her leave her mother

无志之人常立志，有志之人立常志

wú zhì zhī rén cháng lìzhì, yǒuzhì zhī rén lì cháng zhì

people without resolve often make resolutions; people with resolve make one lasting resolution

无知是恐惧之母，也是崇拜之母。

Wúzhī shì kǒngjù zhī mǔ, yě shì chóngbài zhī mǔ.

Ignorance is the mother of fear as well as of admiration.

日本人以米饭和鱼为生存之食。

Rìběn rén yǐ mǐfàn hé yú wèi shēngcún zhī shí.

The Japanese live on rice and fish.

朋友就像生命之园里的花朵。

Péngyou jiù xiàng shēngmìng zhī yuán lǐ de huāduǒ.

Friends are like flowers in the garden of life.

权力之争，非我即敌。

Quánlì zhī zhēng, fēi wǒ jí dí.

Everyone who isn't us is an enemy.

梁园虽好，不是久恋之乡

liángyuánsuīhǎo, bú shì jiǔ liàn zhī xiāng

the Liang Garden is lovely, but not a land to linger in

滴水之恩，当涌泉相报

dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquánxiāngbào

a favour as small as a drop of water should be repaid with a gushing spring

牛有千斤之力，人有倒牛之方

niú yǒu qiānjīn zhī lì, rén yǒu dǎo niú zhī fāng

an ox has a thousand jin of strength, but people have ways to bring an ox down

狮子是丛林之王。

Shīzi shì cónglín zhī Wáng.

The lion is the king of the jungle.

猪八戒的脊梁，悟能之背

zhūbājiè de jǐliáng, Wùnéng zhī bèi

Pigsy's back: the back of Wuneng

相马失之瘦,相士失之贫

xiàngmǎ shī zhī shòu,xiàngshì shī zhī pín

judging horses you err by thin, judging scholars you err by poor

眼睛是灵魂之窗。

Yǎnjing shì línghún zhī chuāng.

The eye is the window of the soul.

积善之家，必有余庆；积恶之家，必有余殃

jīshàn zhī jiā, bì yǒu Yúqìng; jī'è zhī jiā, bì yǒu yúyāng

a family that piles up good deeds will surely have blessings left over; a family that piles up evil will surely have misfortune left over

终于，他来到了绝望之井。

Zhōngyú, tā láidàole juéwàng zhī jǐng.

At last, he arrived at the Well of Despair.

见人不是，百恶之根；见己不是，百善之门

jiàn rén bú shì, bǎi'è zhī gēn; jiàn jǐ bú shì, bǎishàn zhī mén

seeing others' faults is the root of a hundred evils; seeing your own is the door to a hundred virtues

言为心之苗

yán wéi xīn zhī miáo

words are the sprouts of the heart

败兵之将，不敢言勇

bàibīng zhī jiàng, bùgǎn yán yǒng

a general of a beaten army doesn't dare speak of courage

过耳之言，不可听信

guò ěr zhī yán, bùkě tīngxìn

words that just pass the ear should not be believed

这对夫妇有七个子女之多。

Zhè duì fūfù yǒu qī gè zǐnǚ zhī duō.

The couple have no less than seven children.

酒色祸之媒

jiǔsè huò zhī méi

wine and lust are the go-between of disaster

重复是记忆之母。

Chóngfù shì jìyì zhī mǔ.

Repetition is the mother of memory.

钢刀虽快，不斩无罪之人

gāngdāo suī kuài, bù zhǎn wúzuì zhī rén

though a steel blade is sharp, it does not cut down the innocent

钱为人之胆

qián wéi rén zhī dǎn

money is a person's courage

香港被称作东方之珠。

Xiānggǎng bèi chēngzuò dōngfāng zhī zhū.

Hong Kong is referred to as the Pearl of Asia.