Word: 无 (wú, mó)

三餐莫过饱,无病活到老

sāncān mò guò bǎo,wú bìng huó dào lǎo

don't overeat at the three meals and you'll live to old age without illness

不如意事常八九，可与人言无二三

bùrúyìshìchángbājiǔ, kě yǔ rén yán wú èrsān

unhappy matters are often eight or nine in ten; what can be told to others is two or three at most, if any

丰年要当歉年过,有粮常想无粮时

fēngnián yào dāng qiànnián guò,yǒu liáng cháng xiǎng wú liáng shí

in a bumper year live as in a lean year; when you have grain, think of when you have none

久病无孝子

jiǔbìng wú xiàozǐ

a long illness has no dutiful son

久赌无胜家

jiǔ dǔ wú shèng jiā

gamble long enough and nobody wins

人到无求品自高

rén dào wú qiú pǐn zì gāo

when a person wants nothing, his character is naturally high

人无刚骨，安身不牢

rén wú gāng gǔ, ānshēn bù láo

a person without stiff bones can't settle securely

人无千日好，花无百日红

rén wú qiānrì hǎo, huāwúbǎirìhóng

people aren't good for a thousand days, flowers aren't red for a hundred days

人无百年拙

rén wú bǎinián zhuō

no one is clumsy for a hundred years

人无笑脸休开店

rén wú xiàoliǎn xiū kāidiàn

a person without a smiling face should not open a shop

从无到有，这叫成就。

Cóng wú dào yǒu, zhè jiào chéngjiù.

Going from not having to having – that’s success.

你看似对这世间已了无牵挂。

Nǐ kànsì duì zhè shìjiān yǐ le wú qiānguà.

You look as if you don't have a care in the world.

兔子跳进开水锅，有死无活

tùzi tiàojìn kāishuǐ guō, yǒu sǐ wú huó

a rabbit jumping into a pot of boiling water: death, no life

八十岁的老太太打哈欠，一望无牙

bāshí suì de lǎotàitai dǎhāqian, yí wàng wú yá

An eighty-year-old woman yawning: not a tooth in sight

兵无将而不动，蛇无头而不行

bīng wú jiāng ér bú dòng, shéwútóu'érbùxíng

troops without a general don't move; a snake without a head can't crawl

兵无强弱，将有巧拙

bīng wú qiángruò, jiàng yǒu qiǎo zhuō

soldiers are not strong or weak, but generals are skilled or clumsy

劳动强筋骨,无病便是福

láodòng qiáng jīngǔ,wú bìng biànshì Fú

Labour strengthens sinews and bones; freedom from illness is itself fortune

十七十八无丑女

shíqī shíbā wú chǒu nǚ

at seventeen or eighteen there is no ugly girl

千人所指，无病而死

qiānrénsuǒzhǐ, wú bìng ér sǐ

when a thousand people point at you, you die even without illness

吃多无滋味，话多不值钱

chī duō wú zīwèi, huà duō bùzhíqián

eat too much and food has no taste; talk too much and words are worth nothing

同行无疏伴

tóngháng wú shū bàn

no distant companions among those who travel together

和尚撑伞，无发无天

héshang chēngsǎn, wú fā wú tiān

a monk holding up an umbrella: no hair, no sky

哪个腹中无算盘

nǎge fù zhōng wú suànpán

whose belly has no abacus

塘里无鱼虾也贵

táng li wú yúxiā yě guì

when the pond has no fish, even shrimp are dear

墙头儿上跑马,有去路无回路

qiáng tóur shàng pǎomǎ,yǒu qùlù wú huílù

racing a horse along a wall top: a way forward but no way back

夜猫子进宅,无事不来

yèmāozi jìn zhái,wú shì bù lái

an owl comes into the house: it doesn't come without reason

大化小，小化无

dàhuà xiǎo, xiǎo huà wú

make the big small, make the small nothing

大盗沿街走，无赃不定罪

dàdào yánjiē zǒu, wú zāng bú dìngzuì

a great robber walks the street: without loot, no conviction

天上无云不下雨，地上无人事不成

tiānshàng wú Yún búxiàyǔ, dìshang wúrén shì bùchéng

no clouds in the sky, no rain; no people on the ground, nothing gets done

天无一月雨，人无一世穷

tiān wú yíyuè yǔ, rén wú yíshì qióng

The sky has no month of rain, a person has no lifetime of poverty

天无二日，人无二理

tiānwú'èrrì, rén wú èr lǐ

The sky has no two suns, people have no two truths

太阳之下无新事。

Tàiyang zhīxià wú xīn shì.

Nothing new under the sun.

好账不如无

hǎo zhàng bùrú wú

a good debt is not as good as none

学问无大小，能者为尊

xuéwèn wú dàxiǎo, néngzhě wéi zūn

learning has no big or small; the able are respected

孩子嘴里无谎话

háizi zuǐlǐ wú huǎnghuà

there are no lies in a child's mouth

宁可无了有，不可有了无

nìngkě wúle yǒu, bùkě yǒule wú

better to go from having nothing to having something than from having to having nothing

宁可无钱，不可无耻

nìngkě wú qián, bùkě wúchǐ

better to have no money than to have no shame

宁当有日筹无日，莫待无时思有时

níng dāng yǒu rì chóu wú rì, mò dài wú shí sī yǒushí

better to plan in days of plenty for days of none, than to recall plenty when there is none

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

家无主，屋倒竖

jiā wú zhǔ, wū dàoshù

with no mistress in the house, the house stands upside down

家有一心，堆积黄金；家有二心，无钱买针

jiā yǒu yìxīn, duījī huángjīn; jiā yǒu èrxīn, wú qián mǎi zhēn

a family of one heart piles up gold; a family of two hearts can't afford a needle

家里无贼，贼不来

jiālǐ wú zéi, zéi bù lái

if there is no thief at home, thieves won't come

富无三代享

fù wú sāndài xiǎng

wealth doesn't last three generations

将相本无种，男儿当自强

jiàngxiàng běn wú zhǒng, nán'ér dāng zìqiáng

generals and ministers are not born of a special seed; a man should strive to be strong

尿泡虽大无斤两，秤砣虽小压千斤

suīpao suī dà wú jīnliǎng, chèngtuósuīxiǎoyāqiānjīn

though the bladder is big it has no weight; though the steelyard weight is small it outweighs a thousand jin

山上无大树，茅草招大风

shānshàng wú dàshù, máocǎo zhāo dàfēng

with no big trees on the mountain, the thatch grass draws the great wind

山中无老虎，猴子称大王

shān zhōng wú lǎohǔ, hóuzichēngdàiwang

when there is no tiger in the mountains, the monkey calls himself king

山怕无林海怕荒

shān pà wú línhǎi pà huāng

a mountain fears having no forest, the sea fears being barren

巧媳妇做不出无米饭

qiǎo xífù zuò bù chū wú mǐfàn

even a clever wife can't cook a meal without rice

常将有日思无日，莫待无时思有时

cháng jiāng yǒu rì sī wú rì, mò dài wú shí sī yǒushí

when you have, think of days without; don't wait until you have nothing to think of when you had

常赌无赢客

cháng dǔ wú yíng kè

constant gamblers have no winners

平生不做亏心事，世上应无切齿人

píngshēng bú zuò kuīxīnshì, shìshàng yīng wú qièchǐrén

if you never do anything to trouble your conscience, no one in the world will grind their teeth at you

心病从来无药医

xīnbìng cónglái wú yào yī

heartsickness has never had a medicine to cure it

忍得一时忿，终身无恼闷

rěnde yìshí fèn, zhōngshēn wú nǎomèn

hold back anger for a moment, and have no vexation all your life

急中有失，怒中无智

jí zhōng yǒushī, nù zhōng wú zhì

in haste there are mistakes, in anger there is no wisdom

成功无难事，只怕心不专

chénggōng wú nánshì, zhǐpà xīn bù zhuān

Success has no hard tasks; the only fear is a mind not focused

我不习惯喝无糖咖啡。

Wǒ bù xíguàn hē wú táng kāfēi.

I am not used to drinking coffee without sugar.

我无家可回。

Wǒ wú jiā kě huí.

I have no home to return to.

房檐上种菜,无园

fángyán shàng zhòngcài,wú yuán

planting vegetables on the eaves: no garden

所有病人最终无一生还。

Suǒyǒu bìngrén zuìzhōng wú yìshēng hái.

All the patients eventually died.

无事一身轻

wú shì yìshēn qīng

with no worries, the body is light

无债一身轻

wú zhài yìshēn qīng

without debt, the body is light

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

无才有志，成全半事；有才无志，白头了事；有才有志，做得大事

wú cái yǒuzhì, chéngquán bàn shì; yǒu cái wú zhì, báitóu liǎo shì; yǒu cái yǒuzhì, zuò de dàshì

no talent but ambition, half the job is done; talent but no ambition, you end with white hair and nothing; talent and ambition, you can do great things

无本难求利

wú běn nán qiú lì

without capital it is hard to seek profit

无林无木，山区不富

wú lín wú mù, shānqū bú fù

no forest, no trees, the mountain area does not get rich

无欺心自安

wú qīxīn zì ān

without deceiving, the heart is at peace

无求到处人情好

wú qiú dàochù rénqíng hǎo

wanting nothing, you find goodwill everywhere

无火难成炊

wú huǒ nán chéng chuī

without fire it is hard to cook a meal

无病赛过活神仙

wú bìng sàiguò huóshénxiān

being free of illness beats being a living immortal

无祸便是福

wú huò biànshì Fú

no disaster is itself good fortune

无花的蔷薇，只有刺儿

wú huā de qiángwēi, zhǐyǒu cìr

a rose bush without flowers: only thorns

无赃难定罪

wú zāng nán dìngzuì

without stolen goods it is hard to fix guilt

无酒不成席

wú jiǔ bùchéng xí

without wine there is no banquet

无针不引线，无水不渡船

wú zhēn bù yǐnxiàn, wúshuǐ bú dùchuán

without a needle the thread isn't led through; without water a boat can't cross

日子若要过得好,老少三辈无大小

rìzi ruò yàoguò de hǎo,lǎoshào sānbèi wú dàxiǎo

if you want life to go well, three generations should have no big or small

是药能治病，世上无死人

shì yào néng zhìbìng, shìshàng wú sǐ rén

if medicine could cure illness, nobody in the world would die

是非来入耳，不听自然无

shìfēi lái rù'ěr, bù tīng zìrán wú

if gossip comes into the ear, not listening means naturally there is none

暂无新消息，请耐心等待。

Zàn wú xīn xiāoxi, qǐng nàixīn děngdài.

There's no news for the moment, so please be patient.

有志不在年高，无志空活百岁

yǒuzhìbúzàiniángāo, wú zhì kōng huó bǎisuì

ambition isn't a matter of old age; without ambition you live a hundred years in vain

有话便长，无话便短

yǒu huà biàn cháng, wú huà biàn duǎn

if there is something to say, go long; if not, keep it short

有钱常记无钱日

yǒuqián cháng jì wú qián rì

when you have money, keep in mind the days without it

有钱难买回头看，头若回看后悔无

yǒuqián nán mǎi huítóu kàn, tóu ruò huí kàn hòuhuǐ wú

money can't buy looking back; if you look back, there's no regret

有风方起浪，无潮水自平

yǒu fēng fāng qǐ làng, wú cháoshuǐ zì píng

waves rise only when there is wind; with no tide the water stays calm

木无本必枯，水无源必竭

mù wú běn bì kū, shuǐ wú yuán bì jié

a tree without roots must wither, water without a source must run dry

柔中有刚攻不破,刚中无柔不为坚

róu zhōng yǒu gāng gōng bú pò,gāng zhōng wú róu bù wéi jiān

gentleness with firmness inside cannot be broken; firmness without gentleness is not truly strong

槽里无食猪咬猪

cáo li wú shí zhū yǎo zhū

When the trough has no food, pigs bite pigs

此地无朱砂,红土也为贵

cǐdì wú zhūshā,hóngtǔ yě wéi guì

where there is no cinnabar, red earth is also valuable

水清无大鱼

shuǐ qīng wú dà yú

where the water is clear there are no big fish

泥牛入海，永无消息

níniúrùhǎi, yǒng wú xiāoxi

a clay ox enters the sea: no news ever

浮萍尚有相逢日，人岂全无见面时

fúpíng shàng yǒu xiāngféng rì, rén qǐ quán wú jiànmiàn shí

even duckweed has a day of meeting again; how could people never meet again

火大无湿柴

huǒ dà wú shī chái

when the fire is big, there is no wet firewood

男人无刚，不如粗糠

nánrén wú gāng, bùrú cūkāng

a man without firmness is worse than coarse chaff

眼光浅时无大量

yǎnguāng qiǎn shí wú dàliàng

when vision is shallow there is no great capacity

破草帽，无边无沿儿

pò cǎomào, wúbiān wú yánr

a ruined straw hat: no brim, no edge

老鼠跌进铁桶里,无缝儿可钻

lǎoshǔ diējìn tiětǒng lǐ,wú fèngr kě zuān

a mouse falls into an iron bucket: no crack to slip through

花无百日红，人无千日好

huāwúbǎirìhóng, rén wú qiānrì hǎo

no flower stays red a hundred days, no person stays well a thousand days

花有重开日，人无再少年

huā yǒu chóngkāi rì, rén wú zài shàonián

flowers can bloom again, but people never become young again

若无高山,怎显平地

ruò wú gāoshān,zěn xiǎn píngdì

without high mountains, how would flat land show

蛇无头不行

shé wú tóu bùxíng

a snake without a head can't go