Chinese sayings 俗语

俗语 (súyǔ) are everyday Chinese sayings. 惯用语 (guànyòngyǔ) are fixed phrases used within a sentence, like “spill the beans” in English. 谚语 (yànyǔ) are proverbs that express folk wisdom. 歇后语 (xiēhòuyǔ) are two-part sayings that present an image and then explain it, often with a pun.

Each saying links to its dictionary entry or, if used as a complete sentence, to its own example sentence page. Sayings that may offend carry a warning.

• Chinese idioms (惯用语)

  Set phrases used inside a sentence, like 吃闭门羹 (to be turned away at the door).

  2334 sayings

• Chinese proverbs (谚语)

  Proverbs that state a piece of folk wisdom, like 冰冻三尺，非一日之寒 (three feet of ice does not come from one cold day).

  2452 sayings

• Chinese two-part sayings (歇后语)

  A picture and then what it means, like 外甥打灯笼，照舅 (a nephew carrying a lantern lights the way for his uncle), which sounds like 照旧, 'as before'.

  1884 sayings