本来 本來 běn lái original / originally / at first / it goes without saying / of course syn 明 míng bright / opposite: dark 暗[an4] / (of meaning) clear / to understand / next / public or open / wise / generic term for a sacrifice to the gods syn 保留 bǎo liú to keep / to retain / to have reservations (about sth) / to hold back (from saying sth) / to put aside for later syn 明智 míng zhì sensible / wise / judicious / sagacious syn 显而易见 顯而易見 xiǎn ér yì jiàn clearly and easy to see (idiom) / obviously / clearly / it goes without saying syn 忠告 zhōng gào to give sb a word of advice / advice / counsel / a wise word syn 淑女 shū nǚ wise and virtuous woman / lady syn 高明 gāo míng brilliant / superior / wise syn 名言 míng yán saying / famous remark 睿智 ruì zhì wise and farsighted syn 老话 老話 lǎo huà an old saying syn 智者 zhì zhě sage / wise man / clever and knowledgeable person syn 口头禅 口頭禪 kǒu tóu chán Zen saying repeated as cant / (fig.) catchphrase / mantra / favorite expression / stock phrase syn 提心吊胆 提心吊膽 tí xīn diào dǎn (saying) to be very scared and on edge syn 英明 yīng míng wise / brilliant syn 世故 shì gu sophisticated / worldly-wise syn 畅所欲言 暢所欲言 chàng suǒ yù yán lit. fluently saying all one wants (idiom) / to preach freely on one's favorite topic / to hold forth to one's heart's content syn 高见 高見 gāo jiàn wise opinion / brilliant idea (honorific) syn 不辞而别 不辭而別 bù cí ér bié to leave without saying good-bye syn 俗语 俗語 sú yǔ common saying / proverb / colloquial speech syn 口口声声 口口聲聲 kǒu kou shēng shēng to keep on saying (idiom) / to repeat over and over again 不言而喻 bù yán ér yù it goes without saying / it is self-evident syn 光棍 guāng gùn gangster / hoodlum / bachelor / single man / (dialect) wise person / astute person syn 圣贤 聖賢 shèng xián a sage / wise and holy man / virtuous ruler / Buddhist lama / wine syn 高招 gāo zhāo wise move / masterstroke / bright ideas syn 哲人 zhé rén wise man syn 俗话 俗話 sú huà common saying / proverb syn 可想而知 kě xiǎng ér zhī (idiom) (it) goes without saying / can well be imagined 言不由衷 yán bù yóu zhōng to say sth without meaning it (idiom) / to speak tongue in cheek / saying one thing but meaning sth different syn 成语 成語 chéng yǔ Chinese set expression, typically of 4 characters, often alluding to a story or historical quotation / idiom / proverb / saying / adage / CL:條|条[tiao2],本[ben3],句[ju4] 二话不说 二話不說 èr huà bù shuō not saying anything further (idiom) / not raising any objection / without demur syn 常言 cháng yán common saying syn 明哲保身 míng zhé bǎo shēn a wise man looks after his own hide (idiom) / to put one's own safety before matters of principle syn 益友 yì yǒu helpful friend / wise companion syn 贤明 賢明 xián míng wise and capable / sagacious syn 歇后语 歇後語 xiē hòu yǔ anapodoton (a saying in which the second part, uttered after a pause or totally left out, is the intended meaning of the allegory presented in the first part) 隐讳 隱諱 yǐn huì to hold back from saying precisely what is on one's mind syn 贤慧 賢慧 xián huì (of a wife) wise and kind / perfect in her traditional roles 有道 yǒu dào to have attained the Way / (of a government or a ruler) enlightened / wise and just 挂在嘴边 掛在嘴邊 guà zài zuǐ biān to keep saying (sth) over and over 手无缚鸡之力 手無縛雞之力 shǒu wú fù jī zhī lì lit. lacking the strength even to truss a chicken (saying) / fig. weak / unaccustomed to physical work syn 有道是 yǒu dào shì as they say, ... / as the saying goes, ... syn 人杰 人傑 rén jié outstanding talent / wise and able person / illustrious individual syn 资治通鉴 資治通鑒 zī zhì tōng jiàn A Mirror for the Wise Ruler (or Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government), a vast chronological general history, written by 司馬光|司马光[Si1 ma3 Guang1] Sima Guang (1019-1089) and collaborators during the Northern Song in 1084, covering the period 403 BC-959 AD, 294 scrolls 那还用说 那還用說 nà hái yòng shuō that goes without saying 先哲 xiān zhé the wise and learned individuals of the past syn 井水不犯河水 jǐng shuǐ bù fàn hé shuǐ (saying) everyone minds their own business syn 习语 習語 xí yǔ common saying / idiom 练达 練達 liàn dá experienced / sophisticated / worldly-wise syn 识时务者为俊杰 識時務者為俊傑 shí shí wù zhě wèi jùn jié Only an outstanding talent can recognize current trends (idiom). A wise man submits to circumstances. 生命在于运动 生命在於運動 shēng mìng zài yú yùn dòng life is motion (popular saying with many possible interpretations) / Physical effort is vital for our bodies to function (Aristotle). / Life derives from physical exercise. 智 zhì (literary) wise / wisdom syn 哲 喆 zhé wise / a sage syn 民谚 民諺 mín yàn folk saying / proverb 古谚 古諺 gǔ yàn ancient proverb / old saying 俗谚 俗諺 sú yàn common saying / proverb 老于世故 老於世故 lǎo yú shì gù experienced in the ways of the world (idiom) / worldly-wise / sophisticated syn 事后诸葛亮 事後諸葛亮 shì hòu zhū gě liàng person who is wise after the event 常言说得好 常言說得好 cháng yán shuō de hǎo as the saying goes / as they say... 农谚 農諺 nóng yàn farmers' saying 自不必说 自不必說 zì bù bì shuō (idiom) needless to say / it goes without saying 哲人其萎 zhé rén qí wěi a wise man has passed away (idiom) 大智如愚 dà zhì rú yú the wise may appear stupid (idiom) / a genius not appreciated in his own time 敬老尊贤 敬老尊賢 jìng lǎo zūn xián to respect the wise and venerate the worthy (idiom) / to honor the great and the good 百鸟朝凤 百鳥朝鳳 bǎi niǎo cháo fèng lit. all birds paying looking up to the phoenix / fig. peace under a wise ruler 礼贤下士 禮賢下士 lǐ xián xià shì respect for the wise syn 老成持重 lǎo chéng chí zhòng old and wise / experienced and knowledgeable syn 闻一知十 聞一知十 wén yī zhī shí lit. to hear one and know ten (idiom) / fig. explain one thing and (he) understands everything / a word to the wise 见贤思齐 見賢思齊 jiàn xián sī qí see a worthy, think to imitate (idiom, from Analects) / emulate the virtuous / Follow the example of a virtuous and wise teacher. 郢书燕说 郢書燕說 yǐng shū yān shuō lit. Ying writes a letter and Yan reads it / fig. to misinterpret the original meaning / to pile up errors / refers to the letter from capital 郢[Ying3] of 楚[Chu3] in which the inadvertent words "hold up the candle" are mistaken by the minister of 燕[Yan1] as "promote the wise" 好汉不吃眼前亏 好漢不吃眼前虧 hǎo hàn bù chī yǎn qián kuī a wise man knows better than to fight when the odds are against him (idiom) 一寸光阴一寸金 一寸光陰一寸金 yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn (saying) time is precious 心口不一 xīn kǒu bù yī heart and mouth at variance (idiom) / keeping one's real intentions to oneself / saying one thing but meaning sth different syn 胡诌乱扯 胡謅亂扯 hú zhōu luàn chě to talk nonsense (idiom) / saying whatever comes into his head 胡诌乱道 胡謅亂道 hú zhōu luàn dào to talk nonsense (idiom) / saying whatever comes into his head 三位博士 sān wèi bó shì the Magi / the Three Wise Kings from the East in the biblical nativity story 事后聪明 事後聰明 shì hòu cōng ming wise after the event (idiom) / with hindsight, one should have predicted it 仁者见仁，智者见智 仁者見仁，智者見智 rén zhě jiàn rén , zhì zhě jiàn zhì The benevolent sees benevolence, the wise sees wisdom. / Different views are admissible. (idiom) 善策 shàn cè wise policy / best policy 大勇若怯，大智若愚 dà yǒng ruò qiè , dà zhì ruò yú a great hero may appear timid, the wise may appear stupid (idiom) / the general public may not recognize great talent 尊贤爱物 尊賢愛物 zūn xián ài wù to honor the wise and love the people / respecting noble talent while protecting the common people 智者千虑，必有一失 智者千慮，必有一失 zhì zhě qiān lǜ , bì yǒu yī shī lit. a wise person reflecting a thousand times can still make a mistake (idiom) / fig. nobody is infallible 东方三博士 東方三博士 dōng fāng sān bó shì the Magi / the Three Wise Kings from the East in the biblical nativity story 横爬行 橫爬行 héng pá xíng to walk sideways / crab-wise 武丁 wǔ dīng Wu Ding (c. 14th century BC), legendary founder and wise ruler of Shang dynasty 话到嘴边留三分 話到嘴邊留三分 huà dào zuǐ biān liú sān fēn A still tongue makes a wise head. (idiom) 风水先生 風水先生 fēng shuǐ xiān sheng feng shui master / geomancer / stock figure in folk tales, as a wise adviser or a charlatan 智者小组 zhì zhě xiǎo zǔ Panel of the Wise 智囊委员会 智囊委員會 Committee of Wise Men 国际智者委员会 國際智者委員會 International Committee of the Wise 听君一席话，胜读十年书 聽君一席話，勝讀十年書 tīng jūn yī xí huà , shèng dú shí nián shū listening to the words of a wise man can be superior to studying ten years of books (proverb) 英明果断 英明果斷 yīng míng guǒ duàn wise and resolute 拂士 bì shì attendant to the emperor / wise counselor 知人者智，自知者明 zhī rén zhě zhì , zì zhī zhě míng those who understand others are clever, but those who know themselves are truly wise (idiom, from Laozi's 道德經|道德经[Dao4 de2 jing1] 贪小失大 貪小失大 tān xiǎo shī dà penny wise and pound foolish (idiom) syn 识时务者为俊杰 識時務者為俊傑 shí shí wù zhě wéi jùn jié (idiom) only an outstanding talent can recognize current trends / a wise man submits to circumstances 不待说 不待說 bù dài shuō needless to say / it goes without saying 一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴 一寸光陰一寸金，寸金難買寸光陰 yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn , cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn lit. an interval of time is worth an ounce of gold, money cannot buy you time (saying) / fig. time is precious 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井绳 一朝被蛇咬，十年怕井繩 yī zhāo bèi shé yǎo , shí nián pà jǐng shéng lit. once bitten by a snake, one is scared all one's life at the mere sight of a rope (saying) / fig. once bitten, twice shy 