Call it what you will.
An expression. A phrase. A way of speech.
The idiom.
It seems that idioms and proverbs can be found in thousands of different cultures and languages all across our great big world.
Here is the thing, though. For example, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush and may not have a proper translation from English to Mandarin. And although there might be direct parallels between the meanings of these sayings, they usually can’t be translated exactly from one language to another.
It seems as though all of the idioms, all the world around, have their roots in culturally specific phrases or traditions.
So, to illustrate my example further, I’ve found these 10 Chinese idioms and proverbs alongside their origin stories.
(Note: Each subheading is in Traditional Chinese, with the Simplified Chinese in the entry itself.)
ººººººººººººººººº
1. 馬死落地行 (maa5 sei2 lok6 dei6 haang4) // “If your horse dies, get on the ground and walk”
2. 豬籠入水 (zyu1 lung4 jap6 seoi2) // “Water enters a pig cage”
3. 食碗面反碗底 (sik6 wun2 min2 faan2 wun2 dai2) // “To eat a bowl then flip it over”
4. 皇帝唔急太監急 (wong4 dai3 m4 gap1 taai3 gaam1 gap1) //”The emperor doesn’t hurry but the eunuchs do”
5. 呃鬼食豆腐 (aak1 gwai2 sik6 dau6 fu6) // “To trick the ghost into eating tofu”
6. 多個香爐多隻鬼 (do1 go3 hoeng1 lou4 do1 zek3 gwai2) // “One more censer, one more ghost”
7. 佛都有火 (fat6 dou1 jau5 fo2) // “Even Buddha catches fire”
8. 冬瓜豆腐 (dung1 gwaa1 dau6 fu6) // “Winter melon and tofu”
9. 食鹽多過你食米 (sik6 jim4 do1 gwo3 nei5 sik6 mai5) //”I have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice”
10. 企喺城樓睇馬打交 (kei5 hai2 sing4 lau4 tai2 maa5 daa2 gaau1) //”To stand on a fort and watch horses fight each other”
ººººººººººººººººº
Now, those may sound like gibberish in the translation, but here are a few of the meanings to show you how they work.
ººººººººººººººººº
馬死落地行 (maa5 sei2 lok6 dei6 haang4) // “If your horse dies, get on the ground and walk”
This phrase (in Simplified Chinese, 马死落地行, or mǎ sǐ luò dì xíng) originated in Guangdong Province back in the era when people traveled by horseback. Of course, if your horse died mid-journey, you still had to continue walking, no matter how adverse the conditions were. That’s why this phrase has now come to mean “to keep going in the face of adversity” or “to stand on your own two feet.” It can also be used more critically when talking about people who have always had it easy finally being forced to take some action when they’ve been backed into a corner.]
ººººººººººººººººº
豬籠入水 (zyu1 lung4 jap6 seoi2) // “Water enters a pig cage”
Farmers in ancient China transported their pigs in bamboo cages that they would then carry to market. Since the bamboo was woven, there were small gaps throughout—so if the cage was tossed into a lake, for example, water would rush in. As water has long been a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture, this idiom (猪笼入水, or zhū lóng rù shuǐ, in Simplified Chinese) means “to make a lot of money” or “to have financial abundance”—in other words, wealth is pouring in from all directions.
ººººººººººººººººº
呃鬼食豆腐 (aak1 gwai2 sik6 dau6 fu6) // “To trick the ghost into eating tofu”
“To trick the ghost into eating tofu” is a rather delightful way to say, “Yeah, right!”
The origin of this proverb is hard to determine, but according to one folktale, a scholar in ancient China met a hungry ghost who wanted to eat him; the scholar convinced the ghost that tofu would be more delicious, which allowed him to escape. But when the scholar told other people of his encounter, they didn’t believe him, hence why this expression (in Simplified Chinese, 呃鬼食豆腐, or è guǐ shí dòu fǔ) is now used to express disbelief at other people’s tall tales. It’s like saying, “You’re kidding,” or “Yeah, right!”
ººººººººººººººººº
佛都有火 (fat6 dou1 jau5 fo2) // “Even Buddha catches fire”
Buddha was known for his patience and kindness (after all, he did reach enlightenment), so when someone’s behavior is enough to make even Buddha angry, it highlights how truly outrageous they’re being. You would use this expression—which means “that’s enough” (in Simplified Chinese, 佛都有火, or fó dū yǒu huǒ)—to emphasize that you’ve completely reached your limit.
ººººººººººººººººº
食鹽多過你食米 (sik6 jim4 do1 gwo3 nei5 sik6 mai5) // “I have eaten more salt than you have eaten rice”
Because rice is the staple food of Chinese diets, it is nigh-on impossible for anyone to eat more salt than the average Chinese person eats rice, no matter how much older they may be—but that doesn’t stop Chinese elders from using this expression (in Simplified Chinese, 食盐多过你食米, or shí yán duō guò nǐ shí mǐ ) to put young people in their place when they want to emphasize how much more knowledge or experience they have in something.
ººººººººººººººººº
These days, I feel like I have eaten more salt than most people have eaten rice. But in America, this is probably true for me. Because I eat a lot of salt. And most people don’t eat a lot of rice.
There’s probably an idiom for that.
“””””””””
“Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.” — Rita Mae Brown
“””””””””
“A different language is a different vision of life.” — Federico Fellini
“””””””””
“Language is the means of getting an idea from my brain into yours without surgery.” — Mark Amidon
“””””””””
It’s all foreign to me. Tofu eating and feeding the ghost.
