12 Chinese Proverbs on Time

Tick tack, clock ticks and time flies by. To all of us, time is invisible but time is everywhere. We sometimes feel time does not move and most of the time we just don’t realise how fast it goes away!

How do Chinese people view time?

We can understand how important time is to Chinese people, only by looking at the big number of Chinese proverbs and sayings on time. More or less,  Time is urgent; Time is valuable; and Time is powerful.

1. Time is urgent.

Time goes away, waiting for nobody.

• • 时不待我。
    shí bù dāi wǒ
    Time and tide wait for no man.
  • 光阴似箭。
    guāng yīn sì jiàn
    Time flies.
  • 一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴
    Yī cùn guāngyīn yī cùn jīn, cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāngyīn
    An inch of time is an inch of gold, but an inch of time cannot be purchased for an inch of gold.

2. Time is valuable.

Yesterday cannot come back. Because  it is reversible, we should value it at the right moment when we own it.

• • 人生苦短。
    rén shēng kǔ duǎn
    Life is too short.
  • 时光流逝，不可复得。
    shí guāng liú shì, bù kě fù dé
    Time lost cannot be won again.
  • 时间不能倒流。
    shí jiān bù néng dào liú
    Time past cannot be called back again.
  • 我生待明日，万事成蹉跎。
    wǒ shēng dài míng rì, wàn shì chéng cuō tuó
    Tomorrow never comes.
  • 昨日不会重现
    zuó rì bú huì chóng xiàn
    No one can call back yesterday.
  • 岁月既往，一去不回
    suì yuè jí wǎng, yí qù bù huí
    Lost time is never found again.
  • 时间就是金钱。
    shí jiān jiù shì jīn qián
    Time is money.

3. Time is powerful.

Time gives us second chance. Time gives us power to recover from loss, disease and sadness.

• • 时间是医治一切创伤的良药。
    shí jiān shì yī zhì yí qiè chuàng chāng de liáng yào
    Time cures all things.
  • 亡羊补牢，为时未晚。
    wáng yáng bǔ láo, wéi shí weì wǎn
    Never too old to learn， never too late to turn.

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