Taiwanese Proverbs

It takes sweat to work on things, but it only takes saliva to criticize things.

It takes nine months to have a baby.

A husband and wife often fight intensely at one moment and then kiss intensely at the next moment.

A beautiful person might not have a beautiful life.

Something that looks good does not necessarily taste good.

Many students have become kings or queens, but no teachers have.

Even champions make mistakes—there is no one who does not mistakes.

“I will give you 1000 later” is worth less than “here is 800 (right now).”

Some people prefer liquor, others prefer tofu, and some even like rotten salmon.

Greed will cause pain.

If someone transports dung and does not eat it, it should not be concluded that he is an honest person.

More Proverbs

Taiwan is an island near China. Although mountainous, its climate conditions make it ideal for farming. Many Taiwanese have either Chinese and/or original tribal heritage, and the countries main languages are Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese (Min). Taiwan has recently become a highly industrialized and heavily populated nation.

Themes in Taiwan include education, industrial manufacturing, technology, rice, art (including calligraphy and ceramics), and music.