You may recognize some of these guys...
But do you know what they all have in common?
Well… apart from the fact that they speak Chinese and are very famous in China, they’ve all said things that have turned into popular quotes!
Some of these quotes might motivate you to achieve things in the future, while others can help put a positive spin on difficulties you experience today.
Press “play” for a dose of inspiration and some food for thought...
Word-For-Word Breakdown Of The Quotes
"Set a small target first, like earning 100 million yuan..."
- 你 nǐ: you
- 可以 kě yǐ: can
- 不用 bù yòng: need not
- 那么 nà me: so very much/ over
- 雄心勃勃 xióng xīn bó bó: aggressive and grand (idiom)/ ambitious
- 先 xiān: first
- 定 dìng: to set
- 一个 yī gè: a
- 小 xiǎo: small
- 目标 mù biāo: goal
- 比方说 bǐ fāng shuō: for example
- 我 wǒ: I
- 挣 zhèng: to make (money)
- 它 tā: it
- 亿 yì: 100 million
Note: This comment by China's richest man quickly went viral on Chinese social media in 2016. Of course, 100 million yuan is faaar from a small target for most people. And while many were quick to point this out, others saw it as a reminder that you can achieve anything if you think big and break down your goals into smaller steps...
You can read more about 王健林 (Wang Jianlin) here.
"Without experiencing trials and hardships (lit. wind & rain), how can you see the rainbow?"
- 不 bù: not
- 经历风雨 jīng lì fēng yǔ: to go through thick and thin (idiom)lit. to experience + wind + rain
- 怎么 zěn me: how
- 见 jiàn: to see
- 彩虹 cǎi hóng: rainbow
- 没有 méi yǒu: haven’t/ hasn’t
- 人 rén: people
- 能够 néng gòu: can
- 随随便便 suí suí biàn biàn: as one wishes/ casual
- 成功 chéng gōng: to succed
Want to learn more about the person who said this? Read about 成龙 (Jackie Chan) here.
"If you don't give up, you still have a chance..."
- 只要 zhǐ yào: if only/ so long as
- 你 nǐ: you
- 不 bù: not
- 放弃 fàng qì: give up
- 就 jiù: just (emphasis)
- 还有 hái yǒu: still
- 机会 jī huì: chance
- 就是 jiù shì: emphasizes that sth is precisely or exactly as stated
- 最大 zuì dà: biggest/ greatest
- 的 de: particle
- 失败 shī bài: failure
Want to learn more about the person who said this? Read about 马云 (Jack Ma) here.
"Some things you say won't necessarily be of use. But if you don't say them, they definitely won't be of use."
- 有些 yǒu xiē: some
- 事情 shì qíng: thing
- 说了 shuō le: said
- 不一定 bù yī ding: not necessarily/ maybe
- 有用 yǒu yòng: useful
- 但 dàn: but
- 不 bù: not
- 说 shuō: to say
- 一定 yī ding: definitely/ certainly
- 没用 méi yòng: useless
Want to learn more about the person who said this? Read about 孟非 (Meng Fei) here.
"I think my greatest trait/value is that I am persistent."
- 我 wǒ: I
- 觉得 jué de: to think
- 自己 zì jǐ: oneself
- 最大 zuì dà: biggest/ greatest
- 的 de：particle
- 价值 jià zhí: value/worth/trait
- 就 jiù: just (emphasis)
- 在于 zài yú: to be in
- 坚持 jiān chí: to persist in/ to persevere with/ to insist on
Want to learn more about the person who said this? Read about 黄晓明 (Huang Xiaoming) here.
"More tolerance & More understanding = More happiness"
- 多 duō: more
- 一些 yī xiē: some/ a few
- 宽容 kuān róng: tolerant/ tolerance
- 谅解 liàng jiě: to understand/ understanding
- 就 jiù: just (emphasis)
- 快乐 kuài lè: happy/ happiness
Want to learn more about the person who said this? Read about 谢娜 (Xie Na) here.
"By repeating the simple things several times you will become and expert. But if you put your heart into doing it, you will become a winner."
- 把 bǎ: particle marking the following noun as a direct object
- 简单 jiǎn dān: simple
- 的 de: particle
- 事情 shì qíng: thing
- 重复 zhòng fù: to repeat
- 几次 jǐ cì: several times
- 就 jiù: just (emphasis)
- 会 huì: will
- 成为 chéng wèi: to become
- 专家 zhuān jiā: expert
- 但 dàn: but
- 用心 yòng xīn: careful/ lit. use + heart
- 做了 zuò le: did
- 赢家 yíng jiā: winner
Want to learn more about the person who said this? Read about 金星 (Jin Xing) here.
Which one of these 7 quotes resonated with you the most? Let me know below 🙂
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