English-language lists often label every memorable Chinese expression a ‘proverb.’ Chinese uses several overlapping categories, and knowing the difference makes translations more accurate.
Yànyǔ: complete lessons
谚语 (yànyǔ) are traditional sayings that usually communicate a complete observation or practical lesson. Their wording may be longer and more flexible than a four-character idiom.
不怕慢，就怕站 works as a full piece of advice: slow progress is acceptable, but stopping is the real danger.
Chéngyǔ: fixed idiomatic expressions
成语 (chéngyǔ) are compact, conventional expressions, many—but not all—of four characters. Their meaning can depend on a historical story or literary source.
画蛇添足, literally ‘draw a snake and add feet,’ describes spoiling something with an unnecessary addition. It functions inside a sentence more like an idiom than a standalone proverb.
Súyǔ and popular sayings
俗语 (súyǔ) is a broad category of familiar spoken sayings. Boundaries between súyǔ and yànyǔ are not always absolute, and dictionaries may classify the same expression differently.
A reliable explanation should state the practical category without pretending every boundary is uncontested.
How this site labels expressions
Each detail page identifies the expression as a proverb, popular saying, idiom, or classical quotation. The site title uses ‘Chinese Proverbs and Sayings’ in the broad English sense, while the individual label remains precise.
This approach helps learners understand not only what an expression means, but how it behaves in a real sentence.
Editorial note
This article is written for language and cultural education. Expression labels and origin notes are reviewed cautiously; if you spot an error or have a stronger primary source, please send a correction.