lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius) / fig. you must choose one or the other / you can't always get everything you want / you can't have your cake and eat it
一诺千金
yī nuò qiān jīn
a promise worth one thousand in gold (idiom) / a promise that must be kept
In order to capture, one must let loose. / to loosen the reins only to grasp them better
嫁鸡随鸡
jià jī suí jī
If you marry a chicken, follow the chicken (idiom) / A woman should follow whatever her husband orders. / We must learn to accept the people around us.
杀彘教子
shā zhì jiào zǐ
to kill a pig as a lesson to the children (idiom) / parents must teach by example
无风不起浪
wú fēng bù qǐ làng
lit. without wind there cannot be waves (idiom) / there must be a reason / no smoke without fire
穷当益坚
qióng dāng yì jiān
poor but ambitious (idiom) / hard-pressed but determined / the worse one's position, the harder one must fight back
家丑不可外扬
jiā chǒu bù kě wài yáng
lit. family shames must not be spread abroad (idiom) / fig. don't wash your dirty linen in public
一年之计在于春
yī nián zhī jì zài yú chūn
the whole year must be planned for in the spring (idiom) / early planning is the key to success
a promise worth one thousand in gold (idiom) / a promise that must be kept
天机不可泄漏
tiān jī bù kě xiè lòu
lit. mysteries of heaven must not be revealed (idiom) / must not be revealed / I am not at liberty to inform you.
天机不可泄露
tiān jī bù kě xiè lù
lit. mysteries of heaven must not be revealed (idiom) / must not be revealed / I am not at liberty to inform you.
家丑不可外传
jiā chǒu bù kě wài chuán
lit. family shames must not be spread abroad (idiom) / fig. don't wash your dirty linen in public
押平声韵
yā píng shēng yùn
to restrict to even tone (i.e. final rhyming syllable must be classical first or second tone 平聲|平声)
母汤
mǔ tāng
(Tw) (slang) don't / must not / won't do (from Taiwanese 毋通, Tai-lo pr. [m̄-thang], similar to Mandarin 不要[bu4yao4] or 不行[bu4xing2])
没有规矩，不成方圆
méi yǒu guī ju , bù chéng fāng yuán
without rules, nothing can be done (idiom) / one must follow some rules
没有规矩，何以成方圆
méi yǒu guī jǔ , hé yǐ chéng fāng yuán
without rules, how can anything be done (idiom) / one must follow some rules
种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆
zhòng guā dé guā , zhòng dòu dé dòu
lit. Sow melon and you get melon, sow beans and you get beans (idiom) / fig. As you sow, so shall you reap. / One must live with the consequences of one's actions. / You've made your bed, now must lie on it.
血债血偿
xuè zhài xuè cháng
a debt of blood must be paid in blood / blood calls for blood / also pr. [xue4 zhai4 xie3 chang2]
血债要用血来偿
xuè zhài yào yòng xuè lái cháng
A debt of blood must be paid in blood. / Blood calls for blood.
血债要用血来还
xuè zhài yào yòng xuè lái huán
A debt of blood must be paid in blood. / Blood calls for blood.
言必信，行必果
yán bì xìn , xíng bì guǒ
one must be a man of his word and resolute in his work (proverb)
诗礼
Shī Lǐ
the classics a Confucian scholar must read (such as The Book of Songs 詩經|诗经[Shi1jing1] and The Book of Rites 禮記|礼记[Li3ji4])
说话要算数
shuō huà yào suàn shù
promises must be kept
鱼与熊掌不可兼得
yú yǔ xióng zhǎng bù kě jiān dé
lit. the fish and the bear's paw, you can't have both at the same time (idiom, from Mencius) / fig. you must choose one or the other / you can't always get everything you want / you can't have your cake and eat it
lit. if you agree to bet you must accept to lose / fig. you bet, you pay
非死不可
Fēi sǐ bù kě
Facebook (Internet slang, pun reading "you must die")
天下没有不散的筵席
tiān xià méi yǒu bù sàn de yán xí
all good things must come to an end (idiom)
救场如救火
jiù chǎng rú jiù huǒ
the show must go on (idiom)
千里搭长棚，没有不散的宴席
qiān lǐ dā cháng péng , méi yǒu bù sàn de yàn xí
even if you build a thousand-league awning for it, every banquet must come to an end (idiom)
责有攸归
zé yǒu yōu guī
responsibility must lie where it belongs (idiom)
分久必合，合久必分
fēn jiǔ bì hé , hé jiǔ bì fēn
lit. that which is long divided must unify, and that which is long unified must divide (idiom, from 三國演義|三国演义[San1 guo2 Yan3 yi4]) / fig. things are constantly changing
beat the drum, pass the flower (game in which players sit in a circle passing a flower around while a drum is beaten &ndash / when the drumbeat stops, the player holding the flower must sing a song, answer a question, or drink a glass of wine etc)
没有规矩，何以成方圆
méi yǒu guī ju , hé yǐ chéng fāng yuán
without rules, how can anything be done (idiom) / one must follow some rules
打狗还得看主人
dǎ gǒu hái děi kàn zhǔ rén
lit. when one beats a dog, one must answer to its master (idiom) / fig. before punishing sb, one should consider how that would affect others associated with him
丑媳妇早晚也得见公婆
chǒu xí fù zǎo wǎn yě děi jiàn gōng pó
lit. the ugly daughter-in-law must sooner or later meet her parents-in-law (idiom) / fig. it's not something you can avoid forever
威尊命贱
wēi zūn - mìng jiàn
(idiom) the dignity of authority is above life / one must be willing to sacrifice one's life rather than disobey a military order
yīng gāi
