10 Chinese Sayings About Change & New Beginnings

Fortune's wheel will turn.

Literal meaning: Time comes and fortune turns

This optimistic idiom describes the moment when time arrives (时来) and fortune turns (运转). It emerged from the practice of divination during the Zhou Dynasty, where fortune was seen as cyclical rather than fixed. The concept gained particular resonance during the Tang Dynasty, as stories spread of sc...

Sudden dramatic change

Literal meaning: Wind cloud sudden change

This dramatic idiom captures the sudden (突) change (变) in wind (风) and clouds (云), drawing from ancient Chinese meteorological observations. Originated during the Tang Dynasty in military texts describing battlefield conditions, it reflects the Chinese understanding of natural forces as omens. The s...

Create new from old

Literal meaning: Push old produce new

Originating in the Classic of Changes (I Ching), this phrase combines the actions of pushing away (推) the old or stale (陈) to bring forth (出) the new (新). During the Spring and Autumn period, it became a principle of scholarly innovation - respecting traditional knowledge while advancing new interpr...

Linking tradition with innovation

Literal meaning: Receive past, initiate future

First appearing in Song Dynasty scholarly texts, this idiom describes receiving (承) what came before (前) while initiating (启) what follows (后). It gained prominence during the Neo-Confucian revival, where thinkers sought to adapt classical wisdom to contemporary challenges. The phrase perfectly capt...

Profound transformations over time

Literal meaning: Blue sea mulberry field

Ancient Daoist texts first recorded this observation of how blue seas (沧海) become mulberry fields (桑田) over time. The 'Liezi' collection used it to illustrate the profound transformations possible over centuries. Han Dynasty writers transformed it into a metaphor for any fundamental change requiring...

Make a comeback after setback or retirement

Literal meaning: East mountain again rise

The story of Jin Dynasty official Xie An, who retreated to East Mountain (东山) before making a triumphant return to high office, gave us this enduring image of strategic withdrawal followed by powerful comeback. Tang Dynasty historians transformed his specific experience into a broader pattern of car...

A refreshing new experience

Literal meaning: Ears and eyes completely renewed

This idiom appears in classical texts describing the sensation of encountering something refreshingly new. The ears (耳) and eyes (目) represent one's senses and perception, while 'completely renewed' (一新) suggests a total refresh of one's experience. The phrase emphasizes the delight of fresh perspec...

Emerging rapidly in great numbers

Literal meaning: Bamboo shoots after spring rain

This idiom captures the natural phenomenon of bamboo shoots (春笋) growing rapidly after (后) spring rain (雨). In Chinese landscapes, bamboo groves visibly transform after rainfall as countless new shoots emerge almost overnight. The phrase first appeared in Song Dynasty texts describing rapid multipli...

Ever-changing; constantly varying

Literal meaning: Thousand changes ten thousand transformations

This idiom uses the large numbers 'thousand' (千) and 'ten thousand' (万) with 'change' (变) and 'transform' (化) to describe constant flux. The hyperbolic numbers emphasize the endless variety of transformations. The phrase reflects Daoist philosophy regarding the ceaseless change underlying apparent s...

Changing rapidly; improving daily

Literal meaning: Day new month different

This idiom describes being new (新) every day (日) and different (异) every month (月). It captures rapid, continuous change and progress. The phrase echoes the Confucian classic 'Great Learning,' which advocates constant self-renewal. Originally about moral cultivation, it evolved to describe any field...