| 来者不善，善者不来 |
lái zhě bù shàn , shàn zhě bù lái |
He who comes is surely ill-intentioned, no-one well-meaning will come (idiom). / Be careful not to trust foreigners. / Beware of Greeks bearing gifts! |
| 来 |
lái |
to come / (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) / hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来) / ever since (as in 自古以来) / for the past (amount of time) / (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世) / (between two verbs) in order to / (after a round number) approximately / (used after 得 to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来, or after 不 to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来) |
| 者 |
zhě |
(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ... / (after a noun) person involved in ... / -er / -ist / (used after a number or 后 or 前 to refer to sth mentioned previously) / (used after a term, to mark a pause before defining the term) / (old) (used at the end of a command) / (old) this |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 不善 |
bù shàn |
bad / ill / not good at / not to be pooh-poohed / quite impressive |
| 善 |
shàn |
good (virtuous) / benevolent / well-disposed / good at sth / to improve or perfect |
| 善 |
shàn |
good (virtuous) / benevolent / well-disposed / good at sth / to improve or perfect |
| 者 |
zhě |
(after a verb or adjective) one who (is) ... / (after a noun) person involved in ... / -er / -ist / (used after a number or 后 or 前 to refer to sth mentioned previously) / (used after a term, to mark a pause before defining the term) / (old) (used at the end of a command) / (old) this |
| 不 |
bù |
no; not so / (bound form) not; un- |
| 来 |
lái |
to come / (used as a substitute for a more specific verb) / hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回来) / ever since (as in 自古以来) / for the past (amount of time) / (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 来世) / (between two verbs) in order to / (after a round number) approximately / (used after 得 to indicate possibility, as in 谈得来, or after 不 to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不来) |