1 Malay Proverbs with Comparable Equivalents in Chinese Compiled by Ding Choo Ming (Malaysia) & Pan Hui ( 潘慧 ) (Guangxi, China) This is a preliminary list of some common Malay proverbs which include simpulan bahasa, bidalan, pepatah and perumpamaan with their comparable equivalents in Chinese proverbs, which include 諺語 (yànyŭ), 成語 (chéngyŭ) and 歇後語 (xiēhòuyŭ). Some of them are literary, i.e from written sources, while others originated orally from families, street vendors, and other commoners from all walks of life in the respective societies. Though Malay and Chinese proverbs are different, it is interesting to compare them. They are popular and frequently used, thus not only must be known amongst Malay and Chinese speakers, but also have withstood the test of time. Some of them can be interpreted literally, but not the others, which have metaphorical meanings. As it is, it is metaphors that constitute an important marker for many proverbs in many languages and makes them so appealing. Take a look at them, arranged alphabetically by the first words in Malay proverbs: 1. Ada ada. 无中生有；凭空捏造. 2. Ada ubi ada batas, ada budi boleh balas. 一饭之恩, 滴水之恩,当 以涌泉相报 3. Abu Nawas. 诡计多端. 4. Ada angin, ada pokoknya.无风不起浪; 事出必有因. 5. Ada bukti. 有凭有据. 6. Ada padi semua kerja jadi, ada beras semua kerja deras. 钱 可通神; 金钱万能; 有錢能使鬼推磨. 7. Ada hujan ada panas, ada hari boleh balas. 一饭之恩; 滴水之恩, 当以涌泉相报; 善有善报，恶有恶报. 8. Ada pun ikan yang diam di dalam tujuh, lautan, sekalipun termasuk di dalam pikat juga. 智者岂无一失.