Wednesday 2 September 2009

Daily Chinese Proverb: No Reservation

This is a proverb that is in use in many cultures. It is often used in circumstances where things are in short supply, such as limited edition things in shops. It also means that there is no preferential treatment or reservations for people that may have a better relationship.

先搶先贏
xiān qiǎng xiān yíng
First come first served

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3 comments:

  1. Niel de la Rouviere2 September 2009 at 14:20

    Shouldn't the second xian have the same tone as the first one?

    Really love your site man! Keep it up!

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  2. Anonymous2 September 2009 at 20:36

    I normally say 先到先得 (lit. first come first get/ gain)

    It's interesting. In English, you look for "services". In Chinese, we want the "products"!!

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  3. Charlie @ Discovering Mandarin3 September 2009 at 00:13

    Of course it is Niel, thank you for pointing out my mistake.

    Glad you posted, and thanks for your kind comments, the site will continue, no matter how busy I am. It really makes me smile coming back to this every night.

    @1ondoncalling

    Interesting point, England really is very service centric, and the Intellectual Property is something that is devoloped more than actual inventions.

    Thoughts as opposed to items is what in my experience is encouraged here at schools too.

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