水至清则无鱼，人至察则无徒 in English shui3 zhi4 qing1 ze2 wu2 yu2 , ren2 zhi4 cha2 ze2 wu2 tu2 Meaning

Meanings

• water that is too clear has no fish, and one who is too severe has no friends (idiomatic expression)

Pinyin

shui3 zhi4 qing1 ze2 wu2 yu2 , ren2 zhi4 cha2 ze2 wu2 tu2

Literal

Literal explanation, with pronunciation and meaning of each character.

水shui3surname Shui 至zhi4to arrive 清qing1Qing or Ch'ing dynasty of imperial China (1644-1911) 则ze2(conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but 无wu2not to have 鱼yu2surname Yu ， 人ren2man 至zhi4to arrive 察cha2short name for Chahar Province 察哈爾|察哈尔[Cha2 ha1 er3] 则ze2(conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but 无wu2not to have 徒tu2surname Tu