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Mandarin Chinese – how to say – How can you lie to your best friend forever?
你怎么能骗你永远的最好朋友？
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Honest.mp3|titles=Honest]
nǐ zěnme néng piàn nǐ yǒngyuǎn de zuì hǎo péngyou ?
nǐ （你 pronoun, you) zěnme ( 怎么 adverb, how) néng ( 能 verb, to be able to) piàn (骗 verb, lie) nǐ (你 pronoun, you, here is 你的 nǐde for short, your) yǒngyuǎn （永远 adjective, forever) de (的 particle to connect attributive and the noun it modifies) zuì (最 most / the most / -est (superlative suffix) ) hǎo (好 adjective, good) péngyou (朋友 noun, friend) ?

“When one is in love, one always begins by deceiving one’s self, and one always ends by deceiving others.”–Oscar Wilde

Honest is the best policy. Lying is not right which usually creates a lot of bad consequences; no matter it is intentional or not. Always think before you lie. Learn from the past lesson …
In Chinese, there are some proverbs or quotations which emphasize the important of keeping promise and being honest.
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Honest1.mp3|titles=Honest]
（1）言不信者，行不果。——墨子 (A Chinese philosopher during the Hundred Schools of Thought period, early Warring States Period)
( yī ) yán bù xìn zhě , xíng bù guǒ . ——mò zǐ
The man who cannot keep his words won’t gain any achievement .

（2）宁可失钱，不可失信 ——英国
( èr ) nìngkě shī qián , bùkě shīxìn ——Yīngguó
Rather to lose money, not to lost promise.

（3）帮人要帮心，帮心要知心，知心要诚心。
( sān ) bāngrényào bāng xīn , bāng xīn yào zhī xīn , zhī xīn yào chéngxīn.
To help people, it has to help with heart; to help heart, it has to know the heart; to know the heart, it needs to have sincere heart.

（4）与朋友交，言而有信 ——论语 (The Analects, or Lunyu, also known as the Analects of Confucius, are the collection of sayings and ideas of central Chinese thinker and philosopher Confucius, written by his followers. )
( sì ) yǔ péngyou jiāo , yán ér yǒu xìn ——Lúnyǔ
Be honest in speech when dealing with friends.

（5）信用重于黄金 ——德国
( wǔ ) xìnyòng chóngyúhuángjīn ——Déguó
Credit weights more than gold.

（6）生命不可能从谎言中开出灿烂的鲜花。——海涅
( liù ) shēngmìng bùguǎn zěnmeyàng cóng huǎngyán zhōng kāichūcànlàn de xiānhuā . ——hǎi niè
In life, it is not possible to bloom bright flowers from lies.
[audio:http://www.chinesetolearn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Honest2.mp3|titles=Honest]
（7）如果要别人诚信，首先自己要诚信。 ——莎士比亚
( qī ) rúguǒ yào biérén chéngxìn , shǒuxiān zìjǐ yào chéngxìn . ——Shāshìbǐyà
If you want others to be honest, first you need to be genuine.

（8）成书在理不在势，服人以诚不以言。——宋·苏轼 (Su Shi was a writer, poet, artist, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and statesman of the Song Dynasty, and one of the major poets of the Song era. )

( bā ) chéng shū zài lǐ bù zài shì , fú rén yǐ chéng bù yǐ yán . ——sòng – Sú shì
Publishing a book is based on reasons but not the outer appearance; to convince people should use honesty but not words.

（9）诚，五常之本，百行之源也。——宋·周敦颐 ( Was a Chinese Neo-Confucian philosopher and cosmologist born in present-day Yongzhou during the Song Dynasty. He conceptualized the Neo-Confucian cosmology of the day, explaining the relationship between human conduct and universal forces.)

( jiǔ ) chéng , Wǔcháng zhīběn , yībǎi xíng zhīyuán yě . ——sòng – Zhōu Dūnyí
Honesty is the foundation of five constant virtues and the origin of hundred professions.

（10）非信无以使民，非民无以守国。——资治通鉴 (A Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government — This book records historical events from the Zhou Dynasty to the Song Dynasty. )
( shí ) fēi xìn wú yǐshǐ mín , fēi mín wú yǐ shǒu guó . ——zīzhìtōng jiàn
Without honesty, there is no way to use people; without people there is no way to guard the country.

(11) 诚实为上策（英国）
(shíyī ) chéngshí wéi shàng cè ( Yīngguó )
Honesty is the best policy.

(12) 诚实是格言的第一章（美国）
(shíèr ) chéngshí shì géyán de dìyīzhāng ( Měiguó )
Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.

(13) 真心送，只有一个也舍得给；真心哭，瞎了眼也会流泪（蒙古族）(Mongols in China are citizens of the People’s Republic of China who are ethnic Mongols. They form one of the 55 ethnic minorities officially recognized by the People’s Republic of China. There are approximately 5.8 million ethnic Mongols living in China.)

(shísān ) zhēnxīn sòng , zhǐyǒu yī ge yě shěde gěi ；zhēnxīn kū , xiā le yǎn yě huì liúlèi ( Mēnggǔzú )
Giving with true heart, even you just had one you would still be able to give; crying with true heart, even you got blind you will still cry tears.

(14) 诚实的人眼睛就是天平（阿拉伯）

(shísì ) chéngshí de rén yǎnjīng jiùshì tiānpíng ( A1lābó )
The eyes of honesty people are scales.

(15) 君子养心，莫善于诚（荀子）(A Chinese Confucian philosopher who lived during the Warring States Period and contributed to one of the Hundred Schools of Thought)

(shíwǔ ) jūnzi yǎng xīn , mò shànyú chéng ( Xún Zǐ )
For gentlemen cultivating their hearts, nothing is better than being conscientious.

(16) 至诚无息〈礼记〉(The Book of Rites, also translated as Classic of Rites or Record of Rites, was one of the Five Classics of the Confucian canon. It described the social forms, governmental system, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty)

(shíliù ) zhì chéng wú xī 〈lǐ jì 〉
The utterest sincerity is ceaselessness.

To conclude the post, how about you make two or three sentences with Chinese? You are welcome to post your sentences in the comment area, so that I can correct them.

(1) In order to lead a happy life, we need to be honest.

(2) Never lie to your friends no matter how good your intention was.

(3) Always think twice before you lie.

Hope you like today’s maxim lesson about honesty. Let’s find a song

Beyonce – Honesty (Lyrics)