水能载舟，亦能覆舟

shuǐnéngzàizhōu,yìnéngfùzhōu

lit. water may keep the boat afloat but may also sink it (proverb); fig. the people can support a regime or overturn it

Traditional 水能載舟，亦能覆舟

Meaning

shuǐnéngzàizhōu,yìnéngfùzhōushui3 neng2 zai4 zhou1 , yi4 neng2 fu4 zhou1
  1. lit. water may keep the boat afloat but may also sink it (proverb)
  2. fig. the people can support a regime or overturn it
  3. if sth is used properly, one can benefit from it, otherwise it can do harm
  4. things can be double-edged

Words sharing a character

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