酒不醉人人自醉,色不迷人人自迷

jiǔ bù zuì rén rén zì zuì, sè bù mí rén rén zì mí
proverb

Meanings

  1. 1 wine doesn't intoxicate people - people intoxicate themselves; lust does not seduce people - people seduce themselves
  2. 2 we are responsible for our own indulgences

Examples

HSK 7-9
Jiǔ bù zuì rén rén zì zuì, sè bù mí rén rén zì mí, guàibude biéren.
Wine doesn't make men drunk, men get themselves drunk; lust doesn't seduce men, men surrender themselves - you can't blame others.

Tips

culture
A classical proverb in parallel-couplet form, frequently quoted in Ming-Qing fiction such as 警世通言 ('Stories to Caution the World'). It is a moral admonition: temptation only works on those who consent to be tempted.
usage
Often shortened in conversation to just 酒不醉人人自醉. The full two-part form is mostly literary and is recited in moralizing or philosophical contexts.

Stroke Order

jiǔ
zuì
rén