<p><em>ABC Dictionary of Chinese Proverbs</em></p>
<blockquote>
<p>哭夜的孩子多吃奶<br />
<strong>Lit</strong> Babies [who] cry [at] night get more milk.<br />
<strong>Fig</strong> Those who speak out or complain get more help. &quot;The squeaky wheel gets the oil.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<hr />
<p>The Wikipedia page for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_squeaky_wheel_gets_the_grease" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The squeaky wheel gets the grease</a> also mentions:</p>
<blockquote>
<h1>Cultural differences</h1>
<p>Similarly, one of the Chinese proverbs goes &quot;会哭的孩子有奶吃&quot;, which means &quot;The crying baby gets the milk&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-15T09:46:13.603Z
2019-05-15T09:46:13.603Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Mou某
<p>My understanding of "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" is "If you don't complain, your situation will not change for the better".</p>

<p>In this sense, you can say 「不平則鳴」(express your opinion when unfairness occur) is similar to it.</p>

<p>Another answer found here is「<a href="https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-Chinese-equivalent-proverb-not-translation-of-The-squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease" rel="nofollow noreferrer">愛哭的孩子有糖吃</a>」 seems like an direct translation of a similar English expression "It is cry babies who get candies". Not much different from 「嘎吱響的輪子先上油」(The squeaky wheel gets the grease) in sentiment.</p>

<p>Generally, traditional Chinese people are more reserved, less likely to complain loudly compare to Western thinking people. That's why ideas like "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" or "It is cry babies who get candies" were kind of foreign to us. </p>

<p>We agree with the expression 「先打出頭鳥」(the bird that sticks its head out gets shot first) more. Japanese also have a similar expression "出る釘は打たれる" (the nail that sticks out gets hammered). </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-15T09:39:56.157Z
Indeed; this exact example of the difference between American vs Japanese proverbs is often used in discussions of intercultural communcation. See e.g. [Culture Crossing](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nPDaDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA20).
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-15T08:56:11.793Z
2019-05-15T09:09:24.397Z
2019-05-15T09:09:24.397Z
Tang Ho
<p>submit e.g. "squeaky wheel  grease" to iciba：<a href="http://www.iciba.com/squeaky%20wheel%20%20%20grease" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.iciba.com/squeaky%20wheel%20%20%20grease</a>   1.</p>

<p>The squeaky wheel gets the grease.</p>

<p>会叫的孩子有糖吃.  more at iciba ("classical" in doubt)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-15T08:30:16.757Z
2019-05-15T08:35:29.763Z
2019-05-15T08:35:29.763Z
user6065
<p>Is there a Chinese (Mandarin or Classical Chinese) proverb equivalent to the American proverb "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"?</p>

<p>I looked it up in the <a href="https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/the-squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cambridge English-Traditional Chinese dictionary</a>, and it says:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>嘎吱響的輪子先上油；最明顯的問題先得到關注</p>
</blockquote>

<p>That's a direct translation of the proverb. I'm wondering if there are any equivalent proverbs of Chinese origin.</p>

<mandarin><classical-chinese><proverb><phrase-request>
Is there a proverb that means "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"?
# Is there a proverb that means "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-15)

Is there a Chinese (Mandarin or Classical Chinese) proverb equivalent to the American proverb "the squeaky wheel gets the grease"?

I looked it up in the [Cambridge English-Traditional Chinese dictionary](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english-chinese-traditional/the-squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease), and it says:

> 嘎吱響的輪子先上油；最明顯的問題先得到關注

That's a direct translation of the proverb. I'm wondering if there are any equivalent proverbs of Chinese origin.

**Tags:** mandarin, classical-chinese, proverb, phrase-request

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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-05-15. Score: 3

*ABC Dictionary of Chinese Proverbs*

> 哭夜的孩子多吃奶  
> **Lit** Babies [who] cry [at] night get more milk.  
> **Fig** Those who speak out or complain get more help. "The squeaky wheel gets the oil."

---

The Wikipedia page for [The squeaky wheel gets the grease](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_squeaky_wheel_gets_the_grease) also mentions:

> # Cultural differences
>
> Similarly, one of the Chinese proverbs goes "会哭的孩子有奶吃", which means "The crying baby gets the milk"


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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-15. Score: 2

My understanding of "the squeaky wheel gets the grease" is "If you don't complain, your situation will not change for the better".

In this sense, you can say 「不平則鳴」(express your opinion when unfairness occur) is similar to it.

Another answer found here is「[愛哭的孩子有糖吃](https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-Chinese-equivalent-proverb-not-translation-of-The-squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease)」 seems like an direct translation of a similar English expression "It is cry babies who get candies". Not much different from 「嘎吱響的輪子先上油」(The squeaky wheel gets the grease) in sentiment.

Generally, traditional Chinese people are more reserved, less likely to complain loudly compare to Western thinking people. That's why ideas like "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" or "It is cry babies who get candies" were kind of foreign to us.

We agree with the expression 「先打出頭鳥」(the bird that sticks its head out gets shot first) more. Japanese also have a similar expression "出る釘は打たれる" (the nail that sticks out gets hammered).

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Indeed; this exact example of the difference between American vs Japanese proverbs is often used in discussions of intercultural communcation. See e.g. [Culture Crossing](https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nPDaDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA20).  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2019-05-15. Score: 0

submit e.g. "squeaky wheel grease" to iciba：<http://www.iciba.com/squeaky%20wheel%20%20%20grease> 1.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

会叫的孩子有糖吃. more at iciba ("classical" in doubt)


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