水至清则无鱼，人至察则无徒

shuǐ zhì qīng zé wú yú , rén zhì chá zé wú tú

Definitions

1. water that is too clear has no fish, and one who is too severe has no friends (idiom)

Child Words of 水至清则无鱼，人至察则无徒

• 人 rén: person; people
• 则 zé: (literary) (conjunction used to express contrast with a previous clause) but; then
• 水 shuǐ: water
• 清 qīng: (of water etc) clear; clean
• 无 wú: not to have
• 至 zhì: to arrive
• 鱼 yú: fish
• 察 chá: short name for Chahar Province 察哈爾|察哈尔[chá hā ěr]
• 徒 tú: disciple; apprentice; believer