諺語 · a single proverb
安居樂業
Simplified: 安居乐业
What does 安居樂業 (ān jū lè yè) mean?
安居樂業 (ān jū lè yè) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "living in peace and finding joy in work." In use it means: The ideal state of settled contentment: a stable home and satisfying occupation. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "living in peace and finding joy in work."
The reading
The roof does not leak. The work is meaningful. The evening is quiet. This does not sound like a grand aspiration, but it is the one that, when you actually have it, makes all the grand aspirations feel optional. The simple life well lived is not a consolation prize. It is the prize.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Shu 漢書; common Confucian ideal
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 安居樂業 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 安居樂業 (ān jū lè yè) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Shu 漢書; common Confucian ideal. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 安居樂業?
In Mandarin it is ān jū lè yè. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 安居樂業 aloud in Mandarin.