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
外甥打燈籠——照舅（照舊）
wài shēng dǎ dēng long——zhào jiù (zhào jiù)
A pun on 照舅 (illuminating the uncle) and 照舊 (as before).
家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居
jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū
A good neighbor is worth more than household gold.
龍生龍，鳳生鳳，老鼠生的兒子會打洞
lóng shēng lóng, fèng shēng fèng, lǎo shǔ shēng de ér zi huì dǎ dòng
Children tend to inherit or follow the traits and social standing of their parents.
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.