諺語 · a single proverb
家和事事順
What does 家和事事順 (jiā hé shì shì shùn) mean?
家和事事順 (jiā hé shì shì shùn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "family harmonious, all matters flow smoothly." In use it means: When the family is in harmony, everything else goes smoothly too. 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: "family harmonious, all matters flow smoothly."
The reading
The ship that is not fighting against itself sails faster in any direction it chooses. Internal harmony is not the absence of complexity but the presence of a fundamental agreement among the parts about what they are together. When the home is right with itself, the world outside becomes navigable in a way it simply is not otherwise.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying (common household blessing)
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 家和事事順 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 家和事事順 (jiā hé shì shì shùn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying (common household blessing). 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 家和事事順?
In Mandarin it is jiā hé shì shì shùn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 家和事事順 aloud in Mandarin.