諺語 · a single proverb
寧可信其有，不可信其無
What does 寧可信其有，不可信其無 (nìng kě xìn qí yǒu bù kě xìn qí wú) mean?
寧可信其有，不可信其無 (nìng kě xìn qí yǒu bù kě xìn qí wú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "better to believe it exists than to believe it does not." In use it means: When in doubt, take the safer, more cautious option; better safe than sorry. 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 Dog.
Literally: "better to believe it exists than to believe it does not."
The reading
The bridge whose stability is uncertain does not reward the confidence of the person who crosses it without checking. Where the outcome of being wrong is serious, the asymmetry argues for the cautious reading. To act as though the danger might be real costs you the time of checking; to act as though it is not real could cost you everything else.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying (common in cautious decision-making contexts)
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 寧可信其有，不可信其無 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 寧可信其有，不可信其無 (nìng kě xìn qí yǒu bù kě xìn qí wú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying (common in cautious decision-making contexts). 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 寧可信其有，不可信其無?
In Mandarin it is nìng kě xìn qí yǒu bù kě xìn qí wú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 寧可信其有，不可信其無 aloud in Mandarin.