諺語 · a single proverb
病從口入，禍從口出
Simplified: 病从口入，祸从口出
What does 病從口入，禍從口出 (bìng cóng kǒu rù, huò cóng kǒu chū) mean?
病從口入，禍從口出 (bìng cóng kǒu rù, huò cóng kǒu chū) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "illness enters through the mouth; disaster comes out of the mouth." In use it means: Just as sickness comes from what you take in, ruin comes from what you let out; guard your speech the way you guard your food. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "illness enters through the mouth; disaster comes out of the mouth."
The reading
The sentence you almost sent, and didn't, saved you more than you'll ever know. Most of your troubles will not come from what was done to you but from something that slipped past your own teeth in a careless second.
The story
The paired line is recorded in Fu Xuan's Kou Ming, an inscription on the mouth from the Jin dynasty: illness enters through the mouth, and disaster comes out of it. It is used to counsel restraint in speech by setting it beside restraint in eating, so that the mouth is guarded at both directions, watching what goes in and what comes out.
Guard your speech the way you guard your food. Most of your troubles will come not from what was done to you but from something that slipped past your own teeth in a careless second, so hold the sentence you are tempted to fire off, and let the silence protect you.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Fu Xuan 傅玄, Kou Ming 口銘 (Jin dynasty)
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Monkey, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 病從口入，禍從口出 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 病從口入，禍從口出 (bìng cóng kǒu rù, huò cóng kǒu chū) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Fu Xuan 傅玄, Kou Ming 口銘 (Jin dynasty). 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 病從口入，禍從口出?
In Mandarin it is bìng cóng kǒu rù, huò cóng kǒu chū. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 病從口入，禍從口出 aloud in Mandarin.