諺語 · a single proverb
不見不散
Simplified: 不见不散
What does 不見不散 (bù jiàn bù sàn) mean?
不見不散 (bù jiàn bù sàn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "will not leave until we meet." In use it means: A promise to wait no matter what; the commitment to show up and stay until the other person arrives. 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: "will not leave until we meet."
The reading
Rain, delay, miscommunication: none of it matters. The promise was not conditional. It was absolute: I will be here. When you arrive, I will still be here. The simplest promises are often the most meaningful, because they leave no room for the escape clause that complexity provides.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk expression; modern vernacular tradition
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 不見不散 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不見不散 (bù jiàn bù sàn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Common folk expression; modern vernacular tradition. 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 不見不散?
In Mandarin it is bù jiàn bù sàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不見不散 aloud in Mandarin.