諺語 · a single proverb
得饒人處且饒人
What does 得饒人處且饒人 (dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén) mean?
得饒人處且饒人 (dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "where you can spare a person, spare the person." In use it means: Be lenient when possible; show mercy when you have the power to do so. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "where you can spare a person, spare the person."
The reading
The power to destroy something is not an argument for destroying it. The road you leave open for the person you spare is also the road that eventually allows them to return what you gave them, or at least allows the world to note what you chose when you had the choice. Mercy extended is always a form of surplus, and surplus is never a waste.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 得饒人處且饒人 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 得饒人處且饒人 (dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu). 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 得饒人處且饒人?
In Mandarin it is dé ráo rén chù qiě ráo rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 得饒人處且饒人 aloud in Mandarin.