諺語 · a single proverb
不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前
Simplified: 不听老人言，吃亏在眼前
What does 不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前 (bù tīng lǎo rén yán, chī kuī zài yǎn qián) mean?
不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前 (bù tīng lǎo rén yán, chī kuī zài yǎn qián) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "ignore the elders' words, and losses come before your eyes." In use it means: Dismissing the advice of experienced people leads to avoidable mistakes right in front of you. 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: "ignore the elders' words, and losses come before your eyes."
The reading
The old person said it would rain. You brought no umbrella. The old person said the road was bad. You took it anyway. Experience speaks in a quiet voice, and the young ear is tuned to louder frequencies. The loss that follows is always the same one the old person described, arriving exactly on schedule.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb, widespread across Chinese dialects
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前 (bù tīng lǎo rén yán, chī kuī zài yǎn qián) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb, widespread across Chinese dialects. 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 不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前?
In Mandarin it is bù tīng lǎo rén yán, chī kuī zài yǎn qián. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不聽老人言，吃虧在眼前 aloud in Mandarin.