諺語 · a single proverb
慈母多敗子
Simplified: 慈母多败子
What does 慈母多敗子 (cí mǔ duō bài zǐ) mean?
慈母多敗子 (cí mǔ duō bài zǐ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "overindulgent mother, many failed children." In use it means: Excessive parental indulgence often produces spoiled children; love without discipline causes harm. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "overindulgent mother, many failed children."
The reading
The love that cannot bring itself to say no is not deficient in love but in the direction love can sometimes point. The child who never meets a boundary never develops the internal structure that eventually becomes their own self-governance. True nurturing asks as much as it provides, and the asking is part of what it provides.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying (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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 慈母多敗子 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 慈母多敗子 (cí mǔ duō bài zǐ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying (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 慈母多敗子?
In Mandarin it is cí mǔ duō bài zǐ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 慈母多敗子 aloud in Mandarin.