諺語 · a single proverb
獨木不成林
Simplified: 独木不成林
What does 獨木不成林 (dú mù bù chéng lín) mean?
獨木不成林 (dú mù bù chéng lín) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a single tree does not make a forest." In use it means: One person alone cannot accomplish what requires a group; community creates strength. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "a single tree does not make a forest."
The reading
The tree alone is a tree. The trees together are a forest. The difference is not the number. It is the ecosystem that forms between them, the shared root network, the mutual shelter, the fact that the wind bends one tree but cannot bend a thousand.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb; common Chinese wisdom
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 獨木不成林 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 獨木不成林 (dú mù bù chéng lín) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb; common Chinese wisdom. 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 獨木不成林?
In Mandarin it is dú mù bù chéng lín. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 獨木不成林 aloud in Mandarin.