諺語 · a single proverb
大人不計小人過
Simplified: 大人不计小人过
What does 大人不計小人過 (dà rén bù jì xiǎo rén guò) mean?
大人不計小人過 (dà rén bù jì xiǎo rén guò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a big person does not count a small person's offenses." In use it means: Magnanimity is a sign of strength; letting go of petty slights is not weakness but greatness. 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 Pig.
Literally: "a big person does not count a small person's offenses."
The reading
Keeping score with people who hurt you in small ways is a full-time job with no pay. The person who lets it go does not do so because the offense did not matter. They do so because their time matters more. Forgiveness, at this level, is not generosity. It is accounting.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; widely used in Chinese social interactions
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 大人不計小人過 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 大人不計小人過 (dà rén bù jì xiǎo rén guò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; widely used in Chinese social interactions. 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 大人不計小人過?
In Mandarin it is dà rén bù jì xiǎo rén guò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 大人不計小人過 aloud in Mandarin.