諺語 · a single proverb

道dào不bù同tóng，不bù相xiāng為wéi謀móu

Simplified: 道不同，不相为谋

dào bù tóng bù xiāng wéi móu

What does 道不同，不相為謀 (dào bù tóng bù xiāng wéi móu) mean?

道不同，不相為謀 (dào bù tóng bù xiāng wéi móu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "way not same, not mutually planning." In use it means: Those who follow different principles cannot work together. 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 Horse.

Literally: "way not same, not mutually planning."

The reading

Not all incompatibilities are personal; some are structural. Two rivers flowing in opposite directions can be beautiful and vigorous and still have no future together. Knowing when paths are genuinely divergent saves both parties the grief of trying to merge what will not.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Analects of Confucius 論語·衛靈公 (Wèi Líng Gōng XV)

Sits beside

一個籬笆三個樁

yī gè lí ba sān gè zhuāng

Even the strongest person needs support.

三思而後行

sān sī ér hòu xíng

Deliberate before you act-turn a decision over more than once before letting it out of your hands.

孤掌難鳴

gū zhǎng nán míng

One hand cannot clap.

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 Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 道不同，不相為謀 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 道不同，不相為謀 (dào bù tóng bù xiāng wéi móu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects of Confucius 論語·衛靈公 (Wèi Líng Gōng XV). 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 道不同，不相為謀?

In Mandarin it is dào bù tóng bù xiāng wéi móu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 道不同，不相為謀 aloud in Mandarin.