諺語 · a single proverb

患huàn難nán見jiàn人rén心xīn

huàn nán jiàn rén xīn

What does 患難見人心 (huàn nán jiàn rén xīn) mean?

患難見人心 (huàn nán jiàn rén xīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "hardship reveals the human heart." In use it means: Adversity reveals a person's true character and intentions. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.

Literally: "hardship reveals the human heart."

The reading

The comfortable season shows you everyone's face but not their heart. What a person is when everything is easy is preliminary information. The storm is the examination, and hardship is the only invigilator honest enough to hold the room while the truth is written down.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu)

Sits beside

世態炎涼

shì tài yán liáng

The ways of the world are warm when you prosper and cold when you fall.

人有志氣不怕窮

rén yǒu zhì qì bù pà qióng

A person with determination is not afraid of poverty.

冬天來了，春天還會遠嗎

dōng tiān lái le chūn tiān hái huì yuǎn ma

After hardship, good times are coming.

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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 患難見人心 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 患難見人心 (huàn nán jiàn rén xīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (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 患難見人心?

In Mandarin it is huàn nán jiàn rén xīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 患難見人心 aloud in Mandarin.