諺語 · a single proverb
風雨同舟
Simplified: 风雨同舟
What does 風雨同舟 (fēng yǔ tóng zhōu) mean?
風雨同舟 (fēng yǔ tóng zhōu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "wind rain same boat." In use it means: In the same boat through wind and rain; sharing hardships together. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "wind rain same boat."
The reading
The storm does not ask who paid more for their passage. In the same boat, all hands bail, all voices cry warning, and the shared urgency dissolves the usual distinctions of rank. Those who have weathered the same storm together carry a knowledge of each other that fair weather never produces.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sun Zi 孫子·九地 (Jiǔ Dì, Nine Terrains)
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 風雨同舟 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 風雨同舟 (fēng yǔ tóng zhōu) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Sun Zi 孫子·九地 (Jiǔ Dì, Nine Terrains). 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 風雨同舟?
In Mandarin it is fēng yǔ tóng zhōu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 風雨同舟 aloud in Mandarin.