諺語 · a single proverb
感恩圖報
Simplified: 感恩图报
What does 感恩圖報 (gǎn ēn tú bào) mean?
感恩圖報 (gǎn ēn tú bào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "feel gratitude, plan to repay." In use it means: Feel grateful and plan to return the favor; respond to kindness with appropriate reciprocity. 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 Pig.
Literally: "feel gratitude, plan to repay."
The reading
Gratitude without the intention to return is merely pleasant feeling, and pleasant feeling without action eventually dissipates. The plan to repay is not obligation but direction, a way of keeping the gratitude alive by giving it somewhere to go. What is received gracefully becomes part of the cycle that keeps goodwill moving through the world.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese idiom (common in social and moral contexts)
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 感恩圖報 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 感恩圖報 (gǎn ēn tú bào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese idiom (common in social and moral contexts). 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 感恩圖報?
In Mandarin it is gǎn ēn tú bào. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 感恩圖報 aloud in Mandarin.