諺語 · a single proverb
根深蒂固
What does 根深蒂固 (gēn shēn dì gù) mean?
根深蒂固 (gēn shēn dì gù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "Roots deep, stem firm." In use it means: Something so deeply established that it cannot easily be moved or changed. Profound foundations produce unshakable results. 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 Ox.
Literally: "Roots deep, stem firm.."
The reading
What you cannot see underground matters more than what you can see above it. A tree with shallow roots falls in the first real wind, no matter how impressive its crown looks. Depth is the unglamorous investment that pays off only in a crisis. Building deep means building slowly, and building slowly means enduring the impatience of those who want visible results now. The firmest things in the world got that way by growing downward first.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Lǎozǐ (老子), Dào Dé Jīng, Chapter 59; also Hán Fēi Zǐ (韩非子)
Sits beside
外甥打燈籠——照舅（照舊）
wài shēng dǎ dēng long——zhào jiù (zhào jiù)
A pun on 照舅 (illuminating the uncle) and 照舊 (as before).
家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居
jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū
A good neighbor is worth more than household gold.
龍生龍，鳳生鳳，老鼠生的兒子會打洞
lóng shēng lóng, fèng shēng fèng, lǎo shǔ shēng de ér zi huì dǎ dòng
Children tend to inherit or follow the traits and social standing of their parents.
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 根深蒂固 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 根深蒂固 (gēn shēn dì gù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Lǎozǐ (老子), Dào Dé Jīng, Chapter 59; also Hán Fēi Zǐ (韩非子). 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 根深蒂固?
In Mandarin it is gēn shēn dì gù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 根深蒂固 aloud in Mandarin.