諺語 · a single proverb
骨肉相連
Simplified: 骨肉相连
What does 骨肉相連 (gǔ ròu xiāng lián) mean?
骨肉相連 (gǔ ròu xiāng lián) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "bone and flesh connected." In use it means: Family ties that run deeper than choice; the unbreakable bond between blood relatives. 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 Pig.
Literally: "bone and flesh connected."
The reading
You did not choose them and they did not choose you. That is precisely what makes the bond different from every other one: it cannot be undone by disagreement, distance, or disapproval. The bone and the flesh argue about who supports whom, but neither can leave the body. Family is the relationship that remains after all the optional ones have been tested.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common literary expression; deeply embedded in Chinese familial culture
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 骨肉相連 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 骨肉相連 (gǔ ròu xiāng lián) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common literary expression; deeply embedded in Chinese familial culture. 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 骨肉相連?
In Mandarin it is gǔ ròu xiāng lián. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 骨肉相連 aloud in Mandarin.