諺語 · a single proverb
貴在精而不貴在多
Simplified: 贵在精而不贵在多
What does 貴在精而不貴在多 (guì zài jīng ér bù guì zài duō) mean?
貴在精而不貴在多 (guì zài jīng ér bù guì zài duō) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "value lies in refinement, not in quantity." In use it means: Quality over quantity; a few excellent things outweigh many mediocre ones. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "value lies in refinement, not in quantity."
The reading
The bookshelf with three books that changed your life is more valuable than the one with three hundred you have not opened. The workshop with four tools you have mastered produces better work than the one with forty you barely understand. Accumulation feels like progress. Refinement is progress.
What kind of proverb it is
Source General Confucian philosophical maxim; echoes throughout classical texts
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 貴在精而不貴在多 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 貴在精而不貴在多 (guì zài jīng ér bù guì zài duō) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from General Confucian philosophical maxim; echoes throughout classical texts. 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 貴在精而不貴在多?
In Mandarin it is guì zài jīng ér bù guì zài duō. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 貴在精而不貴在多 aloud in Mandarin.