諺語 · a single proverb
好借好還，再借不難
Simplified: 好借好还，再借不难
What does 好借好還，再借不難 (hǎo jiè hǎo huán, zài jiè bù nán) mean?
好借好還，再借不難 (hǎo jiè hǎo huán, zài jiè bù nán) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "borrow well and return well, and borrowing again is not difficult." In use it means: Honoring your debts builds trust that makes future requests easier; reliability is its own credit line. 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 Dog.
Literally: "borrow well and return well, and borrowing again is not difficult."
The reading
The first loan tests the relationship. The return builds it. The second loan is not about the money. It is about the proof that you are someone who keeps their word. Trust is earned in small, boring increments. Every on-time return is a deposit in an account you cannot see but everyone can feel.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk financial wisdom, widespread across Chinese communities
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 好借好還，再借不難 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 好借好還，再借不難 (hǎo jiè hǎo huán, zài jiè bù nán) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk financial wisdom, widespread across Chinese communities. 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 好借好還，再借不難?
In Mandarin it is hǎo jiè hǎo huán, zài jiè bù nán. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 好借好還，再借不難 aloud in Mandarin.