諺語 · a single proverb

好hǎo漢hàn難nán敵dí四sì手shǒu

Simplified: 好汉难敌四手

hǎo hàn nán dí sì shǒu

What does 好漢難敵四手 (hǎo hàn nán dí sì shǒu) mean?

好漢難敵四手 (hǎo hàn nán dí sì shǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "even a hero cannot fight four hands." In use it means: No matter how strong one person is, numbers win. You need allies. 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 Tiger.

Literally: "even a hero cannot fight four hands."

The reading

The strongest fighter in the village can beat any single opponent. Two opponents at once will take him down. This is not about weakness. It is arithmetic. Strength that does not recruit is strength with a ceiling.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Folk proverb; common in martial arts literature

Sits beside

一個籬笆三個樁

yī gè lí ba sān gè zhuāng

Even the strongest person needs support.

三思而後行

sān sī ér hòu xíng

Deliberate before you act-turn a decision over more than once before letting it out of your hands.

人心隔肚皮

rén xīn gé dù pí

You can never truly see inside another person's heart.

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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 好漢難敵四手 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 好漢難敵四手 (hǎo hàn nán dí sì shǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Folk proverb; common in martial arts literature. 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 好漢難敵四手?

In Mandarin it is hǎo hàn nán dí sì shǒu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 好漢難敵四手 aloud in Mandarin.