諺語 · a single proverb
以和為貴
Simplified: 以和为贵
What does 以和為貴 (yǐ hé wéi guì) mean?
以和為貴 (yǐ hé wéi guì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "take harmony as what is precious." In use it means: Harmony is the most valued principle in all human dealings. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "take harmony as what is precious."
The reading
You can win the argument tonight and still lose the person across from you, and some part of you already senses that trade is a bad one. Being right is cheap; the room staying whole afterward is not. Choose the harmony, not because you are weak, but because you can count what it is worth.
The story
From the Analects, in the words of the disciple You Ruo: in the practice of ritual propriety, harmony is what is precious. The saying became the touchstone of Chinese social life, the principle that keeping the human fabric whole matters more than winning any single exchange within it.
In the argument you could win tonight, count what winning would cost the relationship, and often you will find the trade is bad. Choose harmony not from weakness but because you can see what a whole room is worth after the point is forgotten.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語 (禮之用，和為貴)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Dragon, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Goat.
Questions
Is 以和為貴 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 以和為貴 (yǐ hé wéi guì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Analects 論語 (禮之用，和為貴). 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 以和為貴?
In Mandarin it is yǐ hé wéi guì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 以和為貴 aloud in Mandarin.