諺語 · a single proverb
患難與共
Simplified: 患难与共
What does 患難與共 (huàn nán yǔ gòng) mean?
患難與共 (huàn nán yǔ gòng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "hardship and difficulty together share." In use it means: Face hardships and difficulties together; stand by each other in adversity. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "hardship and difficulty together share."
The reading
The canoe that fills in the rapids is no time to find out whether your companion knows how to bail. True alliance is confirmed not in the harbor but in the storm, when the question of who stays is answered without being asked. That is the kind of knowing that cannot be taught.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·刺客列傳 (Assassins biography section)
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 患難與共 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 患難與共 (huàn nán yǔ gòng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·刺客列傳 (Assassins biography section). 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 患難與共?
In Mandarin it is huàn nán yǔ gòng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 患難與共 aloud in Mandarin.