諺語 · a single proverb
贈人玫瑰，手有餘香
What does 贈人玫瑰，手有餘香 (zèng rén méi guī shǒu yǒu yú xiāng) mean?
贈人玫瑰，手有餘香 (zèng rén méi guī shǒu yǒu yú xiāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "give person roses, hand retains lingering fragrance." In use it means: When you give to others, you also receive; generosity leaves something behind in the giver. 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 Pig.
Literally: "give person roses, hand retains lingering fragrance."
The reading
The hand that gives the rose does not return empty. The fragrance is not a byproduct but a second gift, the one the giver did not anticipate. What passes through your hands on its way to someone else leaves a trace that the mere holding of it does not. Generosity is the only form of spending that leaves the spender richer.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 贈人玫瑰，手有餘香 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 贈人玫瑰，手有餘香 (zèng rén méi guī shǒu yǒu yú xiāng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying. 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 贈人玫瑰，手有餘香?
In Mandarin it is zèng rén méi guī shǒu yǒu yú xiāng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 贈人玫瑰，手有餘香 aloud in Mandarin.