諺語 · a single proverb
酒逢知己千杯少
What does 酒逢知己千杯少 (jiǔ féng zhī jǐ qiān bēi shǎo) mean?
酒逢知己千杯少 (jiǔ féng zhī jǐ qiān bēi shǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "when wine meets a true friend, a thousand cups are too few." In use it means: With someone who truly understands you, time and conversation are never enough. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "when wine meets a true friend, a thousand cups are too few."
The reading
The cup refills itself when the company is right. The hours disappear because the conversation is building something neither person could build alone. That is the test of a real connection: you run out of wine before you run out of things to say.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 era; folk proverb
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 酒逢知己千杯少 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 酒逢知己千杯少 (jiǔ féng zhī jǐ qiān bēi shǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 era; folk proverb. 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 酒逢知己千杯少?
In Mandarin it is jiǔ féng zhī jǐ qiān bēi shǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 酒逢知己千杯少 aloud in Mandarin.