諺語 · a single proverb
積善成丘
Simplified: 积善成丘
What does 積善成丘 (jī shàn chéng qiū) mean?
積善成丘 (jī shàn chéng qiū) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "accumulated goodness forms a hill." In use it means: Small acts of goodness accumulate into something great; virtue builds through repeated small acts. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "accumulated goodness forms a hill."
The reading
No one gesture of goodness builds the hill, but neither does the hill form without each one. The grain of sand knows nothing of the dune it is part of, and yet without it the dune is different. Every small act of decency is structural whether or not it receives credit. Goodness accumulates in the dark.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Xun Zi 荀子·勸學 (Quàn Xué, Encouraging Learning)
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 Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 積善成丘 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 積善成丘 (jī shàn chéng qiū) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Xun Zi 荀子·勸學 (Quàn Xué, Encouraging Learning). 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 積善成丘?
In Mandarin it is jī shàn chéng qiū. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 積善成丘 aloud in Mandarin.