諺語 · a single proverb
近朋友遠小人
Simplified: 近朋友远小人
What does 近朋友遠小人 (jìn péng yǒu yuǎn xiǎo rén) mean?
近朋友遠小人 (jìn péng yǒu yuǎn xiǎo rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "draw close to friends, keep distance from petty people." In use it means: Choose your inner circle carefully; the company you keep determines the quality of your life. 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 Dog.
Literally: "draw close to friends, keep distance from petty people."
The reading
Proximity is influence, whether you intend it or not. The friend lifts you without being asked. The petty person drags you without being noticed. Both work through proximity, and neither stops working because you are not paying attention. Choose who stands near you the way you choose what you eat: deliberately, because it becomes part of you.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語 echo; Zhuge Liang's Chu Shi Biao 出師表
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 近朋友遠小人 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 近朋友遠小人 (jìn péng yǒu yuǎn xiǎo rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects 論語 echo; Zhuge Liang's Chu Shi Biao 出師表. 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 近朋友遠小人?
In Mandarin it is jìn péng yǒu yuǎn xiǎo rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 近朋友遠小人 aloud in Mandarin.