諺語 · a single proverb
浪子回頭金不換
Simplified: 浪子回头金不换
What does 浪子回頭金不換 (làng zǐ huí tóu jīn bù huàn) mean?
浪子回頭金不換 (làng zǐ huí tóu jīn bù huàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a prodigal son who turns back is worth more than gold." In use it means: A person who has gone astray and returns to the right path is more valuable than any treasure. The return itself is the proof of character. 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 Horse.
Literally: "a prodigal son who turns back is worth more than gold."
The reading
The son who never left home followed the rules. The son who left, failed, and came back chose the rules. There is a difference between obedience and return. The one who returns has seen the alternative and rejected it. That choice, made with open eyes, is worth more than the gold that never left the vault.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb; related to Buddhist parable of the prodigal son (法華經)
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 Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 浪子回頭金不換 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 浪子回頭金不換 (làng zǐ huí tóu jīn bù huàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb; related to Buddhist parable of the prodigal son (法華經). 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 浪子回頭金不換?
In Mandarin it is làng zǐ huí tóu jīn bù huàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 浪子回頭金不換 aloud in Mandarin.