諺語 · a single proverb
良藥苦口
Simplified: 良药苦口
What does 良藥苦口 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu) mean?
良藥苦口 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "good medicine tastes bitter." In use it means: The remedies that work best are often unpleasant; effective help does not always feel good. 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 Snake.
Literally: "good medicine tastes bitter."
The reading
The child spits out the medicine and asks for honey. The parent holds the cup steady and waits. Every remedy that works, in health, in business, in character, has this quality: it is unpleasant in proportion to how much it helps. If the fix feels comfortable, check whether it is actually fixing anything.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Kongzi Jiayu 孔子家語; also Records of the Grand Historian 史記
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 良藥苦口 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 良藥苦口 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Kongzi Jiayu 孔子家語; also Records of the Grand Historian 史記. 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 良藥苦口?
In Mandarin it is liáng yào kǔ kǒu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 良藥苦口 aloud in Mandarin.