諺語 · a single proverb
良藥苦口，忠言逆耳
Simplified: 良药苦口，忠言逆耳
What does 良藥苦口，忠言逆耳 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu zhōng yán nì ěr) mean?
良藥苦口，忠言逆耳 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu zhōng yán nì ěr) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "good medicine bitter to mouth, loyal words harsh to ear." In use it means: Good medicine tastes bitter; honest advice is hard to hear. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "good medicine bitter to mouth, loyal words harsh to ear."
The reading
The body resists the remedy even as it needs it, and the ear flinches from the word that could save it. What costs us nothing to receive usually costs us nothing in value. The friend who tells you what you do not want to hear is offering something the comfortable ones cannot.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·留侯世家 (Liú Hóu biography)
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 Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 良藥苦口，忠言逆耳 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 良藥苦口，忠言逆耳 (liáng yào kǔ kǒu zhōng yán nì ěr) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·留侯世家 (Liú Hóu biography). 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，忠言逆耳?
In Mandarin it is liáng yào kǔ kǒu zhōng yán nì ěr. 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，忠言逆耳 aloud in Mandarin.