諺語 · a single proverb

劉liú備bèi摔shuāi孩hái子zi——shōu——收mǎi買rén人xīn心

Simplified: 刘备摔孩子——收买人心

liú bèi shuāi hái zi——shōu mǎi rén xīn

What does 劉備摔孩子——收買人心 (liú bèi shuāi hái zi——shōu mǎi rén xīn) mean?

劉備摔孩子——收買人心 (liú bèi shuāi hái zi——shōu mǎi rén xīn) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "Liu Bei throwing his child-to win people's hearts." In use it means: Refers to the Three Kingdoms story where Liu Bei dramatically threw his infant son to the ground to show that Zhao Yun's life mattered more, thereby winning the loyalty of his generals. Describes a calculated gesture of self-sacrifice to gain support. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.

Literally: "Liu Bei throwing his child-to win people's hearts.."

The reading

Grand sacrifice and shrewd politics can wear the same face, and sometimes even the person acting cannot tell which is which. The child was real; the fall was real; but so was the audience. Leaders who spend others' pain for loyalty eventually run out of currency. Sincerity tested by spectacle is sincerity under suspicion. The truest devotion is built in private, not performed on a stage.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Historical xiehouyu from Romance of the Three Kingdoms

Sits beside

偷梁換柱

tōu liáng huàn zhù

A secret substitution.

先入為主

xiān rù wéi zhǔ

First impressions dominate perception.

千里之堤，潰於蟻穴

qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué

Small problems ignored become catastrophic.

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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.

Questions

Is 劉備摔孩子——收買人心 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 劉備摔孩子——收買人心 (liú bèi shuāi hái zi——shōu mǎi rén xīn) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Historical xiehouyu from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. 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 劉備摔孩子——收買人心?

In Mandarin it is liú bèi shuāi hái zi——shōu mǎi rén xīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 劉備摔孩子——收買人心 aloud in Mandarin.