諺語 · a single proverb
流芳百世
What does 流芳百世 (liú fāng bǎi shì) mean?
流芳百世 (liú fāng bǎi shì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "fragrance flowing through a hundred generations." In use it means: A reputation so good that it persists for centuries; the kind of character that outlives the person who carried it. 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 Horse.
Literally: "fragrance flowing through a hundred generations."
The reading
The person is gone. The fragrance remains. Not in a bottle, but in the things they built, the people they shaped, the decisions they made when nobody was watching. Legacy is not a project. It is a byproduct of living with enough integrity that the echo does not distort.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common literary expression; historical and biographical tradition
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 流芳百世 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 流芳百世 (liú fāng bǎi shì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common literary expression; historical and biographical tradition. 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 流芳百世?
In Mandarin it is liú fāng bǎi shì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 流芳百世 aloud in Mandarin.