買mǎi賣mài不bù成chéng仁rén義yì在zài

What does 買賣不成仁義在 (mǎi mài bù chéng rén yì zài) mean?

買賣不成仁義在 (mǎi mài bù chéng rén yì zài) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Even if the deal falls through, the goodwill remains." In use it means: A failed transaction should not damage a relationship. In Chinese commerce, preserving personal bonds is more important than closing any single deal. 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 Goat.

Literally: "Even if the deal falls through, the goodwill remains.."

The reading

The merchant who walks away from a broken negotiation with a smile and a handshake has won something more valuable than the deal. Relationships are the infrastructure of future trade. Burning a bridge over one disagreement is the most expensive mistake in business. The person you could not agree with today may become your best partner next year. Goodwill is an account that pays compound interest indefinitely.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element木 Wood
• Zodiac tie羊 Year of the Goat

Source Traditional commercial proverb, widely used in Chinese business culture since the Ming dynasty

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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.