諺語 · a single proverb
門當戶對
Simplified: 门当户对
What does 門當戶對 (mén dāng hù duì) mean?
門當戶對 (mén dāng hù duì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "the door and gate match." In use it means: A marriage or partnership between social equals. The two households sit at the same level. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "the door and gate match."
The reading
The saying is about architecture first. If your doorway is grand and theirs is modest, the match will feel lopsided from the threshold. People read this as snobbery. It is actually about comfort: two people from the same world share assumptions, and assumptions are the invisible furniture of every relationship.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yuan drama 元曲; folk marriage custom
Sits beside
外甥打燈籠——照舅（照舊）
wài shēng dǎ dēng long——zhào jiù (zhào jiù)
A pun on 照舅 (illuminating the uncle) and 照舊 (as before).
家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居
jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū
A good neighbor is worth more than household gold.
龍生龍，鳳生鳳，老鼠生的兒子會打洞
lóng shēng lóng, fèng shēng fèng, lǎo shǔ shēng de ér zi huì dǎ dòng
Children tend to inherit or follow the traits and social standing of their parents.
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 門當戶對 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 門當戶對 (mén dāng hù duì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Yuan drama 元曲; folk marriage custom. 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 門當戶對?
In Mandarin it is mén dāng hù duì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 門當戶對 aloud in Mandarin.