諺語 · a single proverb
孟母三遷
Simplified: 孟母三迁
What does 孟母三遷 (mèng mǔ sān qiān) mean?
孟母三遷 (mèng mǔ sān qiān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "Mencius' mother moved three times." In use it means: Environment shapes character. A good parent chooses the right surroundings for their child, even if it means uprooting. 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 Ox.
Literally: "Mencius' mother moved three times."
The reading
The first house was near a cemetery. The boy played at funerals. The second was near a market. He played at selling. The third was near a school. He played at studying. His mother moved until the game matched the future she wanted for him. The lesson is not about moving. It is about understanding that children become what surrounds them.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Biographies of Exemplary Women 列女傳 (Liu Xiang 劉向, Han 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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 孟母三遷 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 孟母三遷 (mèng mǔ sān qiān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Biographies of Exemplary Women 列女傳 (Liu Xiang 劉向, Han dynasty). 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 孟母三遷?
In Mandarin it is mèng mǔ sān qiān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 孟母三遷 aloud in Mandarin.