諺語 · a single proverb
民以食為天
Simplified: 民以食为天
What does 民以食為天 (mín yǐ shí wéi tiān) mean?
民以食為天 (mín yǐ shí wéi tiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "people take food as heaven." In use it means: Food is the most basic and essential need of the people; never neglect material necessities. 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 Pig.
Literally: "people take food as heaven."
The reading
Before philosophy and after it, the body asks the same question: what will it eat today. The most elegant governance in the world means nothing to an empty stomach, and the wisest counsel has no audience in the face of hunger. Begin with the grain, and the rest becomes possible.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Shu 漢書·酈食其傳 (Lì Shíjī biography)
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 民以食為天 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 民以食為天 (mín yǐ shí wéi tiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Han Shu 漢書·酈食其傳 (Lì Shíjī biography). 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 民以食為天?
In Mandarin it is mín yǐ shí wéi tiān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 民以食為天 aloud in Mandarin.