諺語 · a single proverb
因地制宜
What does 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí) mean?
因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "according to place, adapt to the appropriate." In use it means: Adapt measures to local conditions; tailor approaches to the specific situation. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "according to place, adapt to the appropriate."
The reading
The same seed planted in different soils does not grow identically, because the conversation between seed and soil produces what is appropriate to the specific meeting. What works in the valley may not work on the hillside, and the wisdom is not in the method but in the reading of where the method is being applied. Place teaches.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese agricultural and strategic principle
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 因地制宜 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese agricultural and strategic principle. 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 因地制宜?
In Mandarin it is yīn dì zhì yí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 因地制宜 aloud in Mandarin.