諺語 · a single proverb
男兒當自強
Simplified: 男儿当自强
What does 男兒當自強 (nán ér dāng zì qiáng) mean?
男兒當自強 (nán ér dāng zì qiáng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "a man should self-strengthen." In use it means: One should always strive to better oneself through one's own effort. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "a man should self-strengthen."
The reading
The strength that comes from within is the only kind that cannot be taken. External supports are helpful but conditional; the internal resource is available in the dark, in the alone, in the exact moment when nothing from outside is coming. Build that. Everything else is supplement.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Li Wenying 李文瑛 (Cantonese opera/traditional Chinese cultural lyric)
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 Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 男兒當自強 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 男兒當自強 (nán ér dāng zì qiáng) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Li Wenying 李文瑛 (Cantonese opera/traditional Chinese cultural lyric). 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 男兒當自強?
In Mandarin it is nán ér dāng zì qiáng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 男兒當自強 aloud in Mandarin.