諺語 · a single proverb
寧缺毋濫
Simplified: 宁缺毋滥
What does 寧缺毋濫 (nìng quē wú làn) mean?
寧缺毋濫 (nìng quē wú làn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "rather lack than be excessive." In use it means: Better to have less of quality than more of inferior; do not fill a gap with something substandard. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "rather lack than be excessive."
The reading
An empty chair at the table is honest about what it holds. A chair filled with the wrong presence is full of a different kind of emptiness, one that pretends. What is absent can always be found; what is wrongly present must first be removed before anything better can arrive.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese proverb (common in folk and cultural contexts)
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 寧缺毋濫 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 寧缺毋濫 (nìng quē wú làn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese proverb (common in folk and cultural contexts). 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 寧缺毋濫?
In Mandarin it is nìng quē wú làn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 寧缺毋濫 aloud in Mandarin.