諺語 · a single proverb
百善孝為先
Simplified: 百善孝为先
What does 百善孝為先 (bǎi shàn xiào wéi xiān) mean?
百善孝為先 (bǎi shàn xiào wéi xiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "of the hundred virtues, filial care comes first." In use it means: Respect and care for one's parents is the root virtue from which the others grow. 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 Dog.
Literally: "of the hundred virtues, filial care comes first."
The reading
You measure yourself by the good you do out in the world, where it is seen and thanked. But the first ledger was opened long before that, in the house that fed you when you could give nothing back. Settle that account gently, and the rest of your goodness stands on real ground.
The story
The saying is recorded in the Weilu Yehua, a Qing collection of moral maxims, and it ranks the virtues plainly: of the hundred good things a person can do, filial care comes first. It is quoted to root a person's goodness in the earliest debt, the care owed to the house that fed them before they could give anything back.
You are quick to count the good you do where it is seen and thanked, but the first ledger was opened at home long before that. Settle that account gently this week, with a call or a visit or a task lifted from a parent's shoulders, so the rest of your goodness stands on real ground.
What kind of proverb it is
Source 圍爐夜話
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 Dog, Year of the Ox, Year of the Pig, and Year of the Rabbit.
Questions
Is 百善孝為先 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 百善孝為先 (bǎi shàn xiào wéi xiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from 圍爐夜話. 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 百善孝為先?
In Mandarin it is bǎi shàn xiào wéi xiān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 百善孝為先 aloud in Mandarin.