諺語 · a single proverb
家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居
What does 家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居 (jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū) mean?
家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居 (jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "home has gold, not equal to having a good neighbor." In use it means: A good neighbor is worth more than household gold. 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 Rat.
Literally: "home has gold, not equal to having a good neighbor."
The reading
Gold cannot run next door in an emergency. The good neighbor is wealth that is immediately accessible, already warm to your situation, and willing to respond at midnight without being asked twice. All the gold in the house cannot tell whether you are well; the good neighbor can and will. This is a different kind of richness.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu)
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 Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居 (jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (yanyu). 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 家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居?
In Mandarin it is jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居 aloud in Mandarin.