諺語 · a single proverb
勤勞致富
What does 勤勞致富 (qín láo zhì fù) mean?
勤勞致富 (qín láo zhì fù) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "diligence and labor bring wealth." In use it means: Hard work leads to prosperity; wealth comes from persistent effort. 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 Ox.
Literally: "diligence and labor bring wealth."
The reading
The field of the hardworking farmer does not look different from any other field in March, but by September it tells a different story. The gap between the harvest of the diligent and the harvest of the careless is not the land but the labor, and the labor is not talent but choice, made again and again on the mornings when it would have been easier to stay inside.
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 勤勞致富 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 勤勞致富 (qín láo zhì fù) 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 勤勞致富?
In Mandarin it is qín láo zhì fù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 勤勞致富 aloud in Mandarin.