諺語 · a single proverb
人多力量大，柴多火焰高
What does 人多力量大，柴多火焰高 (rén duō lì liàng dà chái duō huǒ yàn gāo) mean?
人多力量大，柴多火焰高 (rén duō lì liàng dà chái duō huǒ yàn gāo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "more people greater strength, more wood higher flame." In use it means: Strength multiplies with numbers; more people, more power; more contribution, greater result. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "more people greater strength, more wood higher flame."
The reading
The fire that is fed more wood does not merely grow larger; it changes quality at a certain point, becoming capable of warmth and cooking and light that the small flame could not provide. The gathering of contributions is not arithmetic but transformation: at some point of accumulation, the thing becomes something it could not be with less. Add your log.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu)
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人多力量大，柴多火焰高 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人多力量大，柴多火焰高 (rén duō lì liàng dà chái duō huǒ yàn gāo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu). 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 人多力量大，柴多火焰高?
In Mandarin it is rén duō lì liàng dà chái duō huǒ yàn gāo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人多力量大，柴多火焰高 aloud in Mandarin.