諺語 · a single proverb
人間煙火
Simplified: 人间烟火
What does 人間煙火 (rén jiān yān huǒ) mean?
人間煙火 (rén jiān yān huǒ) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "the cooking smoke of the human world." In use it means: The warmth and ordinariness of everyday life; the simple pleasures that make existence real. 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 Pig.
Literally: "the cooking smoke of the human world."
The reading
Philosophy is impressive, but the smell of rice cooking at dusk is what makes people walk home. The smoke rising from a kitchen chimney says: someone is here, someone is cooking, someone is expecting you. All the grand theories of living cannot match the pull of that single plume of smoke. Be careful not to rise so high that you leave the cooking fires behind.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common literary phrase; appears in Tang poetry and folk expressions
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人間煙火 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人間煙火 (rén jiān yān huǒ) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Common literary phrase; appears in Tang poetry and folk expressions. 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 人間煙火?
In Mandarin it is rén jiān yān huǒ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人間煙火 aloud in Mandarin.