諺語 · a single proverb
人以群分
What does 人以群分 (rén yǐ qún fēn) mean?
人以群分 (rén yǐ qún fēn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "people are divided by their groups." In use it means: People naturally gravitate toward others like themselves; you can judge someone by the company they keep. 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 Monkey.
Literally: "people are divided by their groups."
The reading
Look at the five people closest to you. Their average is your portrait, drawn by proximity rather than paint. This is not judgment. It is observation. The quiet sorting of humans into clusters happens without anyone organizing it, because similarity is a magnet and difference is a gentle repellent. Check your cluster. It is showing you who you are becoming.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Changes 易經, Xi Ci 繫辭上; paired with 物以類聚
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 Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人以群分 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人以群分 (rén yǐ qún fēn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Book of Changes 易經, Xi Ci 繫辭上; paired with 物以類聚. 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 人以群分?
In Mandarin it is rén yǐ qún fēn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人以群分 aloud in Mandarin.