諺語 · a single proverb
人之初，性本善
What does 人之初，性本善 (rén zhī chū xìng běn shàn) mean?
人之初，性本善 (rén zhī chū xìng běn shàn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "person at the beginning, nature originally good." In use it means: Human nature at birth is fundamentally good; we are born innocent and good. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "person at the beginning, nature originally good."
The reading
Before the world has had a chance to apply its lessons, what the child is is something uncontaminated. The original goodness is not naivety but the baseline from which everything else departs. What we recover toward, in our better moments, is something we already were.
What kind of proverb it is
Source San Zi Jing 三字經 (Sān Zì Jīng, Three Character Classic)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 人之初，性本善 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人之初，性本善 (rén zhī chū xìng běn shàn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from San Zi Jing 三字經 (Sān Zì Jīng, Three Character Classic). 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 人之初，性本善?
In Mandarin it is rén zhī chū xìng běn shàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人之初，性本善 aloud in Mandarin.