肉ròu包bāo子zi打dǎ狗gǒu——yǒu——有qù去wú無huí回

What does 肉包子打狗——有去無回 (ròu bāo zi dǎ gǒu——yǒu qù wú huí) mean?

肉包子打狗——有去無回 (ròu bāo zi dǎ gǒu——yǒu qù wú huí) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "Throwing a meat bun at a dog-gone and never coming back." In use it means: A gift or loan given to someone who will never return it. Describes an irretrievable loss, especially when lending to an unreliable person. 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 Dog.

Literally: "Throwing a meat bun at a dog-gone and never coming back.."

The reading

Some generosity is really just a reluctance to say no dressed up as virtue. Knowing who deserves trust is a skill sharpened by loss. The bun is eaten the moment it leaves the hand, and regret arrives too late to change anything. Clear-eyed giving, with no illusion of return, is the only kind that does not breed resentment. What we release willingly costs us less than what is taken by surprise.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typexiēhòuyǔ 歇後語
• FocusLooks back
• Element土 Earth
• Zodiac tie狗 Year of the Dog

Source Traditional folk xiehouyu, widely known across northern China

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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.