諺語 · a single proverb

三sān個gè臭chòu皮pí匠jiàng——dǐng——頂gè個zhū諸gě葛liàng亮

Simplified: 三个臭皮匠——顶个诸葛亮

sān gè chòu pí jiàng——dǐng gè zhū gě liàng

What does 三個臭皮匠——頂個諸葛亮 (sān gè chòu pí jiàng——dǐng gè zhū gě liàng) mean?

三個臭皮匠——頂個諸葛亮 (sān gè chòu pí jiàng——dǐng gè zhū gě liàng) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "Three humble cobblers-equal one Zhuge Liang." In use it means: The combined wisdom of ordinary people can match the genius of a single mastermind. Celebrates collective intelligence over individual brilliance. 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 Ox.

Literally: "Three humble cobblers-equal one Zhuge Liang.."

The reading

Genius is rare, but the accumulated knowledge of ordinary people working together is not a lesser thing. The cobbler knows leather and foot and street in ways the strategist never will. Dismissing common sense because it comes from common sources is a form of blindness that afflicts the clever more than the simple. Three perspectives, honestly pooled, cover angles that one brilliant mind might overlook. Humility about the limits of individual thinking is the beginning of real strategy.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Traditional folk xiehouyu referencing Zhuge Liang of Three Kingdoms

Sits beside

偷梁換柱

tōu liáng huàn zhù

A secret substitution.

先入為主

xiān rù wéi zhǔ

First impressions dominate perception.

千里之堤，潰於蟻穴

qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué

Small problems ignored become catastrophic.

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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.

Questions

Is 三個臭皮匠——頂個諸葛亮 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 三個臭皮匠——頂個諸葛亮 (sān gè chòu pí jiàng——dǐng gè zhū gě liàng) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Traditional folk xiehouyu referencing Zhuge Liang of Three Kingdoms. 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 三個臭皮匠——頂個諸葛亮?

In Mandarin it is sān gè chòu pí jiàng——dǐng gè zhū gě liàng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 三個臭皮匠——頂個諸葛亮 aloud in Mandarin.