諺語 · a single proverb
上樑不正下樑歪
Simplified: 上梁不正下梁歪
What does 上樑不正下樑歪 (shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi) mean?
上樑不正下樑歪 (shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "if the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam goes askew." In use it means: Leadership sets the standard; when those at the top behave badly, everyone below follows. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "if the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam goes askew."
The reading
The house does not crook itself. The first beam was placed at an angle and every beam after it matched. The workers did exactly what the blueprint showed. Fix the top beam and the house straightens. Blame the bottom beams and nothing changes.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb; common in governance criticism
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 上樑不正下樑歪 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 上樑不正下樑歪 (shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb; common in governance criticism. 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 上樑不正下樑歪?
In Mandarin it is shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 上樑不正下樑歪 aloud in Mandarin.