諺語 · a single proverb
人之將死，其言也善
What does 人之將死，其言也善 (rén zhī jiāng sǐ qí yán yě shàn) mean?
人之將死，其言也善 (rén zhī jiāng sǐ qí yán yě shàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "when a person is about to die, their words are also good." In use it means: A dying person's words are sincere and good; truth spoken at the end of life carries special weight. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "when a person is about to die, their words are also good."
The reading
The person near the end has no more time for strategy or performance. What is said at the final threshold is what was always most true, now arriving without the usual filters. This is why the last words carry their particular weight: they are the person finally speaking without the life they were constructing to protect. The end is the most honest hour.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects of Confucius 論語·泰伯 (Tài Bó VIII)
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 人之將死，其言也善 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 人之將死，其言也善 (rén zhī jiāng sǐ qí yán yě shàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects of Confucius 論語·泰伯 (Tài Bó VIII). 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 人之將死，其言也善?
In Mandarin it is rén zhī jiāng sǐ qí yán yě shàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 人之將死，其言也善 aloud in Mandarin.