諺語 · a single proverb
上梁不正下梁歪
What does 上梁不正下梁歪 (shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi) mean?
上梁不正下梁歪 (shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked." In use it means: Leadership sets the standard; if those at the top behave badly, those below will follow their example. 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 Ox.
Literally: "if the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked."
The reading
The house leans because the first beam was set crooked. Every beam after that compensated for the angle above it, each one a little more crooked than the last, until the whole structure tilted. Organizations work identically. The behavior at the top is the beam that sets the angle for everyone underneath. Straighten the top first.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; widely used in governance and family contexts
Sits beside
家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居
jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū
A good neighbor is worth more than household gold.
一方水土養一方人
yī fāng shuǐ tǔ yǎng yī fāng rén
The land and water of a region shapes the people who live there.
前人栽樹，後人乘涼
qián rén zāi shù hòu rén chéng liáng
What one generation builds, the next generation benefits from.
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 Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 上梁不正下梁歪 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 上梁不正下梁歪 (shàng liáng bù zhèng xià liáng wāi) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; widely used in governance and family contexts. 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 上梁不正下梁歪?
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 上梁不正下梁歪 aloud in Mandarin.