諺語 · a single proverb
上行下效
What does 上行下效 (shàng xíng xià xiào) mean?
上行下效 (shàng xíng xià xiào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "above acts, below follows." In use it means: Those below follow what those above do; leaders set the example that subordinates imitate. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "above acts, below follows."
The reading
The behavior at the top of the structure is the curriculum for everyone beneath it, whether or not the top is aware of its teaching role. What the leader does casually, the follower assumes to be the standard. This is not a burden but an invitation: the level of the structure is set by what the highest point habitually does.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Shu 漢書·武帝紀 (Wǔ Dì Jì, Emperor Wu)
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 Horse, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 上行下效 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 上行下效 (shàng xíng xià xiào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Shu 漢書·武帝紀 (Wǔ Dì Jì, Emperor Wu). 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 上行下效?
In Mandarin it is shàng xíng xià xiào. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 上行下效 aloud in Mandarin.