諺語 · a single proverb
身在福中不知福
What does 身在福中不知福 (shēn zài fú zhōng bù zhī fú) mean?
身在福中不知福 (shēn zài fú zhōng bù zhī fú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "living inside good fortune without knowing it." In use it means: Taking your blessings for granted because you are surrounded by them. The fish does not know it is wet. The fortunate person does not know they are fortunate until the fortune changes. 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 Pig.
Literally: "living inside good fortune without knowing it."
The reading
Clean water, a working door, a person who answers when you call. These are miracles you have stopped seeing because they happen every day. The day any of them stops, you will remember it was a miracle. Gratitude is just seeing what was always there. The fortune does not increase. Your awareness of it does.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb 民間諺語; Qing-era moral literature
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 身在福中不知福 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 身在福中不知福 (shēn zài fú zhōng bù zhī fú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb 民間諺語; Qing-era moral literature. 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 身在福中不知福?
In Mandarin it is shēn zài fú zhōng bù zhī fú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 身在福中不知福 aloud in Mandarin.