諺語 · a single proverb
士可殺不可辱
Simplified: 士可杀不可辱
What does 士可殺不可辱 (shì kě shā bù kě rǔ) mean?
士可殺不可辱 (shì kě shā bù kě rǔ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a scholar may be killed but not humiliated." In use it means: Dignity is worth more than survival; some principles are worth dying for rather than compromising. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "a scholar may be killed but not humiliated."
The reading
There is a line beyond which compliance costs more than it saves. The person who crosses it keeps breathing but stops living in any way that matters. This is not about stubbornness. It is about knowing which part of yourself is non-negotiable, and being willing to lose everything else rather than that.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Rites 禮記, Ru Xing 儒行
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 士可殺不可辱 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 士可殺不可辱 (shì kě shā bù kě rǔ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Book of Rites 禮記, Ru Xing 儒行. 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 士可殺不可辱?
In Mandarin it is shì kě shā bù kě rǔ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 士可殺不可辱 aloud in Mandarin.