諺語 · a single proverb
書中自有黃金屋
Simplified: 书中自有黄金屋
What does 書中自有黃金屋 (shū zhōng zì yǒu huáng jīn wū) mean?
書中自有黃金屋 (shū zhōng zì yǒu huáng jīn wū) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "within books there is, of itself, a house of gold." In use it means: Learning is its own treasury; study opens the door to fortune. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rooster.
Literally: "within books there is, of itself, a house of gold."
The reading
You will not find the gold by shaking the book. It is in the slow reading, the nights the page would not release you. What you learn becomes a room no one can repossess, and later, when you least expect it, you walk in and find it furnished.
The story
The line is from the 勵學篇, Encouragement to Study, attributed to Emperor Zhenzong of Song: within books there is, of itself, a house of gold. Written to spur candidates toward the civil examinations, it promised that learning was its own treasury and the door to fortune.
You will not find the gold by shaking the book for quick use; it is in the slow reading, the nights the page will not release you. Build the room now, one hard chapter at a time, and later you will walk in and find it furnished.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Emperor Zhenzong of Song 宋真宗, 勵學篇 / 勸學詩 (Encouragement to Study), Song dynasty
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Monkey.
Questions
Is 書中自有黃金屋 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 書中自有黃金屋 (shū zhōng zì yǒu huáng jīn wū) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Emperor Zhenzong of Song 宋真宗, 勵學篇 / 勸學詩 (Encouragement to Study), Song dynasty. 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 書中自有黃金屋?
In Mandarin it is shū zhōng zì yǒu huáng jīn wū. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 書中自有黃金屋 aloud in Mandarin.