諺語 · a single proverb
四海為家
Simplified: 四海为家
What does 四海為家 (sì hǎi wéi jiā) mean?
四海為家 (sì hǎi wéi jiā) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "the four seas are home." In use it means: A person of broad spirit can feel at home anywhere in the world. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "the four seas are home."
The reading
Home is not the house. Home is the decision to belong where you are standing. The person who carries that decision inside them does not need a return ticket. Every shore is their shore. Every roof is their roof. They traded one address for the whole map.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Historical Records 史記 (漢高祖本紀); ancient usage
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 四海為家 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 四海為家 (sì hǎi wéi jiā) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Historical Records 史記 (漢高祖本紀); ancient usage. 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 四海為家?
In Mandarin it is sì hǎi wéi jiā. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 四海為家 aloud in Mandarin.