諺語 · a single proverb
歲歲平安
Simplified: 岁岁平安
What does 歲歲平安 (suì suì píng ān) mean?
歲歲平安 (suì suì píng ān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "peace and safety year after year." In use it means: A wish for continued well-being through every year; the simple hope that the people you love remain safe. 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 Goat.
Literally: "peace and safety year after year."
The reading
It is not a dramatic wish. It is the most fundamental one. Not wealth, not fame, not power. Just: another year where everyone is still here. The simplicity of the wish is proportional to its importance. The most valuable things you have are the ones you would notice only by their absence.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional New Year blessing; folk culture
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 歲歲平安 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 歲歲平安 (suì suì píng ān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional New Year blessing; folk culture. 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 歲歲平安?
In Mandarin it is suì suì píng ān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 歲歲平安 aloud in Mandarin.