諺語 · a single proverb
桃李不言，下自成蹊
What does 桃李不言，下自成蹊 (táo lǐ bù yán xià zì chéng xī) mean?
桃李不言，下自成蹊 (táo lǐ bù yán xià zì chéng xī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "peach and plum do not speak, below naturally forms a path." In use it means: True virtue needs no advertisement; people are naturally drawn to what is genuinely good. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "peach and plum do not speak, below naturally forms a path."
The reading
The peach tree does not announce that it has peaches. It does not need to. The sweetness does the work; the path wears itself into the earth from the repeated feet of those who came and came again. Authentic value creates its own attention, and what must be loudly advertised rarely has the depth to keep what the noise attracts.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·李將軍列傳 (Lǐ Jiāngjūn biography)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 桃李不言，下自成蹊 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 桃李不言，下自成蹊 (táo lǐ bù yán xià zì chéng xī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·李將軍列傳 (Lǐ Jiāngjūn biography). 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 桃李不言，下自成蹊?
In Mandarin it is táo lǐ bù yán xià zì chéng xī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 桃李不言，下自成蹊 aloud in Mandarin.