諺語 · a single proverb
同舟共濟
Simplified: 同舟共济
What does 同舟共濟 (tóng zhōu gòng jì) mean?
同舟共濟 (tóng zhōu gòng jì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "same boat, cross together." In use it means: People in the same difficult situation must work together. 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 Pig.
Literally: "same boat, cross together."
The reading
When the boat is small and the water is wide, no one can afford the luxury of not helping. The shared danger is the great equalizer, stripping away difference to reveal the only fact that matters: we are in this together, and together is the only direction that leads to shore. Crisis, at least, offers this gift.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Sun Zi 孫子·九地 (Jiǔ Dì, Nine Terrains)
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 同舟共濟 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 同舟共濟 (tóng zhōu gòng jì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Sun Zi 孫子·九地 (Jiǔ Dì, Nine Terrains). 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 同舟共濟?
In Mandarin it is tóng zhōu gòng jì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 同舟共濟 aloud in Mandarin.