諺語 · a single proverb
物以類聚
Simplified: 物以类聚
What does 物以類聚 (wù yǐ lèi jù) mean?
物以類聚 (wù yǐ lèi jù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "things group by kind." In use it means: Like attracts like; people and things naturally gather with their own sort. 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 Dog.
Literally: "things group by kind."
The reading
You do not have to explain a shared frequency. The people who belong in the same room find each other without a map. Watch what gathers around you and you will learn what signal you are sending.
What kind of proverb it is
Source I Ching 易經, Xi Ci 繫辭; also Records of the Grand Historian 史記
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 物以類聚 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 物以類聚 (wù yǐ lèi jù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from I Ching 易經, Xi Ci 繫辭; also Records of the Grand Historian 史記. 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 物以類聚?
In Mandarin it is wù yǐ lèi jù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 物以類聚 aloud in Mandarin.