諺語 · a single proverb
王婆賣瓜——自賣自誇
Simplified: 王婆卖瓜——自卖自夸
What does 王婆賣瓜——自賣自誇 (wáng pó mài guā——zì mài zì kuā) mean?
王婆賣瓜——自賣自誇 (wáng pó mài guā——zì mài zì kuā) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "Old Lady Wang selling melons-praising her own goods." In use it means: Shamelessly promoting oneself or one's own products. Describes bragging and self-promotion without outside validation. 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: "Old Lady Wang selling melons-praising her own goods.."
The reading
The seller who praises their own melons the loudest is often the one whose melons need the most help. Genuine quality draws its own crowd without a megaphone. Self-promotion is not inherently wrong, but it becomes hollow when it replaces substance. The buyer's trust is built on the first bite, not the pitch that precedes it. Let the melon speak for itself whenever possible.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional folk xiehouyu, referenced in classical novel Jin Ping Mei
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 王婆賣瓜——自賣自誇 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 王婆賣瓜——自賣自誇 (wáng pó mài guā——zì mài zì kuā) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Traditional folk xiehouyu, referenced in classical novel Jin Ping Mei. 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 王婆賣瓜——自賣自誇?
In Mandarin it is wáng pó mài guā——zì mài zì kuā. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 王婆賣瓜——自賣自誇 aloud in Mandarin.