諺語 · a single proverb
五官端正
What does 五官端正 (wǔ guān duān zhèng) mean?
五官端正 (wǔ guān duān zhèng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "five features correctly arranged." In use it means: Proper alignment of what is visible; the outward presentation reflecting inner order. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "five features correctly arranged."
The reading
The face is not exceptional. But everything is where it should be, in proportion, without distortion. There is a different kind of beauty in correctness: the beauty of things that work because they are properly aligned. Alignment is not about perfection. It is about function.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common descriptive expression; physiognomy and folk tradition
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 五官端正 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 五官端正 (wǔ guān duān zhèng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common descriptive expression; physiognomy and folk tradition. 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 五官端正?
In Mandarin it is wǔ guān duān zhèng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 五官端正 aloud in Mandarin.