諺語 · a single proverb
以和為貴
What does 以和為貴 (yǐ hé wéi guì) mean?
以和為貴 (yǐ hé wéi guì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "treat harmony as most precious." In use it means: Value harmony above all things; make peace the highest priority. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "treat harmony as most precious."
The reading
The most expensive thing in the room is often the agreement between the people in it. Harmony is not the absence of conflict but the presence of something that holds the people together across it, a willingness to find and maintain the shared ground. This is more precious than any object placed in the center of the space.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects of Confucius 論語·學而 (Xué Ér I); also from 禮記
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 以和為貴 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 以和為貴 (yǐ hé wéi guì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Analects of Confucius 論語·學而 (Xué Ér I); also from 禮記. 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 以和為貴?
In Mandarin it is yǐ hé wéi guì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 以和為貴 aloud in Mandarin.