諺語 · a single proverb
無事獻殷勤，非奸即盜
Simplified: 无事献殷勤，非奸即盗
What does 無事獻殷勤，非奸即盜 (wú shì xiàn yīn qín fēi jiān jí dào) mean?
無事獻殷勤，非奸即盜 (wú shì xiàn yīn qín fēi jiān jí dào) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "showing courtesy for no reason means either fraud or theft." In use it means: When someone is unexpectedly generous without cause, check for a motive. Free kindness from strangers often has a price tag hidden behind it. 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 Rat.
Literally: "showing courtesy for no reason means either fraud or theft."
The reading
The person who brings a gift to someone they barely know is shopping, not giving. This does not mean all generosity is suspicious. It means pattern-free generosity from an unknown source deserves a second look before the door opens.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢 (Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹, Qing dynasty); folk proverb
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 Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 無事獻殷勤，非奸即盜 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 無事獻殷勤，非奸即盜 (wú shì xiàn yīn qín fēi jiān jí dào) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Dream of the Red Chamber 紅樓夢 (Cao Xueqin 曹雪芹, Qing dynasty); folk proverb. 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 無事獻殷勤，非奸即盜?
In Mandarin it is wú shì xiàn yīn qín fēi jiān jí dào. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 無事獻殷勤，非奸即盜 aloud in Mandarin.