諺語 · a single proverb
洗心革面
What does 洗心革面 (xǐ xīn gé miàn) mean?
洗心革面 (xǐ xīn gé miàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "wash the heart, reform the face." In use it means: Thoroughly reform oneself; make a fresh start with a clean conscience. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "wash the heart, reform the face."
The reading
The face turned outward changes last, but the change must begin in the invisible room of the heart where no one else is present. What is washed inward eventually shows on the surface, and no amount of surface adjustment can substitute for the deeper work. Reformation moves from the center outward, always.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yi Jing 易經·繫辭上 (Xì Cí I)
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 洗心革面 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 洗心革面 (xǐ xīn gé miàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Yi Jing 易經·繫辭上 (Xì Cí I). 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 洗心革面?
In Mandarin it is xǐ xīn gé miàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 洗心革面 aloud in Mandarin.