諺語 · a single proverb
相濡以沫
What does 相濡以沫 (xiāng rú yǐ mò) mean?
相濡以沫 (xiāng rú yǐ mò) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "moistening each other with spit as the water dries." In use it means: Helping each other survive in desperate circumstances; mutual support when resources are nearly gone. 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 Dog.
Literally: "moistening each other with spit as the water dries."
The reading
Two fish in a shrinking puddle, keeping each other alive with the last moisture from their mouths. It is ugly and it is heroic and it is the realest form of love there is: not the love of abundance, where giving costs nothing, but the love of scarcity, where everything you give is something you need. Remember the puddle before you judge the method.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhuangzi 莊子, Da Zong Shi 大宗師
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 相濡以沫 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 相濡以沫 (xiāng rú yǐ mò) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zhuangzi 莊子, Da Zong Shi 大宗師. 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 相濡以沫?
In Mandarin it is xiāng rú yǐ mò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 相濡以沫 aloud in Mandarin.