諺語 · a single proverb
笑一笑，十年少
What does 笑一笑，十年少 (xiào yī xiào, shí nián shào) mean?
笑一笑，十年少 (xiào yī xiào, shí nián shào) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "one laugh, ten years younger." In use it means: A light heart keeps the body young; laughter is medicine, and worry is what ages you. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "one laugh, ten years younger."
The reading
The mirror ages faster for the anxious than for the amused. That is not a metaphor, it is your own face keeping score. Loosen something today; the laugh you almost swallowed was worth a decade you didn't know you were spending.
The story
This is a folk health proverb, whose fuller form runs one laugh, ten years younger, one worry, and the hair turns white. It sets laughter against worry as medicine against poison, and it is used as everyday encouragement to keep a light heart, on the old belief that good spirits keep the body young and anxiety ages it.
The mirror ages faster for the anxious than for the amused, and that is your own face keeping score. Loosen something today, let out the laugh you almost swallowed, because the lightness you allow is worth years you did not know you were spending.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk health proverb (養生諺語); full form 笑一笑，十年少；愁一愁，白了頭
Sits beside
飯後百步走，活到九十九
fàn hòu bǎi bù zǒu, huó dào jiǔ shí jiǔ
Small, gentle, regular movement is the quiet secret of a long life.
飲食有節，起居有常
yǐn shí yǒu jié, qǐ jū yǒu cháng
Health is built on moderation and rhythm: temperate at the table, steady in the hours you keep.
知足常樂
zhī zú cháng lè
Contentment with what you have brings lasting happiness.
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 Rabbit, Year of the Horse, and Year of the Pig.
Questions
Is 笑一笑，十年少 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 笑一笑，十年少 (xiào yī xiào, shí nián shào) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk health proverb (養生諺語); full form 笑一笑，十年少；愁一愁，白了頭. 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 笑一笑，十年少?
In Mandarin it is xiào yī xiào, shí nián shào. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 笑一笑，十年少 aloud in Mandarin.