諺語 · a single proverb
疑人不用，用人不疑
What does 疑人不用，用人不疑 (yí rén bù yòng yòng rén bù yí) mean?
疑人不用，用人不疑 (yí rén bù yòng yòng rén bù yí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "do not employ those you doubt; do not doubt those you employ." In use it means: Commit fully to the people you trust; half-trust is worse than no trust at all. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "do not employ those you doubt; do not doubt those you employ."
The reading
If you have decided not to trust them, do not give them the job. If you have given them the job, stop looking over their shoulder. The space between trusting and not trusting is the space where nothing good grows.
What kind of proverb it is
Source attributed to various strategists; common in Sima Guang 司馬光 era
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 疑人不用，用人不疑 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 疑人不用，用人不疑 (yí rén bù yòng yòng rén bù yí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from attributed to various strategists; common in Sima Guang 司馬光 era. 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 疑人不用，用人不疑?
In Mandarin it is yí rén bù yòng yòng rén bù yí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 疑人不用，用人不疑 aloud in Mandarin.