諺語 · a single proverb
有錢能使鬼推磨
Simplified: 有钱能使鬼推磨
What does 有錢能使鬼推磨 (yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò) mean?
有錢能使鬼推磨 (yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "with money you can make ghosts push the millstone." In use it means: Money has enormous persuasive power; wealth can accomplish things that seem impossible. 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: "with money you can make ghosts push the millstone."
The reading
Even the dead will grind your flour if the price is right. That is not cynicism. It is observation. Money is a universal solvent, and pretending it is not gives you less control over where it flows, not more.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tang dynasty origin; common folk saying
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 有錢能使鬼推磨 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 有錢能使鬼推磨 (yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Tang dynasty origin; common folk saying. 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 有錢能使鬼推磨?
In Mandarin it is yǒu qián néng shǐ guǐ tuī mò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 有錢能使鬼推磨 aloud in Mandarin.