諺語 · a single proverb
一分耕耘一分收穫
Simplified: 一分耕耘一分收获
What does 一分耕耘一分收穫 (yī fēn gēng yún yī fēn shōu huò) mean?
一分耕耘一分收穫 (yī fēn gēng yún yī fēn shōu huò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "one part plowing and weeding, one part harvest." In use it means: The harvest is proportional to the effort; what you put in determines what you get out. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "one part plowing and weeding, one part harvest."
The reading
The field keeps honest accounts. It does not reward good intentions that remained in the house, nor punish bad luck that happened elsewhere. It returns what was given to it in the form of work: the tilled depth, the weeding done, the irrigation maintained. Not more, not less. This honesty is what makes the field a trustworthy teacher about how the world actually works beneath the noise of fortune.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese agricultural proverb
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 Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 一分耕耘一分收穫 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一分耕耘一分收穫 (yī fēn gēng yún yī fēn shōu huò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese agricultural proverb. 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 一分耕耘一分收穫?
In Mandarin it is yī fēn gēng yún yī fēn shōu huò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一分耕耘一分收穫 aloud in Mandarin.