諺語 · a single proverb
早起開門七件事，柴米油鹽醬醋茶
Simplified: 早起开门七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶
What does 早起開門七件事，柴米油鹽醬醋茶 (zǎo qǐ kāi mén qī jiàn shì, chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá) mean?
早起開門七件事，柴米油鹽醬醋茶 (zǎo qǐ kāi mén qī jiàn shì, chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Seven things on opening the door each morning: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea." In use it means: These seven daily necessities represent the foundation of ordinary Chinese household life. Tea, listed last, caps the essentials, showing it is considered a basic need rather than a luxury. 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: "Seven things on opening the door each morning: firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea.."
The reading
Before ambition, before art, before anything the world might call important, there is the question of whether the kitchen is stocked. These seven items form a complete sentence about what it takes to keep a household alive for one more day. No philosophy survives a missing pantry. That tea closes the list is telling: even among bare necessities, there is room for a moment of stillness. Survival and civilization share a shelf.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Song dynasty proverb, attributed to Wu Zimu's '夢粱錄'; popularized in Yuan dynasty drama
Sits beside
外甥打燈籠——照舅（照舊）
wài shēng dǎ dēng long——zhào jiù (zhào jiù)
A pun on 照舅 (illuminating the uncle) and 照舊 (as before).
家有黃金，不如有個好鄰居
jiā yǒu huáng jīn bù rú yǒu gè hǎo lín jū
A good neighbor is worth more than household gold.
龍生龍，鳳生鳳，老鼠生的兒子會打洞
lóng shēng lóng, fèng shēng fèng, lǎo shǔ shēng de ér zi huì dǎ dòng
Children tend to inherit or follow the traits and social standing of their parents.
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 早起開門七件事，柴米油鹽醬醋茶 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 早起開門七件事，柴米油鹽醬醋茶 (zǎo qǐ kāi mén qī jiàn shì, chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Song dynasty proverb, attributed to Wu Zimu's '夢粱錄'; popularized in Yuan dynasty drama. 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 早起開門七件事，柴米油鹽醬醋茶?
In Mandarin it is zǎo qǐ kāi mén qī jiàn shì, chái mǐ yóu yán jiàng cù chá. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 早起開門七件事，柴米油鹽醬醋茶 aloud in Mandarin.