諺語 · a single proverb
曾參殺人
Simplified: 曾参杀人
What does 曾參殺人 (zēng shēn shā rén) mean?
曾參殺人 (zēng shēn shā rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Zeng Shen has killed someone." In use it means: A lie repeated enough times will eventually be believed, even by those who know the truth; the power of rumor. 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 Goat.
Literally: "Zeng Shen has killed someone."
The reading
One person said Zeng Shen killed a man. His mother kept weaving. A second person said it. She paused. A third said it. She dropped the shuttle and ran. She knew her son. She trusted him completely. But three voices were louder than her trust. Repetition does not make a thing true, but it makes a thing believed, and that is almost the same.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Strategies of the Warring States 戰國策, Qin Ce 秦策
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 曾參殺人 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 曾參殺人 (zēng shēn shā rén) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Strategies of the Warring States 戰國策, Qin Ce 秦策. 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 曾參殺人?
In Mandarin it is zēng shēn shā rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 曾參殺人 aloud in Mandarin.