諺語 · a single proverb
丈夫一諾千金
Simplified: 丈夫一诺千金
What does 丈夫一諾千金 (zhàng fū yī nuò qiān jīn) mean?
丈夫一諾千金 (zhàng fū yī nuò qiān jīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "man of standing one promise worth a thousand gold." In use it means: A person of integrity's single promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold. 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 Horse.
Literally: "man of standing one promise worth a thousand gold."
The reading
The word of the person of character is worth more than the signed document of the person without it, because the signature alone is paper while the character behind it is substance. A promise made from the depths of who one is carries a different weight than one made from the surface of what is convenient in the moment.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·季布欒布列傳 (Jì Bù biography)
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 Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 丈夫一諾千金 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 丈夫一諾千金 (zhàng fū yī nuò qiān jīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·季布欒布列傳 (Jì Bù biography). 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 丈夫一諾千金?
In Mandarin it is zhàng fū yī nuò qiān jīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 丈夫一諾千金 aloud in Mandarin.