諺語 · a single proverb
張三李四
Simplified: 张三李四
What does 張三李四 (zhāng sān lǐ sì) mean?
張三李四 (zhāng sān lǐ sì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Zhang Three, Li Four." In use it means: Any random person; a common person from anywhere; Tom, Dick, or Harry. 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 Rat.
Literally: "Zhang Three, Li Four."
The reading
There are ten thousand Zhang Threes and ten thousand Li Fours and all of them live ordinary lives with extraordinary interior dimensions that no catalog can capture. The ordinary person, the unnamed and uncelebrated one, is where most of the world's actual work gets done. Do not mistake anonymity for insignificance.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk expression (common usage since Song Dynasty)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 張三李四 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 張三李四 (zhāng sān lǐ sì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk expression (common usage since Song Dynasty). 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 張三李四?
In Mandarin it is zhāng sān lǐ sì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 張三李四 aloud in Mandarin.