諺語 · a single proverb
芝蘭之室
Simplified: 芝兰之室
What does 芝蘭之室 (zhī lán zhī shì) mean?
芝蘭之室 (zhī lán zhī shì) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "a room of iris and orchid." In use it means: Entering a place of good influence is like walking into a room full of fragrant orchids. You stop noticing the scent after a while because you have become part of it. Environment shapes you invisibly. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "a room of iris and orchid."
The reading
After ten minutes in the flower shop you cannot smell the flowers. After ten years in a good community you cannot see the goodness. Both have become your normal. This is the power and the danger of environment: it writes itself into you so gradually that you think the handwriting is yours.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Kongzi Jiayu 孔子家語; classical Confucian environmental teaching
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 芝蘭之室 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 芝蘭之室 (zhī lán zhī shì) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Kongzi Jiayu 孔子家語; classical Confucian environmental teaching. 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 芝蘭之室?
In Mandarin it is zhī lán zhī shì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 芝蘭之室 aloud in Mandarin.