諺語 · a single proverb
知子莫若父
What does 知子莫若父 (zhī zǐ mò ruò fù) mean?
知子莫若父 (zhī zǐ mò ruò fù) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "No one knows a son like his father." In use it means: A father understands his child's nature, strengths, and weaknesses better than anyone else. The bond of parenthood brings a depth of knowing that outsiders cannot match. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "No one knows a son like his father.."
The reading
Years of watching a child grow build a knowledge that no test can replicate. The father sees behind the mask the world receives. This knowing is not always comfortable for either party but it is honest. Sometimes the hardest truths about a child can only be spoken by the one who held them first.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Guǎnzǐ (管子), also cited in various classical texts
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 Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 知子莫若父 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 知子莫若父 (zhī zǐ mò ruò fù) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Guǎnzǐ (管子), also cited in various classical texts. 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 知子莫若父?
In Mandarin it is zhī zǐ mò ruò fù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 知子莫若父 aloud in Mandarin.