諺語 · a single proverb
種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆
Simplified: 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆
What does 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆 (zhòng guā dé guā zhòng dòu dé dòu) mean?
種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆 (zhòng guā dé guā zhòng dòu dé dòu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "plant melon get melon, plant bean get bean." In use it means: You reap what you sow; actions have natural and predictable consequences. 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 Ox.
Literally: "plant melon get melon, plant bean get bean."
The reading
The field does not negotiate. What goes in comes out, and the season does not apologize for returning exactly what was committed to the ground. There is a deep fairness in this-not the fairness of things working out, but the fairness of honest accounting. Act accordingly.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu)
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆 (zhòng guā dé guā zhòng dòu dé dòu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk proverb (suyu). 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 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆?
In Mandarin it is zhòng guā dé guā zhòng dòu dé dòu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆 aloud in Mandarin.