諺語 · a single proverb
眾口難調
Simplified: 众口难调
What does 眾口難調 (zhòng kǒu nán tiáo) mean?
眾口難調 (zhòng kǒu nán tiáo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "Many mouths are hard to season to satisfaction." In use it means: It is impossible to please everyone's palate. By extension, one cannot satisfy all opinions or preferences at once, and attempting to do so is futile. 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 Goat.
Literally: "Many mouths are hard to season to satisfaction.."
The reading
The kitchen taught this lesson long before any boardroom did. Each tongue arrives at the table carrying its own history of salt and sweetness, and no single pot can honor them all. This is not a failure of the cook but a fact about crowds. The pursuit of universal approval is the fastest route to flavorless work. Cook for someone, not for everyone.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Classical Chinese idiom, attested since Song dynasty; origin in culinary metaphor
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 眾口難調 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 眾口難調 (zhòng kǒu nán tiáo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Classical Chinese idiom, attested since Song dynasty; origin in culinary metaphor. 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 眾口難調?
In Mandarin it is zhòng kǒu nán tiáo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 眾口難調 aloud in Mandarin.