諺語 · a single proverb
豬八戒照鏡子——裡外不是人
Simplified: 猪八戒照镜子——里外不是人
What does 豬八戒照鏡子——裡外不是人 (zhū bā jiè zhào jìng zi——lǐ wài bú shì rén) mean?
豬八戒照鏡子——裡外不是人 (zhū bā jiè zhào jìng zi——lǐ wài bú shì rén) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "Zhu Bajie looking in a mirror-neither inside nor outside is human." In use it means: Caught between two sides, unable to please anyone. Zhu Bajie has a pig's face, so both his reflection and his real self are not human, meaning the person is blamed from all directions. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Pig.
Literally: "Zhu Bajie looking in a mirror-neither inside nor outside is human.."
The reading
Trying to satisfy everyone often leaves us recognized by no one. The mirror shows what is already there, and no angle of approach can hide it. Sometimes the hardest truth is that both sides see us clearly and neither is wrong. Rather than contorting to fit every expectation, it is braver to stand as we are. Acceptance of an imperfect position is its own kind of honesty.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Folk xiehouyu based on Journey to the West character Zhu Bajie
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 豬八戒照鏡子——裡外不是人 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 豬八戒照鏡子——裡外不是人 (zhū bā jiè zhào jìng zi——lǐ wài bú shì rén) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Folk xiehouyu based on Journey to the West character Zhu Bajie. 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 豬八戒照鏡子——裡外不是人?
In Mandarin it is zhū bā jiè zhào jìng zi——lǐ wài bú shì rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 豬八戒照鏡子——裡外不是人 aloud in Mandarin.