近朱者赤，近墨者黑

Chinese

near; close (to); approximately surname; vermilion ‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does something)
red; scarlet; bare
red; scarlet; bare; naked
 
 near; close (to); approximately China ink; ink stick; (abbrev.) ‑ist, ‑er (person); person (who does something) black; dark; Heilongjiang Province (abbrev.)
trad. (近朱者赤，近墨者黑) 近 朱 者 赤 ， 近 墨 者 黑
simp. #(近朱者赤，近墨者黑) 近 朱 者 赤 ， 近 墨 者 黑
Literally: “Proximity to cinnabar makes one red, to ink makes one black.”

Etymology

First attested in Taizi Shaofu Jian.

故近朱者赤，近墨者黑；聲和則響清，形正則影正。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
故近朱者赤，近墨者黑；声和则响清，形正则影正。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: Jin Dynasty, Fu Yong (傅玄), Taizi Shaofu Jian (太子少傅箴)
Gù jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi; shēng hé zé xiǎng qīng, xíng zhèng zé yǐng zhèng. [Pinyin]
So one close to cinnabar is red, one close to ink is black; the sound harmonious and the echo is clear, the shape right and the shadow is straight.

Pronunciation

  • Mandarin
    (Pinyin): jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi
    (Zhuyin): ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓㄨ ㄓㄜˇ ㄔˋ , ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄇㄛˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄏㄟ
  • Cantonese (Jyutping): gan6 zyu1 ze2 cek3, gan6 mak6 ze2 hak1
  • Mandarin
    • (Standard Chinese)+
      • Hanyu Pinyin: jìn zhū zhě chì, jìn mò zhě hēi
      • Zhuyin: ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄓㄨ ㄓㄜˇ ㄔˋ , ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄇㄛˋ ㄓㄜˇ ㄏㄟ
      • Tongyong Pinyin: jìn jhu jhě chìh, jìn mò jhě hei
      • Wade–Giles: chin4 chu1 chê3 chʻih4, chin4 mo4 chê3 hei1
      • Yale: jìn jū jě chr̀-, jìn mwò jě hēi
      • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: jinn ju jee chyh, jinn moh jee hei
      • Palladius: цзинь чжу чжэ чи, цзинь мо чжэ хэй (czinʹ čžu čžɛ či, czinʹ mo čžɛ xɛj)
      • Sinological IPA (key): /t͡ɕin⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂu⁵⁵ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ ʈ͡ʂʰʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡ɕin⁵¹⁻⁵³ mu̯ɔ⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ xeɪ̯⁵⁵/
  • Cantonese

Phrase

近朱者赤，近墨者黑

  1. Different environments provide different influences; who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl
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