蓬生麻中，不扶而直

Chinese

		(grass); disheveled	to be born; to give birth; life to be born; to give birth; life; to grow; student; raw	(to have) pins and needles; tingling; hemp (to have) pins and needles; tingling; hemp; numb; to bother	middle; centre; within middle; centre; within; among; in; while (doing sth); during; China; Chinese; hit (the mark)		not; no	to support with hand; to help sb. up; to help	and; as well as; but (not) and; as well as; but (not); yet (not); (shows causal relation); (shows change of state); (shows contrast)	straight; vertical; frank straight; vertical; frank; directly; straightly; upright
trad. (蓬生麻中，不扶而直)		蓬	生	麻	中	，	不	扶	而	直
simp. #(蓬生麻中，不扶而直)		蓬	生	麻	中	，	不	扶	而	直

Etymology

From Xunzi:

蓬生麻中，不扶而直；白沙在涅，與之俱黑。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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蓬生麻中，不扶而直；白沙在涅，与之俱黑。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Xunzi, c. 3^rd century BCE

Péng shēng má zhōng, bù fú ér zhí; báishā zài niè, yǔ zhī jù hēi. [Pinyin]

Likewise, when the peng vine grows among hemp plants, it goes up straight without being stood upright. When white sand is put into black mud, it also becomes black.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): péng shēng má zhōng, bù fú ér zhí

  (Zhuyin): ㄆㄥˊ ㄕㄥ ㄇㄚˊ ㄓㄨㄥ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄦˊ ㄓˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): pung⁴ sang¹ maa⁴ zung¹, bat¹ fu⁴ ji⁴ zik⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: péng shēng má zhōng, bù fú ér zhí
    • Zhuyin: ㄆㄥˊ ㄕㄥ ㄇㄚˊ ㄓㄨㄥ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄦˊ ㄓˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: péng sheng má jhong, bù fú ér jhíh
    • Wade–Giles: pʻêng² shêng¹ ma² chung¹, pu⁴ fu² êrh² chih²
    • Yale: péng shēng má jūng-, bù fú ér jŕ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: perng sheng ma jong, bu fwu erl jyr
    • Palladius: пэн шэн ма чжун, бу фу эр чжи (pɛn šɛn ma čžun, bu fu er čži)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰɤŋ³⁵ ʂɤŋ⁵⁵ mä³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʊŋ⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ fu³⁵ ˀɤɻ³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʐ̩³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: pung⁴ sang¹ maa⁴ zung¹, bat¹ fu⁴ ji⁴ zik⁶
    • Yale: pùhng sāng màh jūng, bāt fùh yìh jihk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: pung⁴ sang¹ maa⁴ dzung¹, bat⁷ fu⁴ ji⁴ dzik⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: pung⁴ seng¹ ma⁴ zung¹, bed¹ fu⁴ yi⁴ jig⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pʰʊŋ²¹ sɐŋ⁵⁵ maː²¹ t͡sʊŋ⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ fuː²¹ jiː²¹ t͡sɪk̚²/

Proverb

蓬生麻中，不扶而直

1. one can become a good person by being in a good environment