靠山山會倒，靠水水會燥，靠人人會老

Chinese

		depend upon; lean on; near depend upon; lean on; near; by; against; to support	mountain; hill	mountain; hill	to meet; to gather; group to meet; to gather; group; to assemble; association; be able to; be likely to; to balance an account; accounting	upset; turn over; to tip upset; turn over; to tip; to pour; to go home; to the contrary; inverted; to fall; to collapse; to topple; to change; to fail; bankrupt		depend upon; lean on; near depend upon; lean on; near; by; against; to support	water; river	water; river	to meet; to gather; group to meet; to gather; group; to assemble; association; be able to; be likely to; to balance an account; accounting	dry; parched; impatient		depend upon; lean on; near depend upon; lean on; near; by; against; to support	man; person; people	man; person; people	to meet; to gather; group to meet; to gather; group; to assemble; association; be able to; be likely to; to balance an account; accounting	old; aged; venerable old; aged; venerable; outdated; experienced; (affectionate prefix)
trad. (靠山山會倒，靠水水會燥，靠人人會老)		靠	山	山	會	倒	，	靠	水	水	會	燥	，	靠	人	人	會	老
simp. (靠山山会倒，靠水水会燥，靠人人会老)		靠	山	山	会	倒	，	靠	水	水	会	燥	，	靠	人	人	会	老
Literally: “When one relies on the mountain, the mountain may fall. When one relies on water, water may dry up. When one relies on other people, they may get old.”

Pronunciation

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): kho sân sân voi tó, kho súi súi voi châu, kho ngìn ngìn voi ló

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• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: kho sân sân voi tó, kho súi súi voi châu, kho ngìn ngìn voi ló
    • Hakka Romanization System: ko san^ˊ san^ˊ voi do^ˋ, ko sui^ˋ sui^ˋ voi zau^ˊ, ko ngin^ˇ ngin^ˇ voi lo^ˋ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: ko⁴ san¹ san¹ voi⁴ do³, ko⁴ sui³ sui³ voi⁴ zau¹, ko⁴ ngin² ngin² voi⁴ lo³
    • Sinological IPA: /kʰo⁵⁵ san²⁴⁻¹¹ san²⁴⁻¹¹ voi̯⁵⁵ to³¹ kʰo⁵⁵ su̯i³¹ su̯i³¹ voi̯⁵⁵ t͡sau̯²⁴ kʰo⁵⁵ ŋin¹¹ ŋin¹¹ voi̯⁵⁵ lo³¹/

Proverb

靠山山會倒，靠水水會燥，靠人人會老

1. (Hakka) Relying on yourself is better than relying on others because people may not help you forever.

Synonyms

• (Hokkien) 靠山山會崩，靠水水會焦／靠山山会崩，靠水水会焦