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.]

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 ㄕㄥㄇㄚˊ ㄓㄨㄥ , ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄨˊ ㄦˊ ㄓˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): pung⁴ sang¹ maa⁴ zung¹, bat¹ fu⁴ ji⁴ zik⁶

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: péng shēng má zhōng, bù fú ér zhí
  - Zhuyin: ㄆㄥˊ ㄕㄥㄇㄚˊ 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

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

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