遠親不如近鄰

See also: 远亲不如近邻

Chinese

		distant relative or relation; remote kinsfolk	to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as to be not like; to be not equal to; to be not as good as; cannot compare to; to be inferior to	next-door neighbour; close neighbour
trad. (遠親不如近鄰/遠親不如近隣)		遠親	不如	近鄰/近隣
simp. (远亲不如近邻)		远亲	不如	近邻

Etymology

Probably from an opera from the Yuan dynasty:

豈不聞遠親呵不似我近鄰，我怎敢做的個有口偏無信。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

岂不闻远亲呵不似我近邻，我怎敢做的个有口偏无信。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Yuan dynasty, 秦簡夫, 《東堂老勸破家子弟》, 第四折

Qǐ bù wén yuǎnqīn hē bùsì wǒ jìnlín, wǒ zěn gǎn zuò de ge yǒu kǒu piān wú xìn. [Pinyin]

(please add an English translation of this usage example)

Compare English better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off (Proverbs 27:10b KJV).

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): yuǎnqīn bùrú jìnlín

(Zhuyin): ㄩㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄣㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
Cantonese (Jyutping): jyun⁵ can¹ bat¹ jyu⁴ gan⁶ leon⁴
Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): oán-chhin put-jû kīn-lîn / oán-chhin put-lû kǔn-lîn

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: yuǎnqīn bùrú jìnlín
  - Zhuyin: ㄩㄢˇ ㄑㄧㄣㄅㄨˋ ㄖㄨˊ ㄐㄧㄣˋ ㄌㄧㄣˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: yuǎncin bùrú jìnlín
  - Wade–Giles: yüan³-chʻin¹ pu⁴-ju² chin⁴-lin²
  - Yale: ywǎn-chīn bù-rú jìn-lín
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yeuanchin buru jinnlin
  - Palladius: юаньцинь бужу цзиньлинь (juanʹcinʹ bužu czinʹlinʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ɥɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕʰin⁵⁵ pu⁵¹ ʐu³⁵ t͡ɕin⁵¹ lin³⁵/
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: jyun⁵ can¹ bat¹ jyu⁴ gan⁶ leon⁴
  - Yale: yúhn chān bāt yùh gahn lèuhn
  - Cantonese Pinyin: jyn⁵ tsan¹ bat⁷ jy⁴ gan⁶ loen⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: yun⁵ cen¹ bed¹ yu⁴ gen⁶ lên⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyːn¹³ t͡sʰɐn⁵⁵ pɐt̚⁵ jyː²¹ kɐn²² lɵn²¹/
Southern Min
- (Hokkien: General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: oán-chhin put-jû kīn-lîn
  - Tâi-lô: uán-tshin put-jû kīn-lîn
  - Phofsit Daibuun: oafnchyn putjuu kixnliin
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /uan⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ t͡ɕʰin⁴⁴⁻³³ put̚³²⁻⁴ zu²³⁻³³ kin³³⁻²¹ lin²³/
- (Hokkien: Philippines)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: oán-chhin put-lû kǔn-lîn
  - Tâi-lô: uán-tshin put-lû kǔn-lîn
  - IPA (Philippines): /uan⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ t͡ɕʰin³³ put̚⁵⁻²⁴ lu²⁴⁻²² kun³³⁻²² lin²⁴/

Proverb

遠親不如近鄰

Nearby neighbours are better than distant cousins (because they can help and take care of each other).
- 你明日倘或再去做時，帶了些錢在身邊，也買些酒食與他回禮。常言道：『遠親不如近鄰』，休要失了人情。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, trad.]
  你明日倘或再去做时，带了些钱在身边，也买些酒食与他回礼。常言道：『远亲不如近邻』，休要失了人情。 [Written Vernacular Chinese, simp.]
  From: Shi Nai'an, Water Margin, circa 14^th century CE
  Nǐ míngrì tǎnghuò zài qù zuò shí, dài le xiē qián zài shēnbiān, yě mǎi xiē jiǔshí yǔ tā huílǐ. Chángyán dào: ‘Yuǎnqīn bùrú jìnlín’, xiū yào shī le rénqíng. [Pinyin]
  (please add an English translation of this usage example)

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