前人栽樹，後人乘涼

Chinese

		the ancients; people from ancient times; forefathers the ancients; people from ancient times; forefathers; predecessor	to force; to stick in; to plant	tree		later generations; future generations; posterity later generations; future generations; posterity; people in the rear	to relax in a cool place
trad. (前人栽樹，後人乘涼)		前人	栽	樹	，	後人	乘涼
simp. (前人栽树，后人乘凉)		前人	栽	树	，	后人	乘凉
Literally: “The ancestors plant trees, the descendants can then rest under its shade.”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): qiánrén zāi shù, hòurén chéngliáng

  (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄗㄞ ㄕㄨˋ , ㄏㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄤˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): cin⁴ jan⁴ zoi¹ syu⁶, hau⁶ jan⁴ sing⁴ loeng⁴

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: qiánrén zāi shù, hòurén chéngliáng
    • Zhuyin: ㄑㄧㄢˊ ㄖㄣˊ ㄗㄞ ㄕㄨˋ , ㄏㄡˋ ㄖㄣˊ ㄔㄥˊ ㄌㄧㄤˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: ciánrén zai shù, hòurén chéngliáng
    • Wade–Giles: chʻien²-jên² tsai¹ shu⁴, hou⁴-jên² chʻêng²-liang²
    • Yale: chyán-rén dzāi shù-, hòu-rén chéng-lyáng
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chyanren tzai shuh, howren cherngliang
    • Palladius: цяньжэнь цзай шу, хоужэнь чэнлян (cjanʹžɛnʹ czaj šu, xoužɛnʹ čɛnljan)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡ɕʰi̯ɛn³⁵ ʐən³⁵ t͡saɪ̯⁵⁵ ʂu⁵¹⁻⁵³ xoʊ̯⁵¹ ʐən³⁵ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ li̯ɑŋ³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: cin⁴ jan⁴ zoi¹ syu⁶, hau⁶ jan⁴ sing⁴ loeng⁴
    • Yale: chìhn yàhn jōi syuh, hauh yàhn sìhng lèuhng
    • Cantonese Pinyin: tsin⁴ jan⁴ dzoi¹ sy⁶, hau⁶ jan⁴ sing⁴ loeng⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: qin⁴ yen⁴ zoi¹ xu⁶, heo⁶ yen⁴ xing⁴ lêng⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sʰiːn²¹ jɐn²¹ t͡sɔːi̯⁵⁵ syː²² hɐu̯²² jɐn²¹ sɪŋ²¹ lœːŋ²¹/

Proverb

前人栽樹，後人乘涼

1. A generation sweats for the benefit of future generations; One generation sows (i.e. labours) and the next generation reaps (the fruits of labour)

Synonyms

• 前人種樹，後人乘涼／前人种树，后人乘凉 (qiánrénzhòngshù, hòurénchéngliáng)