桃李不言，下自成蹊

Chinese

		peach	surname; plum	not; no	to speak; to say; talk to speak; to say; talk; word		under; next; lower under; next; lower; below; underneath; down(wards); to go down; latter	from; self; oneself from; self; oneself; since	finish; complete; accomplish finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into; win; succeed; one tenth	footpath
trad. (桃李不言，下自成蹊)		桃	李	不	言	，	下	自	成	蹊
simp. ^#(桃李不言，下自成蹊)		桃	李	不	言	，	下	自	成	蹊

Etymology

From the Records of the Grand Historian:

諺曰「桃李不言，下自成蹊」。此言雖小，可以諭大也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

谚曰「桃李不言，下自成蹊」。此言虽小，可以谕大也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Records of the Grand Historian, by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

Yàn yuē “táolǐ bù yán, xià zì chéng qī”. Cǐ yán suī xiǎo, kěyǐ yù dà yě. [Pinyin]

There is a proverb which says, “Though the peach and plum trees do not speak, yet a path is trodden out to them.” It is a small saying, but one which is capable of conveying a great meaning.

Pronunciation

Mandarin
(Pinyin): táolǐbùyán, xiàzìchéngxī

(Zhuyin): ㄊㄠˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˊ , ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄗˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄒㄧ

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: táolǐbùyán, xiàzìchéngxī
  - Zhuyin: ㄊㄠˊ ㄌㄧˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄧㄢˊ , ㄒㄧㄚˋ ㄗˋ ㄔㄥˊ ㄒㄧ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: táolǐbùyán, siàzìhchéngsi
  - Wade–Giles: tʻao²-li³-pu⁴-yen², hsia⁴-tzŭ⁴-chʻêng²-hsi¹
  - Yale: táu-lǐ-bù-yán-, syà-dz̀-chéng-syī
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: taurliibuyan, shiahtzyhcherngshi
  - Palladius: таолибуянь, сяцзычэнси (taolibujanʹ, sjaczyčɛnsi)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɑʊ̯³⁵ li²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ jɛn³⁵ ɕi̯ä⁵¹⁻⁵³ t͡sz̩⁵¹ ʈ͡ʂʰɤŋ³⁵ ɕi⁵⁵/

Idiom

桃李不言，下自成蹊

(figurative) whether a person of true worth say about themself or not, they will ultimately win people's admiration