流水不腐

Chinese

		flowing water; something flowing rapidly, continually or irreversibly like water	not; no	decay; rotten
trad. (流水不腐)		流水	不	腐
simp. #(流水不腐)		流水	不	腐

Etymology

From 《呂氏春秋·盡數》:

流水不腐，戶樞不蠹，動也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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流水不腐，户枢不蠹，动也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals, 239 BCE

Liúshuǐ bùfǔ, hùshū bùdù, dòng yě. [Pinyin]

That running water does not rot, and a door hinge does not suffer from worms, is because of movement.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): liúshuǐbùfǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄨˇ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): lau⁴ seoi² bat¹ fu⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: liúshuǐbùfǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄌㄧㄡˊ ㄕㄨㄟˇ ㄅㄨˋ ㄈㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: lióushuěibùfǔ
    • Wade–Giles: liu²-shui³-pu⁴-fu³
    • Yale: lyóu-shwěi-bù-fǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: lioushoeibufuu
    • Palladius: люшуйбуфу (ljušujbufu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /li̯oʊ̯³⁵ ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ pu⁵¹ fu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: lau⁴ seoi² bat¹ fu⁶
    • Yale: làuh séui bāt fuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: lau⁴ soey² bat⁷ fu⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: leo⁴ sêu² bed¹ fu⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /lɐu̯²¹ sɵy̯³⁵ pɐt̚⁵ fuː²²/

Idiom

流水不腐

1. Flowing water is never stale
2. (figuratively) A rolling stone gathers no moss
3. (figuratively) Things in frequent use are not easily eroded, and can remain energetic.

Synonyms

• 流水不腐，戶樞不蠹／流水不腐，户枢不蠹 (liúshuǐbùfǔ, hùshūbùdù)
• 戶樞不蠹／户枢不蠹 (hùshūbùdù)