生財有道

Chinese
to make a fortune
 
to have; there is; there are
to have; there is; there are; to exist; to be
 
direction; way; method
direction; way; method; road; path; principle; truth; reason; skill; Tao (of Taoism); a measure word; to say; to speak; to talk
trad. (生財有道) 生財 有 道
simp. (生财有道) 生财 有 道

Etymology

From the Great Learning (《大學》) in the Book of Rites:

生財有大道，生之者眾，食之者寡，為之者疾，用之者舒，則財恆足矣。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]
生财有大道，生之者众，食之者寡，为之者疾，用之者舒，则财恒足矣。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]
From: The Book of Rites, c. 4th – 2nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version
Shēngcái yǒu dàdào, shēng zhī zhě zhòng, shí zhī zhě guǎ, wéi zhī zhě jí, yòng zhī zhě shū, zé cái héng zú yǐ. [Pinyin]
There is a great course also for the production of wealth. Let the producers be many and the consumers few. Let there be activity in the production, and economy in the expenditure. Then the wealth will always be sufficient.

Pronunciation

Idiom

生財有道

  1. (sometimes derogatory) to be expert in making money; to have the knack of making money
    • 生財有道，受用無由。 [Ci, trad.]
      生财有道，受用无由。 [Ci, simp.]
      From: Yuan dynasty, 錢霖,《般涉調·哨遍·看錢奴》
      Shēngcáiyǒudào, Shòuyòngwúyóu. [Pinyin]
      [They] are expert in making money,
      [But they] can't enjoy [their] money.

See also
  • 生財之道／生财之道
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