远亲不如近邻

遠親不如近鄰

yuǎnqīnbùrújìnlín

idiom

Meanings

1 a distant relative is not as good as a near neighbour
2 you can count on a neighbour more than a relative far away

Characters

Examples

远亲不如近邻，平时多来往才好。

Yuǎnqīnbùrújìnlín, píngshí duō láiwǎng cái hǎo.

A close neighbour beats a distant relative — it's good to keep in touch day-to-day.

这次多亏了楼下大姐，真是远亲不如近邻。

Zhè cì duōkuīle lóuxià dàjiě, zhēn shì yuǎnqīnbùrújìnlín.

Thanks to the lady downstairs this time — truly, a near neighbour beats a distant relative.

Tips

history

Canonised in Shi Nai'an's 《水浒传》 chapter 24: "As the saying goes, a distant relative is no match for a near neighbour — don't let the courtesy lapse." Already a 成语-style proverb by the Ming.

register

Functions as a proverb — often opened with 常言道 or 俗话说. Used in everyday advice rather than formal writing.

Stroke Order

远 yuǎn

亲 qīn

不 bù

如 rú

近 jìn

邻 lín