为富不仁,为仁不富 wéi fù bù rén , wéi rén bù fù

to be rich is to be cruel; kind men stay poor

Word data

HSK Not in HSK
Frequency Unknown

Definitions

  1. 1. the benevolent man cannot be rich and vice versa (idiom, from Mencius). It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:24).

Characters

Character Meaning
for; because of; to
rich; wealthy; abundant
not; no; (negative prefix)
humane; kernel
for; because of; to
humane; kernel
not; no; (negative prefix)
rich; wealthy; abundant