One kind word can warm three winter months
Meaning: A single act of kindness has an impact far greater and longer-lasting than the moment it was given.
Origin: Often labeled Japanese, but it comes from a Chinese couplet in the Zengguang Xianwen, a collection of maxims long used to teach children: liáng yán yī jù sān dōng nuǎn — one kind word warms three winters — while a cruel word can chill even the heat of the sixth month.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Un mot gentil peut réchauffer trois mois d'hiver (literally: One kind word can warm three months of winter)
- Spanish: Una palabra amable puede calentar tres meses de invierno (literally: One kind word can warm three winter months)
- Japanese: 一言の優しさが三冬を暖める (Hitokoto no yasashisa ga mifuyu wo atatameru) (literally: One kind word warms three winters)
- German: Ein gutes Wort findet einen guten Ort (literally: A good word finds a good place)
More proverbs about Human Nature
- Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches — Only the person experiencing a difficulty truly understands its depth.
- Even the sun has its spots — Nothing and nobody is perfect; even the greatest things have their flaws.
- The forest would be silent if no bird sang except the one that sang best — Everyone has a unique contribution; holding back out of self-doubt robs the world.
- As the twig is bent, so grows the tree — Early experiences and upbringing shape a person's lifelong character and habits.
- If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together — Short-term speed comes from solitude; long-term achievement comes from collaboration.
- A bad workman always blames his tools — Incompetent people blame external factors for their failures instead of taking responsibi…
From our tongue twisters
- なまむぎ なまごめ なまたまご (Nama mugi, nama gome, nama tamago) — A nimble warm-up for the Japanese 'na / ma / ge' syllables.
- Pablito clavó un clavito, ¿qué clavito clavó Pablito? — A bouncy drill on the 'cl' cluster.
- Un chasseur sachant chasser doit savoir chasser sans son chien. — The classic French 'ch' / 's' tangler.