dīshuǐzhīēn_dāngyǒngquánxiāngbào: 滴水之恩，当涌泉相报 - Repay a Drop of Kindness with a Gushing Spring

• Keywords: 滴水之恩当涌泉相报, dīshuǐzhīēn dāngyǒngquánxiāngbào, Chinese proverb about gratitude, repaying kindness, Chinese chengyu, reciprocity in Chinese culture, what does 滴水之恩 mean, how to say thank you formally in Chinese.
• Summary: “滴水之恩，当涌泉相报” (dīshuǐzhīēn, dāngyǒngquánxiāngbào) is a famous Chinese proverb (chengyu) that beautifully illustrates the cultural importance of immense gratitude. It literally means that a favor as small as a drop of water should be repaid with the generosity of a gushing spring. This entry explores its meaning, cultural roots in reciprocity, and practical use in modern China for expressing profound thanks.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào
• Part of Speech: Chengyu (成语) / Proverb
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A small act of kindness should be repaid with overwhelming gratitude and generosity.
• In a Nutshell: This proverb uses the powerful visual metaphor of a tiny drop of water versus a powerful, gushing spring. It teaches that one should never forget any help received, no matter how small it may seem. The proper response is not just to return the favor, but to do so with an abundance that far exceeds the original act. It's a cornerstone of expressing deep, sincere, and long-lasting gratitude in Chinese culture.

This proverb is a tale of two halves: the kindness received and the repayment given.

• 滴 (dī): A drop (of liquid).
• 水 (shuǐ): Water.
• 之 (zhī): A classical possessive particle, similar to the modern 的 (de). It connects “drop of water” to “kindness”.
• 恩 (ēn): Grace, favor, kindness, benevolence.
• 当 (dāng): Should, ought to, must. It introduces the obligation.
• 涌 (yǒng): To gush, to surge, to well up.
• 泉 (quán): A spring (of water).
• 相 (xiāng): Mutually; in this context, it indicates the action is directed back at the original person.
• 报 (bào): To repay, to reciprocate.

When combined, the phrase reads poetically: “The kindness (恩) of a drop of water (滴水之), should be (当) repaid (相报) with a gushing spring (涌泉).”

This proverb is a pillar of understanding social dynamics in China, deeply connected to the concepts of 人情 (rénqíng) and 关系 (guānxi). It embodies the principle of profound reciprocity. While a Westerner might say “I owe you one” or “I'll pay you back,” this proverb elevates the concept from a simple transaction to a moral duty of overwhelming gratitude. The emphasis is not on merely settling a debt, but on demonstrating your character by remembering and valuing the help you received. Comparison to “Pay It Forward”: The Western concept of “paying it forward” involves passing on a good deed to a third person. 滴水之恩，当涌泉相报 is different and more personal. The repayment is almost always directed back to the original benefactor or their family. It reinforces a direct, personal bond and acknowledges the specific source of the kindness. The scale of repayment is also crucial—it's not about an equal exchange but a magnified one. This value is rooted in Confucian ideals of maintaining social harmony. A society where everyone remembers and generously repays favors is a stable, interconnected, and supportive one.

This is a formal and weighty expression. You would not use it for everyday, trivial favors. Using it inappropriately can make you sound overly dramatic or even insincere.

• Formal Speeches and Writing: It is frequently used in thank-you speeches, formal letters, or official acknowledgements to express deep gratitude towards a mentor, a benefactor, or an organization that provided crucial support.
• Making a Promise: A person who has just received significant help (e.g., a loan for their business, a crucial career opportunity) might say this to vow that they will never forget the favor and will repay it handsomely in the future.
• Expressing Character: People use this phrase to describe their own moral code or to praise someone else as being a grateful and honorable person. For example, “他是一个懂得滴水之恩，当涌泉相报的人” (He is a person who knows to repay kindness generously).

• Example 1:
  • 您当年的提携之恩，我一直铭记在心。滴水之恩，当涌泉相报，以后有任何需要，我一定全力以赴。
  • Pinyin: Nín dāngnián de tíxié zhī ēn, wǒ yīzhí míngjì zài xīn. Dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào, yǐhòu yǒu rènhé xūyào, wǒ yīdìng quánlì yǐ fù.
  • English: I have always remembered the kindness of your support back then. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring, so if you need anything in the future, I will certainly do my utmost.
  • Analysis: This is a very formal and sincere way for a person to thank a mentor or senior for help early in their career. It establishes a long-term promise of loyalty and support.
• Example 2:
  • 我们公司刚起步时，是他们给了我们第一笔订单。这份恩情，我们永世不忘，滴水之恩，当涌泉相报。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen gōngsī gāng qǐbù shí, shì tāmen gěile wǒmen dì yī bǐ dìngdān. Zhè fènēnqíng, wǒmen yǒngshì bù wàng, dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào.
  • English: When our company was just starting, they were the ones who gave us our first order. We will never forget this kindness; we must repay this drop of grace with a gushing spring.
  • Analysis: Used in a business context to express profound gratitude to an early client or partner. It implies a future of preferential treatment and strong partnership.
• Example 3:
  • 父母的养育之恩，我们一辈子也报答不完。真是滴水之恩，当涌泉相报。
  • Pinyin: Fùmǔ de yǎngyù zhī ēn, wǒmen yībèizi yě bàodá bù wán. Zhēnshi dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào.
  • English: We can never fully repay the grace of our parents raising us. It truly is a case of repaying a drop of kindness with a gushing spring.
  • Analysis: This applies the logic of the proverb to the ultimate debt of gratitude: the one owed to one's parents. Here, the “gushing spring” is a lifetime of filial piety.
• Example 4:
  • 他教育孩子们要懂得感恩，要记住“滴水之恩，当涌泉相报”的道理。
  • Pinyin: Tā jiàoyù háizimen yào dǒngdé gǎn'ēn, yào jìzhù “dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào” de dàolǐ.
  • English: He teaches his children that they must understand gratitude and remember the principle that “a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.”
  • Analysis: Here, the proverb itself is the object of the sentence, being used as a moral principle to be taught and learned.
• Example 5:
  • 在我最困难的时候，你借给了我钱，这份情我记下了，滴水之恩，当涌泉相报。
  • Pinyin: Zài wǒ zuì kùnnán de shíhòu, nǐ jiè gěile wǒ qián, zhè fèn qíng wǒ jì xiàle, dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào.
  • English: You lent me money when I was in my most difficult time. I will remember this favor. I will repay this drop of kindness with a gushing spring.
  • Analysis: A classic, heartfelt use between friends after one has provided significant, timely help. It's a solemn promise of future repayment.
• Example 6:
  • 李老师不仅教我知识，更教我做人，滴水之恩，当涌泉相报，我将来一定要好好报答他。
  • Pinyin: Lǐ lǎoshī bùjǐn jiāo wǒ zhīshì, gèng jiāo wǒ zuòrén, dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào, wǒ jiānglái yīdìng yào hǎohǎo bàodá tā.
  • English: Teacher Li not only taught me knowledge but also how to be a good person. A drop of kindness must be repaid with a gushing spring, and I will definitely repay him well in the future.
  • Analysis: Expresses gratitude to a teacher that goes beyond the academic, acknowledging life lessons and mentorship.
• Example 7:
  • 这个村子的人救了我的命，对我来说，这不止是滴水之恩，我必须涌泉相报。
  • Pinyin: Zhège cūnzi de rén jiùle wǒ de mìng, duì wǒ lái shuō, zhè bùzhǐ shì dīshuǐ zhī ēn, wǒ bìxū yǒngquán xiāngbào.
  • English: The people of this village saved my life. To me, this is more than a drop of kindness; I must repay it with a gushing spring.
  • Analysis: This example cleverly breaks the proverb apart to emphasize the scale. By saying the favor was *more* than a “drop,” the speaker implies the repayment must be even greater than a “spring.”
• Example 8:
  • 我们的民族是一个懂得“滴水之恩，当涌泉相报”的民族。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen de mínzú shì yīgè dǒngdé “dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào” de mínzú.
  • English: Our people are a people who understand that “a drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring.”
  • Analysis: A patriotic or cultural statement, using the proverb to define a national characteristic of being grateful and righteous.
• Example 9:
  • A: 你帮了我这么大的忙，我怎么感谢你才好？ (B: 朋友之间，不用这么客气。) A: 不，这不一样。滴水之恩，当涌泉相报，我不会忘记的。
  • Pinyin: A: Nǐ bāngle wǒ zhème dà de máng, wǒ zěnme gǎnxiè nǐ cái hǎo? (B: Péngyǒu zhī jiān, bùyòng zhème kèqì.) A: Bù, zhè bù yīyàng. Dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào, wǒ bùhuì wàngjì de.
  • English: A: You've helped me so much, how can I ever thank you? (B: We're friends, don't be so formal.) A: No, this is different. A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring; I won't forget it.
  • Analysis: This conversational example shows how one might insist on the gravity of their gratitude, even when the other person tries to downplay their help.
• Example 10:
  • 他飞黄腾达后，没有忘记当年帮助过他的人，真正做到了滴水之恩，涌泉相报。
  • Pinyin: Tā fēihuángténgdá hòu, méiyǒu wàngjì dāngnián bāngzhùguò tā de rén, zhēnzhèng zuò dàole dīshuǐ zhī ēn, yǒngquán xiāngbào.
  • English: After he became successful, he didn't forget the people who helped him back in the day, truly achieving the principle of repaying a drop of kindness with a gushing spring.
  • Analysis: Note the slight variation, omitting “当” and “相” for conciseness, which is common when the proverb is used to describe a fulfilled action. This sentence praises someone's admirable character.

• Don't use it for small favors: If someone holds the door for you or passes the salt, saying this would be absurdly dramatic. It would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. A simple “谢谢 (xièxie)” is appropriate. Using this proverb for minor courtesies can be interpreted as sarcasm.
• False Friend - “What goes around, comes around”: This English phrase implies an impersonal, cosmic force of karma. If you do good, good will happen to you, but not necessarily from the person you helped. 滴水之恩，当涌泉相报 is the opposite: it is a highly personal, conscious, and deliberate act of repayment directed at a specific benefactor. It is about human agency and gratitude, not fate.
• Incorrect Usage Example:
  • Incorrect: 那个服务员给我多加了点米饭，真是滴水之恩，当涌泉相报啊！ (Nàge fúwùyuán gěi wǒ duō jiāle diǎn mǐfàn, zhēnshi dīshuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒngquán xiāngbào a!)
  • Why it's wrong: The “favor” of a little extra rice is far too trivial for this proverb. It sounds comical and inappropriate. A simple “他真好 (tā zhēn hǎo - he's so nice)” or “太感谢了 (tài gǎnxiè le - thanks so much)” would be natural.

• 知恩图报 (zhī ēn tú bào) - “To know a favor and plan to repay it.” A very close synonym that emphasizes the consciousness of being indebted and the intention to reciprocate.
• 感恩 (gǎn'ēn) - “To feel grateful; thanksgiving.” This is the core emotion that fuels the action of 涌泉相报.
• 报答 (bàodá) - “To repay (kindness, a favor).” This is the verb for the action itself. 滴水之恩… is a specific, poetic way of describing how one should 报答.
• 人情 (rénqíng) - “Human favor; social obligation.” The cultural currency of favors that creates the social environment where this proverb is so important.
• 雪中送炭 (xuě zhōng sòng tàn) - “Sending charcoal in a snowstorm.” A proverb describing timely, crucial help. This is exactly the kind of “滴水之恩” that would merit a “涌泉相报” response.
• 一饭千金 (yī fàn qiān jīn) - “One meal, a thousand gold pieces.” An idiom from a historical story about Han Xin, who, after becoming a great general, richly rewarded a poor woman who fed him when he was starving. It shares the same theme of lavishly repaying a small, early kindness.
• 恩将仇报 (ēn jiāng chóu bào) - “To repay kindness with enmity/hatred.” This is the direct antonym and describes a person of the lowest moral character in Chinese culture.