物不平则鸣 — “When something is subjected to injustice or imbalance”

物不平则鸣 is a Chinese idiom (chengyu) meaning “When something is subjected to injustice or imbalance”. It will naturally voice its discontent or react. Literally, “If things are not fair, they will cry out”.

Frequency

物不平则鸣 Pronunciation and Pinyin

物不平则鸣 Character Breakdown

Stroke Order

Character	Pinyin	Strokes	Meaning
物	wù	8	thing, matter, creature, object
不	bù	4	not
平	píng	5	flat, level, equal, calm
则	zé	6	then, in that case
鸣	míng	8	make sound

Example Sentence with 物不平则鸣

小李觉得这次的比赛规则很不公平，因此提出了异议，真是物不平则鸣啊。

Li felt the rules of this competition were very unfair, so he raised an objection; truly, where there is injustice, there will be a voice.

Origin and Story of 物不平则鸣

During the Tang Dynasty, Meng Dongye, a student of the renowned literatus Han Yu, was well-versed in classics and history and possessed great talent. However, he only became the county magistrate of Liyang at the age of 50, which led him to frequently lament his unappreciated abilities.

Han Yu deeply sympathized with him. When Meng was about to take office, Han Yu wrote 'Preface to See Meng Dongye Off' as a farewell gift, stating: 'Generally, when things are not level (or treated unfairly), they will cry out. Though plants and trees are silent, the wind makes them rustle; though water is silent, the wind makes them roar.'