# Is it true that the printed Chinese characters for "crisis" is...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 22, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523 "2012-10-22T14:38:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/1 "2012-10-22T14:38:17Z")

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1/2 “opportunity” and the other half “danger”?

I’ve read this so many times that it has never occurred to me to question this. Until now, for whatever reason.

So, what’s the straight dope? Is this saying true?

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/2 "2012-10-22T14:52:20Z")

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[No.](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2363/is-the-chinese-word-for-crisis-a-combination-of-danger-and-opportunity)

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**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/3 "2012-10-22T14:54:58Z")

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There is (surprisingly) [a Wikipedia article on the topic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_word_for_%22crisis%22). (The talk page is worth reading along with the article itself.)

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**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/4 "2012-10-22T14:55:06Z")

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Thanks! I knew I should have checked The Master’s columns for this, but was lazy.

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**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/5 "2012-10-22T21:09:10Z")

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On a tangential note, I remember reading that the character for prosperity (or some similar term) was a pig under a roof, and that the character for chaos (again, I don’t remember the exact word, but the opposite of “harmony”) was two women under a roof.

Are either of these even close?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/6 "2012-10-22T21:32:34Z")

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A pig under a roof means [“home” or “house”](http://mandarin.about.com/od/characters/a/profile-jia.htm).

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**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/7 "2012-10-22T21:42:36Z")

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Well, home is where the pig is. One woman under a roof is “an”, usually translated as serenity. I like the idea of the opposite being two women under a roof. I hope someone confirms that!

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**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-true-that-the-printed-chinese-characters-for-crisis-is/638523/8 "2012-10-22T22:05:41Z")

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> [@Greg\_Charles](#):
>
> Well, home is where the pig is. One woman under a roof is “an”, usually translated as serenity. I like the idea of the opposite being two women under a roof. I hope someone confirms that!

I heard the “two women under a roof” story long ago from my high school history teacher. I am pretty skeptical, though. It is too good of a joke.