Proverb / Kotowaza
衣食足りて礼節を知る
People can only afford to care about manners and social decorum once their basic material needs are met.
Only when food and clothing are sufficient can one know etiquette.
Quick Answer
People can only afford to care about manners and social decorum once their basic material needs are met.
- Literal Image
- Only when food and clothing are sufficient can one know etiquette.
- Closest Equivalent
- Well fed, well bred.
- How to Use It
- Used to explain why social stability or improved manners follow economic development, or to point out that it is difficult for people in desperate poverty to prioritize formal etiquette.
Meaning
This proverb suggests that ethical behavior and social order depend on economic stability. When people are no longer struggling to provide for basic needs like food and clothing, they gain the capacity to focus on proper conduct and etiquette. It implies that material security provides the mental and social breathing room necessary for a person to cultivate virtues and follow social rules.
Literal Image
Only when food and clothing are sufficient can one know etiquette.
Equivalent Proverbs
Well fed, well bred.
Focuses on the link between being well-nourished and having good upbringing.
It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.
Emphasizing that it is difficult for a poor person to remain honest or moral.
How to Use It
Used to explain why social stability or improved manners follow economic development, or to point out that it is difficult for people in desperate poverty to prioritize formal etiquette.
Tone
Can be used in sociological, economic, or philosophical contexts to discuss the relationship between wealth and morality.
Examples
かつては荒れていたその国も、経済発展によって国民の生活水準が向上するとともに犯罪が減り、マナーも向上した。まさに「衣食足りて礼節を知る」の通りだ。
That country, which was once unstable, saw a decrease in crime and an improvement in manners as the people's standard of living rose through economic development. It is exactly as the saying 'only when basic needs are met can one know etiquette' suggests.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
The vocabulary includes less common compounds like 礼節 (reisetsu), and the sentence structure reflects a literary or philosophical tone with significant idiomatic opacity.
衣食
いしょく / ishoku
food and clothing; basic needs
足りる
たりる / tariru
to be sufficient
礼節
れいせつ / reisetsu
etiquette and decorum; manners
知る
しる / shiru
to know; to learn
Usage Profile
Usage note: Be careful when using this to describe individuals, as it can sound condescending or like an excuse for bad behavior based on income.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to imply that all wealthy people are polite or that all poor people are rude; it describes a general social tendency rather than a strict rule for individuals.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
Derived from a passage in the Chinese philosophical work "Guanzi" (管子) from the Spring and Autumn period: "When the granary is full, then one knows etiquette; when food and clothing are sufficient, then one knows honor and shame" (倉凜実ちて則ち礼節を知り、衣食足りて則ち栄辱を知る).
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.