Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 滴水之恩，当涌泉相报
Traditional: 滴水之恩，當湧泉相報
Pinyin: dī shuǐ zhī ēn, dāng yǒng quán xiāng bào
Literal translation
A kindness as small as a drop of water should be repaid like a gushing spring.
Natural English meaning
Remember even a small kindness and repay it generously.
Closest English equivalent
One good turn deserves another.
The Chinese saying deliberately magnifies the repayment to express deep gratitude.
When to use it
Use it to express lasting gratitude for help.
When not to use it
It should express willing gratitude, not demand repayment from someone else.
Example sentence
你在我最困难的时候帮了我，滴水之恩，当涌泉相报。
You helped me at my lowest point; I will remember and repay that kindness.
Origin and cultural context
A traditional moral saying widely used to praise gratitude and reciprocity.
Classification: proverb. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
