Chinese characters and pinyin
Simplified: 在家靠父母，出门靠朋友
Traditional: 在家靠父母，出門靠朋友
Pinyin: zài jiā kào fù mǔ, chū mén kào péng you
Literal translation
At home rely on parents; away from home rely on friends.
Natural English meaning
Family and trusted friends form essential networks of support.
Closest English equivalent
No one is an island.
The Chinese proverb names two specific relationship networks; the English saying makes a broader point about interdependence.
When to use it
Use it when recognizing the practical value of dependable relationships.
When not to use it
It should not imply exploiting friends or avoiding self-reliance.
Example sentence
刚到新城市，多亏朋友帮忙，真是在家靠父母，出门靠朋友。
Friends helped me settle in the new city; none of us succeeds entirely alone.
Origin and cultural context
A familiar folk saying reflecting kinship and friendship as traditional support systems.
Classification: proverb. This label distinguishes a complete proverb or popular saying from a compact idiom or a quotation preserved from a classical text.
