諺語 · a single proverb
不比不知道，一比嚇一跳
What does 不比不知道，一比嚇一跳 (bù bǐ bù zhī dào yī bǐ xià yī tiào) mean?
不比不知道，一比嚇一跳 (bù bǐ bù zhī dào yī bǐ xià yī tiào) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "don't compare don't know, one comparison get a fright." In use it means: Without comparison you don't know the difference; comparing can reveal a shocking gap. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "don't compare don't know, one comparison get a fright."
The reading
The thing that seemed adequate lived in the comfortable absence of comparison. The moment it is placed beside something genuinely excellent, the gap announces itself with some force. This shock is a gift: it locates exactly where the work is. The comparison that stings is the one that teaches.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying
Sits beside
Keep reading
Return to the Proverb Pond to draw another of the eighty-seven, or hear one read aloud. Read the rest of its chapter in Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 不比不知道，一比嚇一跳 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不比不知道，一比嚇一跳 (bù bǐ bù zhī dào yī bǐ xià yī tiào) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying. It is living Chinese heritage, given here with per-character pinyin and its source so you can trust the line, not a phrase invented in English.
How do you pronounce 不比不知道，一比嚇一跳?
In Mandarin it is bù bǐ bù zhī dào yī bǐ xià yī tiào. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不比不知道，一比嚇一跳 aloud in Mandarin.