諺語 · a single proverb
得過且過
What does 得過且過 (dé guò qiě guò) mean?
得過且過 (dé guò qiě guò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "manage to get by and get by." In use it means: Just muddle through; do only what is necessary to get by without aspiring to more. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "manage to get by and get by."
The reading
The bird that can only pass the day is the kingfisher in the story who, asked how he had survived the winter, replied only that he had crossed each day as it came. There is something to admire in the bare management of survival, but the one who has more capacity available and uses only this much is a different story, and it knows it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Ming Dynasty 明·馮夢龍《醒世恆言》 (Xǐng Shì Héng Yán)
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 Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 得過且過 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 得過且過 (dé guò qiě guò) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Ming Dynasty 明·馮夢龍《醒世恆言》 (Xǐng Shì Héng Yán). 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 得過且過?
In Mandarin it is dé guò qiě guò. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 得過且過 aloud in Mandarin.