諺語 · a single proverb
不識廬山真面目
Simplified: 不识庐山真面目
What does 不識廬山真面目 (bù shí lú shān zhēn miàn mù) mean?
不識廬山真面目 (bù shí lú shān zhēn miàn mù) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "not recognize Mount Lu's true face." In use it means: Unable to see the true nature of something because you are too close to it. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "not recognize Mount Lu's true face."
The reading
The person standing inside the mountain cannot see its shape. Only distance permits the view, which is why outsiders sometimes understand what insiders cannot, and why time is the greatest cartographer. Step back, and the mountain introduces itself.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Su Shi 蘇軾·《題西林壁》 (Tí Xī Lín Bì, Song Dynasty poem)
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 Rabbit, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 不識廬山真面目 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 不識廬山真面目 (bù shí lú shān zhēn miàn mù) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Su Shi 蘇軾·《題西林壁》 (Tí Xī Lín Bì, Song Dynasty poem). 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 不識廬山真面目?
In Mandarin it is bù shí lú shān zhēn miàn mù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 不識廬山真面目 aloud in Mandarin.