諺語 · a single proverb

寸cùn金jīn難nán買mǎi寸cùn光guāng陰yīn

Simplified: 寸金难买寸光阴

cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn

What does 寸金難買寸光陰 (cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn) mean?

寸金難買寸光陰 (cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time." In use it means: No amount of wealth can purchase lost time; time is the ultimate irreplaceable resource. 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 Rat.

Literally: "an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time."

The reading

The richest person in the room and the poorest person in the room have the same number of hours today. Money buys many things. A single minute is not one of them.

What kind of proverb it is

Source folk proverb; paired with 一寸光陰一寸金

Sits beside

一寸光陰一寸金

yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn

Time is as precious as gold.

一本萬利

yī běn wàn lì

A tiny investment yields an enormous return.

人為財死，鳥為食亡

rén wéi cái sǐ niǎo wéi shí wáng

The drive for material gain can be as fatal as any predator.

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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.

Questions

Is 寸金難買寸光陰 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 寸金難買寸光陰 (cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb; paired with 一寸光陰一寸金. 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 寸金難買寸光陰?

In Mandarin it is cùn jīn nán mǎi cùn guāng yīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 寸金難買寸光陰 aloud in Mandarin.