諺語 · a single proverb
長風破浪會有時
Simplified: 长风破浪会有时
What does 長風破浪會有時 (cháng fēng pò làng huì yǒu shí) mean?
長風破浪會有時 (cháng fēng pò làng huì yǒu shí) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "strong wind breaking waves will have its time." In use it means: The time will come to ride the wind and break through the waves; opportunity to succeed will arrive. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "strong wind breaking waves will have its time."
The reading
The wind that will carry you has not arrived yet, but the shore knows it is coming. Keep the sail ready; keep yourself ready. The moment when everything aligns will not announce itself in advance, and the vessel that is unready when the great wind rises simply watches it pass.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Li Bai 李白·《行路難》 (Xíng Lù Nán, The Hard Road, Tang Dynasty poem)
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 長風破浪會有時 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 長風破浪會有時 (cháng fēng pò làng huì yǒu shí) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Li Bai 李白·《行路難》 (Xíng Lù Nán, The Hard Road, Tang 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 長風破浪會有時?
In Mandarin it is cháng fēng pò làng huì yǒu shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 長風破浪會有時 aloud in Mandarin.