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
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.