諺語 · a single proverb
長江後浪推前浪
Simplified: 长江后浪推前浪
What does 長江後浪推前浪 (cháng jiāng hòu làng tuī qián làng) mean?
長江後浪推前浪 (cháng jiāng hòu làng tuī qián làng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the Yangtze's later waves push the earlier waves forward." In use it means: Each generation surpasses the last; the young inevitably replace the old, and this is the natural order. 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 Horse.
Literally: "the Yangtze's later waves push the earlier waves forward."
The reading
The wave behind pushes the wave ahead. This is not competition. This is relay. The earlier wave carried the energy this far; the later wave carries it farther. Every generation stands on the momentum of the one before it and adds its own force. The river does not mourn the earlier wave. It celebrates the distance covered.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Liu Yuxi 劉禹錫 allusion; common folk proverb
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 Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 長江後浪推前浪 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 長江後浪推前浪 (cháng jiāng hòu làng tuī qián làng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Liu Yuxi 劉禹錫 allusion; common folk proverb. 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 長江後浪推前浪?
In Mandarin it is cháng jiāng hòu làng tuī qián làng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 長江後浪推前浪 aloud in Mandarin.