諺語 · a single proverb
春風化雨
Simplified: 春风化雨
What does 春風化雨 (chūn fēng huà yǔ) mean?
春風化雨 (chūn fēng huà yǔ) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "spring wind transforms into rain." In use it means: Subtle, gentle influence that nourishes and transforms; kind and effective education. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Goat.
Literally: "spring wind transforms into rain."
The reading
The spring wind does not announce its arrival or demand gratitude for the warmth it carries. It simply moves through the orchard and the thing that was tight and closed yesterday opens today. Influence that arrives as gentleness reaches farther than influence that arrives as force.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mencius 孟子·盡心上 (Jìn Xīn I)
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 Harmony, Virtue & Balance, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 春風化雨 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 春風化雨 (chūn fēng huà yǔ) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Mencius 孟子·盡心上 (Jìn Xīn I). 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 春風化雨?
In Mandarin it is chūn fēng huà yǔ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 春風化雨 aloud in Mandarin.