諺語 · a single proverb
春江水暖鴨先知
Simplified: 春江水暖鸭先知
What does 春江水暖鴨先知 (chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī) mean?
春江水暖鴨先知 (chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "spring river water warms, duck knows first." In use it means: Those closest to a situation are the first to notice changes; those in the water feel the warmth before anyone watching from shore. 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 Rat.
Literally: "spring river water warms, duck knows first."
The reading
The duck is already there when the first warmth arrives, and this is not wisdom but position. Knowledge and proximity are two different things but in this moment they are the same: the one who is in the water knows something the one on the bank does not, not because of superior perception but because of where they are standing. Go where the information lives.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Su Shi 蘇軾·《惠崇春江晚景》 (Huì Chóng Chūn Jiāng Wǎn Jǐng, Song 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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Rabbit, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 春江水暖鴨先知 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 春江水暖鴨先知 (chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Su Shi 蘇軾·《惠崇春江晚景》 (Huì Chóng Chūn Jiāng Wǎn Jǐng, Song 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 春江水暖鴨先知?
In Mandarin it is chūn jiāng shuǐ nuǎn yā xiān zhī. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 春江水暖鴨先知 aloud in Mandarin.