諺語 · a single proverb
春雨貴如油
Simplified: 春雨贵如油
What does 春雨貴如油 (chūn yǔ guì rú yóu) mean?
春雨貴如油 (chūn yǔ guì rú yóu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "spring rain is precious as oil." In use it means: The right resource at the right time is worth far more than abundance at the wrong moment. 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: "spring rain is precious as oil."
The reading
A downpour in flood season destroys. A drizzle in spring saves the harvest. Value is not about quantity. It is about when something arrives and what it meets when it gets there. The small gift at the critical moment outweighs the large one that comes too late.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional agricultural proverb, recorded in various Ming-Qing agronomic texts
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 春雨貴如油 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 春雨貴如油 (chūn yǔ guì rú yóu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional agricultural proverb, recorded in various Ming-Qing agronomic texts. 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 春雨貴如油?
In Mandarin it is chūn yǔ guì rú yóu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 春雨貴如油 aloud in Mandarin.