諺語 · a single proverb
此一時，彼一時
Simplified: 此一时，彼一时
What does 此一時，彼一時 (cǐ yī shí bǐ yī shí) mean?
此一時，彼一時 (cǐ yī shí bǐ yī shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "that was one time, this is another time." In use it means: Circumstances change; what was true or appropriate then may not apply now. 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: "that was one time, this is another time."
The reading
The advice that saved you five years ago might sink you today. Not because it was bad advice, but because the water has changed. Every rule has an expiration date printed in invisible ink. The skill is not in following rules. It is in sensing when the ink has faded.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Mencius 孟子; common classical expression
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 此一時，彼一時 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 此一時，彼一時 (cǐ yī shí bǐ yī shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Mencius 孟子; common classical expression. 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 此一時，彼一時?
In Mandarin it is cǐ yī shí bǐ yī shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 此一時，彼一時 aloud in Mandarin.