諺語 · a single proverb
厚積薄發
What does 厚積薄發 (hòu jī bó fā) mean?
厚積薄發 (hòu jī bó fā) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "accumulate deeply, release thinly." In use it means: Accumulate extensively before expressing; build up over a long time and release at the right 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: "accumulate deeply, release thinly."
The reading
The deep reservoir releases with precision and control what the thin stream cannot: the stored force of years. What has been building in the underground takes no space that others can see or object to, and when it finally surfaces, the quality of its emergence reflects everything it was during the invisible years. Depth before breadth. Accumulation before expression.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Su Shi 蘇軾《稼說送張琥》 (Jià Shuō Sòng Zhāng Hǔ, Song Dynasty essay)
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 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 厚積薄發 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 厚積薄發 (hòu jī bó fā) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Su Shi 蘇軾《稼說送張琥》 (Jià Shuō Sòng Zhāng Hǔ, Song Dynasty essay). 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 厚積薄發?
In Mandarin it is hòu jī bó fā. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 厚積薄發 aloud in Mandarin.