諺語 · a single proverb
燈下黑
Simplified: 灯下黑
What does 燈下黑 (dēng xià hēi) mean?
燈下黑 (dēng xià hēi) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "dark beneath the lamp." In use it means: The most obvious things are often hardest to see because they are too close; we overlook what is right under our nose. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "dark beneath the lamp."
The reading
The lamp illuminates everything except the spot directly beneath it. And that is exactly where you are standing. The answer you have been searching the horizon for may be at your feet, invisible precisely because of its proximity. Sometimes the search itself is the obstruction.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common Chinese folk saying, used across many dialects and registers
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 燈下黑 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 燈下黑 (dēng xià hēi) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Common Chinese folk saying, used across many dialects and registers. 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 燈下黑?
In Mandarin it is dēng xià hēi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 燈下黑 aloud in Mandarin.