諺語 · a single proverb
地久天長
Simplified: 地久天长
What does 地久天長 (dì jiǔ tiān cháng) mean?
地久天長 (dì jiǔ tiān cháng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "The earth endures long, heaven lasts forever." In use it means: Something that will last indefinitely, as enduring as the earth and sky themselves. Often used to express hopes for lasting relationships or legacy. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dragon.
Literally: "The earth endures long, heaven lasts forever.."
The reading
The earth does not try to last; it simply does not know how to stop being the earth. Endurance at that scale is not effort; it is nature. When we wish for something to be as lasting as the ground beneath us, we are wishing for it to become so fundamental that ending it would be unthinkable. The sky and the soil do not negotiate their permanence. Some things are built to outlast the question of whether they should continue.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Lǎozǐ (老子), Dào Dé Jīng, Chapter 7
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 地久天長 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 地久天長 (dì jiǔ tiān cháng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Lǎozǐ (老子), Dào Dé Jīng, Chapter 7. 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 地久天長?
In Mandarin it is dì jiǔ tiān cháng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 地久天長 aloud in Mandarin.