諺語 · a single proverb
滴水穿石
What does 滴水穿石 (dī shuǐ chuān shí) mean?
滴水穿石 (dī shuǐ chuān shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "dripping water pierces stone." In use it means: Persistent effort can accomplish seemingly impossible things. 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 Rat.
Literally: "dripping water pierces stone."
The reading
The drop does not strike the stone with force but with frequency, arriving again and again at the same point without resentment or hurry. Stone is hard and water is soft and still the water wins in the end, by refusing to be anywhere else. This is what patience looks like when you give it enough time.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zhan Guo Ce 戰國策; also common Chinese folk proverb
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 Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 滴水穿石 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 滴水穿石 (dī shuǐ chuān shí) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Zhan Guo Ce 戰國策; also common Chinese folk proverb. 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 滴水穿石?
In Mandarin it is dī shuǐ chuān shí. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 滴水穿石 aloud in Mandarin.