諺語 · a single proverb
讀萬卷書，行萬里路
Simplified: 读万卷书，行万里路
What does 讀萬卷書，行萬里路 (dú wàn juǎn shū xíng wàn lǐ lù) mean?
讀萬卷書，行萬里路 (dú wàn juǎn shū xíng wàn lǐ lù) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "read ten thousand volumes, travel ten thousand li." In use it means: Combine book learning with real-world experience; theory and practice together make wisdom. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "read ten thousand volumes, travel ten thousand li."
The reading
The scholar who never leaves the library knows all the maps but has felt no rain. The traveler who never reads has felt everything but can name nothing. The fullest life is the conversation between the page and the road, each correcting and completing the other.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Ming Dynasty 明·董其昌《畫禪室隨筆》 (Huà Chán Shì Suí Bǐ, Dong Qichang)
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 Horse, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Rat.
Questions
Is 讀萬卷書，行萬里路 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 讀萬卷書，行萬里路 (dú wàn juǎn shū xíng wàn lǐ lù) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Ming Dynasty 明·董其昌《畫禪室隨筆》 (Huà Chán Shì Suí Bǐ, Dong Qichang). 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 讀萬卷書，行萬里路?
In Mandarin it is dú wàn juǎn shū xíng wàn lǐ lù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 讀萬卷書，行萬里路 aloud in Mandarin.