諺語 · a single proverb
鳳毛麟角
Simplified: 凤毛麟角
What does 鳳毛麟角 (fèng máo lín jiǎo) mean?
鳳毛麟角 (fèng máo lín jiǎo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "phoenix feather and unicorn horn." In use it means: Extremely rare. Something so uncommon that finding it is like finding a feather from a phoenix. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "phoenix feather and unicorn horn."
The reading
The phoenix is legendary. The unicorn is legendary. A feather from one and a horn from the other: two pieces of proof that something almost impossible exists. The phrase is reserved for the person, the object, or the moment that you encounter once in a lifetime and recognize immediately.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of the Southern Dynasties 南史 (original literary context)
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 鳳毛麟角 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 鳳毛麟角 (fèng máo lín jiǎo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Book of the Southern Dynasties 南史 (original literary context). 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 鳳毛麟角?
In Mandarin it is fèng máo lín jiǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 鳳毛麟角 aloud in Mandarin.