諺語 · a single proverb
管中窺豹
Simplified: 管中窥豹
What does 管中窺豹 (guǎn zhōng kuī bào) mean?
管中窺豹 (guǎn zhōng kuī bào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "peeping at a leopard through a tube." In use it means: Seeing only a tiny part and thinking you understand the whole; limited perspective. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "peeping at a leopard through a tube."
The reading
Through the tube you see one spot. It is beautiful. But it is not the leopard. The person who mistakes the spot for the animal will be surprised when it moves in a direction the tube did not show.
What kind of proverb it is
Source A New Account of the Tales of the World 世說新語
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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 管中窺豹 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 管中窺豹 (guǎn zhōng kuī bào) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from A New Account of the Tales of the World 世說新語. 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 管中窺豹?
In Mandarin it is guǎn zhōng kuī bào. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 管中窺豹 aloud in Mandarin.