諺語 · a single proverb
過了芒種，不可強種
Simplified: 过了芒种，不可强种
What does 過了芒種，不可強種 (guò le máng zhòng, bù kě qiǎng zhòng) mean?
過了芒種，不可強種 (guò le máng zhòng, bù kě qiǎng zhòng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "After Grain in Ear, you cannot force planting." In use it means: The solar term Mangzhong (Grain in Ear, around June 6) is the last practical window for planting certain crops. After this point, forcing a late planting will only waste seed and effort. 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 Ox.
Literally: "After Grain in Ear, you cannot force planting.."
The reading
There is a difference between persistence and stubbornness, and the calendar knows which is which. Some windows close regardless of how much energy you pour through them. Accepting a missed opportunity is not weakness; it is the clarity that lets you prepare for the next one. The land does not negotiate its deadlines.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Solar term agricultural proverb, referenced in farming almanacs across northern China
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 Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 過了芒種，不可強種 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 過了芒種，不可強種 (guò le máng zhòng, bù kě qiǎng zhòng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Solar term agricultural proverb, referenced in farming almanacs across northern China. 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 過了芒種，不可強種?
In Mandarin it is guò le máng zhòng, bù kě qiǎng zhòng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 過了芒種，不可強種 aloud in Mandarin.