諺語 · a single proverb
海水不可斗量
What does 海水不可斗量 (hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng) mean?
海水不可斗量 (hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the sea cannot be measured with a bucket." In use it means: Some things are too vast to be measured by small standards; do not underestimate depth. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "the sea cannot be measured with a bucket."
The reading
The bucket is honest about its own volume. The sea is honest about being larger. Trying to measure one with the other tells you the size of the bucket, not the size of the sea. Choose your measuring instrument before you declare the result.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb; paired with 人不可貌相
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 海水不可斗量 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 海水不可斗量 (hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb; paired with 人不可貌相. 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 海水不可斗量?
In Mandarin it is hǎi shuǐ bù kě dǒu liáng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 海水不可斗量 aloud in Mandarin.