諺語 · a single proverb
海枯石爛
Simplified: 海枯石烂
What does 海枯石爛 (hǎi kū shí làn) mean?
海枯石爛 (hǎi kū shí làn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "The seas dry up and the stones rot." In use it means: An expression of eternal commitment, pledging loyalty or love that will endure until the impossible happens. Used to describe devotion that outlasts geological time. 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 Dog.
Literally: "The seas dry up and the stones rot.."
The reading
Promising forever is easy; meaning it requires imagining a timescale that dwarfs your own life. When someone says they will stay until the seas vanish and the stones crumble, they are saying their word is older than geography. Love spoken in geological terms is love that refuses to think small. The ocean and the rock are the hardest witnesses to outlast, which is exactly why they are chosen. Some commitments deserve a vocabulary bigger than a human lifespan.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Classical Chinese literature, attested in Táng poetry and later vernacular fiction
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 海枯石爛 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 海枯石爛 (hǎi kū shí làn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Classical Chinese literature, attested in Táng poetry and later vernacular fiction. 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 海枯石爛?
In Mandarin it is hǎi kū shí làn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 海枯石爛 aloud in Mandarin.