諺語 · a single proverb
好鐵要經三回爐
Simplified: 好铁要经三回炉
What does 好鐵要經三回爐 (hǎo tiě yào jīng sān huí lú) mean?
好鐵要經三回爐 (hǎo tiě yào jīng sān huí lú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Good iron must go through the furnace three times." In use it means: Quality metalwork requires repeated heating and hammering. Similarly, a person of real worth must endure multiple rounds of hardship and refinement before reaching their best form. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "Good iron must go through the furnace three times."
The reading
The first heating makes the iron workable. The second drives out hidden impurities. The third allows the smith to achieve the final shape with precision. Each pass through the furnace is hot, violent, and essential, and iron that has been through three heats rings differently under the hammer. One round of difficulty teaches you something, but three rounds rebuild you from the inside.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Chinese blacksmithing folk proverb
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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 好鐵要經三回爐 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 好鐵要經三回爐 (hǎo tiě yào jīng sān huí lú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Chinese blacksmithing folk proverb. 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 好鐵要經三回爐?
In Mandarin it is hǎo tiě yào jīng sān huí lú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 好鐵要經三回爐 aloud in Mandarin.