諺語 · a single proverb
鶴髮童顏
What does 鶴髮童顏 (hè fà tóng yán) mean?
鶴髮童顏 (hè fà tóng yán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "crane hair, child face." In use it means: White hair but youthful face; look young and healthy despite old age; vitality in aging. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "crane hair, child face."
The reading
The crane is associated with the long life and also with a certain lightness, the quality of moving through the world without excessive weight. The face that has stayed young alongside white hair has managed to keep whatever youth keeps: not its ignorance but its freshness, the capacity to be surprised and delighted by what is in front of it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese saying (common in auspicious and longevity contexts)
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Rabbit.
Questions
Is 鶴髮童顏 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 鶴髮童顏 (hè fà tóng yán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese saying (common in auspicious and longevity contexts). 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 鶴髮童顏?
In Mandarin it is hè fà tóng yán. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 鶴髮童顏 aloud in Mandarin.