諺語 · a single proverb
黑髮不知勤學早
Simplified: 黑发不知勤学早
What does 黑髮不知勤學早 (hēi fà bù zhī qín xué zǎo) mean?
黑髮不知勤學早 (hēi fà bù zhī qín xué zǎo) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "black hair does not know to study diligently early." In use it means: Youth does not realize the importance of studying early; one regrets wasted youth. 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 Rat.
Literally: "black hair does not know to study diligently early."
The reading
The young body has not yet felt the weight of time and so does not believe in it. Only looking back does one see the open field of hours that was available and is now behind the fence. This regret, once understood, can be given as a gift forward to those still standing in the field.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yan Zhenqing 顏真卿·《勸學詩》 (Quàn Xué Shī, Poem Encouraging Learning, Tang Dynasty)
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 Rat, Year of the Frog, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 黑髮不知勤學早 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 黑髮不知勤學早 (hēi fà bù zhī qín xué zǎo) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Yan Zhenqing 顏真卿·《勸學詩》 (Quàn Xué Shī, Poem Encouraging Learning, Tang Dynasty). 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 黑髮不知勤學早?
In Mandarin it is hēi fà bù zhī qín xué zǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 黑髮不知勤學早 aloud in Mandarin.