諺語 · a single proverb
火燒眉毛
Simplified: 火烧眉毛
What does 火燒眉毛 (huǒ shāo méi máo) mean?
火燒眉毛 (huǒ shāo méi máo) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "fire is burning the eyebrows." In use it means: An urgent crisis right in front of your face. No time for planning. Act now. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "fire is burning the eyebrows."
The reading
The fire is not across the room. It is on your face. Your eyebrows are singeing. At this proximity, the only plan is movement. The person who stops to draw a diagram at this point loses the eyebrows. Some situations are beyond strategy. They are in the range of reflex.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Folk proverb; common in vernacular literature
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 火燒眉毛 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 火燒眉毛 (huǒ shāo méi máo) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Folk proverb; common in vernacular literature. 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 火燒眉毛?
In Mandarin it is huǒ shāo méi máo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 火燒眉毛 aloud in Mandarin.