諺語 · a single proverb
岌岌可危
What does 岌岌可危 (jí jí kě wēi) mean?
岌岌可危 (jí jí kě wēi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "tottering on the verge of collapse." In use it means: A situation so precarious that collapse could come at any moment. The structure is standing, but only just, and the next gust might be the last. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "tottering on the verge of collapse."
The reading
The tower leans three degrees further than it did last year. The engineers say it is fine. The pigeons have already left. Pay attention to the pigeons. The thing that is about to fall sends signals long before it falls, and the signals are usually noticed first by those with the least investment in pretending everything is stable.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Documents 尚書; classical literary expression
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 岌岌可危 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 岌岌可危 (jí jí kě wēi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Book of Documents 尚書; classical literary expression. 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 岌岌可危?
In Mandarin it is jí jí kě wēi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 岌岌可危 aloud in Mandarin.