諺語 · a single proverb
腳踏實地
Simplified: 脚踏实地
What does 腳踏實地 (jiǎo tà shí dì) mean?
腳踏實地 (jiǎo tà shí dì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "feet tread solid ground." In use it means: Keep both feet on the ground; be practical and down-to-earth. 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 Ox.
Literally: "feet tread solid ground."
The reading
The highest aspiration still requires a foot that knows where it is standing. Dreams are navigated from the ground, not from the air, and the person whose soles keep honest contact with the earth rarely loses their way in the clouds. What is most real begins exactly where you are.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Song Dynasty 宋·邵雍《二程外書》 (Èr Chéng Wài Shū)
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 腳踏實地 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 腳踏實地 (jiǎo tà shí dì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Song Dynasty 宋·邵雍《二程外書》 (Èr Chéng Wài Shū). 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 腳踏實地?
In Mandarin it is jiǎo tà shí dì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 腳踏實地 aloud in Mandarin.