諺語 · a single proverb
金石為開
Simplified: 金石为开
What does 金石為開 (jīn shí wéi kāi) mean?
金石為開 (jīn shí wéi kāi) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "metal and stone will open." In use it means: Absolute sincerity can move even the hardest obstacles; genuine devotion breaks through anything. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "metal and stone will open."
The reading
The arrow sank into the stone because the archer believed it was a tiger. Belief did not make the stone soft. Belief made the archer forget to hold back. That is what sincerity does: it removes the internal governor that tells you something is impossible, and in its absence, you discover what you were actually capable of all along.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Records of the Grand Historian 史記, Li Guang biography (李將軍列傳); originally 精誠所至，金石為開
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 Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 金石為開 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 金石為開 (jīn shí wéi kāi) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Records of the Grand Historian 史記, Li Guang biography (李將軍列傳); originally 精誠所至，金石為開. 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 金石為開?
In Mandarin it is jīn shí wéi kāi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 金石為開 aloud in Mandarin.