諺語 · a single proverb
舊瓶裝新酒
Simplified: 旧瓶装新酒
What does 舊瓶裝新酒 (jiù píng zhuāng xīn jiǔ) mean?
舊瓶裝新酒 (jiù píng zhuāng xīn jiǔ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "old bottle contains new wine." In use it means: Old forms containing new content; using familiar structures for fresh ideas. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "old bottle contains new wine."
The reading
The bottle does not argue with what it is asked to hold, and the wine does not require a new container to be itself. Sometimes the old form is the wisest vessel for what is genuinely new, providing a structure that people trust while the contents surprise them. Not everything needs a new jar to matter.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese proverb based on biblical parallel; common in Chinese folk usage
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 舊瓶裝新酒 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 舊瓶裝新酒 (jiù píng zhuāng xīn jiǔ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese proverb based on biblical parallel; common in Chinese folk usage. 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 舊瓶裝新酒?
In Mandarin it is jiù píng zhuāng xīn jiǔ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 舊瓶裝新酒 aloud in Mandarin.