砍kǎn的de不bù如rú旋xuàn的de圓yuán

What does 砍的不如旋的圓 (kǎn de bù rú xuàn de yuán) mean?

砍的不如旋的圓 (kǎn de bù rú xuàn de yuán) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Chopping can never match turning for roundness." In use it means: An axe can rough out a round shape, but only a lathe produces true roundness. Using the right tool and technique for a specific result always outperforms forcing an ill-suited method. 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 Rooster.

Literally: "Chopping can never match turning for roundness."

The reading

The wood-turner knows something the axe-wielder sometimes forgets. Brute force can approximate a curve, but the spinning lathe and the steady chisel produce a surface that the hand confirms as perfect. The strongest arm swinging the sharpest axe will still leave flat spots and ridges, while the lathe, by its very design, eliminates them. Choosing the right process from the start saves the struggle of compensating for the wrong one afterward.

What kind of proverb it is

• Typeyànyǔ 諺語
• FocusPresent-minded
• Element木 Wood
• Zodiac tie雞 Year of the Rooster

Source Chinese woodworking folk proverb, lathe and carpentry tradition

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 Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.