諺語 · a single proverb
刻舟求劍
Simplified: 刻舟求剑
What does 刻舟求劍 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) mean?
刻舟求劍 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "carving the boat to find the sword." In use it means: Clinging to an old method when the situation has already changed. The boat has moved. The sword has not. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "carving the boat to find the sword."
The reading
A man dropped his sword into the river. He marked the side of the boat where it fell. When the boat docked, he jumped in at the mark. The sword was a mile upstream. The mark was right. The boat moved. People do this constantly: applying yesterday's answer to today's question and wondering why it does not work.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Lü Buwei 呂不韋, 呂氏春秋 (Warring States period)
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 Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 刻舟求劍 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 刻舟求劍 (kè zhōu qiú jiàn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Lü Buwei 呂不韋, 呂氏春秋 (Warring States period). 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 刻舟求劍?
In Mandarin it is kè zhōu qiú jiàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 刻舟求劍 aloud in Mandarin.