諺語 · a single proverb
路遙馬力
Simplified: 路遥马力
What does 路遙馬力 (lù yáo mǎ lì) mean?
路遙馬力 (lù yáo mǎ lì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a long road reveals the horse's strength." In use it means: True capacity is proven over distance and time, not in short bursts. 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 Horse.
Literally: "a long road reveals the horse's strength."
The reading
The sprinter looks fast at the start. The distance horse does not look like anything special until mile twenty, when the sprinter is standing in a field breathing hard and the distance horse is still moving. Endurance is the least glamorous form of strength and the most useful one. It does not win the first impression. It wins the last one.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; shortened form of 路遙知馬力
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 Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 路遙馬力 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 路遙馬力 (lù yáo mǎ lì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; shortened form of 路遙知馬力. 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 路遙馬力?
In Mandarin it is lù yáo mǎ lì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 路遙馬力 aloud in Mandarin.