諺語 · a single proverb

路lù遙yáo知zhī馬mǎ力lì

Simplified: 路遥知马力

lù yáo zhī mǎ lì

What does 路遙知馬力 (lù yáo zhī mǎ lì) mean?

路遙知馬力 (lù yáo zhī mǎ lì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a long road reveals a horse's strength." In use it means: Only time and distance show what someone is really made of. Quick tests prove nothing. 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 a horse's strength."

The reading

A sprint tells you who is fast. A long road tells you who is strong. The difference matters because life is not a sprint. The person who is still going on day 300 is the one worth trusting, worth following, worth marrying. Speed fades. Endurance does not.

What kind of proverb it is

Source Yuan dynasty proverb, found in 元曲選 and folk usage

Sits beside

冰非一日之寒

bīng fēi yī rì zhī hán

Nothing reaches its current state overnight.

少壯不努力，老大徒傷悲

shào zhuàng bù nǔ lì lǎo dà tú shāng bēi

Those who do not work hard in youth can only grieve in old age.

日積月累

rì jī yuè lěi

Through daily and monthly accumulation, great things are built.

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 路遙知馬力 a real Chinese proverb?

Yes. 路遙知馬力 (lù yáo zhī mǎ lì) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Yuan dynasty proverb, found in 元曲選 and 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 路遙知馬力?

In Mandarin it is lù yáo zhī mǎ lì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 路遙知馬力 aloud in Mandarin.