諺語 · a single proverb
囊螢映雪
Simplified: 囊萤映雪
What does 囊螢映雪 (náng yíng yìng xuě) mean?
囊螢映雪 (náng yíng yìng xuě) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "catching fireflies and reading by snow-light." In use it means: Study under extreme hardship; let nothing stop the pursuit of knowledge. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "catching fireflies and reading by snow-light."
The reading
One collected fireflies in a bag for light. The other read by the reflection of snow. Neither waited for a lamp. The light you need is already somewhere nearby, if you are willing to gather it from unlikely places.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Jin 晉書, Che Yin 車胤傳 and Sun Kang 孫康傳
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 Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 囊螢映雪 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 囊螢映雪 (náng yíng yìng xuě) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Book of Jin 晉書, Che Yin 車胤傳 and Sun Kang 孫康傳. 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 囊螢映雪?
In Mandarin it is náng yíng yìng xuě. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 囊螢映雪 aloud in Mandarin.