諺語 · a single proverb
一鼓作氣
Simplified: 一鼓作气
What does 一鼓作氣 (yī gǔ zuò qì) mean?
一鼓作氣 (yī gǔ zuò qì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one drumbeat rouses the spirit." In use it means: Finish in one sustained burst while morale is at its peak. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "one drumbeat rouses the spirit."
The reading
Your courage has a first wind and it is stronger than you trust it to be. If you pause to gather yourself a second and third time, you are not resting, you are letting the drum go quiet. Move now, while the first beat is still in your chest.
The story
From the Zuo Zhuan, in the account of Cao Gui at the Battle of Changshao in 684 BCE. When the state of Qi attacked Lu, Cao Gui held the drum until Qi had beaten theirs three times, then struck. Afterward he explained: the first drumbeat rouses the spirit, the second lets it fade, the third leaves it spent, so he had attacked with full morale against exhausted men.
When your courage catches its first wind, spend it then, in one sustained push, rather than pausing to gather yourself again and again. Every pause you mistake for rest is really the drum going quiet, so move while the first beat is still in your chest.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Zuo Zhuan 左傳
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Horse, Year of the Tiger, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一鼓作氣 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一鼓作氣 (yī gǔ zuò qì) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Zuo Zhuan 左傳. 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 一鼓作氣?
In Mandarin it is yī gǔ zuò qì. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一鼓作氣 aloud in Mandarin.