諺語 · a single proverb
破鏡重圓
Simplified: 破镜重圆
What does 破鏡重圓 (pò jìng chóng yuán) mean?
破鏡重圓 (pò jìng chóng yuán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "a broken mirror made whole again." In use it means: Reunion after separation. A couple or a family that comes back together after being apart. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "a broken mirror made whole again."
The reading
The mirror cracked in two when they parted. Each kept a half. Years later, the halves met again and the circle closed. The crack is still visible if you look. But the circle holds. Repair does not mean the damage never happened. It means you chose the circle over the crack.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Taiping Guangji 太平廣記, Xu Deyan 徐德言 story (Sui dynasty)
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 破鏡重圓 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 破鏡重圓 (pò jìng chóng yuán) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Taiping Guangji 太平廣記, Xu Deyan 徐德言 story (Sui dynasty). 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 破鏡重圓?
In Mandarin it is pò jìng chóng yuán. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 破鏡重圓 aloud in Mandarin.