諺語 · a single proverb
過河拆橋
What does 過河拆橋 (guò hé chāi qiáo) mean?
過河拆橋 (guò hé chāi qiáo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "cross the river, dismantle the bridge." In use it means: Once across the river, dismantle the bridge to prevent others crossing; use someone and then abandon them. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "cross the river, dismantle the bridge."
The reading
The bridge made the crossing possible and the bridge is torn down as the last step of using it. This is the most ungrateful form of completion: to remove what served you in order that it cannot serve others, or perhaps just to prove that you are past it. What crosses safely over gratitude is a person worth knowing; what does not, is not.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yuan Dynasty 元·康進之雜劇 (Yuan Dynasty drama)
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 過河拆橋 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 過河拆橋 (guò hé chāi qiáo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Yuan Dynasty 元·康進之雜劇 (Yuan Dynasty drama). 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 過河拆橋?
In Mandarin it is guò hé chāi qiáo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 過河拆橋 aloud in Mandarin.