諺語 · a single proverb
秋高氣爽
Simplified: 秋高气爽
What does 秋高氣爽 (qiū gāo qì shuǎng) mean?
秋高氣爽 (qiū gāo qì shuǎng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "the autumn sky is high and the air is crisp." In use it means: The refreshing clarity of autumn; a time of sharpness, harvest, and clear thinking. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "the autumn sky is high and the air is crisp."
The reading
The sky lifts in autumn. The haze burns off and the edges of everything get sharper. That is what clarity feels like: the removal of what was softening the outline. Autumn does not add anything. It subtracts, and what remains is clear.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Du Fu 杜甫 era literary language; seasonal idiom
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 秋高氣爽 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 秋高氣爽 (qiū gāo qì shuǎng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Du Fu 杜甫 era literary language; seasonal idiom. 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 秋高氣爽?
In Mandarin it is qiū gāo qì shuǎng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 秋高氣爽 aloud in Mandarin.