諺語 · a single proverb
騎驢看唱本——走著瞧
Simplified: 骑驴看唱本——走着瞧
What does 騎驢看唱本——走著瞧 (qí lǘ kàn chàng běn——zǒu zhe qiáo) mean?
騎驢看唱本——走著瞧 (qí lǘ kàn chàng běn——zǒu zhe qiáo) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語). Word for word it reads "Riding a donkey while reading a songbook-wait and see as we go." In use it means: Things will become clear in time. A relaxed attitude toward an uncertain outcome, implying patience will reveal the answer. 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 Horse.
Literally: "Riding a donkey while reading a songbook-wait and see as we go.."
The reading
Not every question needs an answer right now; some truths only show themselves in motion. Anxiety about the unknown spends energy that patience would have saved. The donkey walks, the pages turn, and clarity arrives at its own pace. Trusting the process is not passivity but a disciplined form of attention. The road and the story unfold together if we let them.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional folk xiehouyu, found in Qing and Republican era collections
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 騎驢看唱本——走著瞧 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 騎驢看唱本——走著瞧 (qí lǘ kàn chàng běn——zǒu zhe qiáo) is a two-part riddle-saying (xiēhòuyǔ 歇後語), and it comes from Traditional folk xiehouyu, found in Qing and Republican era collections. 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 騎驢看唱本——走著瞧?
In Mandarin it is qí lǘ kàn chàng běn——zǒu zhe qiáo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 騎驢看唱本——走著瞧 aloud in Mandarin.