諺語 · a single proverb
千軍易得，一將難求
Simplified: 千军易得，一将难求
What does 千軍易得，一將難求 (qiān jūn yì dé yī jiàng nán qiú) mean?
千軍易得，一將難求 (qiān jūn yì dé yī jiàng nán qiú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a thousand soldiers are easy to find; one general is hard to seek." In use it means: True leaders are rare and invaluable; talent is common but leadership is not. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "a thousand soldiers are easy to find; one general is hard to seek."
The reading
You can fill a field with people who will follow instructions. Finding the person who knows which instructions to give is the harder problem by an order of magnitude. Numbers are easy. Direction is expensive.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb; common in military texts
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 Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 千軍易得，一將難求 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 千軍易得，一將難求 (qiān jūn yì dé yī jiàng nán qiú) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb; common in military texts. 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 千軍易得，一將難求?
In Mandarin it is qiān jūn yì dé yī jiàng nán qiú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 千軍易得，一將難求 aloud in Mandarin.