諺語 · a single proverb
千里送鵝毛
Simplified: 千里送鹅毛
What does 千里送鵝毛 (qiān lǐ sòng é máo) mean?
千里送鵝毛 (qiān lǐ sòng é máo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "sending a goose feather a thousand miles." In use it means: A small gift sent from afar carries great meaning; the thought and effort behind a gesture matter more than its material value. 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 Pig.
Literally: "sending a goose feather a thousand miles."
The reading
The feather weighs nothing. The journey weighs everything. The person who carried it a thousand miles did not send a feather. They sent a thousand miles of walking, of thinking about you, of not turning back. The next time someone gives you something small, measure it by how far it traveled.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Song dynasty folk tale; Lu Yidao sending tribute to Tang Emperor
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 Pig, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 千里送鵝毛 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 千里送鵝毛 (qiān lǐ sòng é máo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Song dynasty folk tale; Lu Yidao sending tribute to Tang Emperor. 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 千里送鵝毛?
In Mandarin it is qiān lǐ sòng é máo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 千里送鵝毛 aloud in Mandarin.