諺語 · a single proverb
千里姻緣一線牽
Simplified: 千里姻缘一线牵
What does 千里姻緣一線牽 (qiān lǐ yīn yuán yī xiàn qiān) mean?
千里姻緣一線牽 (qiān lǐ yīn yuán yī xiàn qiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "thousand li marriage fate one thread pulls." In use it means: Lovers destined for each other are connected by an invisible thread across thousands of miles. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rabbit.
Literally: "thousand li marriage fate one thread pulls."
The reading
The red thread is tied before the meeting, by an old man at the moon who reads the book of fated unions. Two people whose names share a page do not need to understand the geography; the thread does the navigating. Destiny is not explanation-it is the feeling of having arrived where you were always going.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tang Dynasty 唐·李復言《續玄怪錄》 (Xù Xuán Guài Lù, Story of the Old Man of the Moon)
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 Home, Family & Roots, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 千里姻緣一線牽 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 千里姻緣一線牽 (qiān lǐ yīn yuán yī xiàn qiān) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Tang Dynasty 唐·李復言《續玄怪錄》 (Xù Xuán Guài Lù, Story of the Old Man of the Moon). 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 千里姻緣一線牽?
In Mandarin it is qiān lǐ yīn yuán yī xiàn qiān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 千里姻緣一線牽 aloud in Mandarin.