諺語 · a single proverb
千里之堤，潰於蟻穴
Simplified: 千里之堤，溃于蚁穴
What does 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 (qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué) mean?
千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 (qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "a thousand-mile levee collapses from an ant hole." In use it means: Small problems ignored become catastrophic; negligence of tiny details can ruin vast structures. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Rat.
Literally: "a thousand-mile levee collapses from an ant hole."
The reading
The ant does not know it is destroying a levee. It is simply digging a home. But the water knows. The water finds the hole the ant made and widens it, grain by grain, until the entire wall gives way. The levee builder who ignores ant holes is not brave. He is bankrupt and does not know it yet.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Feizi 韓非子, Yu Lao 喻老
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 (qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Han Feizi 韓非子, Yu Lao 喻老. 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 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴?
In Mandarin it is qiān lǐ zhī dī kuì yú yǐ xué. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 aloud in Mandarin.