諺語 · a single proverb
千山萬水
Simplified: 千山万水
What does 千山萬水 (qiān shān wàn shuǐ) mean?
千山萬水 (qiān shān wàn shuǐ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "thousand mountains, ten thousand waters." In use it means: Over countless mountains and rivers; through great distances and many difficulties. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Horse.
Literally: "thousand mountains, ten thousand waters."
The reading
Thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers is not hyperbole but a description of what love and loyalty are willing to cross. The one who says they will come through that is committing not to an easy route but to the refusal of any distance as a final argument against arrival. The journey is exactly as long as the devotion is deep.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying and literary metaphor
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 Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 千山萬水 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 千山萬水 (qiān shān wàn shuǐ) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying and literary metaphor. 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 千山萬水?
In Mandarin it is qiān shān wàn shuǐ. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 千山萬水 aloud in Mandarin.