諺語 · a single proverb
槍打出頭鳥
Simplified: 枪打出头鸟
What does 槍打出頭鳥 (qiāng dǎ chū tóu niǎo) mean?
槍打出頭鳥 (qiāng dǎ chū tóu niǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the gun shoots the bird that sticks its head out." In use it means: The one who stands out first takes the hit. Being conspicuous in the wrong moment can be dangerous. Timing your visibility matters as much as having something to show. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "the gun shoots the bird that sticks its head out."
The reading
Every flock has a bird that flies higher than the rest. Sometimes that bird sees the horizon first. Sometimes the hunter sees it first. The lesson is not to stay low forever. It is to know when the hunter is watching and when the sky is clear. Courage and timing are not opposites. They are partners.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb 民間諺語; referenced in political and military contexts
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 槍打出頭鳥 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 槍打出頭鳥 (qiāng dǎ chū tóu niǎo) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb 民間諺語; referenced in political and military contexts. 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 槍打出頭鳥?
In Mandarin it is qiāng dǎ chū tóu niǎo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 槍打出頭鳥 aloud in Mandarin.