諺語 · a single proverb
清明前後，種瓜點豆
Simplified: 清明前后，种瓜点豆
What does 清明前後，種瓜點豆 (qīng míng qián hòu, zhòng guā diǎn dòu) mean?
清明前後，種瓜點豆 (qīng míng qián hòu, zhòng guā diǎn dòu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "Around Qingming, plant melons and sow beans." In use it means: The Qingming solar term (around April 5) marks the ideal planting window for many crops. It encodes generations of phenological observation into a simple calendar rule. 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 Rabbit.
Literally: "Around Qingming, plant melons and sow beans.."
The reading
Ancient farmers read the sky and soil the way scholars read texts, finding patterns too subtle for haste. The calendar was not imposed on nature but drawn from it, season by patient season. To plant at the right time is to cooperate with forces larger than yourself. Listening to the land is its own form of literacy.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional solar term farming proverb (節氣農諺), recorded in various regional almanacs
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 Nature, Seasons & Health, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 清明前後，種瓜點豆 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 清明前後，種瓜點豆 (qīng míng qián hòu, zhòng guā diǎn dòu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional solar term farming proverb (節氣農諺), recorded in various regional almanacs. 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 清明前後，種瓜點豆?
In Mandarin it is qīng míng qián hòu, zhòng guā diǎn dòu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 清明前後，種瓜點豆 aloud in Mandarin.