諺語 · a single proverb
任重道遠
Simplified: 任重道远
What does 任重道遠 (rèn zhòng dào yuǎn) mean?
任重道遠 (rèn zhòng dào yuǎn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "the burden is heavy and the road is long." In use it means: The responsibility is great and the journey ahead is far; acknowledging the weight of a meaningful task without flinching from it. 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 Ox.
Literally: "the burden is heavy and the road is long."
The reading
You accepted the load before you knew the distance. Now you know both, and the answer is the same: keep walking. The weight does not lighten, but the shoulders adapt. The road does not shorten, but the legs learn the terrain. Endurance is not a talent. It is a choice repeated daily.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語, Book 8 (Tai Bo 泰伯, ch. 7)
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 Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 任重道遠 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 任重道遠 (rèn zhòng dào yuǎn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Analects 論語, Book 8 (Tai Bo 泰伯, ch. 7). 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 任重道遠?
In Mandarin it is rèn zhòng dào yuǎn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 任重道遠 aloud in Mandarin.