諺語 · a single proverb
日月如梭，光陰似箭
Simplified: 日月如梭，光阴似箭
What does 日月如梭，光陰似箭 (rì yuè rú suō guāng yīn sì jiàn) mean?
日月如梭，光陰似箭 (rì yuè rú suō guāng yīn sì jiàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "sun and moon like a shuttle, time like an arrow." In use it means: Time flies; the sun and moon pass like a weaver's shuttle, time moves as fast as an arrow. 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 Snake.
Literally: "sun and moon like a shuttle, time like an arrow."
The reading
The shuttle crosses the loom before the eye completes its tracking, and the year does the same. This is not to induce panic but clarity: the very fact that time moves this way is information about how to hold it. With both hands, fully present, without the distraction of thinking about holding it better some other time.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Traditional Chinese folk saying; common in educational and literary contexts
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 Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Rabbit.
Questions
Is 日月如梭，光陰似箭 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 日月如梭，光陰似箭 (rì yuè rú suō guāng yīn sì jiàn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Traditional Chinese folk saying; common in educational and literary 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 日月如梭，光陰似箭?
In Mandarin it is rì yuè rú suō guāng yīn sì jiàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 日月如梭，光陰似箭 aloud in Mandarin.