諺語 · a single proverb
山不轉路轉
Simplified: 山不转路转
What does 山不轉路轉 (shān bù zhuǎn lù zhuǎn) mean?
山不轉路轉 (shān bù zhuǎn lù zhuǎn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "the mountain will not turn, but the road will." In use it means: When the obstacle is fixed and immovable, find another way around 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 Horse.
Literally: "the mountain will not turn, but the road will."
The reading
You have been staring at the mountain, waiting for it to move. It will not. But the road goes around it, and the road is already there. The obstacle is only absolute if you insist on walking through it instead of around it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb; common in modern Chinese motivational language
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 Adversity & Resilience, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 山不轉路轉 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 山不轉路轉 (shān bù zhuǎn lù zhuǎn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from folk proverb; common in modern Chinese motivational language. 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 山不轉路轉?
In Mandarin it is shān bù zhuǎn lù zhuǎn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 山不轉路轉 aloud in Mandarin.