諺語 · a single proverb
深藏不露
What does 深藏不露 (shēn cáng bù lù) mean?
深藏不露 (shēn cáng bù lù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "hidden deep, never revealed." In use it means: A person who keeps their abilities or knowledge concealed. Still waters running deep. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Water note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "hidden deep, never revealed."
The reading
The person at the table who says the least often knows the most. They are not hiding out of modesty. They are choosing when to show what they have. The knife stays in the sheath until cutting time. Drawing it for applause dulls the edge.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common idiom; used in military and literary contexts
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 深藏不露 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 深藏不露 (shēn cáng bù lù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common idiom; used in military 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 深藏不露?
In Mandarin it is shēn cáng bù lù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 深藏不露 aloud in Mandarin.