諺語 · a single proverb
生米煮成熟飯
Simplified: 生米煮成熟饭
What does 生米煮成熟飯 (shēng mǐ zhǔ chéng shú fàn) mean?
生米煮成熟飯 (shēng mǐ zhǔ chéng shú fàn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "raw rice has been cooked into done rice." In use it means: What is done cannot be undone; once a situation is settled, accept it and move on. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "raw rice has been cooked into done rice."
The reading
The rice is cooked. You cannot uncook it. Arguing with the pot will not turn the grain back. Some situations have a point of no return, and the only productive response is to eat the rice and decide what to cook next time.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk saying, widespread across Chinese dialects
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 Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 生米煮成熟飯 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 生米煮成熟飯 (shēng mǐ zhǔ chéng shú fàn) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Common folk saying, widespread across Chinese dialects. 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 生米煮成熟飯?
In Mandarin it is shēng mǐ zhǔ chéng shú fàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 生米煮成熟飯 aloud in Mandarin.