諺語 · a single proverb
勢如破竹
Simplified: 势如破竹
What does 勢如破竹 (shì rú pò zhú) mean?
勢如破竹 (shì rú pò zhú) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "momentum like splitting bamboo." In use it means: Irresistible forward progress; once the first crack appears, the rest splits open with no additional effort. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Tiger.
Literally: "momentum like splitting bamboo."
The reading
The blade entered the bamboo. After that, the bamboo did the rest. Momentum has a tipping point, and past that point, resistance stops resisting. The difficult part is the first cut. Everything after it is the bamboo saying: I was ready to open all along.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Jin Shu 晉書, Du Yu 杜預 biography
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 勢如破竹 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 勢如破竹 (shì rú pò zhú) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Jin Shu 晉書, Du Yu 杜預 biography. 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 勢如破竹?
In Mandarin it is shì rú pò zhú. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 勢如破竹 aloud in Mandarin.