諺語 · a single proverb
樹大招風
Simplified: 树大招风
What does 樹大招風 (shù dà zhāo fēng) mean?
樹大招風 (shù dà zhāo fēng) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "a big tree attracts wind." In use it means: Prominence brings scrutiny and opposition. The larger you grow, the more attention you attract, and not all of it is welcome. Size is both shelter and target. 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: "a big tree attracts wind."
The reading
The sapling is invisible. The oak is a landmark. The landmark cannot hide and does not try. It stands in the wind because standing in the wind is what oaks do. But the oak would be foolish to pretend the wind is not there. Grow large. Accept the wind. Grow your roots in proportion to your branches.
What kind of proverb it is
Source folk proverb 民間諺語; Ming-novel usage (Water Margin 水滸傳 context)
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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 樹大招風 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 樹大招風 (shù dà zhāo fēng) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from folk proverb 民間諺語; Ming-novel usage (Water Margin 水滸傳 context). 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 樹大招風?
In Mandarin it is shù dà zhāo fēng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 樹大招風 aloud in Mandarin.