諺語 · a single proverb
歲寒知松柏
Simplified: 岁寒知松柏
What does 歲寒知松柏 (suì hán zhī sōng bǎi) mean?
歲寒知松柏 (suì hán zhī sōng bǎi) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "In the cold of the year, one knows the pine and cypress." In use it means: Only when winter strips away all other foliage do the evergreen pine and cypress reveal their constancy. True character is tested not in easy times but in harsh ones. From the Analerta of Confucius. 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 Ox.
Literally: "In the cold of the year, one knows the pine and cypress.."
The reading
Prosperity makes everyone look sturdy; adversity shows who actually is. The trees that keep their green through frost did not suddenly become strong; they were always that way, simply unnoticed. Testing does not create character so much as it makes existing character visible. What survives the worst season is the truest measure of what something is.
What kind of proverb it is
Source 《論語·子罕》(Lúnyǔ, Zǐhǎn), Confucius, Analerta 9.28
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 歲寒知松柏 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 歲寒知松柏 (suì hán zhī sōng bǎi) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from 《論語·子罕》(Lúnyǔ, Zǐhǎn), Confucius, Analerta 9.28. 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 歲寒知松柏?
In Mandarin it is suì hán zhī sōng bǎi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 歲寒知松柏 aloud in Mandarin.