諺語 · a single proverb
跳進黃河洗不清
Simplified: 跳进黄河洗不清
What does 跳進黃河洗不清 (tiào jìn Huáng Hé xǐ bù qīng) mean?
跳進黃河洗不清 (tiào jìn Huáng Hé xǐ bù qīng) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "even jumping into the Yellow River cannot wash you clean." In use it means: When suspicion is deep enough, no amount of explanation or effort can clear your name. 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 Horse.
Literally: "even jumping into the Yellow River cannot wash you clean."
The reading
The water is muddy. You jumped in to prove your innocence and came out dirtier. Some accusations have a gravity that evidence cannot escape. This is not justice. It is the physics of reputation. Prevention is the only reliable defense. Once you are in the river, the mud belongs to you.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk saying, widespread in northern 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 Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 跳進黃河洗不清 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 跳進黃河洗不清 (tiào jìn Huáng Hé xǐ bù qīng) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Common folk saying, widespread in northern 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 跳進黃河洗不清?
In Mandarin it is tiào jìn Huáng Hé xǐ bù qīng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 跳進黃河洗不清 aloud in Mandarin.