諺語 · a single proverb
十年磨一劍
Simplified: 十年磨一剑
What does 十年磨一劍 (shí nián mó yī jiàn) mean?
十年磨一劍 (shí nián mó yī jiàn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "ten years to sharpen one sword." In use it means: A decade of quiet preparation for one moment of brilliance. The presentation that takes twenty minutes was prepared over ten years. Mastery does not announce its timeline. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Metal note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Snake.
Literally: "ten years to sharpen one sword."
The reading
The audience sees the performance. The audience does not see the ten thousand rehearsals, the failures, the mornings when the blade would not take an edge. The sharpness they admire was purchased with time they did not witness. Every 'overnight success' has a decade hidden behind it, filed under 'nobody was watching.'
What kind of proverb it is
Source Jia Dao 賈島 (Tang dynasty poet); classical literary expression
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 十年磨一劍 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 十年磨一劍 (shí nián mó yī jiàn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Jia Dao 賈島 (Tang dynasty poet); classical literary expression. 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 十年磨一劍?
In Mandarin it is shí nián mó yī jiàn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 十年磨一劍 aloud in Mandarin.