諺語 · a single proverb
吳牛喘月
Simplified: 吴牛喘月
What does 吳牛喘月 (wú niú chuǎn yuè) mean?
吳牛喘月 (wú niú chuǎn yuè) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "the Wu ox pants at the moon." In use it means: Being so traumatized by a past experience that you react fearfully to harmless things; once bitten, twice shy. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "the Wu ox pants at the moon."
The reading
The ox from Wu was burned by the southern sun so often that when it saw the moon at night, round and white like the sun, it panted in fear. The moon cannot burn. But the ox's body remembers heat, and memory does not distinguish between the real and the similar. Every overreaction has a history. Ask what burned the ox before you laugh at the panting.
What kind of proverb it is
Source A New Account of the Tales of the World 世說新語, Yan Yu 言語
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 吳牛喘月 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 吳牛喘月 (wú niú chuǎn yuè) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from A New Account of the Tales of the World 世說新語, Yan Yu 言語. 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 吳牛喘月?
In Mandarin it is wú niú chuǎn yuè. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 吳牛喘月 aloud in Mandarin.