諺語 · a single proverb
無人問津
Simplified: 无人问津
What does 無人問津 (wú rén wèn jīn) mean?
無人問津 (wú rén wèn jīn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "no one asks about the crossing." In use it means: Completely ignored or neglected; a valuable thing or place that no one pays attention to. 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 Snake.
Literally: "no one asks about the crossing."
The reading
The crossing is still there. The river still needs crossing. But nobody asks about it anymore because a bridge was built upstream, or because the destination on the other side stopped mattering, or because everyone forgot. Being ignored is not always a judgment of value. Sometimes it is a judgment of attention.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Tao Yuanming 陶淵明, Taohua Yuan Ji 桃花源記; common literary expression
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 無人問津 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 無人問津 (wú rén wèn jīn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Tao Yuanming 陶淵明, Taohua Yuan Ji 桃花源記; common 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 無人問津?
In Mandarin it is wú rén wèn jīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 無人問津 aloud in Mandarin.