諺語 · a single proverb
一寸光陰一寸金
What does 一寸光陰一寸金 (yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn) mean?
一寸光陰一寸金 (yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "one inch of time, one inch of gold." In use it means: Time is as precious as gold; an inch of time is worth an inch of gold. 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 Rat.
Literally: "one inch of time, one inch of gold."
The reading
The coin can be replaced; the hour cannot. Gold is dug from the earth each year in new quantities, but the hour that passed while you were elsewhere is the one hour in all of history that was exactly that hour, and it is now only the past tense of itself. Treat each portion of time as the finite and non-renewable thing it is.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Wang Zhong 汪中 (Tang period attribution); very common Chinese maxim
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 Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 一寸光陰一寸金 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一寸光陰一寸金 (yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Wang Zhong 汪中 (Tang period attribution); very common Chinese maxim. 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 一寸光陰一寸金?
In Mandarin it is yī cùn guāng yīn yī cùn jīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一寸光陰一寸金 aloud in Mandarin.