諺語 · a single proverb
學如逆水行舟
Simplified: 学如逆水行舟
What does 學如逆水行舟 (xué rú nì shuǐ xíng zhōu) mean?
學如逆水行舟 (xué rú nì shuǐ xíng zhōu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "learning is like rowing upstream." In use it means: If you stop studying, you fall behind; continuous effort is required just to maintain your position. 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 Rat.
Literally: "learning is like rowing upstream."
The reading
The river pushes against you. The moment you stop rowing, you drift backward. This is not punishment. This is physics. Knowledge works the same way: it does not wait for you to resume. The world keeps producing new things to learn, and the gap between you and the current grows every day you rest the oars.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; widely attributed, exact origin uncertain
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 Wisdom & Learning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 學如逆水行舟 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 學如逆水行舟 (xué rú nì shuǐ xíng zhōu) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; widely attributed, exact origin uncertain. 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 學如逆水行舟?
In Mandarin it is xué rú nì shuǐ xíng zhōu. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 學如逆水行舟 aloud in Mandarin.