諺語 · a single proverb
一葉障目
Simplified: 一叶障目
What does 一葉障目 (yī yè zhàng mù) mean?
一葉障目 (yī yè zhàng mù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one leaf blocks the eye." In use it means: A single small obstruction can blind you to the bigger picture; do not let details obscure the whole. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Wood note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Monkey.
Literally: "one leaf blocks the eye."
The reading
The leaf is tiny. The forest behind it is vast. But if the leaf is close enough to your face, it is all you can see. Step back. The thing that is consuming your attention is almost certainly smaller than the world it is hiding.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Yanzi Chunqiu 鶡冠子; folk idiom
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 Monkey, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一葉障目 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一葉障目 (yī yè zhàng mù) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Yanzi Chunqiu 鶡冠子; folk idiom. 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 一葉障目?
In Mandarin it is yī yè zhàng mù. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一葉障目 aloud in Mandarin.