諺語 · a single proverb
眼中釘
Simplified: 眼中钉
What does 眼中釘 (yǎn zhōng dīng) mean?
眼中釘 (yǎn zhōng dīng) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "a nail in the eye." In use it means: An irritant that is impossible to ignore; a person or problem that provokes constant, disproportionate annoyance. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "a nail in the eye."
The reading
It is small. It is sharp. And it is in exactly the one place where you cannot stop noticing it. The nail is not dangerous. It is persistent. And persistence, in the wrong location, is its own form of dominance. The nail wins by never leaving.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk expression; New Book of Tang 新唐書
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 Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 眼中釘 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 眼中釘 (yǎn zhōng dīng) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Common folk expression; New Book of Tang 新唐書. 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 眼中釘?
In Mandarin it is yǎn zhōng dīng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 眼中釘 aloud in Mandarin.