諺語 · a single proverb
要知山中事，須問砍柴夫
Simplified: 要知山中事，须问砍柴夫
What does 要知山中事，須問砍柴夫 (yào zhī shān zhōng shì xū wèn kǎn chái fū) mean?
要知山中事，須問砍柴夫 (yào zhī shān zhōng shì xū wèn kǎn chái fū) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語). Word for word it reads "to know the affairs of the mountain, ask the woodcutter." In use it means: Consult the people with direct experience rather than relying on distant experts; ground truth comes from practitioners. 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 Goat.
Literally: "to know the affairs of the mountain, ask the woodcutter."
The reading
The professor studies the mountain from a map. The woodcutter walks it every day. Both have knowledge, but only one has blisters. When the question is practical, ask the person with the blisters. Theoretical knowledge describes. Practical knowledge navigates. The woodcutter cannot draw the contour lines, but he knows which path is washed out this week.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common folk proverb; widely used across Chinese regions
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 Goat, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 要知山中事，須問砍柴夫 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 要知山中事，須問砍柴夫 (yào zhī shān zhōng shì xū wèn kǎn chái fū) is a colloquial saying (súyǔ 俗語), and it comes from Common folk proverb; widely used across Chinese regions. 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 要知山中事，須問砍柴夫?
In Mandarin it is yào zhī shān zhōng shì xū wèn kǎn chái fū. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 要知山中事，須問砍柴夫 aloud in Mandarin.