諺語 · a single proverb
葉公好龍
Simplified: 叶公好龙
What does 葉公好龍 (yè gōng hào lóng) mean?
葉公好龍 (yè gōng hào lóng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "Lord Ye loves dragons." In use it means: Someone who claims to love something but runs when the real thing shows up. Saying and wanting are not the same. 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 Dragon.
Literally: "Lord Ye loves dragons."
The reading
Lord Ye carved dragons on every wall, embroidered them on every robe, told everyone he adored dragons. Then a real dragon heard about it and came to visit. Lord Ye fainted. He did not love dragons. He loved the idea of dragons. The difference is the weight of the real thing landing in your living room.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Liu Xiang 劉向, 新序 (Han dynasty)
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dragon, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 葉公好龍 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 葉公好龍 (yè gōng hào lóng) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Liu Xiang 劉向, 新序 (Han dynasty). 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 葉公好龍?
In Mandarin it is yè gōng hào lóng. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 葉公好龍 aloud in Mandarin.