諺語 · a single proverb
一寸丹心
What does 一寸丹心 (yī cùn dān xīn) mean?
一寸丹心 (yī cùn dān xīn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞). Word for word it reads "one inch of loyal heart." In use it means: Unwavering devotion and sincerity; a heart that may be small in size but is absolute in its commitment. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Fire note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Dog.
Literally: "one inch of loyal heart."
The reading
The heart is not large. But it does not need to be large. It needs to be full, and this one is. Full of the kind of commitment that does not waver when the circumstances change, because the commitment was never about the circumstances. It was about the person.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Wen Tianxiang 文天祥, Guo Ling Ding Yang 過零丁洋
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 Friendship, Trust & Speech, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Dog, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一寸丹心 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一寸丹心 (yī cùn dān xīn) is a line of classical verse (shīcí 詩詞), and it comes from Wen Tianxiang 文天祥, Guo Ling Ding Yang 過零丁洋. 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 一寸丹心?
In Mandarin it is yī cùn dān xīn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一寸丹心 aloud in Mandarin.