諺語 · a single proverb
一髮千鈞
Simplified: 一发千钧
What does 一髮千鈞 (yī fà qiān jūn) mean?
一髮千鈞 (yī fà qiān jūn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "a single hair holding a thousand jun of weight." In use it means: An extremely precarious situation; everything hangs by the thinnest thread. 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 Rat.
Literally: "a single hair holding a thousand jun of weight."
The reading
The entire weight hangs from one hair, and the hair holds. Not because the hair is strong, but because nothing has tested it yet. Every precarious situation looks stable until the vibration hits. The person who sees the single hair and adds a cable before the vibration arrives is the person who saves the load. Do not admire the tension. Reinforce it.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Shu 漢書, Mei Cheng biography (枚乘傳); Qi Fa 七發
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 Rat, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 一髮千鈞 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一髮千鈞 (yī fà qiān jūn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Shu 漢書, Mei Cheng biography (枚乘傳); Qi Fa 七發. 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 一髮千鈞?
In Mandarin it is yī fà qiān jūn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一髮千鈞 aloud in Mandarin.