諺語 · a single proverb
一箭雙鵰
Simplified: 一箭双雕
What does 一箭雙鵰 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo) mean?
一箭雙鵰 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one arrow, two eagles." In use it means: Accomplishing two goals with a single action. Efficiency at its highest: one move that solves two problems. 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: "one arrow, two eagles."
The reading
The archer did not get lucky. The archer waited until the two birds were in the same line of flight. The efficiency was not in the arrow. It was in the patience. Most two-for-one opportunities are not found by shooting more arrows. They are found by waiting for the right moment to shoot one.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Book of Northern Qi 北齊書, biography of Changsun Sheng 長孫晟傳
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 Wealth, Work & Diligence, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一箭雙鵰 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一箭雙鵰 (yī jiàn shuāng diāo) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Book of Northern Qi 北齊書, biography of Changsun Sheng 長孫晟傳. 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 一箭雙鵰?
In Mandarin it is yī jiàn shuāng diāo. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一箭雙鵰 aloud in Mandarin.