諺語 · a single proverb
一馬當先
Simplified: 一马当先
What does 一馬當先 (yī mǎ dāng xiān) mean?
一馬當先 (yī mǎ dāng xiān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one horse takes the lead." In use it means: Someone who charges ahead before anyone else, setting the pace and taking the risk. Leadership is not a title. It is a position on the road. 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 Horse.
Literally: "one horse takes the lead."
The reading
The first horse catches the arrows and sets the speed. Everyone behind has a cleaner path because someone went first. Going first is not always brave. Sometimes it is just impatient. But when it is brave, when the first horse knows about the arrows and goes anyway, the riders behind owe a debt they can only repay by going first next time.
What kind of proverb it is
Source classical military idiom; Ming-Qing usage in vernacular novels
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Horse, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一馬當先 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一馬當先 (yī mǎ dāng xiān) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from classical military idiom; Ming-Qing usage in vernacular novels. 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 一馬當先?
In Mandarin it is yī mǎ dāng xiān. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一馬當先 aloud in Mandarin.