諺語 · a single proverb
一鳴驚人
Simplified: 一鸣惊人
What does 一鳴驚人 (yī míng jīng rén) mean?
一鳴驚人 (yī míng jīng rén) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "one cry startles people." In use it means: One action or word that shocks everyone; a sudden display of remarkable ability. 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 Rooster.
Literally: "one cry startles people."
The reading
The bird that has been silent in the reeds for three years has not been idle. It has been listening to the shape of the wind, feeling the tension of the right moment through its feathers. When it finally calls, the whole marsh remembers.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Shi Ji 史記·滑稽列傳 (Huájī biography); also Zuozhuan 左傳
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 Courage & Decisive Action, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Ox, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 一鳴驚人 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一鳴驚人 (yī míng jīng rén) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Shi Ji 史記·滑稽列傳 (Huájī biography); also Zuozhuan 左傳. 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 一鳴驚人?
In Mandarin it is yī míng jīng rén. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一鳴驚人 aloud in Mandarin.