諺語 · a single proverb
一失足成千古恨
What does 一失足成千古恨 (yī shī zú chéng qiān gǔ hèn) mean?
一失足成千古恨 (yī shī zú chéng qiān gǔ hèn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語). Word for word it reads "one misstep becomes a regret for a thousand ages." In use it means: A single wrong move can create consequences that last a lifetime. Some errors cannot be corrected because the moment they occupy is gone forever. 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 Snake.
Literally: "one misstep becomes a regret for a thousand ages."
The reading
The bridge was there, the step was wrong, and everything after that step was the new life. Not the life you planned. The other one. The one you spend years trying to undo and eventually accept. Some mistakes are erasable. Some change the story's direction permanently. The difference is not the size of the mistake. It is the size of the moment.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Ming-era proverb; Yang Yi 楊儀 poem form; widely quoted
Sits beside
冬至陽生春又來
dōng zhì yáng shēng chūn yòu lái
At the darkest moment of winter, yang energy is reborn and spring begins its return.
夜長夢多
yè cháng mèng duō
Delay leads to complications.
太公釣魚，願者上鉤
tài gōng diào yú yuàn zhě shàng gōu
The best way to attract people is not through trickery but through genuine worth.
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 Timing & Fortune's Turning, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Snake, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 一失足成千古恨 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 一失足成千古恨 (yī shī zú chéng qiān gǔ hèn) is a folk proverb (yànyǔ 諺語), and it comes from Ming-era proverb; Yang Yi 楊儀 poem form; widely quoted. 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 一失足成千古恨?
In Mandarin it is yī shī zú chéng qiān gǔ hèn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 一失足成千古恨 aloud in Mandarin.