諺語 · a single proverb
欲速不達
Simplified: 欲速不达
What does 欲速不達 (yù sù bù dá) mean?
欲速不達 (yù sù bù dá) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "desire speed, do not arrive." In use it means: Rushing defeats the purpose. The faster you try to go, the less likely you are to get there. You reach for it when you want that idea in one breath, and the Earth note it carries is why we hand it to those born in the Year of the Ox.
Literally: "desire speed, do not arrive."
The reading
The potter who spins the wheel too fast cracks the clay. The student who reads too quickly remembers nothing. Speed creates the feeling of progress while producing the opposite. The shortcut that saves an hour costs a day when you have to redo the work.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Analects 論語, Book 13 (子路, ch. 17)
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 Perseverance & the Long Road, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Ox, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Tiger.
Questions
Is 欲速不達 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 欲速不達 (yù sù bù dá) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Analects 論語, Book 13 (子路, ch. 17). 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 欲速不達?
In Mandarin it is yù sù bù dá. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 欲速不達 aloud in Mandarin.