諺語 · a single proverb
朝令夕改
What does 朝令夕改 (zhāo lìng xī gǎi) mean?
朝令夕改 (zhāo lìng xī gǎi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "order in the morning, change by evening." In use it means: Constantly changing direction undermines trust and progress; consistency matters. 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: "order in the morning, change by evening."
The reading
The field cannot grow if you replant it every afternoon. A direction held for one day and abandoned is worse than no direction at all, because at least standing still does not exhaust the people around you.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Han Shu 漢書; common administrative criticism
Sits beside
井底之蛙
jǐng dǐ zhī wā
Someone with an extremely narrow view of the world, who mistakes the small circle of sky above the well for the whole sky.
冰凍三尺，非一日之寒
bīng dòng sān chǐ, fēi yī rì zhī hán
Nothing deep-a skill, a habit, a ruin-forms overnight.
心急吃不了熱豆腐
xīn jí chī bù liǎo rè dòu fu
Impatience will not speed things up.
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 Humility & Self-Mastery, or follow the years these lines belong to: Year of the Rooster, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 朝令夕改 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 朝令夕改 (zhāo lìng xī gǎi) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Han Shu 漢書; common administrative criticism. 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 朝令夕改?
In Mandarin it is zhāo lìng xī gǎi. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 朝令夕改 aloud in Mandarin.