諺語 · a single proverb
知難而進
Simplified: 知难而进
What does 知難而進 (zhī nán ér jìn) mean?
知難而進 (zhī nán ér jìn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語). Word for word it reads "knowing it is difficult and advancing anyway." In use it means: Pressing forward despite understanding exactly how hard the road will be; informed courage. 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 Tiger.
Literally: "knowing it is difficult and advancing anyway."
The reading
Ignorance charges forward. Wisdom hesitates. Informed courage hesitates and then charges forward anyway, because the hesitation taught it something useful about the terrain. This is the most expensive kind of courage: the kind that paid for full information and went anyway.
What kind of proverb it is
Source Common literary expression; Confucian resolve tradition
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 Tiger, Year of the Rat, and Year of the Ox.
Questions
Is 知難而進 a real Chinese proverb?
Yes. 知難而進 (zhī nán ér jìn) is a four-character classical idiom (chéngyǔ 成語), and it comes from Common literary expression; Confucian resolve tradition. 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 知難而進?
In Mandarin it is zhī nán ér jìn. Read the pinyin above each character to follow the tones, or press the speaker beside the calligraphy to hear your browser read 知難而進 aloud in Mandarin.